So excited that Kate is here!

So I technically was in labor for 24 hours, but it sure didn't feel like it! I had my first contraction at 11:50 pm on the 17th, but it was totally manageable. I mean, they kept me up, but they weren't too bad. They were no worse than menstrual cramps and totally manageable by doing deep breathing. I even managed to sleep from 11 am to 1:30 pm (obviously I didn't go into work yesterday). They lasted all day, but honestly didn't even hurt that much, nothing like the horror stories you see on TV! So I thought, ok, I'm still in early labor (I mean, don't get me wrong, they were uncomfortable, but nothing terrible, and I learned what positions made them feel better). I spent two hours in the bathtub, and whenever i felt a contraction coming on, I turned on the hot water again, and the pain literally vanished.

Dan and I already had an appointment scheduled for yesterday at 5 pm at the birth center, so we went there as scheduled, bringing the birth center bag just in case, although Dan didn't think I was actually going to be in active labor any time soon. So we get there, and the midwife tells me I'm already dilated to a 7. I was like, what??? Seriously, the contractions I'd been having all day that didn't even hurt very much had dilated me to a 7? I was thinking, this is awesome!! So, we got settled in our room (well, Dan ran over to the grocery store first to get strawberries and ice cream, two things I was really craving), and I spent a good portion of the night in the tub (from like 5:45 to 10 or so). It helped with the pain so much (these contractions were obviously a lot stronger and more painful, but again, by doing all the breathing I had learned, it really wasn't *that* bad. And they only lasted a minute, and you can do anything for a minute, right?) I mean yes, there were a few contractions where I tensed up and forgot to breathe, and those KILLED. I think I may have screamed, "I can't do this!" But those were the exception, not the rule. Whenever i remembered to do the deep, low breathing, it really, really helped. I even managed to fall asleep between many of the contractions! (I had a water pillow-type thing, and I literally just slept between the contractions).

So around 10 pm I went to sit on the toilet (I know, that sounds weird, but I was starting to have pushing sensations, and they say that since subconsciously you associate pushing with the toilet--like when you have bowel movements--it makes that part of labor easier). So I was on there for about an hour, and those contractions were a bit more painful (although strangely, the pushing itself felt good). I think there may have been one or two instances where I told Dan that if he really loved me, he would take me to St. Mary's for a c-section, or at least an epidural, haha. So yeah, they were painful (I'd say a 7 on a scale of one to ten) but overall, they were fine. Again, the deep breathing REALLY helped.

At around 1045, I wanted to change positions, so I got on the bed on all fours, putting my head down on the pillows like in a yoga position. This is when the pushing started to get crazy. Pretty soon i was like, "Is that the baby's head?" So at 11:30 or so, I got on the birthing stool, with Dan sitting behind me on the bed, and I started pushing for real. That was probably the most painful, because before when I pushed, I was just moving her down the birth canal, so it actually felt good, like I was doing something. But this part hurt a lot more, since her head was actually coming out. I admit, I was screaming at this point, but it was over so fast. They said, "Oh, I can see the baby's head, push slowly," and I'm thinking, "What? I'm just going to push, I want this thing out of me!" So I gave one big giant push and she just FLEW out. It was funny b/c they were saying, "Push slowly.... ok, maybe not!" because she was out before they could even finish the sentence :) I told them that I wanted them to announce it, and one of the birth center assistants said, "It's a baby.... girl!" But I saw she was a girl before she even got the word out, and we were absolutely thrilled :) I absolutely could NOT believe it. I was so certain she was a boy, but I am so incredibly over the moon that she's a girl!

It was kinda scary, though; normally they don't cut the cord until it finishes pulsing, and they put the baby on the mom right away. Well, not in our case. All of a sudden the lights flew on, they were cutting the cord immediately, and they handed her to Dan and kind of pushed him out of the way (gently, of course) and my normally very calm midwife was kind of snapping at the birth assistants (in an urgent way, not a mean way.) They had to put pitocin in my IV and give me like four different shots of things because blood was EVERYWHERE. I looked over at Dan and he was clearly happy about the baby, but he was also terrified. They didn't even wait for me to push the placenta out; they just grabbed it out so they could start massaging my uterus and try and stop the blood loss. Obviously they were successful, but it was a scary 20 minutes or so (and the uterus massaging was PAINFUL)! Ow. They say I probably lost over a liter of blood, which is twice the amount that moms normally lose in a normal birth.

Dan said that she opened her eyes right away and she was SO active; not lethargic at all. She was sticking her fingers in her mouth immediately and really interacting with Dan right away, as they sat in the rocking chair and waited for me to get the bleeding under control.

I suffered a second degree tear, which is not really a big deal. They numbed me and stitched me up, so it was fine. All in all, it didn't seem like I was in labor for 24 hours; it only felt like 7, although tack on a few for all the repair measures! I wouldn't change a thing about her birth; it was so perfect, and honestly, cheesy as it sounds, I'd do it all over again, pain and all. She is so perfect and I can't believe I'm a mom!! I love all the little squeaky sounds she makes, and she is SO calm. She rarely cries, and she is just adorable! The way she opens her eyes and looks right into mine just melts my heart.

We only got a couple hours of sleep at the birth center, which is fine. Kate slept right between us, and every time I woke up, I just looked down to see this adorable, tiny little thing curled up next to me on her side. I just can't believe that I have a daughter, and such a perfect one, at that! :)


Me on Valentine's Day; one of the last pregnant pictures I took!

Our room; the Mary Breckenridge Room


Just hanging out in the tub, which helped with the contractions so much. (This is obviously when I first got in; later I got my hair all wet, which is why it's so curly in subsequent pictures. But I wasn't really thinking of my hair at that point, haha).


Me just looking up at Dan in total shock (and happiness). I just kept saying, "I can't believe we have a daughter! I can't believe it's a girl!"


Dan holding his daughter for the first time. He looks worried, though, because this is when they were trying to stop all my bleeding.


I finally got to hold her after about 45 minutes, after they got the bleeding under control.


She was having a little trouble regulating her body temperature, so they suggested putting her skin to skin. I was getting stitched up at this point, which is why they put her on Dan and not me.


Getting weighed; she was 304 grams, which is 6 pounds, 11 ounces. She was 19.5 inches long :)



Dan diapering her, since she decided that it would be fun to poop on me as I was feeding her, so we figured a diaper was in order.


Dan looking MUCH more relaxed, since everything was under control now with me.


Exhausted but so happy :)




The next day, just waiting for Dan to bring the car around so we can go home.




We brought two going home outfits; one for a boy, and one for a girl, so that's why we had this gender-specific one on us. We kept the Target receipt so we'll return the boy one.


Getting ready to go home in the bunting Grandma Patty bought her.








They always hang out a sign saying the baby's gender and weight, so this is Kate's info.