Seems like it was yesterday...

Where has the time gone?  I find myself asking that question a lot lately.  I am so sad that it has been OVER year since I last blogged! I REALLY, REALLY wanted to, but I have just realized that I am WAY over thinking things! When did I realize this? Well, it was actually on Mother's Day! I told Chris that all I wanted was to sit down and blog.....his response you ask? "Nuh uh, no way! That would take you three hours!!" Lol. Yes, that was his response, my wish would not be granted because it would simply take too long.  So I realized that blogging was taking much longer than it should.  Every time I would blog I would change my background and pictures and music.....that's what took so long.  And then I would have to get to "the story".  I wanted to be funny, witty, entertaining.  But why? I really don't have a good answer for that.  I have decided that I am going to make a better attempt to just show up and update people on what's going on in our new little world. My dad reads this from another country, so you could imagine his disappointment when he gets on to read and he still sees my post that we are pregnant! Sorry, Dad! There's no better place to start than the story of Ava's birth. I was even going to do a cute little slideshow of all the visitors that came to the hospital but then quickly realized....here I go again....taking way too much time! My posts following this will be current, but I've been wanting to write her story down for a while. So here goes......

I went in for my last checkup before she was due.  After several weeks of being checked, I was 0 percent effaced and not dilated at all.  Really? Why not!? I was so ready for her to make her appearance. The doctor told me that she did not want me to go to 41 weeks and that we should schedule her delivery.  I immediately got nervous because I didn't know when to schedule it because Chris wasn't with me.  I quickly learned that I didn't have much choice because of how busy the hospital was.  I threw out a few suggestions..you know like Wednesday or Thursday of the next week....she went and made a phone call and came back in.  She said, "Well, how about Sunday night?"  "Wait! What!? THIS Sunday night?"  "Yes, that's all they have available, it will just have to work for your husband." As I was calling Chris I felt like I was about to cry because I was just so overcome with emotion because we had a true date on when our lives would change. Well alright then, we were about to have this baby in just a few days (if she didn't come on her own, which I was SO hoping she would.) But Sunday rolled around and she had not come, although she was giving me some serious pains! The pains had been going on for several weeks and would literally stop me in the middle of a sentence.  We went on about our day, packing and doing last minute things.  Nick (Chris' little brother) called and wanted to come by because he said Alexandra had made us a few things. A few things. A few things. Lol.

A few things. Lol. 

This sweet girl had been playing on her aunt's embroidery machine for months! Chris and I were tickled pink at all the goodies for Ava.  Alexandra had already made her a beautiful blanket and gave it to us at our family shower.

So cute! :)

So there we were, stocked with bibs and burp rags and onesies! So sweet of her to do all of that.  And she knew how hectic it would be at the hospital and wanted to bring it by before we went! They went on their way and Chris and I got ready to go. This was my last picture at 40 weeks and 2 days.

READY!!

We were scheduled to go in at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday evening.  It started to rain as we were driving and we were just thinking about what was about to happen.  The next time we would be home, it would be with a newborn in tow. So scary.  So exciting.  He dropped me off at the front door and went to park the car.  We went up to the second floor and got checked in.  They weighed me and it was official, I had gained 32 lbs over the pregnancy. (Not too bad in my eyes!)  They told us that they were so crowded and it would be a little while before we could get a room.  So out to the waiting room we went with our bags and pillows and each other.  We sat in the waiting room and there was a football game on.  We saw another lady who was due go to check in and they pretty much told her to go out to eat or do something else for a couple hours because it would be a while before she got a room. Oh my...poor girl, I was so glad they didn't send us away.  I propped my feet up, pulled out the laptop and decided to tell Facebook that we were going in! :)  As I opened it up, the cutest little nurse opened the double doors and said, "Hey, Susan! Are you ready?!"  That was it, it seemed like 15 or 20 minutes, but I think it was really longer. Cristi, our first nurse, explained that she was going to get us set up, but her shift was over at 10 and she had to go home.  But she was SO bummed because she thought we were "so cute and sweet" and she wanted to stay to help deliver our baby.  She told us about her 2 girls and about the days of their birth.  We didn't want her to go. :(  On a side note, I ran into Cristi at the mall in Hot Springs and she remembered so much about us..even that Chris wanted to go into Ophthalmology!  So sweet.  But in came Jenny.  Jenny was pretty sweet, too.  She wasn't Cristi, but she was still great.  She was 32 weeks pregnant and you could BARELY tell! She started my IV to keep me hydrated and just in case I wanted pain meds later after they started my Pitocin. Just as she got the first one in she bragged about it....and then the vain blew. :(  She tried again on the next wrist and all I could think was, "Why in the world is she putting this IV right there?  How am I supposed to move? Or sleep?"  It was REALLY stressing me out because I couldn't bend my wrist and the thought of the IV was turning my stomach....so I hid my wrist under the blanket! ;) 

I scar VERY easily and 5 months later I still have a little dot at the top of my hand (wrist) where she put it.

She asked me if I wanted some Ambien to help me sleep for the night.  What? I get to sleep?  I thought I was coming to have a baby!  Because my cervix had not thinned at all they had to give me Cytotec and it had to work overnight. I knew the baby wouldn't be coming until the next day, but I didn't think I was going to get to sleep when I got there! She asked me what my pain level was and it was a zero.  She made a few visits in and out and one of the times I told her that my stomach was just cramping a little.  She looked at the monitor and said, "Well that's because you're having a contraction!"  I was so excited that I was having contractions BEFORE they gave me anything! We spent the next little while watching the monitor for contractions, even though I could barely feel them.  I went to the bathroom before we got all set up and we sent Alex and Nick to Tropical Smoothie ( I had to!) and then the nurse administered my Cytotec and gave me the Ambien.  She told me I could eat or drink until midnight, but that I needed to stay laying down for the Cytotec to do its job. She placed the gadgets (can't remember the name) around my belly that would pick up fetal heart tones. (Not comfortable for sleeping, no wonder why I would need the Ambien!) I drank a little of my smoothie, but didn't overdue it because I didn't want to keep getting up to go to the bathroom.  We had to unhook my belly gadget and take the IV, EVERY time I had to go. :( I didn't like this because if Chris didn't hold the IV bag up over my head high enough, blood would come to the opening of the IV. Gross!  Eventually (they later told me)  I was seeing double of Alex and Nick and it was time for me to go to sleep.  

Here is a quick picture of Cristi and Jenny before they left.  The next morning I woke up to new nurses. :)

Jenny is on the left and Cristi is on the right.

I got up several times during the night, which was such a pain. And every time I would lay back down, they would come in and adjust my "belly gadget" because I had accidentally moved it. We didn't feel like we got much sleep. People would come in through the night to check my vitals. Chris was on an uncomfy couch and had to go with me to the bathroom every time I went.  Between 6 and 6:30, nurses were buzzing in and out and he decided it was time to get up and shower! It's game time.  The nurse checked me and I was going to have to have another round of Cytotec! HUGE bummer! Chris began texting our moms and telling them not to rush, that it would be mid afternoon to evening before this baby was coming.  I was bummed, but there was nothing I could do besides lay there.  I was very "out of it" and kind of in a weird mood. I don't even remember as much as I would've liked to.  My doctor, Dr. Hubach, came between 8 and 8:30 to check my progress.  The nurse, Vickie, told her that they did not start my Pitocin because my cervix had not thinned enough.  Dr.  Hubach said that it was fine to get it started and that I was dilated to between a 1 and 2 so that I could have my epidural any time.  I told her that I was fine and didn't want it until I HAD to have it because I was afraid it would slow down my delivery. She broke my water (without telling me she was doing so) and then she said she would check back in later that morning/afternoon to see my progress.  ONE contraction later and I was READY for them to come with my epidural! Lol.  The next thing I knew, Amanda and Lance were there to save the day! She was very sweet, and still in training.  Very, tall, confident, and personable.  He was more quiet and just observing her.  She was explaining to me what we were about to do and every time I had a contraction, she would wait for it to pass before continuing.  I told her it was fine, to please talk as fast as she could.  They raised the bed up HIGH so that they could reach my lower back easily and I turned and faced the side where Chris was.  While she entered the epidural, Lance watched and waited.  She was unsure of placement, but he said she was right and that's where he would put it.  "You're doing great, Susan.  You are awesome....sitting just right."  But they kept saying that my back was "too shallow" and they were afraid the epidural was going to come out.  This went on for what seemed liked quite some time.  The contractions were hurting WAY worse than the epidural and I was relieved that it didn't hurt that bad.  Because they had to do it again.  And again.  They kept apologizing, but it didn't bother me at all.  Finally, they felt good about the third one!  Relief was on it's way.  I think I handled the epidurals so much better than the first IV because I never saw the needles! 

A little after 9:00 a.m., our mothers were there in the waiting room.  We wanted to have them come in while I was in labor, but not while I was pushing.  It was just going to be us.  Our moms were growing more and more concerned watching the clock because they knew they could come in "right after the epidural." A lot of time had passed and they heard nothing from Chris because he was busy holding my hands during the contractions.  Although they hurt, REALLY badly, I never screamed and never cried.  But man did they hurt.  Even days after the delivery, I couldn't explain what a contraction felt like.  I knew that shortly after the epidural I would be wearing a HUGE smile because I wouldn't really be able to feel everything.....but this never happened for me.  All of a sudden my contractions were concentrated on the right side of my body and every time they came, my lower back/bottom would just shake uncontrollably, but only on one side.  I had 2 nurses at this point, Vickie and Dorothy, and they knew that this just shouldn't be happening.  They called Lance back to check out my epidural.  What do you know.....they had to take it out and do it a 4th time. Fine, by me.....just hurry.  They apologized again and wished me luck.

I still have 3 of the 4 scars from the epidural!

They FINALLY let our moms in to see us! They were so worried! They stood by talking quietly and trying not to be in the way.  They succeeded.  They weren't in there for long and I had the WORST contraction thus far! I told Vickie, "That one was bad, really bad."   

She decided to check me to see how far I had dilated. She said, "Honey, that hurt so bad because you are a 9!!"  That can't be right. It's only been a couple of hours.  I can STILL feel my contractions.  "Are you sure it's time," I asked.  "Well, I can see her hair."  They called my doctor over at her clinic and I lucked out because she was able to rush right over.  They started taking away the bottom part of my bed and before I knew it there was no more comfy place to rest my feet! Haha.  I asked Chris if he minded if our moms stayed in there and he said he didn't care as long as I didn't.  At that point, the whole waiting room could've been in there and I would not have cared!  Of course our moms were ecstatic to stay and Donna was just in tears.  This was her first grandbaby.    At 11:12 a.m. I started pushing.  They told me how they would count and how I was supposed to bear down. And boy did I do it.  Six minutes later, at 11:18 a.m. I gave my final push and felt Ava come out.  There she was.  6 lbs, 11oz and 20 inches long.

I'm pretty sure I was so relieved at this moment that I was falling in and out of sleep.  So out of it.  Not a tear shed.  My mother in law commented about how she had never seen anything like it.  I was so clam and sweet and worried about others...while I was in labor. (That's according to her, not me. Lol.) My nurse, Dorothy said I definitely can go without the epidural on my next baby.  It took me several weeks to figure out why I was acting that way because I did not have any pain meds and my epidural barely had time to work and even if it did, it only numbs my lower half...... and then it hit me....the AMBIEN!!! I was still so groggy and out of it because it was still in my system! Everything made sense.  If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn't have taken it.  Obviously God has a plan and my delivery (minus the 4 epidurals) went incredibly fast, in fact, it was a great delivery......but I was almost beside myself the whole time. But I will never forget that sweet moment. So in love with her....and we couldn't quite figure out who she looked like.  Because at birth, it was neither Chris nor I! Lol!

so little....

yet so long!

She finally made it.....our happy little family.


Visitor after visitor, we showed her off.  Tons of phone calls and text messages.  She was finally here.....sleepy and calm.  Everyone was simply in love with her.  We were up until at least 11 still talking with visitors. Ava slept in the room with us.  Chris slept on the small couch so soundly that you would've thought it was him who had given birth. ;) She NEVER cried....never made a peep. I was in and out of sleep all night.  I couldn't stop reading all of the sweet Facebook messages and staring at her. Couldn't believe she belonged to us.


And my sweet husband got me a "push present" with the sweetest note that I will never forget.  Love him so much.

   If I can get it to load, I will post a video of the nurse handing Ava to me.  I didn't even know Chris had taken it until about a week after she was here.  I was SO glad he did.  In it you can hear me asking about her hair, Ava upset that they were taking her to the warmer, my sweet Mom commenting about how Donna can hold her first since it's her first grandbaby, Donna sobbing uncontrollably, and the doctor calling me a "pro." Love it all and I am so happy to finally share this special day with you all.



 God has truly blessed us and not a day goes by that we don't give Him thanks. 


Well.....all kidding aside, this post took me about 3 hours...or longer. Haha. But it's because I waited too long to tell the story.  But I'm glad I did! I hope you enjoyed it!