We are so very in love with our Grace Jean who arrived on January 30th! I thought I was carrying a big baby, but was still surprised when they weighed her in at 8 pounds 15 oz, and measured at 22.5 inches long- but very proud. My labor was short and fierce with this one! I got out of the shower Saturday morning and noticed I was bleeding. I started to majorly panic because I didn't know if I was just going into labor ( 5 days past my due date) or if something was wrong. I called my dr and all she said was "It's time to go to the hospital!" I quickly got off the phone and we called Elliott's mom over to take care of my Elsie. I started to tear up, I was so panicked but I wanted to stay strong for her and for her to feel secure as we said goodbye. We took off in the car and I started to google what bleeding this late in the game could mean and it was horrifying. I put my phone away as it was being blown up with well meaning family members wanted updates. I wanted an update! We made it to the hospital and they thought I might have a tear in my placenta & since I was already dilated to a 3 and had an induction date for the following day, they decided not to wait around and to get baby here asap! I could feel baby kicking and I felt at ease that we were in good hands and that everything would be ok.
They started me on Pitocin right away, and BOY does that stuff work. There was an hour where I felt as though I was going to be in labor FOREVERRR and things picked up so quickly. My contractions started coming HARD and fast. From the time I told the nurse things were getting iffy and we need to get the epidural man over here, to the time that he actually got there, I was in searing pain and holding Elliott's hands so very tight. They weren't sure that there would be enough time for it to take effect before baby got here. Thank goodness it did. Hallelujah!! My last hour of labor was cake before it was time to push. I am not sure exactly how many pushes it took to get here here, but this wasn't my first baby and I knew heck of a lot better what to do. I was so much more motivated to push more effectively and I remember asking "is she out yet!?" I knew when she was and I was much more with it than I was with Elsie. I remember them telling me she had lots of hair and that she was big and when they placed her on my chest I was just completely enamored. I remember Elsie's wide eyes when they laid her on my chest and her screaming but Grace didn't like the bright lights and kept her eyes closed. She had the longest fingers and fingernails!! I was on a post birth high holding my sweet babe and filled with so much energy. I could walk after my epidural and even though it was shaky I was so happy because I had been rendered so helpless last time with Elsie loosing too much blood and whatnot. From my first contractions getting her here took 5 ish hours. Our hospital experience was so much smoother because we knew the drill and we have done the newborn thing before. It was really peaceful and even though we were exhausted I really loved that time to just have nothing on my to do list but snuggle and nurse my new baby girl!
to be continueeeeddddd
