I had to write this as soon as possible or else things would start to drift away in my memory and I wouldn't be able to handle that if it did. This may not be posted for a little bit, but just knowing I have something written and something to add to if need be brings a little comfort. Beware, I write a lot! I want to remember everything.
As I write some of this, my Little Loodle Love is in my arms nursing away like a champ. She wasn't always this good, but we will get to that later :P
Here is her birth story:
It was Thursday night (the night before her due date) and after a good chicken drumstick, salad, mixed veggie dinner and with an episode of the Dick Van Dyke show watched, it was time to get ready for bed. I usually (during the pregnancy) got into bed around 9 to just hang out and watch some Netflix (I recently got into the show, Lost) or read some blogs (or a birthing book) for at least 2 hrs before going to sleep while my husband, Paul, would hang out in the dining room or living room to get some work done or just watch baseball. We usually went to sleep at the same time. This particular night, however, I couldn't. The Braxton Hicks were getting a little annoying and Little Loodle Love was moving around too much to really get comfortable on my sides. It was about 12 O'Clock and I decided to just hang out for a while in the living room. After about an hour of internet searches about what contractions felt like, how you know if you're in labor, and when you're supposed to go to the hospital, I decided it probably wasn't worth my time to read all of this, so I went back to bed. Yeah, well that didn't last long. I was even more uncomfortable than before. I guess it was time to head back to the living room and hang out some more. This weird uncomfortable feeling was like I had the worst stomach ache for about half a minute and then it would just go away for a few minutes before returning. It wasn't terribly painful, just really uncomfortable. Then my back started to hurt, too. Thats when I decided to time them (with an awesome app I found on my iPod). Here is the record I have (some have big breaks because I forgot I was recording and so I would have to delete an entry or two before recording again... but I really don't expect you to look at all that :P):
| StartTime | EndTime | Duration
(mm:ss) | Freq.
(mm:ss) | Intensity |
|---|
Apr 26, 2013
1:19 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:20 AM | 01:03 | 00:00 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:20 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:21 AM | 00:47 | 01:52 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:22 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:23 AM | 00:41 | 01:49 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:26 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:27 AM | 00:49 | 04:09 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:31 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:32 AM | 01:02 | 04:55 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:35 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:36 AM | 00:55 | 04:06 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:38 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:39 AM | 00:41 | 02:49 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:40 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:42 AM | 01:02 | 02:14 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:45 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:46 AM | 01:04 | 04:26 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:49 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:50 AM | 01:06 | 03:33 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:53 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:54 AM | 00:52 | 04:39 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
1:57 AM | Apr 26, 2013
1:58 AM | 01:00 | 04:04 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:01 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:01 AM | 00:40 | 03:20 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:04 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:05 AM | 01:03 | 03:04 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:06 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:07 AM | 00:50 | 02:01 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:08 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:09 AM | 00:53 | 02:37 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:12 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:13 AM | 01:05 | 03:59 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:16 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:17 AM | 00:58 | 03:27 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:18 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:18 AM | 00:39 | 02:02 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:20 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:21 AM | 00:45 | 02:28 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:22 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:22 AM | 00:30 | 01:37 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:23 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:24 AM | 00:34 | 01:30 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:25 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:25 AM | 00:41 | 01:18 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:28 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:29 AM | 01:00 | 03:02 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:30 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:31 AM | 01:14 | 02:23 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:34 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:35 AM | 01:03 | 03:38 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:37 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:38 AM | 01:04 | 03:09 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:41 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:42 AM | 00:56 | 03:57 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:43 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:44 AM | 00:56 | 02:21 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:48 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:49 AM | 01:15 | 04:32 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:53 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:53 AM | 00:47 | 04:47 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:56 AM | Apr 26, 2013
2:56 AM | 00:39 | 02:59 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
2:59 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:01 AM | 01:05 | 03:55 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:02 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:03 AM | 00:31 | 02:40 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:05 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:06 AM | 00:52 | 02:32 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:09 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:10 AM | 00:51 | 04:42 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:13 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:14 AM | 00:48 | 03:50 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:18 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:19 AM | 01:11 | 04:55 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:22 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:23 AM | 00:48 | 04:08 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:27 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:28 AM | 00:57 | 04:20 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:29 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:30 AM | 01:04 | 02:43 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:32 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:32 AM | 00:46 | 02:09 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:34 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:36 AM | 01:47 | 02:29 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:38 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:39 AM | 00:45 | 03:44 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:41 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:41 AM | 00:36 | 02:56 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:49 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:50 AM | 00:54 | 08:09 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:51 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:51 AM | 00:31 | 01:55 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:53 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:54 AM | 00:52 | 02:27 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:56 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:57 AM | 00:54 | 02:44 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
3:58 AM | Apr 26, 2013
3:59 AM | 00:43 | 02:25 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:00 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:01 AM | 00:40 | 01:47 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:02 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:03 AM | 00:49 | 01:30 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:05 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:06 AM | 00:57 | 03:04 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:07 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:08 AM | 00:40 | 02:37 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:12 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:12 AM | 00:29 | 04:08 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:13 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:14 AM | 01:00 | 01:50 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:16 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:16 AM | 00:43 | 02:10 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:18 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:19 AM | 01:03 | 02:23 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:20 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:21 AM | 00:27 | 02:11 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:21 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:22 AM | 00:48 | 01:20 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:23 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:24 AM | 00:33 | 01:42 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:25 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:26 AM | 00:29 | 01:57 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:29 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:30 AM | 00:56 | 04:12 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:31 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:32 AM | 00:49 | 01:43 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:33 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:33 AM | 00:41 | 01:39 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:35 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:36 AM | 00:42 | 02:09 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:37 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:38 AM | 00:54 | 02:10 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:40 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:41 AM | 00:47 | 02:50 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:42 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:42 AM | 00:25 | 02:09 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:44 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:45 AM | 00:48 | 01:41 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:47 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:48 AM | 00:31 | 03:37 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:49 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:50 AM | 00:38 | 01:41 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:51 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:52 AM | 00:48 | 02:21 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:54 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:55 AM | 01:14 | 02:42 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:57 AM | Apr 26, 2013
4:57 AM | 00:44 | 02:33 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
4:59 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:00 AM | 00:39 | 02:29 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:02 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:02 AM | 00:35 | 02:31 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:04 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:05 AM | 00:56 | 02:42 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:09 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:10 AM | 00:56 | 04:17 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:20 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:21 AM | 00:47 | 11:39 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:24 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:25 AM | 00:51 | 04:04 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:28 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:28 AM | 00:42 | 03:06 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:29 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:31 AM | 01:52 | 01:52 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:33 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:34 AM | 00:53 | 03:44 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:35 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:36 AM | 00:55 | 01:52 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:38 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:39 AM | 00:58 | 02:39 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:40 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:41 AM | 00:53 | 01:59 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:42 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:43 AM | 00:53 | 02:04 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:44 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:45 AM | 00:56 | 01:57 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:45 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:46 AM | 00:56 | 01:19 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:48 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:49 AM | 01:28 | 02:49 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:53 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:54 AM | 01:14 | 05:12 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:55 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:56 AM | 00:41 | 01:51 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
5:58 AM | Apr 26, 2013
5:59 AM | 00:57 | 02:59 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:01 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:02 AM | 01:16 | 02:52 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:04 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:05 AM | 00:58 | 03:17 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:08 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:09 AM | 01:01 | 03:43 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:12 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:13 AM | 01:04 | 04:10 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:14 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:16 AM | 01:23 | 02:27 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:18 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:19 AM | 01:11 | 03:24 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:20 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:21 AM | 00:40 | 02:13 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:22 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:22 AM | 00:51 | 01:28 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:24 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:24 AM | 00:44 | 02:10 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:27 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:28 AM | 00:47 | 03:05 | - |
|
Apr 26, 2013
6:30 AM | Apr 26, 2013
6:32 AM | 02:16 | 03:13 | - |
Okay so hopefully you get the picture... I was definitely in labor. This was the real deal, but I still didn't know it. I facebook messaged one of my friends (who gave birth a few weeks before to her first son) about what I was feeling and what was going on. She immediately responded (midnight feeding time for her), which was amazing! She gave me some information about what the contractions felt like for her and how maybe I was progressing faster than she was. I was still doubtful, but at around 3, I decided to call the hospital just to see what they would say. They told me that this was the time most women came in (when contractions were 3-5 minutes apart), but if I wanted to wait a little bit, I could. I thanked them and decided that it would be best to wait a little bit, just in case it was just a false alarm (I've heard that a lot of first time moms have those). I still didn't think that this was true labor. I guess I pictured myself in pure agony, moaning and rocking back and forth with labored breaths. My breathing did change, but I couldn't stay still or just rock back and forth. I was actually power walking through the whole apartment. I decided to get some laundry done (2 loads actually). Maybe this was the time to finally pack a hospital bag... maybe?
Anyways, after I got off the phone with the hospital, I went into the room to tell Paul. I woke him up a bit and said, "Paul, I think we should get ready to go to the hospital in the next hour or two..." He replied with, "oh, mmhmm", and turned over. So I tried a clearer approach, "Paul... I'm in labor." His response was, "mmhmm ok" and turned over the other way. So I just left him and went to the hospital by myself. PSYCH! That would've been funny. I left the bedroom and got back to my pacing, packing, and recording.
I got some make up on and some dishes done. I packed the little one's outfit for going home in. I tried the whole rocking back and forth thing for a bit (while applying my make up) and I also tried putting my hands up against the bed bending over a bit and rocking, but it just didn't seem to fit my need for speed. I decided not to do my hair because that would take longer and being in one spot was getting to be tougher.
So an hour came and went (it was a little after 4am now) and I decided to wake my dear husband up again to let him know that in the next hour, we would be leaving for the hospital. He responded this time with, "Ok... well, how long can I sleep for before we have to go?" Yes, he actually asked me if he could go back to sleep. "Ummm... well I guess 30 minutes? an hour? I don't know..." So he decided to get up... Praise the Lord! He even helped me time some of my contractions while I paced and also when I decided to take a shower.
Before my shower. 40 Weeks and 0 Days
It took us another hour and a half to get ready (showering, more packing, plucking our eyebrows, etc.) and we finally left for the hospital around 6:15. We checked in at 6:30 and right away I was checked for dilation (not fun). They told me that they were expecting me a little sooner than 6:30 (like 3:30-4am). I was 6 cm dilated. Yup, that was labor alright!
We were taken to the Labor and Delivery room (which was pretty nice) and the epidural was administered around 7-8am. By that time I was 7.5-8cm dilated and it took a few extra sticks in my back and extra time to actually get it to work (yeah, that wasn't too fun, but it felt wonderful afterward :P).
Very wonderful.
So wonderful that I could update facebook, call my parents, and text all of my friends and family everything that was going on...
and take pictures of my handsome husband being so patient.
When they checked me the second time after the epidural was administered, they noticed that my bag of waters was right up against my cervix so they were going to wait to see if it would break on it's own. It didn't, and by 10am, they broke it. That's when things started to progress, and by 11am, I was feeling the urge to push.
So I texted everyone and told them that now was the time I really needed to start focusing and so they wouldn't hear from me for a little while until Little Loodle Love was here.
[On and off I was put on oxygen because they needed to stimulate Little Loodle Love more and make sure she was moving around and catching the monitors.]
They had me do, what is called, "Laboring Down," meaning that I was not allowed to push until it it was impossible not to. So with each contraction, I did my Lamaze breathing technique and kept myself from pushing... for 2 hours. At 1 O'Clock... it was show time!
It was pretty tough to know how to push because, even though I felt pressure down there, the epidural made it hard to really feel what I was doing. So they asked me if it would be better if I had a mirror to see what was actually going on and maybe it would help in motivating me. Ummm...no thanks. I wasn't too keen on that. I continued to push. Paul actually took over, a few times, where the doctor was (she was in her third trimester and the room was really hot for some unknown reason) and we tried playing tug of war with a towel (interesting, but it seemed to work a little bit) before my hands couldn't grip properly anymore. Paul was great, though. He counted, he held onto me almost the entire time, and he was just all around amazing.
About an hour into the pushing, they could see that this Little Loodle Love had a full head of hair. This is when I was interested (so much for being uneasy about that mirror idea). They brought the mirror and then things started progressing. I was now a bit more motivated to see this little girl.
At 2:30pm (after one and a half hours of pushing) on April 26, 2013 (HER DUE DATE), My Little Loodle Love was born. She was 6 lbs. 13oz. and 19.5" long. It took them a while to make her cry at first because she was just looking around and taking it all in, I guess ;) She was so calm and quiet. She had a full head of dark hair and could not be any more beautiful. Right away she was pulled up to my chest for some skin to skin and Paul cut the cord. They gave us until 4:30 with her before they took her to get weighed, washed, and taken care of.
Proud daddy with his Little Princess.
These were taken a few minutes after she was born.
After she came back from her first bath.
You are probably wondering about her name... well it took us until the next day to fully decide that we wanted her name to be Agnes Joyce. Saint Agnes has always been my favorite saint and is my confirmation name. Joyce is Paul's paternal grandmother's name who happens to be born on April 26th as well. :)
The first couple of days with her were trying due to breastfeeding and the lack of milk, but now she is the most well behaved little baby (except that she sleeps during the day and awake at night). Her latch made things very painful and even though I was determined for this to work, it was still extremely hard for me to continue on. Now she is a nursing champion and barely ever cries or fusses (only when I take too long changing her diaper... but I'm a newbie so I'll get better and faster!).
We went home on Sunday, April 28th, 2013. We had to stay an extra night because when I delivered her, I had a pretty high fever. When they took her temperature during the time she was placed on me for skin to skin time (right after she was born), she also had a fever. So they had to monitor us (and put me on antibiotics) just to make sure everything was a-ok.
My parents drove 12 hours from Colorado the day of her birth to be here with us for a few days and they were beyond helpful. My mom stayed up a lot with her (after we went home) when I was too tired to even stand, let alone rock her in my arms to sleep. Whenever we needed help in the middle of the night, all we had to do was go into the guest bedroom, wake her up, and she would come racing to the rescue with her arms out and ready to receive the little one. During the day, my dad would run errands to Walmart (he got to be a regular there) and also held her whenever he could. They stayed until Wednesday afternoon and the day before they left, my oldest sister, Nutmeg, drove all the way from Texas with two of her kids to help out with everything. Right away she asked what she could do to help. It's been so great having all of this help and I know that it would have been ten times harder without them, even my other older sister who came with her family the week before helped out a lot preparing postpartum meals as well as postpartum care for me. Even friends have pitched in with sending necessities to care for this little one and even extras that make her look so cute and fashionable.
Paul's parents and sister have also been to visit from Saint Louis a couple of times to see Agnes Joyce. It's always great when they can come see us! Paul's aunt is on her way from Illinois to help out over the weekend and Paul's mother will come help out on Monday afternoon and stay for the week. Then my brother, Tim, and one of my best-friends, Kelly Ann, are coming to visit the next weekend and I'm sure they will be a big help, too. We have lots of visitors coming to help out and spoil this little girl, so we are not short on love here ;P
We have been so blessed. With the pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum being so great, it makes me want to welcome a second child... in time ;)
Here are a few pictures of Agnes Joyce alone and with the people that love her:
Meeting her grandparents (Paul's parents on top).
Playing with silly Daddy
Meeting Auntie Nutmeg
Naptime... one of many during the day.
Grandma being an amazing help.
Grandma
Grandma and Grandpa and Auntie time.
Nighttime in her jumper and morning early EARLY morning cuddles with Mommy.
Now little Agnes is 1 week old today and is the center of our worlds. It's amazing how one little being can change everything you do. How protective you get, how quiet you can be when you know she is fast asleep, how sleep deprived you actually are compared to how you feel. And when it's all said and done, how completely and utterly head over heels in love you are with this Little Loodle Love. :)
The night of her one week since her birthday pictures.
An example of what her daily hiccups are like. This was taken last night.
Proud daddy with his Little Princess.
