Oh, Miss Livy. She surprised (shocked) us by arriving 2 weeks early. I had my regular weekly OB appointment on Tuesday, 12-20 at 4:00, and when she checked my cervix, she said, "Yep, still the same as last week, dilated to a 3....oh wait, no, you are dilated to a 4, and 50% effaced. Don't go having this baby over Christmas, I am not on call!" And then we laughed, because we had already set up an induction for 12-28, which I was bummed about because although I would be getting my fabulous OB for delivery, my favorite nurse who I had with both boys wasn't going to be working. SAD! So, I drove home and made dinner. Then at 6:00, the contractions started. But they were all over the place...3 mins apart, 7 mins apart, 2 mins apart, etc. So we called Labor and Delivery, and the charge nurse said that since I was already so dilated and this is my 3rd baby in less than 4 years, I needed to drink a ton of water, lay down for an hour and time the contractions to see what they do. As soon as I did that, the contractions went to 7 mins apart, 1 minute long every time. So then we were confused...were they slowing down, or becoming more regular?! I called back to L&D and my dr (who was THANKFULLY on call!) told us to get to the hospital. So we called Chris's mom, and she came to sit with the boys who were already in bed. I was apologizing all over the place, assuring everyone that I was probably going to just get sent back home, but in the back of my mind, I knew this was "it." And then I got sad, in typically Jen-mommy fashion, because I had just rocked Wadey to sleep as the baby for the last time, and I was worried that the boys would be sad in the morning when I wasn't there.
So we got to the hospital, and the contrax were getting pretty bad, this was at 11:00pm. They took me upstairs, got me changed and hooked up to the monitors. And I told Chris to go to sleep because they would probably send us home in a few hours and he would have to go to work. Then the nurse came and started an IV for fluids because the baby's heart wasn't having decels like it was supposed to, and the fluids were supposed to help. While Chris was sleeping, I went walking the halls, trying to get labor to kick into high gear. At 2 am, the nurse checked me again, and I was 5 cm, so my dr said there was absolutely no way she was sending me home because 3+ babies typically come super fast. So Chris got up, started pounding back the coffee, and we started walking the halls together. At 6:30 Dr. Saunders broke my water to get things going, and at 7am I was SO HAPPY because my favorite nurse walked in my room! She just happened to be working that day, and I got her!!! What luck?! They started pitocin at around 8, because I wasn't progressing very quickly. That sucked, but what do you do? ;) I labored by walking, rocking in the room, bouncing on a ball, etc. Then at 2:00ish, I asked for an epidural. It was the most painful one I have been given, but also the best! I could still feel contractions, but no pain. Awesome! Then at 3:30, I started feeling tons of pressure, so my nurse checked me, I was dilated to a 10 FINALLY, and baby was coming down. So my dr came in the room at 3:45, I pushed through 3 contractions and Miss Livy Noelle was born!
Chris, me, my OB and my nurse all said, "She is so tiny!!!!!" when she came out, almost a full pound smaller than her big brothers. But she was also 2 weeks early. ;) Thank goodness.
Sweet girl (and the best nurse!)
The epidural took a bit to wear off, so by the time I was finally moved upstairs to the mommy/baby rooms it was after 6:00. So Chris went and picked up the boys (and McD's for them!) and brought them up. They were soooooo excited to see baby girl. They have adjusted amazingly well so far.
And nothing can make your 19-month-old look more like a giant than a brand new baby! Geez! Wade seems huge now! We are so blessed to have added such an amazing little baby girl to our family. She is so laid back so far, and we rarely hear her cry, unless she is naked or hungry or tired. We are all in love!
