Welcome to the World, Baby Addley

I think to understand the whole story you have to know little of the backstory.
At about my 35 week appointment, my Dr started to be really concerned with how small my belly was looking. He measured me and I was measuring a couple weeks behind, so we did an ultrasound and her head and legs were measuring fine, but her stomach was really small which is the first sign of fetal distress is the womb.  Over all she wasn't quit in the danger zone, just the keep a close eye zone. I went back in a week later and my stomach was still appeared to be about the same size, and this time her heart rate was reading really high so I was put on the monitor to be watched for awhile. Thankfully overall her heart rate was just fine and they continued to keep a close watch on her size. I was also dilated a finger tip that week. 

At 37 weeks I was excited to find that I was dilated to a 2 1/2. My dr. stripped my membranes in hopes that it would help me go into labor on my own eventually. 

At 38 weeks I was dilated to a 3, but still measuring really small so I had another ultrasound which revealed again that her stomach was small, but over all she was maybe a week or two behind in size. That ultrasound also showed that the placenta was starting to go bad, but that can be normal this late in the game.  My dr. also told me he would be out of town for memorial weekend and if I didn't go into labor while he was gone then when he got back he said he would be comfortable discussing inducing me. Needless to say, it was a stressful weekend. I really didn't want to go into labor while he was gone, but I was getting more than ready to have this baby. 

Well, I definitely made it through the weekend and last Tuesday (the 29th) at my 39 week appt. my dr. comes walking  into the room laughing at me because I am still here. :) He said he couldn't believe I made it through the weekend, but that he was really glad I waiting until he got back into town. He said he had a plan, he was going to check me to see if I was progressing anymore, strip my membranes really really good and if he didn't see me in labor that night I was to come back on Thursday and he was going to do a thorough check of everything. And if everything looked good at that point then he was going to send me over to the hospital.  I was dilated to a 4+ and he definitely stripped my membranes REALLY well...that was not a good time!!

Still nothing happened. 

My mom and sister Lexie came into town on Tuesday and we spent that day and Wednesday mostly just hanging out, getting pedicures and doing any last minute things I thought should be done. 

Thursday morning finally came...remember I was really hoping to have her in May? Well, Thursday was May 31, the last day of the month, it couldn't have worked out any better!:) My dr appointment was at 9:50. Jeremy had to run into work early that day to send out a few last minute emails so my mom took me to my appt. so I wouldn't have to go to over the hospital by myself if he sent me. 

Once again my dr. walks into the room laughing and says, "I cannot believe you haven't gone into labor! My arm still hurts from stripping your membranes the other day!" He checks me one more time and I am now a 5. He says, "OK, I have been thinking about you for two days now and I know there are risks to inducing a VBAC, but with the progression you have shown and the fact that your baby is measuring so small and that your placenta doesn't appear to be extremely healthy, I think we should go have a baby today!" Music to my ears!! I was so excited! He said he had already called labor & delivery before I came and they are waiting for me. 

Here's my usual once-a-pregnancy-maternity photo taken right before we left for my dr. appointment.

Not long after I got to the hospital my dr. came over and broke my water. He said that even from being in his office just a little while before and now, that I had progressed even further and I was probably closer to a 6. I had been hooked up on the monitors so I could see that I was having contractions about 5 minutes apart, but I couldn't feel them. He told me that I was probably going to go fast so if I wanted an epidural then to get it sooner rather than later so I don't miss my opportunity. My water was broke at about 11, the Pitocin was started and my contractions really started to intensify after that. I had some pretty painful one and decided at that point I better get the epidural. I told my nurse I was feeling like such a wimp already asking for one, but she assured me that if I hadn't asked for one at that point she was going to strongly suggest it. I got the epidural at 12:50 and seriously I'm in love with those things. I probably said a thousand times to Jeremy and my mom, "I don't know how anyone does it without these." I was feeling good!! It wasn't strong enough that I couldn't feel what was going on. I knew when I was having a contraction, (mostly because I felt it in my back) but I just couldn't feel the pain and that is seriously the only way to go. 

At about 1:30 my nurse, who I really really liked by the way, went out to eat her lunch. She said she would be back in to check on me in a just a little while to see how fast I was progressing. While she was gone I said I predicted that Addley would be born around 4. I didn't want  get my hopes up for anything soon, but secretly I was hoping it really wouldn't take that long.  

My nurse came back at 2:00 to check me and when she did she said, "Whoa, I can see her head, you are ready to go." I was super surprised, I couldn't believe it was time. She started scrambling around the room getting everything ready while a few more people came in to help. We were already to go, I was ready to push, we were just waiting for my dr. to come over. While we were waiting, someone said something that made me laugh and the nurse said, "Whoa, don't laugh, or this baby may come flying out!" 

As my dr. walked in he said, "Geez, it takes everything I have to get you into labor, but once you are, you fly through it like a champ!"  I pushed through maybe 4 contractions and she was born at 2:23pm!  I honestly couldn't have asked for the day to go any better. It was perfect! It was fast! And it was easy! After Jeremy cut the cord they laid her on me for quite awhile, which I hadn't experienced before. I loved watching her as she tried to make sense of all that was going on around her. 

She came out with quite the set of lungs and was extremely wide-eyed for quite awhile after. Everyone kept commenting on how alert she was. She was finally in this world and she wasn't going to miss a thing!

 She weighed in at 7 lbs 1 oz and was 20 inches long. She was actually a lot bigger than everyone thought she would be. The nurses thought she was maybe only 5 lbs and my dr. was really surprised she was 7 lb considering the size of my belly.

She is a clear mix of both Kylie and Jase. Depending on her facial expression at any given moment she looks just like one of them. I have a picture almost exactly like this of Kylie.

 Not too long after, I was taken up to my room in postpartum. I affectionately call it a closet because of how small they are.

Jeremy's parents came down and my mom and Lexie brought the kids to meet their sister.

The kids came bearing gifts and we had cupcakes and balloons to celebrate her birthday. My kids love a good party!

 Addley's blood sugars were low at first so we fed her a bottle hoping that would help bring them up better. Kylie was instantly hooked the second she saw her baby sister. She was IN LOVE. She could not get enough of her. Jase on the other hand came in took one little peek, and headed to the corner to play with Grandma's iPad. He just wasn't interested at all. My mom and sister said that all day all he talked about was his new baby girl and getting to see his sister, but once he was here you couldn't pry him away from his game. 

Our first Family of Five picture. 

I am so blessed to be a mom!! I am over whelmed with the amount of love I feel for each one of my children. It's amazing how your heart can open up just that much more when each of them enter the world. Babies don't come easy for us and we have waited a long time to have Addley join our family.  I think I have thanked my Heavenly Father a million times over the last few day as I have sat and stared at this perfect amazing little girl. Life is good and I couldn't be more grateful!!