The "Story"

So people have been asking about the delivery story so I thought I would post with the somwhat abbreviated version. The reason it's abbreviated is because I A) am so tired one of my eyes is closing and B)I only have 15 minutes until my next feeding. :)

Last Sunday afternoon around 2:30 pm I started feeling some pains in my lower back and abdomen. I really didn't think anything of it until I realized the pain was coming every couple of minutes. I had been doing everything I could think of to go into labor. The night before, I even had a very spicy mexican dinner (looks like it worked!). Once I realized it might be the "real thing' I sat down, started timing and called Wes to come home because this could be it. At that point, they were about 3 minutes apart and uncomfortable but I could breath through them. Wes got home and we called the hospital as I had been having contractions for over two hours every three minutes.

Once at the hospital, we found out that I was only 2 cm dilated BUT my contractions were seriously on top of each other. The nurses kept commenting that they couldn't believe how close they were. They were getting more and more intense and very close together. I went from 2 cm to 4 cm in under an hour and at that point my contractions were SO INTENSE and on top of each other that I was ready to rip the side of the hospital bed off. I had NO breaks. I literally had time to take three breaths in between contractions as, for some reason, my body wouldn't allow for the three minutes I had had earlier.

The docs didn't like how close and intense my contractions were considering I was only 4 cm so we got the epidural and started to discuss the plan. Let me tell you, that epidural was the BEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE. I was in heaven! I could breath! I could talk! I could think! It was amazing.

During this time, Olivia had a great heart rate but wasn't moving around a lot due to all the contracting. The docs didn't like this so we made the decision to have the C-section and within 15 mins we were in the operating room! It was all surreal. Wes and I were so excited, nervous, anxious, happy, pretty much every emotion in the book. We couldn't wait. The surgery went really well and I was actually able to see all of it (they had mirrors on the ceiling. I didn't look until she was being pulled out).

Then she came and our lives truly changed forever. Wes was amazing through all of it. He was SO strong and calm for me. He kept me relaxed and reassured me that everything would be fine. Once she was out, he was over with her while they sewed me up. I have never in my life seen him SO HAPPY. He was BEAMING and talking 500 words a minute (or at least that's how it felt in my medicated haze. lol). When he held her for the first time and brought her over to me he was the most excited I have ever seen him. The only way I can explain it is that he had this boyish excitement. Almost like he was three seconds away from jumping up and down and dancing around the room. I can't think of another moment that I was more proud to have him as my husband and the father of my baby. I am fully tearing up writing this by the way. We are truly blessed. He is our rock. I will never forget that moment as long as I live.

It was truly the most amazing moment of my life. Wes and I were looking at each other in amazement. It was like, WE DID THIS! She's here! They pulled her out and the first thing the doc and another assistant said was, "Look at those cheeks!!!" She immediately received a 9.9 out of 10 on her APGAR score and we were a family of three! She was a big girl, weighing in at 9 pounds 1 oz and 21.5 inches long. The doc said (after she saw her position and size) that she would never have made it out through traditional birth so it made me feel SO much better about opting for the C section.

It's been a week now and I still can't believe she's here sometimes. Wes and I are fully exhausted, but every time we look at her we can't help but get a boost of energy. She's amazing.

She's definitely her mama's girl. She wants what she wants when she wants it. And DON'T even think about taking your time to feed her when she's hungry. When she's not hungry, she's very chill and loves to cuddle. She loves nothing more than to lay on our chests and nap. When Wes holds her she flies her head back and tries to look at his face. It's SO CUTE! She LOVES her daddy and definitely already has him wrapped around her finger.

This has been a crazy, exhausting week but I wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks to my mom for staying with us the first couple of days. We are so thankful for all you did to help.

Thanks to our friends and family for all the love, support, visits and food! We really appreciated it!