Happy Hall Home: She's here!!!

Well friends it has been awhile! My last blog post had me at 39 weeks pregnant. Well I can tell you that little Emma arrived and we have had a crazy life since! Today I'll give you the scoop on how the birth was and then we'll just pick up life from there!

I went to my OBGYN on April 5th which was 2 days before my due date. Husband and I were told that she weighed about 9.6 lbs and that she hadn't dropped down yet. Because of this combination we had some decisions we had to make. We could A) do an elective c-section or B) wait the weekend and see if she came on her own and if not be induced. Well we went for option B cause I really didn't want to have a c-section. So we waited...and waited...and of course she did not come. This was Easter weekend and since Husband works for a church everyone was hoping that I wouldn't have her until after Easter so that Husband would be around for the craziness.

Well dear Emma did not budge (I make a happy home I guess haha) and so Easter Sunday night (April 8th 1 day after my due date) Husband and I checked into the hospital for cervical ripening (I kept envisioning fruit) It is basically a procedure where they soften my cervix to try and dilate and start labor. My nurse Thelma was so awesome and answered all of our questions, and was very patient. I was very anxious and couldn't sleep but my very nice doctor prescribed me some sleep medicine so Josh and I were actually able to rest that night.

The next morning (April 9th) at 8:30 they gave me my petocin and my labor started! All of our family came and hung out in the hospital but Josh was really great about not letting a whole lot of people in and making sure we were having alone time. He was also sweet enough to eat outside of the room so I didn't have to smell any food since I hadn't had anything to eat since 6:30 the previous night. He is seriously the best husband ever and I would not have survived the day without him.

We spent the day watching TV, and talking. My sister was in the room a lot of the time which was really great cause when my contractions started getting stronger I had her just talk none stop till they went away while Josh soothed me. I was pretty proud, I got to 7 cm before I got an epidural. Now that was an experience.

Josh wasn't aloud to be in the room (had to be sterile, and I think they were worried about him freaking out when they saw the needle which I did not see and I am so ok with that) so since he wasn't in the room my AWESOME nurse Cathy was my person that I got to squeeze. They did the local which felt like a bee sting and then when they do the epidural it feels like a balloon is being blown up in your uterus which creates a lot of pressure and is slightly painful but then goes away right when you think this was the worst decision you ever made. I squeezed poor Cathy's fingers like their was no tomorrow and she was so great and just kept talking and keeping my mind off of what was going on. After the epidural my sister and Josh's brother had a blast watching the monitor as I would have a contraction and kept asking me if I could feel anything. Josh breathed a sigh of relief cause he was getting very antsy watching me be in pain and not being able to do anything except tell me to breath and let me push against him.

Unfortunately around 7 my doctor came in and said that my contractions had done nothing! They weren't strong enough to push her down and I felt no urge to push at all so in the end I had to have a c-section. Josh went and told the family what was going to happen and then they all came in prayed. It was a really great moment. Everyone gave us hugs and kisses and then went back to the waiting room. Josh put on his scrubs while they preped me. As my nurses wheeled me towards the OR I'm chatting it up like everything is fine however I got super quiet when they lifted me onto the surgical table. The lights looked like really big honeycomb spaceships. Josh had to stay out of the room until everything was sterile and then he came in and sat by my head. By then I had gotten a stronger epidural so I couldn't feel anything from the chest down. I also was too scared to talk so Josh just kept talking to me. I think at one point he was so nervous that he just started talking to me about baseball. :) Finally at 8:08 pm Emma Marie was born! She was 9.2 lbs. and 21 1/2 in. long! They cleaned her up and then Josh got to bring her around so I could see her. Throughout the surgery my blood pressure kept dropping so when Josh brought her around I was fighting to keep my eyes open. Then they sewed me up (before Josh was allowed to go see Emma he stood up and watched them take out the placenta and stuff. I don't know how he did it nor do I know why!) As they were sewing me up Josh took Emma to the nursery where he was met by a ton of paparazzi :) Jeremy in his first uncle duty told everyone to stand back and stop cause it was too many flashes :)

Back in the OR I was getting all fixed up and couldn't feel a thing obviously. When they took out my epidural they had to roll me on my side and the OR table is smaller so I was practically looking at the floor. Kinda freaked me out but I was also so out of it I almost didn't care then I was lugged onto my chariot and got rolled out (p.s. during this time I was shaking like crazy. They don't tell you this but after you give birth because it is such a hormonal shock to your body you shake like nobodies business) So I finally got rolled out and was greeted by my dear family and got to see Emma through the nursery window as she was getting her bath. (We later found out that when the nurse picked her up to show her clean self off to the family she fountain pooped all over her!) I then got wheeled into the recovery room and luckily we were able to have Emma in the recovery room so I got to do some skin to skin bonding and got to breast feed her which I had been really worried about. Then we hung out there for about an hour so they could make sure I was ok and then we finally got to our room. It was a very long day but it was absolutely the best day of my life :)

This was me the night before Emma was born. 40 weeks and 1 day!

Me right before my c-section

Emma Marie

9.2 lbs. 21 1/2 inches

Josh bringing her out to show the family for the first time

Me and Josh after surgery. Our first picture as parents!

First time I got hold her when I wasn't out of it.

We were in the hospital for the next 3 days. We had tons of family and friends come by which was so great and our nurses were beyond fantastic. I finally got to eat the day after she was born and I thought beef broth was manna from Heaven. I proceeded to order it for every meal :) Our time at the hospital really was wonderful although by the time the 12th rolled around we were ready to go home. The rest of this post will be pictures summing up this past month!