The Birth Story

* I have been trying to write this post for 5 days.. def have a new boss in the house ;) We are sleep deprived and exhausted at times but we wouldn't change it for anything!

Our 39 week checkup was Monday July 20th. I was barely at 2 cm and I was 90% effaced. 

At our 38 week checkup, Dr Elder had discussed possible induction the next week depending on how everything looked. I had already expressed my concerns with induction and after he checked me at 39 weeks, he said that all was good to go and would Wednesday or Friday be a good day. Well, after he said Wednesday I just looked at Shane and busted out laughing because it was the 22nd.. and he had been calling the 22nd all along. We laughed and had our little moment, explained to Dr Elder why we were laughing, after tons of questions/answers/discussion told him Wednesday would be a good day, he called the hospital and it was set!

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So we arrived at St Mary's at 6:30AM ok a little after maybe.. it wouldn't be right if we were on time. ha I tried to sleep the night before up until time to get up but I woke up around 4ish and just decided to get up and get ready. I think it's the fastest I've ever gotten ready.. my adrenaline was certainly pumping!

We got to the hospital, Coach dropped me off at the waiting area, and after what seemed like forever waiting for him to park, I went ahead and went to the Labor & Delivery floor. I can't tell you how  many times I had been told I was already registered and could go straight to this floor. I even preregistered online again just to make sure. So I get there and they tell me to go back downstairs and register. O.M.G. By the time I got back downstairs and started the process, my Mom and Shane were there will all of our stuff.

I don't think I will ever forget this and I am tearing up as I type this.. We get on the elevator and a sweet lady probably in her 60's gets on with us.. she asks, "Are you here for the obvious?" I said yes ma'am. She said to me, "God Bless you and everything is going to be just fine." Well that did it.. I think I managed to squeak out a thank you so much before the tears started flowing. We got back to the front desk, they took my info, and wasted no time getting us into a room around 7AM, getting a gown for me etc. and just as I got settled into the bed a couple of nurses came in and were getting the monitors on me and IV started which by the way hurt like the devil because it felt like it was going to pop out of my vein. 

I got checked, which I was at 2 cm and I swear when the nurse checked me she was trying to break my water.. the most painful check I've ever had in my whole pregnancy they started fluids and then shortly after Pitocin. 

Have I ever said how much I LOVE my Doctor?? Love love love him and I am so thankful I found his office and that he delivered Finley. Even the nurses kept telling me what a great one I had and even had him nicknamed the Baby Whisperer. He is very pro epidural/no pain and told me that I could have it as soon as I got there and after the nurse started Pitocin right away, I'm not gonna lie, I kinda freaked out because I just didn't know what to expect from all that getting started so early. 

So I told the nurse that Dr Elder told me I could get the juice as soon as I got there and shortly after, the anesthesiologist was in my room.

Y'all already know from previous posts that I have a serious needle phobia and as strong as I was trying to be, I completely freaked out. Shane keeps telling me that I did so good being calm up until the point that it was time to do it but I just think otherwise. One of my favorite nurses that I had that day was Emily and bless her heart, I started crying and she gave me the biggest hug ever and let me even lean into her while I was getting the epidural. Y'all can laugh it's OK.. biggest baby ever over here. I held onto Shane's hand and wrist with both hands and when it was over he said he was concerned I broke his fingers. LOL! The anesthesiologist laughed and told him pregnant women had crazy super strength powers. Bless him.

And honestly, after it was all over, the numbing medicine is the worst part because you don't even feel anything after that.. It felt like there was a huge fist size medicine ball on the right side of my spine when he injected it and was just uncomfortable. Let me add to that I could NOT stop shaking once I got in the bed from the get go... my legs wouldn't be still and it really picked up when I was getting the epidural. It was some time after I got it, that it finally stopped.

I got settled back into bed and the whole thing went pretty fast to me!

So I got my epidural around 9AM..

I was checked again a little before 11, I was 3 cm and they also broke my water..

Dr Elder said he was glad that it never broke at the grocery store because apparently it just kept gushing out!

Checked again at 12:30pm and was 6 cm..

Checked at 2pm and was 10 cm ready to push..

started pushing at 2:40pm for 40 minutes and Finley arrived at 3:19pm!

I really can't describe the feeling that overcame me when I knew it was time to push.. I was NOT expecting for it to go that fast especially, when Dr elder kept telling me it would be around dinner time. I was certainly overwhelmed knowing we were so close to meeting our little girl! It even went so fast my photographer didn't make it on time but at least one of the nurses took charge of the camera after Finley arrived and got some great shots of our first moments.

Shane stayed right at my head, being the best coach ever as I knew he would be, and helping hold my shoulders every time I pushed. Emily, my fave nurse, was also there coaching me telling me when to push, counting, etc. For all the new expecting Mom's out there, everyone had told me I would know when to push and you truly do.. I didn't feel any pain, just a lot of pressure like you have to use the bathroom. 

Finley head, of course, came out first and actually was the only thing that would be out for a few minutes because little stinker has some broad shoulders!! And at some point, I felt myself tear.. like I felt it but I didn't feel it all at the same time.. I just knew that it happened which ended up with me having about 12 stitches. When I wasn't pushing Coach was helping hold me up to see her face.. I could NOT keep my eyes open while I was pushing because I seriously thought my eyeballs would pop out of my head! I can't help but to chuckle when he tells me that after those first set of pushes, I checked out and went into a totally different world. I was getting exhausted! When she was super close to coming out, there was no rest.. Dr Elder and all the nurses were encouraging me to just keep pushing one right after the other. Finally, she made her way out and I was able to see Dr Elder suction her mouth and clamp the cord for Shane to cut.. that's something else I couldn't watch.. that cord was HUGE and completely made me a little nauseous to look at.. AND I can't believe that Shane actually cut it. I'm not really sure he wanted to but he did anyway ;)

The only thing I was disappointed with about delivery was I didn't get immediate skin to skin contact like I told them I wanted. I'm still not sure why I didn't get it. The nurses took her and cleaned her up and Coach tried to hold me up as much as he could so I could see all of that being done but this desk was in the way and I really couldn't see a whole lot. So I just laid back down and rested. I remember Shane and I talking a little bit but I really can't remember what was said.. I was really out of it at times. I was so glad to FINALLY have her in my arms though!! 

I had been praying for an easy, healthy, safe, vaginal birth and the Lord certainly blessed me with that and I am so so so thankful. Finley was healthy and all was well! 

Shane says she only cried just a little bit but I don't remember this either. 

I wanted an hour of just Hopper, Party of 3 and our families were respectful of that, although I know they were chomping at the bit for that hour to be over so they could get their hands on Finley.

During that hour, the Lactation nurse came in as well for breastfeeding. This has been a complete challenge for me -- lots of crying and an emotional roller coaster, and I'm debating on whether or not to share my story with this...

I have been meaning to call and see what she did on her APGAR test but I have yet to do so.. I remember us discussing it but I couldn't tell you for the life of me what the number was.

We certainly had a huge support system there with us at the hospital.. I said that after a certain point I would not have anyone in the room except for me and Shane, but everything went so smooth and I felt absolutely nothing, except when I laid on my left side there was a high spot and a low spot on my right side but once they flipped me it went away, not to mention things progressed so quickly! Everyone really just hung out quietly in the room with us, would exit when it was time for me to be checked, and the last time, Dr Elder told them to give me their best wishes because it was time! I could hear everyone "cheering" in the hallway because I don't think they could believe it was already time.

Some other things that happened during labor/delivery:

At one point, I started feeling my feet again and I guess got a little worried that my epidural was going to wear off.. Amber was right by my bed when I expressed my concern that I could feel my feet and she said, "Well nothing is coming out of your feet so that's OK." It was so funny!

During the end of labor, I all of sudden felt like I had too much medicine in me, I rarely ever hit my button for more meds, it completely freaked me out the way I felt and Amber thought I was going through the transition phase.. and not too long after that it was time to push. BFF was spot on!

After all the ultrasounds, the tech and Dr Elder kept telling me she was going to be 6 1/2 or 7 pound baby.. well when they took her to the scale to weigh her and said, 8 lbs and 4 oz I'm pretty sure I let out my famous OH MY GOSH! I was NOT expecting that number at all! One of they nurses said, "yeah she won't be in newborn diapers for very long!" And after a pee pee diaper leak and a poo blowout in the Mamaroo, I'd say that we have graduated today to size 1's!!

One of our numbers is 3, and I do remember joking around that I didn't get her out in 3 pushes like Whitney did her son a few months ago. After she was delivered, I vaguely remember a conversation with the nurses about how some women push for 3 hours. I just didn't have a clue!
I'm sure there was one nurse for each leg this is a blur but I was able to pull my own legs back while pushing.. Only Shane was with me during delivery.

While they were cleaning her up, I know I exclaimed how empty my stomach immediately felt after she was born. I don't know what the nurses or Shane's response was because this part is a blur to me too.

** shots by photographer .. love them!!

My Favorite!! PROUD DADDY!!

When I was in the 8th grade, my little brother Kolton was born. My mom delivered at the same hospital and when he was born, besides Mom and his Dad, I was the first to hold him. So I thought it would only be right for him to be the first to hold Finley. I love the huge smile on his face and will forever cherish this moment. He made it just in time to wish me luck too. I was so happy to see him! He was at work and they were going to make him work overtime and bless him, he told them he had already missed two others (my other brother and his sister) and that he was leaving and NOT missing this one!

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Finley, your Daddy and I are just in awe of you. You are absolutely perfect and we are so thankful for God's goodness and blessings on you and everything we have prayed for. We love you so much and you bring us so much joy that we can't imagine life without you already. Seriously, what were we doing before now? I just sit and hold you and stare at you, taking in all these sweet moments that I can. I love watching your Daddy with you.. Daddy's little girl for sure! You are absolutely precious and one of the greatest gifts that God has ever given us.

Mommy and Daddy love you so much!