The Labor

There we were! 15 days before the due date but actually in labor. We had never done that before. Every other time it had been a gush of water and then a run to the hospital. This time was different.

17 hours of the following…

Laboring Mama

Supportive Husband

Am I making progress?

What time is it now?

What shall I drink?

Been lookin' at that wall for a while now...

And then birth.

It was actually a pleasant and glorious experience, except for the hell part. I wish I could have skipped the hell part. 

17 hours of labor: Back contractions at 10:30 PM, pack and call the babysitter, go to triage, sit in hot tub and take a one hour walk (hahaha! I thought it was really funny the nurse thought I was capable of walking for longer than two minutes. Hadn't been able to do that for the past several months. But I did it! 60 minutes! I really wanted baby to come.), checked into hospital 4 am because dilated to a 4, still at a 4 nine hours later, doctor broke my water, sit in hot tub again but this time with contractions four times as painful as before, get out to be put on monitors, dilated to a 6 now, ask for drugs after five more minutes, yell at nurses cause anesthesiologist has two people in front of me, they get me another anesthesiologist, still yell at nurses and husband "I CAN'T DO THIS!", 20 minutes later after I am dilated to a 10 the anesthesiologist gives me an intrathecal (a one hour spinal), I tell the anesthesiologist that I love him…several times, I make jokes and exchange small talk and witty banter with the nurses, doctor, and my husband whom I had previously been yelling at as I wait in between contractions to push out our beautiful baby. 

And then she is born.

Us with Dr. Bradley

She is born with the same lower, pouty lip the other two kids were born with!

About to move to recovery room.

First bath, which she did not enjoy.

The hospital never rushed us once. They let her stay on my belly after birth as long as I wanted. We stayed in the delivery room until we were ready to go. The nurses were all amazing. All of them listened to me and tailored to my every need and desire. I felt fully in charge of the whole delivery and recovery. No nurse tried to force her agenda for drugs or nursing or any preference in opinion or timing on me. It was everything I wanted! And I LOVE birthing outside of Utah (Yes, I think it's a Utah thing)! Because I got an intrathecal instead of an epidural, I walked right off the delivery bed and have had a fantastic recovery. 

And the most important part of all:

I gained 45 pounds for her and had an especially difficult pregnancy, and I'd do it all again, twice as long as hard, just to have her.

Welcome, our sweet angel.