Happy New Year To Us

My due date for this sweet baby girl was January 17th but all of my babies have come early and when I start contracting we know the baby is coming any day. Well, I started contracting a few days before Christmas so I was just hoping to make it through Christmas Day without a hospital visit. I breathed a sigh of relief once Christmas was over and was prepared and READY to have the baby any moment. I went through 2 weeks of contractions every day that would last for a few hours, 5-8 minutes a part and then go away. I was pretty miserable!!! I was so tired of having to eat perfectly because of the gestational diabetes and on top of that I had a pretty severe cold that left me in coughing fits constantly. I peed my pants more than once, I'm afraid. BJ caught me with my belly showing days before delivering.

So, on Jan.2nd I went to a friends house to watch a show with a group of friends after the kids went to bed and BJ said as I was leaving---"laugh a lot so that you go into labor!" Well, he got his wish! As I sat there laughing with my friends my contractions started. I didn't pay much attention to how often but they were coming and they were strong enough that they took my breath away. When I left to go home I thought about going directly to the hospital and then having BJ come if they kept me but I figured BJ wouldn't like that idea so I went home and we started timing the contractions. They were coming every 4-5 minutes for a few hours and not stopping so we put Cardon in our bed so that if anyone else woke up they wouldn't find themselves home alone, and headed to the hospital. My great friend Marjean got a wake up call at 3am to come on over to the house because we were hoping to have a baby.

When we got to the hospital they started monitoring me and sure enough after 2 hours of contractions they finally agreed with me that it was time to have this baby. Everything went super fast after that. I signed a bunch of papers and then I was wheeled into the operating room. The anesthesiologist gave me an epidural and spinal together and then we waited for me to go numb.......and we waited......and waited. He kept saying "You're legs should be getting heavy now and then I would lift them high into the air and say, "They feel pretty light to me" and then he would shoot more drugs into the IV and we would wait some more. Well, it turned out that the spinal failed. Fortunately, he did the epidural also so it took a little longer to go numb but at least I still got to be awake for the delivery. BJ thought that he was forgotten after waiting in the room for over 45 minutes.

I laid on that operating table with so much excitement to see my little caboose....I could hardly keep it in. It took me a long time to get pregnant with this sweet baby, after 2 miscarriages I wasn't sure if it would even happen. I worried throughout the entire pregnancy about her health and safety. Then I spent the last 2 1/2 months with gestational diabetes and worried every time my blood sugars were a little high that I was hurting her. This was the most difficult pregnancy for me and now in minutes I was finally going to meet her! No one except me and the Lord (not even BJ) knew how much this moment meant to me.

The C-Section didn't take long and after some severe pressure and a bit of nausea, out came my sweet baby!!!!!!

I was worried about how big she was going to be because my babies are always big to begin with and so having gestational diabetes only adds to that. The doctor pulled her out and said "She has tons of hair and she's big!" I held my breath as they put her on the scale waiting for it to show 11 or 12lbs.....but no.....8lbs. 13 ounces. I announced to all that was in the room that I had just had a tiny little peanut...and I meant it! After that the rest is a bit hazy to me. Due to all of the drugs the anesthesiologist gave me I could hardly keep my eyes open. I tried with all of my might to be ever present but I just couldn't keep them open. BJ took over baby duty after they finished the surgery.
Look at those cute chubby cheeks and thighs to match!

BJ sat behind me and held my hand through it all. After she was cleaned up, weighed, etc. he brought her over so that I could meet her for the first time. She was beautiful!!!!

Later, when I wasn't so drugged and she was all cleaned up with bows in her hair BJ brought her to my room so that we could get acquainted. I spent the next few hours snuggling her before the kids arrived.

I must say that I'm sure I've felt this extreme love with each baby I've delivered. But there is something quite unique about having a baby that you know will be your last. Each moment is truly precious. The world has suddenly slowed down or maybe even stopped because every second spent with her is treasured. I love this baby with all of my heart and soul and feel so much gratitude to have her in our family....safe and sound.