Elliot Ann

Born: October 25, 2012 

Time: 8:45pm

Weight: 8lbs 1oz

Length: 19.5 inches

Head: 14.75 inches

Our sweet family of 4!

Labor started early Thursday morning (2:15am) with some stronger than usual contractions...I thought I just needed to empty my bladder...and then get some water...but by 5:00am I realized I should check in with my doctor.  Seeing how I was trying for a VBAC I knew I would need to be constantly monitored as soon as I was 4cm and my last OB appointment had me at a 2 (I think).

My doctor thought it would be a good idea to head in and I told her I really didn't want to come in unless she felt strongly that I was going to have the baby...Jeff was supposed to be heading down to Portland, Wes had preschool, childcare might be difficult to come by...but thankfully Adam answered his phone and we were off to the hospital by 6:00am with enough time to spare in case it was a false alarm and Jeff could still head south.  Unfortunately my doc was delivering another baby and couldn't check me until 8:30am but by then I was at a 4.5 and she said I was officially admitted!

I hadn't taken any formal labor classes this go round and didn't have a great birth plan in place but I knew I wanted to try for a VBAC and that I'd be open to an epidural if labor was going to go overnight.  Things moved along slowly and comfortably and since we spent 15 days at the hospital when Wes was born it was really fun to go around and talk with our old friends in the nursery...at that point I was thinking "man, I'm really good at this"- little did I know just how crazy things could get!

I think at about 2:30pm I let my doctor break my water...I had kind of stalled at 5.5cm...and then I headed into the bath. Contractions got more intense but definitely still manageable and after 2 hours in the tub I thought it was time to get out and keep moving things along.  I got on all fours to unplug the tub and then got hit with a huge contraction...it was so intense in fact (and changed to back labor) that I had Jeff get the nurse to talk about getting an epidural.  She was very encouraging, convincing me to try a narcotic instead...something that would take the edge off and help me relax in between contractions, cause at this point I had the shakes.  It did the trick and I used that opportunity to change positions to sitting on a birthing ball leaning on the bed.  The doctor checked me again at this point and I was at an 8...and let me tell you going from an 8 to a 10 was the most intense thing I've ever been through.  My inner monologue made me think I might be going crazy and the overwhelming urge to push during each contraction towards the end was beyond my control...I was just so thankful when they said it was time to push.

But I was also so very tired and I remember thinking, "I though I'd be better at this pushing thing." After 1 hour and 45 minutes of pushing our sweet daughter was born into the world and I will never forget her warm, slimy, surprisingly solid little body being placed on my chest and looking at Jeff with tears in his eyes...later he told me that he had moved from empathy for me to a feeling of admiration once I started pushing...it was the sweetest thing he could tell me after all of that hard work!  I felt so fortunate to be able to have a successful VBAC without an epidural...but you can sign me up for one next time! I was also ill prepared for the recovery...11 weeks out and I'm just now truly feeling back to normal (though there were marked improvements by 2 weeks).

Shortly after delivery Wes came in to meet his sister and has been absolutely smitten from the first moment, in fact we often have to pry him off of her :)

We are all so in love with this little miracle baby and are overjoyed at how this little girl was placed perfectly into our lives.  Our struggle with infertility felt long and hard but had we gotten pregnant any sooner we wouldn't have THIS baby and God knew we needed her.

Everyday I look at this girl and think, "I just love you so much!"