She's here!

January 25, 2016 at 8:49 PM our Baby Girl, Aspen Zoie, was born! She's here, she's here, she's here!!

This is her birthing story. This post won't be for everyone because I have some icky details about delivery in it. If you don't want to hear about amniotic fluid, contractions, boobs, poo,  etc then don't read it. I'm pretty open about things and don't mind sharing, but I realize that some people don't want to hear it. If that is you, just look at the pictures. They are worth looking at because they are of my pretty girl! This post also isn't written well. I just need a place to record what happened so I don't ever forget!

On January 24th Caleb and I were spending a normal Sunday together. We went to Church, we cooked dinner, watched TV, and put off thinking about the week ahead of us. Our friends Jared and Rachael invited us over to watch a movie so we went to visit them. We began watching "Now you see me". Around 7:40 PM I felt something that required my attention in the bathroom. As I was checking things out I realized that fluid was coming out of me that I had no control over. After stuffing almost a roll of toilet paper down my pants (Sorry Jared and Rachael! I owe you a roll!) I waddled out and told Caleb that we'd need to be going! I called my midwife to let her know. She told me to head to the hospital but that we didn't have to rush. We headed home to pack up a few last minute things and so I could change out of my soaking clothes.  I hadn't felt any contractions yet so it felt surreal that we were actually going to the hospital. Caleb and I watched some TV to pass a little time and then headed to the hospital.

My last baby bump picture! Taken just before we left for the hospital! Can you tell I'm excited?! I'm also terrified. 

At the hospital they checked to confirm that I was in labor. They hooked me up to a weird monitor. Baby girl was wiggling so much during this time. It looked like a monster was rolling around in my tummy. They told me I was having a contraction but I couldn't feel them yet. What I could feel was a lot of fluid! Do you know how strange it is to be half naked in a room with strangers while you basically pee yourself? It's strange, but it's only the beginning of the strange things to come. 

Caleb and I were taken to the room where I'd be delivering in. We set up camp and the nurses advised us to take a few walks and also to try to get some rest. We walked around a bit and then
tried to get some sleep. Caleb and I cuddled up on his bed for part of the night but of course we got interrupted every hour so they could check up on baby and I. Neither of us got much sleep. I began having mild contractions that seemed to get worse for a few hours, but around 3 am they seemed to slow down. At 5 am they checked me and I'd only dilated to a 2. :( Nine hours of labor and hardly anything to show for it. Because they wanted to deliver her within 24 hours of my water breaking they recommended I think about being put on Pitocin to regulate contractions. My objective during this delivery was to avoid as many interventions as possible so I asked them to wait a few hours and see if the contractions would increase on their own. Caleb and I walked around the hospital a lot to try and get them working but they stayed the same. Around 10 AM they started me on Pitocin.

Aren't hospital gowns flattering?

Caleb's bed for the night... luxurious, huh? 

From 10 AM to about 3 PM my contractions intensify. At some points the contractions are coming one after another with no time in between. From 3 PM to 5 PM they get worse and I start doubting my ability to deliver her at all, let alone naturally! I hadn't been checked to see how dilated I was since 5 AM. I was afraid to ask them to check me. What would I do if they told me I was only dilated to a 4 and it already hurt this badly?! My midwife checks my dilation and I am at an 8 which gives me hope. She tells me that at the rate I'm going I will probably be dilated enough within 2 hours. At that moment I'm thinking 2 hours sounds like a long time, but I'm also too uncomfortable to think about whether or not I want to go another direction.

I'm pretty uncomfortable from 5 PM to around 8 PM.  My midwife encourages me to try different laboring positions. Caleb helps me with the birthing stool AKA "The Captain Morgan" as he liked to call it. He named another position "The Civil War Cannon". He had all the Delivery team laughing. Meanwhile I'm just focusing on my breathing. Caleb and I took a natural childbirth class. He is the greatest supporter and reminds me to take "Belly breathes" and to breath out low and deep.

I think it was around 8:10 PM (I could be wrong... I didn't have a watch to document when exactly things were happening) when the real pushing began.  I delivered on my side. It felt like nothing was happening for a while but when they told me that they could see the top of her head I got really excited! A few more pushes and her head was farther out so I got to touch her! It was a little strange, but mostly cool! My contractions began to slow at this point which was annoying because I just wanted to get her out. From my side position I have been grabbing my ankle to use as leverage when I push. The Delivery team jokes about me breaking my leg so I have to ease up a bit on  it. Finally at 8:49 she is out! They put her on my belly. My first words to her are, "She looks like a blueberry!" Caleb cuts the cord and she begins to suckle.  As the Midwife and Doctor stitch me up I get to cuddle with her and look at her beautiful face! A nurse teaches me how to breastfeed so we begin to feed. Baby girl does fabulously!

This picture is terrible but it is what it is. It is not easy having a baby and you might just look like crap afterwards. Despite the swollen face, and my nakedness I love this picture because it's our first picture as a family.  

She is weighed and measured at 21 inches, 7 pounds 9 ounces. Eventually I have to get up and try to pee which proves to be impossible for me. I can't see well and ask Caleb to wash off the makeup from my face. I didn't realize this at the time, but I can't see because I've burst blood vessels in my eyeball. Once things have quieted down they move us to our new room where we get settled in for the night.

Caleb and I decided on her name that night. We had several names picked out and were learning towards another name but as we looked at her we decided that name wasn't the right one. Aspen fits so we make it official. That night we are both exhausted. Caleb let me sleep first because I was starting to talk like a crazy person. I keep telling him congratulations for getting all of the scraps of paper that we needed to make a dress. I also told him that Nsync used to have all of the scraps of paper but I was glad that we had got them all from Nsync. I slept for a few hours and he watched after her. When I woke I let him sleep for a few hours. We were both too nervous to sleep at the same time. That next day was a blur of feeding, getting checked by doctors, sleeping, cuddling, and resting. Wednesday we got the go ahead to take her home. Since then we have been adjusting to her sleeping schedule (which isn't great), healing, learning how to breastfeed (ouchies), and PARENTING!

All right, I'm typed out and now I won't forget my story. I could later post about how great Caleb was at encouraging me and taking care of me. I could post about my wonderful Nurses and Midwife.  I could tell you all about the first week. I could post about why I wanted a natural birth but for tonight I'll end it here with some pictures.

Her first diaper! It was poopy. 

Aspen was not happy about being put in her car seat. But as soon as she was in she was a happy camper!

Second family picture the day we went home. 

Exhausted, sore, and figuring out how to be a mommy!