Sunday night I put Lila down for bed just as I always do and then I climbed into bed myself. The morning came too quick and we still hadn't received a call to go check into the hospital. However we felt like we should call Labor and Delivery to make sure our name was even on the list! Turns out it wasn't!!! So we called our Doctor's office and got it all straightened out. Somehow our doctor didn't call in to get us scheduled like we thought he had! So we were happy to get our names on the list and they said they'd call within the next few hours. We figured they'd call us around lunch time.
We went about our day as usual. Got Lila dressed and ready for the day, I showered and got ready, Bill and Linda arrived, and then we got the call to be there at 12:30 pm! Whooo!! It was go time! Linda and Bill took Lila to Costco for a couple errands while Drew and I ran to grab a sandwhich from Jimmy Johns. It's important to eat and have that extra energy before labor, ya know!?
My parents were on their way down and Bill and Linda kept Lila for a bit while we got checked in to the hospital. I got dressed in the gown and got situated on the bed. I met my nurses and they got the IV into my arm where I had requested-- not on the bend of my wrist this time-- thank goodness! But right away I started feeling so sick. I got light headed and felt so nauseous! I thought I was going to throw up! I asked for a wet rag for my head and breathed deep. It only lasted a couple minutes but man it was weird!!! (I felt that way with Lila too but it was from lack of eating... so this time was a mystery?!) Maybe my nerves just got the best of me for a minute.
Anways, my first nurse's name was Denise. She was an older lady and as sweet and kind as could be! She took into consideration all of my desires, opinions, concerns, and anxieties. She was awesome! She checked my cervix and I was at a 3 and still not quite fully softened. But that was okay. The pitocin was hooked up and the contractions should help move things along. At least that was the hopeful plan!
Bill and Linda brought Lila by to see us and I got really emotional! But only for a second. Lindsey and Parker eventually got there to snap a couple pictures of the three of us (me, Drew, and Lila) before the baby got here. The shots she got were PRICELESS! And absolutely perfect. I will cherish them forever!!
Bill and Linda took Lila back home for her nap and then eventually my parents + Kinsley and Konner showed up! We just hung out all afternoon. The contractions were slowly getting stronger, but not bad at all. I was still laughing and chatting through them all. I was just SO happy to have my family there with us to keep us company!
As the day went on I was checked every couple hours and was not progressing at all. Luckily the baby was completely fine so that was good! I just wasn't making any progress! It was discouraging. I was nervous that maybe she wasn't ready to come, or maybe it was too early. I had a lot of emotions but stayed pretty strong.
I had a few sips of a chocolate protein drink during the afternoon to keep me feeling good. (Although it was not allowed I still drank it! I got so sick from not eating when I had Lila, I did NOT want to feel that way again! And luckily the protein drink did the trick!)
Well the day turned into evening. Lila came back from her nap and had a new shirt on that said, "I'm a big sister!" My mom had it made for her, it was adorable!! She was unsure about seeing me and sitting by me though at this point because I was hooked up to all the monitors and had my IV and blood pressure cuff on. She wouldn't sit on my lap and got really nervous (it made me kind of sad..) but she was easily distracted by everyone else in the room and happy to be with all the family.
Lindsey and Parker came back and gifted us my favorite (and most requested) photo of me and Lila that she had taken just hours previously. She had it printed and framed during the afternoon! It was so special to me!! Bill and Linda also gave us some gifts-- some baby soap and desitin, and a sleeper/jammy. It was so sweet!
Kambry and Tyler eventually showed up and so did Shay. It was a party! Our room was packed. The nurses were probably surprised ha but that is just how I like it! I loved having all my loved ones there. I love the support and I thrive off of it!
Well the delivery doctor was suppose to show up at some point during the afternoon to break my water but never did. So the on call doctor came in to break my water probably around 6:30 pm. (Obviously people weren't in the room when I'd get checked and stuff.. and by this time we told everyone to go get food and what not because it would still probably be a while.) She struggled trying to get it to break because my cervix was still pretty far back. But it finally broke and hallelujah I knew this would get my body going!! (I feel like my body progressed super fast when my water broke with Lila so I had a feeling this is just what needed to be done!)
Right away my contractions started getting WAY more intense. So much that I had to start breathing through them and wasn't able to talk through them anymore. Also probably 15 minutes later the delivery doctor showed up! She had got in a fender bender earlier and that is what threw everything off for her-- haha poor lady. But now that my contractions were more intense she and the nurse asked when I'd want my epidural. I told them I could probably wait for a little bit and they both looked at me like "ehhhh you should get it ASAP..." I settled with waiting til 7:30 pm to get it. They left the room and Drew and I talked for a second. The contractions were getting REALLY painful and we both decided to might as well get the epidural right away. So we called the nurse in and told her! I had my epidural in and complete by 7:30 pm. (I hated getting the epidural. It was miserable this time around. I did say to the anesthesiologist jokingly that I needed to reapply my deodorant and he said he'd never heard that in the 30 years he's been doing this.) So at least we can laugh about that.
The epidural worked right away which was nice but then I realized I had a "hot spot." I had had one with Lila so I knew exactly what was going on. It's just an area that doesn't numb so I could feel all the contractions each time. The pain was so intense!! They had me roll onto my right side to see if that would help but it didn't. I remember grasping onto the side of the hospital bed during each contraction and just thinking to myself "how in the world do people do this unmedicated!?" Well a few minutes later my nurse decided to put my catheter in. Not a big deal at all... until she said, "Ummm I can't get your catheter in because you are fully dilated and the baby's head is right there! You're going to have this baby right now!"
Right at that moment I got smacked with allllll the emotions. I started bawling happy and nervous tears, and told Drew to call our families and Lindsey right away! They had all left to go get dinner so it was crazy for them to get our phone call! They turned right back around and somehow made it just in time. The delivery staff came zooming into the room and set up all the supplies. Before I knew it my mom was by my side and I was crying. Lindsey was snapping pictures and Linda was behind me taking videos.
The doc was there now and told me to push right away! Immediately I felt her head come out! I only pushed a couple more times and she was here at 8:13 pm! Less than an hour after I had got the epidural! It happened SO FAST!!! Her arms flailed out like "HELLO WORLD I'M HERE!" haha and I just cry-laughed with astonishment that she was here!!! They put her on my tummy and I remember thinking she looked just like Lila except with tons and tons of dark hair! Amazing!! As she was on my chest I felt like I was literally in heaven. It felt so so so good to have her on my chest. What a rush of emotions!!! I kissed her head and face over and over again. She was so precious and so tiny!
As she was taken over to get weighed and measured and checked, one of the nurses hollered "She has dimples!!!!!" and everyone in the room jumped with joy and yelled out "wahoo!!" or "yay!!" hahaha it was so sweet! And sure enough she does! She has three dimples! One on each cheek and a little one on her chin. How stinkin adorable!!!
She is so perfect. She's everything I imagined she'd be and more! She's straight from heaven and lovely in every way. She has the mousiest little high pitched voice, dark (probably blue?) eyes, the daintiest little lips, the whitest eye lashes and eye brows, and the thickest light brown hair!!! She weighed 7lbs and measured 20 3/4 inches long.
I was able to breastfeed her shortly after she was born and she caught right on! That is one of the coolest things to experience! A new born baby knowing how to breastfeed. Absolutely amazing.
Lila got to come in to meet Nollie before everyone else did. She knew her and loved her right away!! It was a special moment to hold both my girls on the outside of my tummy, if you know what I mean. My heart and hands were and are so full!!!
A bit later we lucked out because our nurses let all our family come back into the room to meet Nollie after they got things cleaned up! This was nice of them because typically they would have our visitors see us after we've been moved to the Mama & Baby floor.. but visiting hours were already over! And a lot of our family had to leave to travel back home that night so it was a tender mercy! I'm so glad everyone was able to come in and meet Nollie. It was so fun to show her off!
Pregnancy is such a miracle. Labor, delivery, and birth is such a miracle. I feel so blessed to be able to have such healthy (and quite enjoyable) pregnancies, quick deliveries, and healthy beautiful babies.
Welcome to the world beautiful girl. You are so special to us and we are so happy to have you in our family! We love you Nollie Lynn!!!
Love,
Kate
