Meet Hazel Grace!

Our girl has made her appearance! I am so glad, so blessed, for a healthy baby and healthy delivery! She's so sweet! Of course this is the first week of her life and perhaps all newborns are sweet but still :) She's a great nurser (woohoo!) and everything seems to be working as it should. The labor and delivery was... INTENSE! She was born on Monday, March 1st at 1:22am and really I think my labor had started Sat. Contractions were steady, about 10 minutes apart on Sat, sometimes strong sometimes weak. Then they faded a bit at night and so the next morning I was disappointed. But they picked up in the afternoon again, this time steadily 5-8 minutes apart...by 6pm, we were convinced that I was truly in labor. We called my mom and she hit the road, we called my friend Jamie and she came over to watch Rosie (Jamie was the woman for the job, she prayed for me as I left for the hospital. I was crying and feeling emotional, like "my life is changing!" and "im scared for labor!!!" and she does so well with Rosie, thank you Jamie). Anyways, we left for the hospital around 8pm. Check in and they checked me...5cm. dialated, 99% effaced. From there, it went fast. I had wanted to go no drugs this time, and even if I had wanted them, I dont know if there would have been time, things changed so quickly. Basically from about 9pm to 12:30am, I went from a 5 to a 10! They broke my water around 10:15ish which brought on the contractions even more intense. I preferred laying on my side, holding Adam's arm, having my mom rub my back and having my friend Jessie put her hands on my feet to remind me to relax. The nurse helped me know what to do, made suggestions and such... you gotta love those nurses. The craziest pain was going from a 9cm - 10cm. The contractions no longer build slowly, you are basically thrown into a wall of craziness!! But I couldnt give into the pain cause I know that would lead to chaos and misery. So praise the Lord it went quick! Soon I realized I could feel pressure in by "butt" which is the sign that its time to push. I got onto my back which actually slowed my contractions down. In hindsight, I should have stayed on my side, oh well. So everyone hustles in at this pt. The doctor, the gals who receive the newborns and get them all fixed up and a random nursing student who needed to watch more deliveries. Its funny how little you care who watches at that point! The pushing was hard for me this time. It took about 45 minutes I think and was difficult to figure out how to push correctly. You have to push so hard, and so correctly! They pulled out some handles that I held, with my elbows out and basically pulled myself as the nurse and my mom held my legs. Chin down! Elbows out! Push right here! I finally told the nurse, "i need you to count for me! i dont know how to do this!" So she told me when to breath and push during the contractions, TOTALLY needed that! Finally I began to understand how and where and when and how hard push (adam said he saw veins in my face he never knew existed, haha!) Finally, finally, finally I could feel her head beginning to push out and what a moment. I cry just thinking of the relief and the amazingness of it all. The rest of her just slithered out with a more mild push and there was my baby girl! She was placed on my chest and I just cried in my happiness and relief. What a gift. She wasnt a color they wanted and had to suction her out, even down into her tummy...too much amniotic fluid. Heres a random part, sorry if blood makes you woozey, stop reading if it does. But I tore slightly (just 2nd degree) but tore through 2 blood vessels that even sprayed my doctor on the nose! As he was quickly sewing me and trying to get the bleeding to stop, I had to tell him. "I think I got some blood on your nose." I had! Anyways, soon Hazel was cleaned up and doing OK and was placed back in my arms. She latched on right away (another blessing!) and as the room began to clear out and my "team" headed back to various places, Adam and I were left together with our girl. Crazy how quickly you can fall in love :)
I am healing well and so happy about that! We came home tuesday afternoon and my mom has been caring for us ever since. She left today and left me in a puddle of tears. Such an amazing experience and theres nothing like the bond you have with the people who walk through that with you. Thankyou Mama!!
Well, that long post is probably more for me to look back on and remember and for those who were interested in the labor story. Here are some pictures!
Praise the Lord for making it all possible!
8.4 lbs, 21 inches long.