Feeling a little sentimental.

As I sit here tonight, I am remembering what I was doing a year ago today.

I was 5 days late with our third baby (in 3 years:). I chose to tell the Dr. after a long afternoon of labor that I hadn't really felt the baby move very much that day (b/c I really couldn't remember if I had - though not really worried about it) so that I could get in to the hospital. You see, I couldn't call the Dr. until my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. This was my problem. They had been getting worse, but never closer than 10 min. apart. I knew something was happening - I just needed to get into the hospital so they could tell me that I wasn't really losing my mind!

So, at 8:30 I arrived at the hospital. They checked me in, hooked me up to a monitor to see how the baby and my contractions were doing. the midwife checked me and told me I was only 2cm. Now i KNEW i was losing my mind!! This was my 3rd baby! Surely I knew my own body better than this!?! I had chosen not to use medicine again with this delivery, but when she said that i was only 2 cm - i looked at Nate and said "i am going to need A LOT of drugs for this one!!"

I sat on the monitor for 2 hrs. and the nurse and midwife said that my contractions didn't seem strong (!@#$%^) and that I was still only 2cm. I knew they were crazy! The Dr. came in and must have been able to see the exhaustion on my face b/c instead of sending me home like the nurse and midwife suggested, he ordered that I be taken up stairs to L/D, and given medicine to rest so that they could see if I had made any progress the next day.

I got out of bed (during a contraction) and sat in the wheelchair to get taken upstairs. They kept asking me questions and I couldn't talk through the contractions. it's funny....i remember apologizing b/c I didn't want them to think that i was being rude~ LOL! The sweet older nurse that was with me patted my back and said "it won't be long now dear" and i remember thinking that that was how my body felt - but it didn't match what they were saying!

I got to my room around 11:45pm. Nathan and I had brought our gear to the hospital but left it in the car. We got signed in, and swayed back and forth and paced during the worst contractions yet and kept saying "how can i only be 2cm!!?"

At midnight, Nathan went down to get our things since I was only 2cm and it would be a while until the baby came. After nathan left and I had a very difficult contraction, the nurse asked me to get in bed so that they could check me and mark on my chart how far along I was before they gave me meds to sleep.

At 12:05am, the nurse laughed out loud and with big eyes said "honey, you're not going to sleep! you're 10 cm - it's time to have a baby!!"

"I KNEW IT!!!" (i may have thought "morons" as well! :) I said!!

They bustled out of the room to go find the Dr.

Meanwhile, the sweet older nurse that was with me in triage stayed with me and i told her that i needed to get out of the bed to walk through the contraction. She suggested i lay on my side.

***as a side note: my girlfriend the year before had her baby in a quick hurry after laying on her side. Her baby came flying out and the nurse held the baby's head in until the dr. got
there!!!

I looked at her and said "NO WAY! My girlfriend did that and her baby came flying out!!"

"No dear, your baby will not come flying out! It will just give you some relief."

Famous last words!

At 12:10am I laid on my side (Nathan's still getting our things from the car) against my better judgment and wouldn't you know it! My water broke and the baby's head came flying out!

The nurses eyes got as big as saucers! I will never forget it! She kept telling me to blow out hard and not to push! I remember blowing out but wanting to laugh b/c I couldn't believe it was happening so fast!

At 12:15am, our sweet girl Olivia Adeline was born. The Dr. told me it was a girl! I heard her say it, but couldn't stop crying and apologizing to Nate (who still hadn't made it back yet!) that he had missed his baby girl being born! The dr. interrupted me again and said "Did you hear me!? You got your girl!!"

It was then that Nathan came quickly through the door and I started to cry! :) He was able to cut her cord and everything was wonderful! She was healthy!

I remember thinking that since Owen was 8lbs 9oz. that since this baby was 5 days late it was going to be 10 lbs! When they handed her to me and said that she was 6lbs, 14 oz I was glad that she'd stayed in longer! I said" where's the rest of her! She's so tiny!!" I kept her swaddled for a while so I felt like I had something to hold! :)

Fast forward one year.

The Lord has blessed us with a beautiful and happy baby girl. She is dearly loved my her big brothers and has brought so much joy to our lives!

As I laid her down in her crib tonight and kissed her on her cheek, i couldn't help but hold her a little tighter and thank God for the wonderful blessing our children have been to us, and how grateful I am to have been entrusted with her care.

So, with a big happy lump in my throat, I want to wish you a very Happy Birthday Olivia Adeline! You are a bright spot in our day and we pray that you will grow up to be the Lady that God created you to be!

Love,
Mommy!