A Mother's Day to Remember!!

On May 5, 2016 I was scheduled to go in to the hospital to start the induction process.  I will be totally honest, I was terrified!  At the same time I was excited!  We had waited a little over nine months to see our little girl, but I was really scared about the pain.

We checked in at 9:30pm and then started the process around 11:30pm.  Because my cervix had been at 1.5cm and 80% effaced for the last few weeks they gave me cytotec to help with the dilation and to start contractions.  After the first two hours it had helped with contractions, but I hadn't changed dilation/effacement.  So, they gave me some more . . . and that is where everything started!

At 5:30am I was in such pain from the contractions I decided to get the epidural then (I hadn't really slept at all, and I knew I would need it).  They checked me again before the epidural and I was 7cm and 100% effaced.  The anesthesiologist came in to give me the epidural, I hated it!  It hurt so badly to put it in I wondered if it would be worth it (*side note: it totally was)!  Tony and I both were able to get a few hours of sleep after that.

By the time I had fully dilated it was around 10am.  The epidural made me shake really badly, like an intense shiver.  I don't remember being cold, but I may have been.  Another funny note about the epidural, I didn't understand that it was a constant flow.  I thought it was a single dose and then I controlled when I received more.  So, whenever I started feeling something I would push the button.  I only pushed it three times, but it made my arms and torso extremely weak.  So I couldn't move; I would try to use my arms to sit up a little bit, but I couldn't. Emma's head wasn't down really low, so they decided to push off the pushing process and we tried to get her head a little lower so I wouldn't have to push so long.  All I did was lay there with what the nurse called a "peanut pillow" in between my knees for two hours. By 12:15 we decided to start the pushing process.  I did four sets of three pushes before the nurse told me to stop.  The doctor hadn't arrived yet, so we needed to wait a few minutes before he got there.

Once the doctor got there I only had to push a few times before Emma was born!  At 1:08, Emma was born!  The nurse and doctor were surprised by how quickly the pushing went.  It took about 40 minutes, and I wasn't pushing that entire time.  But I think because it went so fast I had some pretty bad tearing.

Emma's APGAR scores were incredible though!  Normally the first score is low because they haven't pinked up yet and other factors.  Emma was an 8 and then a 9!!

Emma JoAnn
Born May 6 @ 1:08
Weight: 8 lbs. 5 oz.
Height: 20 1/2 inches

I am so in love with this little girl!  She already has Tony wrapped around his finger.  We left the hospital on Mother's Day, my first one as a Mother!  She already has a lot of personality!  She sleeps A LOT (and I'm not complaining).  Feeding her was difficult at first because we couldn't get her to stay awake.  That is still a problem sometimes, but she is eating much better!

It has been a few days and we just continue to love her!  She makes hilarious faces and loves to cuddle!  One of these days I'll get pictures of her silly faces!  But here are some pictures I have so far:

Emma has really long and sharp nails.  When she was first born, she grabbed the left
side of her face.  Her eye lid is still a little bruised.

Happy Mother's Day!  This was Emma's going home outfit!

My Shuck family and the hospital gave me some flowers!
They are so pretty!

I just love how she curls up with Tony!

Emma sleeping!

All pregnancy I hadn't really had swollen feet unless I had been on them all day.
This was 5 days after giving birth.  I look like I have elephantiasis!

Emma hates having her diaper changed.  Whenever we go to check her diaper she'll pull her
legs up and try to block us!  This morning she actually tried kicking Tony's hand away!