She's Here!!

Please meet Avery Jolene...born 11-18-09 at 3:00pm, 8lbs & 6oz, 20 inches long.


The Story...

On Tuesday, because I was 8 days past my due date, I went in to my OB's office for a check up and an ultrasound to make sure that all was good with the baby and with me. Everything was great with the baby--she scored an 8 out of 8 on her profile, looked very healthy and was having no problems (just not ready to come out yet). However, my blood pressure had gone way up--144 over 104 and was cause for concern, especially since I never have high blood pressure and it came on quite suddenly. Dr. Schilling knew that we were preparing for a home birth, and very much wanted to help us stay on that path, but expressed his concerns about my health and outlined possible issues that could arise should I opt to remain pregnant and wait to have her at home.

At that point, I felt we only really had one option. Kevin and I had decided at the very beginning that a home birth was only an option as long as baby and mommy were doing fine and there was virtually no risk involved. Because my high blood pressure could have caused seizures and other dangerous complications before or during labor, we felt that I was no longer a candidate for having her at home. Therefore we went with the doctor's suggestion and our induction was scheduled for the next morning. We were definitely more than a little disappointed as we packed away all of the home birth supplies and packed our bags for the hospital--but we were also excited to know that she would be born the next day and wouldn't have to wait any longer to have her here.

My parents arrived to pick up Alex (for the 3rd time) and Kevin and I finished packing, cleaning the house, and tried to get some sleep. I barely slept a wink though and finally gave up and got up around 3:30am.

We checked in the hospital around 6:30am (30 minutes late because I had to fix my hair, haha). Within an hour I had labwork done and a pitocin drip started. Dr. Schilling came around 8:15am and broke my water. About an hour later the contractions started coming on pretty strong and I decided that I did indeed want an epidural--I was really beginning to tense up as each one came on, and since I was only at a "2", I knew it could still be a while. The anesthesiologist came in and did the epidural around 9:30 or so and it was SO not as bad as I thought it would be! I had one with Alex but was already in so much pain that I couldn't really remember how it felt. Honestly, the IV was much worse. Within about 15 minutes or so, things started to numb out and become much less painful. However, I get to be in medical books because the entire right side of my body didn't just go numb, it did that tingly "falling asleep" thing--literally from my eyebrow down to my toes. I couldn't lift my arm (when I did try, I whacked myself in the face--lots of fun for everyone in the room) and my face drooped a little on one side even! Crazy stuff. The anesthesiologist and the doctor were both stumped--said they'd never seen that happen before. Apparently the epidural affected some random nerve and caused all of that. They dialed it down a bit and in a little while it was much better.

Anyway, the epidural let me rest and allowed the pitocin to be really cranked up and I went from a 2 to a 4 to a 10 in about 4 hours--much, much, much faster than the process with Alex (story here). Did a 'test push' at around 2pm and the nurse called for the doctor (he left a liposuction to attend my delivery--how funny!) and sat up a little to let her descend some more. At about 2:40 we got started pushing and that was completely hilarious. I was absolutely and totally numb and could not feel a thing. I was told "harder" and "lower" and etc., etc., and just laughed because I had NO idea what was going on down there! But I got great feedback and was told that I was doing great, and I guess I was because I only pushed for about 15-20 minutes and she was born exactly at 3:00pm. With Alex, I pushed and pushed and pushed and....you get the idea...and nothing was happening, so I was so scared that this time would be the same. But everything was exactly the opposite, and exactly as I hoped it would be.

She came out and was immediately put on my chest, Kevin cut the cord, and we got to cuddle her for a minute. Then they took her for a check over and weighing and stuff. But then we got to have her back for around an hour, all to ourselves, which was so great. We both got to hold her and I was able to breastfeed and then we had to let her go to the nursery for a little bit for her bath and full once-over.

I got taken to a regular room and she was back with us by 6pm--SO unreal that less than 12 hours had passed since I had arrived at the hospital. Our family came by with Alex to visit and meet Avery. Alex was very sweet with her and was quite gentle and loving. The sweetest moment was when he was holding her and pointed around the room introducing all of our family to her. The funniest moment was when I put on a nursing cover to feed her and he immediately dove under the cover too to see what was going on. :)

We had a pretty busy night with her at the hospital--Kevin and I pretty much just swapped hours of sleeping and holding/feeding her. But she finally fell into what I called her baby "coma" around 4am and stayed that way for several hours...ahhh.

Since all was good with both of us (my blood pressure had gone up and down during labor and took a bit of regulating, but settled down finally), we were able to leave the hospital after her 24-hour jaundice check.

We went by and got Alex from my parent's house and took our brand new family of FOUR home for the first time. Kevin's parents stayed with us and were a BIG help with groceries and cooking and entertaining Alex, and of course snuggling with Avery whenever possible.

She's been a very easy baby thus far--not really into a 'schedule' yet, but we'll give her a few more days, haha. She's doing a fantastic job at breastfeeding and usually eats and then immediately sleeps for about 3 hours. Nights haven't been too bad either, so that's nice. Pop and Lollie left today, so we are going to start settling into our new family routine. Alex has been great with her, but a little wired at all the change and schedule disruption, so hopefully we'll be able to get him settled back down a little bit.

All in all, it's been a wonderful experience. Not the one we set out for--but a great "second place". We are all home, we are all happy and healthy, and that is all that matters.

More updates soon...but right now the little princess just woke up and is hungry. Thanks for all the kind messages and calls. We think she is wonderful and amazing and absolutely precious too. :)