Welcome to the World!

Ok, ok, ok, SORRY for the delay!  I have been a bit busy over the last 3 weeks!! I will be posting a couple of different posts today or today and tomorrow to get everyone caught up on our new little life!! So, here's the start...

I should start by saying that on Friday, June 4th, all day I was feeling "funny".  I can't really explain it, I wasn't in pain, but I just felt different.  Friday night I was starting to have some contractions that were stronger than what I was used to having, but I went to bed as usual anyway! All night I kept dreaming about going into labor and about 2:30 I woke up thinking my water broke! Mind you, since the false alarm a couple weeks prior to this, I refused to go to the hospital for contractions, so I was WAITING for my water to break, and I swore this was it!! I woke up, rushed to the bathroom, sweetly screamed to my husband that he needed to get up, and then started picking up the house...

While I was picking up and making the bed, Eric was getting last minute things in the car.  I called my mom and dad, gave Izzy kisses and put her in her kennel, and headed on our way to the hospital.  When we got there, we were put in this little room so they could monitor my contractions, check my blood pressure, and all of that fun stuff.  Turns out my water didn't break at the house, they think it was part of my mucus plug, but...they determined I was in early labor, SO they admitted me!

By the time I got to my hospital room, my contractions were coming fairly frequently and consistently and were painful.  We got into our room around 6 in the morning and the doctor said he would be in between 7 and 8 to break my water.  So from 6-8, I got my IV put in, wandered to and from the bathroom, ate a couple popsicles and ice chips, and breathed through my contractions!  Once the doctor came in and broke my water, it was time for me to get my epidural.  My new best friend, the epidural man, came shortly after my water broke and took all the pain away.... :) Once that was taken care of, Eric and I just hung out!  We couldn't really sleep because we were so excited, we just talked, watched TV, and enjoyed each others company.  Our nurse or doctor would come in around every hour or two to check my cervix which was progressing quickly. Around 3 in the afternoon I was 9.5 cm dilated, completely effaced and then I stopped...I stayed at 9.5 cm dilated for another hour and a half! 

At that point the doctor thought that she was too big to fit and that was why my body was not dilating more so he was starting to prepare us for a potential c-section.  Our fabulous nurse, Laura, knew that we really didn't want to have a c-section, so she came in and started having me push with my contractions with the hopes that pushing would open my cervix up to 10 cm.  It worked!!!  After that point, I just remember pushing alot!  I know that the doctor was still very hesitant because Eloise was coming out sideways, he didn't want to risk her health, but her heart rate was awesome throughout most of the delivery!  Once I had pushed enough for her head to get out a little, the doctor used a vacuum to pull her out the rest of the way. They did have to suction her when she came out b/c there was meconium in the amniotic fluid, but then we heard her cry....

7 lbs. 10 oz., 20.75 in. long, born at 6:09 p.m.

And then we were three...

Welcome to the world Miss Eloise Genevieve Baker!!