Labor and Delivery. She's here!

Labor and Delivery

So Grace did not make an entrance and didn't give me any signs she was planning on coming within the next week. Our midwife checked me and i was still only 2cm dilated, so she asked us again if we wanted to be induced and we said yes. I was so beyond done with being pregnant. She called and asked the hospital when they would have an empty bed and they said Wednesday would be good. So we only had to wait one day! 

Our midwife said to expect about a 12 hour labor, and when we got checked in they said I was 2cm and 90% effaced and would have started labor on my own at anytime. I was already having contractions but I couldn't feel them. 

After 12 hours they checked me again and I was at the exact same place! They gave me another pill to soften the cervix, and said I couldn't get up out of bed for six hours. It did the trick. I started to have real contractions that hurt. They gave me some pain meds in my IV and I couldn't believe how relaxed they made me. I hadn't realized I was tensing up. Aaron was laughing at me because I was slurring my words and telling him how good I felt. Survivor was that night and my midwife checked on me and said they would start the real labor inducing meds after I had some dinner and walked the halls. By the time Aaron got back and Survivor had started I was already in real labor. I was 6cm dilated and threw up all the dinner Aaron had brought. Ewww... They let me take a shower and walk the halls. Grace changed positions and I started having back labor. It hurt so bad! I thought someone was taking a hammer to my back vertebra every two minutes. I hopped back into bed and they gave me some more pain meds through the IV. They really knocked me out this time. I put on some yoga music, closed my eyes, and tried to breathe. The meds made me doze and I dreamed I was in a Mario and Luigi video game and everytime I had a contraction it was like hitting a brick. lol. Aaron went to check on the dogs and my nurse came in and asked if I wanted an epidural. I really didn't want to get one, but I caved. Labor was way worse than I thought it could be. They do say the meds I was on make it worse, and so did the position Grace was in. I got the epidural and it was amazing! I fell right asleep and woke up to the nurse saying she wanted to check me. She thought I was going to be at 7cm, but I was at a 10 and the birthing sac was hanging about two inches out of my vagina. Aaron said it was like a big gray water balloon. The nurse was excited because it rarely happens that a baby gets born in the sac. They called the midwife at 2:30am and in that time the sac sprung a leak. Grace hung out in the birthing canal for a half an hour and then six pushes later was out. Pushing was harder than I thought it would be too. Aaron cut the cord like a man. :) He did much better than I thought he would, but he stayed up next to my head and awkwardly patted my shoulder through it all. ha ha. I didn't tear or poop on the table which were my two biggest fears so I was happy.

It's time!

She was born on April 30th at 3:03am

She weighed 8 pounds 4 oz and was 19.25 inches long

They let us do skin to skin for about an hour before they took her to get her checked out.

She only cried for a minute and then just stared at me with huge eyes!

Checking out those tiny toes

I just couldn't believe that the little squirming thing inside of me was out and I was holding her in my arms. It was so weird seeing my baby and realizing she was mine!

My midwife Patty checking her out

First family pic

The sun was just coming up as they transferred us to our recovery room

 Me as a baby vs Grace. She looked just like me! As she gets bigger she looks just like Aaron. 

Proud Papa

Grandma and Grandpa Johnson came to visit

So did Justin and Araceli

Aaron couldn't get enough of her

By our second day in the hospital I was done! I hated it there! There were people coming in and out every hour. I hadn't slept for three days anyway and all I wanted to do was sleep. I couldn't wait to get out! Grace just got cuter and cuter as the day went on. She didn't have so much of a conehead.

I'm hungry Mom!

Grace's going home outfit. We were so excited to take her home at last!