Let's Have a Baby!

*disclaimer* this post is for my personal journal and some photos are graphic. view at your discretion.

Sunday morning, March 27, 2011, Mitchell came into my room at 4:30am. I got up to use the bathroom and was cursing myself because I was still pregnant. I was so frustrated with my body and figured it didn't know what it was supposed to do to go into labor. I had succombed to the fact that I would have to be induced on the 29th. About 5am, I started feeling some tightening and cramping, but I had been feeling that for 2 weeks prior to that morning. I wondered, but tried to think nothing of it. The pains started coming a little closer together, so at 5:20am, I decided to get up to move around, and see if they stopped. I went downstairs and watched a little TV. The next contraction came 8 minutes after the previous one. The next one was 3 minutes after that. Now I was really wondering because these were really hurting. I went back upstairs at 5:45am, and told Matt we should probably think about going. He very calmly got out of bed and into the bathroom. I told him I had been timing the contractions for about an hour and then he started to panic. He was flying around the bathroom like I was going to deliver right then! My contractions were a consistent 3 minutes apart at this point. I called my friend and her daughter to come over and sit with the little kids while we went to the hospital. We were out the door about 6:15am.  We checked into the hospital about 6:30am(ish) because Matt was speeding down the freeway thinking I was going to deliver this baby in the car. When I was all set up in triage, they checked me between contractions and I was still about a 3, 80% effaced.  That's what I was at my appointment the previous Tuesday, so the nurse made me walk the hospital halls for 1 hour hoping it would make something happen. So Matt, Madeline and I walked and walked and stopped every 3 minutes so I could hug the wall. Madeline was amazing through the whole thing. She offered me her hand at each contraction and allowed me to squeeze as hard as I needed. One hour later, I was still a 3, 100% effaced. I was frustrated, but told the nurse I didn't want to be sent home. I was in too much pain. She said she wouldn't send me home and proceeded to stretch me to 5cm so that I could officially be admitted as an "in labor" patient. Right after that, I had one really hard contraction and my water broke. From there, I was going to go quickly. I was in so much pain, they had to roll me into labor and delivery. I had never been in so much pain in my entire life. The contractions were coming 2 and 3 on top of each other. I was up on my feet with my back arched it hurt so badly. About 15 minutes later, I was able to get my epidural. There is nothing better than a bit of medicine in your hurting body.  When I could finally relax, they realized that baby's heartrate was dropping with each contraction. I was given oxygen to help keep the heartrate up. I labored for about 30 minutes and then after one hard contraction, the doctor and nurses came running in and asked me if I was ready to have a baby. Doc checked me and I was complete and ready to push. 3 full pushes later, she was out. The cord was wrapped so tightly around her neck that she didn't cry. She had tons of mucous in her lungs. They had to call the NICU down to help relieve some of the mucous. It's hard to not hear your newborn baby cry. I knew she was going to be ok, but I kept looking at Matt and he was trying to be reassuring, although I could tell he was concerned. Thank heavens they were able to get the mucous out of her lungs and she ended up being fine. Her apgars were 4, 6 and 9.

I was so grateful to have my new baby here and safe.

Alexa Elaine Ray

10:13am

6 lbs. 9 oz

18 inches

Big sister Madeline was able to witness the whole delivery and even got to cut the cord. It was an amazing experience for her and one she will never forget!

even with contractions 3 minutes apart, daddy made me stop and pose for a picture

sweet pictures to pass the time

Madelines own set of splashguard glasses

a little on the purple side

Madeline cutting the cord

sweet Alexa

mommy meets baby for the first time

my littlest baby at 6 lbs 9 oz

proud papa with is 3rd daughter

even prouder big sister

so happy with our doctor

the two doctors that got Lexi here safely.

on a side note, my doctor was out of town fishing with his son 45 minutes away. He raced back to the hospital so that he could be there for the delivery. I'm so grateful for him and that he made that sacrifice to be there for me.  Thanks for Dr. Glen Lovelace!