Sadie has arrived!!

The newest addition to our family, has arrived!  Sadie Mae was born May 23, 2012 at 10:40 p.m.  She weighed in at 7lbs 7.6oz and was 19.25 inches long.  She is absolutely perfect!

It was Monday morning and our excitement and high hopes for Sadie to come along were high for that day.  The morning just seemed to crawl by while I waited for my 10:30 doctor appointment to roll around.  Finally, off to the doctor's we went.  They stripped my membranes and said that if I started contracting and going into labor, to call the office right away.  I had talked to quite a few of my friends preceding this appointment about the fact that they were stripping my membranes and all of them but 1 had had successful "labor inductions" because of it.  Almost every single one of them had had their babies within twelve hours of the "stripping."  So hopes were high and we just knew that our little girl would be in our arms within 12 hours.

Well, we waited, and waited and waited.  I'd call Eric occasionally and let him know that nothing had changed.................. blah!  Then Tuesday rolls around.  I had been almost positive that I would go into labor in the middle of Monday night but alas, NO.  On Tuesday I waited, and waited and waited.  Let me just cut to the chase and say that stripping my membranes most certainly did not work.  I didn't even cramp up or anything from it. 

My mother in law arrived Tuesday evening so she could be there when Peyton woke up in the morning on Wednesday since we had a early morning induction set.  8:00 a.m.  I was soooooo grateful that she took the time off work and her busy life to come babysit Peyton.  It had become quite a stress on me to figure out where he would go while I was in the hospital.  I knew that I would be worrying like the dickens if he went to any of my friend's houses.... not worrying for him but for my friends.  He still has this HUGE anxiety when away from me which is 100 times worse when left somewhere unfamiliar.  He knows my mother in law pretty well though and he'd get to stay here at the house which is just what he needed!  So like I said, I can't express how grateful I am that she came to help. 

The morning at the hospital drug by...... it seemed like nothing was happening and we were always waiting for something.  First they checked me and said I was only dilated to a 1....... the doctor (Sandy) wasn't too happy with that and wondered why I was getting induced anyway.  Well, I didn't care what she said I was not leaving that hospital until I had a baby in my arms so I was freaked out that she would send me home till my body was better prepared.  I let her know that we were being induced because of my really difficult labor with Peyton and the possibility of having a really big baby if we waited full term.  That seemed to be enough for her so we preceded on.  She gave me a pill that was supposed to ripen my cervix and prepare everything a little better.  Then we had to wait for 4 hours while it worked. 4 HOURS..... did you hear me..... 4 HOURS!!!! Just for a little pill to "prepare me." 

Eric and I napped, watched TV, ate good food (I was still allowed to eat until I was in actual labor) and just hung out.  FINALLY, 4 hours went by and Sandy came and checked me again.  She was super suprised and I was ecstatic to hear that even though I hadn't felt any contractions, I was already dilated to a 3 and my cervix was "fully ripened."  I really really like Sandy and trusted her judgement implicitly!  She is actually a midwife at the practice I go to and she happened to be on call that day. (She's been my favorite since the first time I met with her at a regular appointment)  She's all about letting the body do what it needs to do as naturally as you can so you don't force the labor process and create problems for your body.  Which is EXACTLY what happened with my labor with Peyton.  I know for a surety that's why I had such a horrific experience with his birth so I was all about Sandy and her philosophies.  She said that I was in labor then and I could just hang out while my body went into labor naturally.  Then she broke my water and that was that.

More waiting....... Eric and I wanted to do everything to hurry the process right along though so we took long strolls around the hospital halls just talking about life and trying to force contractions on myself.  We took nice long soaks in the jacuzzi........ which was freaking awesome!!  And we just waited.....  About 3 hours later, the next doctor on call (shifts had changed) came in and checked me.  And actually, that doctor wasn't even from the practice I go to.  There was a lapse where he took over the patients from my office for the evening and the next doctor would spell him off in the morning.  So I was a little hesitant about that whole situation since I'd never met teh guy and didn't know if I trusted the dude but I was pleasantly surprised that I liked him so much.  He was a really good listener and took all my concerns into consideration.

After those 3 hours, I was only dilated to about a 4 and contractions weren't hard at all and super spaced out.  So we started me on a pitocin drip.  Let me just say that inserting my IV was KILLER!  After the pitocin started, it was all a fast blur/rush from there.  It didn't take long before my contractions were hard and fast and I let Eric know that I changed my mind about wanting to have my baby.  I wanted him to take my pitocin out and let me go home and reconsider.  Haahaa.... obvsiouly I waasn't thinking too clearly.  All I could think about was how much those contractions hurt.  I held on as long as I could then begged for an epidural........ then wished I had asked for it an hour before since it seemed to take forever for them to get there.  Sheesh!  I kept thinking..... does the anesthesiologist NOT know that there is a woman seriously in pain right now who needs him desperately?  Why is he lolly gagging around?  I was pretty upset with him which changed the minute he stuck that needle in my back...... which is when he became my best friend and hero. 

I was pretty nervous to get the epidural because when I'm in labor i shake like the dickens.  The nurse was such a sweetie and kept bringing me huge heavy blankets straight from "warmers" to help me stop shaking so much but nothing really helps.  I was scared that my shaking would make the needle go in the wrong spot but he was confident that everything would be alright.  Well, even though I was in the middle of a contraction adn shaking like a leaf and freaked out like no other...... that epidural was PERFECT!  Seriously, I want to adopt that anesthesiologist.....he saved my life!  It took 10 minutes and then I felt nothing. 

A couple hours later, I decided that I kinda needed to push.  I wasn't positive and it didn't happen for every contraction so the nurse told me to wait till there was a bigger urge and happened every contraction.  By the way, I freaking loved my nurse.  I want to adopt her too!!!  She was soooooo sweet!  I was her only patient for a few hours and she doted on me like no other.  She was all about listening to what I wanted to do and let me take teh reins (which was such a turnaround from Peyton's birth).  She had such a sweet soul!!  Karen was her name and she looked to be in her sixties about.  We got to talking as she waited for me to want to push and turns out, she's always wanted kids sooooooo badly.  It was her heartbreak in life that she was never blessed with them.  My heart did break for her and i wished I could do something that could make it better for her.  I had given a talk on Mother's Day and for some reason I felt a really big prompting to focus my talk on "a mothering nature," that we women are all born with.  I now know why I had been prompted to do that.  I told Karen some things from my talk and how much I appreciated her "mothering nature," and the way she was mothering me as I was having a baby.  I told her a few more things and I felt really close to this woman who had been but a stranger a few hours previous. 

Then, I felt the need to push.  A LOT!  So it began.  10p.m..... I started pushing.  I know I keep comparing Sadie's birth to peyton's but I can't help it.  Pushing this go round was a cake walk compared to Peyton.  Every time I pushed Eric and nurse Karen would say, "We see her, she's coming further down. She's moving, she's moving!!!!!"  About 20 minutes in, I could actually feel the top of her head too.  MIRACLEE!!!  We were laughing and smiling the whole time I pushed and it was a really fun time!  FUN,???? labor???? pushing???  Yes, I enjoyed it immensely.  Every time I pushed and Sadie moved... being closer and closer to being in my arms was such a rush.  I felt enpowered and strong!!!  It also didn't hurt that I felt NO pain at all, just pressure to push. 

Then the nurse tells me to stop so the doctor can come in.  So we're just al chilling till he comes in.  A couple pushes later, he says, "sTOP, slow down!!"  Too late.... out she plops. 

Words can't express all the emotions I feel when I hear MY baby for the first time.  Those first few seconds of crying.....that moment when they put her on your chest and you see her for the first time..... that moment your heart explodes because the minute she was placed in your arms, she stopped crying...... that moment you look the nurse in the eye when she's holding your baby, transferring her into my arms and you realize how extremely blessed you are that you can have babies...... that moment you look up into your husband's eyes and pass a thousand words between you without saying antyhign at all about how beautiful she is and what a miracle we created........ or that moment that you feel like your whole heart is ballooning and about to pop right out of your chest because of the love you feel for that little baby............

Sadie girl..... even though there aren't words to tell you how acutely I adore and love you, I will tell you that I love you to the moon and back.  Everything about you is so perfect and I can't believe you're mine.  I'm the luckiest mommy in the whole wide world!  I would do absolutely anything for you and feel the biggest responsiblity to be the best mommy just for you!  I'm sooo grateful to Heavenly Father to entrust me with your care and will remember every day how lucky I am!!  You're beautiful!!  Daddy, Peyton and I love you forever and ever!!!