The Day Our Lives Changed Forever

February 22nd is no longer any ordinary day!! This is the day my wonderful, beautiful daughter was born. After 2 different doctor appointments to check our little girl's weight we decided to go ahead with a c-section. This decision was made mostly due to the fact that she had not even made her way into my pelvis. The doctor's recommended a c-section due to this fact and said that most of the time women in this situation ended up laboring for hours only to end up with a c-section. This is something I knew I didn't want to do.

So, we set up our c-section for Friday, February 22nd at 3 pm. Paul decided to go ahead and work that morning. I got up early that morning in hopes that I could eat something at 6 am and take him to work. I was so sick with nerves that morning that food was not happening! I was not necessarily nervous about becoming a mom.I was just scared to death of surgery, medicines, anesthetics, etc. I hate being confined to a bed and hospitals and knew that Claire was not coming like I had planned, and that was okay.  After a morning spent watching tv, going on a walk, and just enjoying the quiet alone time I went to pick Paul up at 11:45 to head to the hospital.  We were both excited, nervous, and just trying to grasp what was fixing to happen to us. We snapped a few shots of me outside of Labor and Delivery before heading into the hospital.  We got all checked in and filled out the loads of paperwork. 

After checking in they got me set up into a small prep room. I changed from my normal person attire to the hospital gown. The next two hours from 1-3 went amazingly quickly! They took my blood pressure, set up the baby heart monitor, set up my iv, and lastly prepped me with the epidural and catheter. I was very nervous about the epidural. I knew that if I were to have a vaginal delivery I would want one, but I knew I had to have it with a c-section. Any type of anesthesia makes me very nervous and I generally don't do well coming out of it, so apprehension was fairly high. However the placement of the epidural was not as bad as I had ever imagined. The anesthesiologist who placed it was amazing and the nurses and techs in the room were very supportive. Paul and my parents left the room for it and then came in after all of this was finished.  My mom freaked out a bit because I was shaking so bad from the epidural, but they said that was one of the ugly side effects. The doctor also gave me some nausea medicine to help me from throwing up from the epidural. However, that didn't work too well as when they got me ready to go in the operating room  I looked at the tech  and told him I felt like I was going to throw up, I vomited the entire liquid he had just given me!!! No fun!! 

Right at 3pm they rolled me into the operating room, had Paul get dressed in his scrubs and be prepped to come in with me. I was by myself for just a little bit while they prepped me for surgery. Although there was this lovely sheet you can see covering me, I later confessed to Paul that I could see everything going on before he got in there because of the mirrors above me. The sights were somewhat creepy and somewhat just amazing! Yes, the picture below you can see the lovely puke bucket. 

I have got to say, I love the picture below! It reminds me of what a wonderful husband I have. During the entire procedure Paul sat at the top of my head and was such a wonderful encourager. He talked to me through the whole thing. He kept telling me I was amazing, brave, wouldn't trade places with me, and that he loved me! This meant so much to me as we waited just those few moments for them to cut me open to the moment both of our lives changed forever!

The doctor said " Here she comes!" Then, the most precious sound to both mommy and daddy's ears that we have ever heard, the first cry! We both realized then that this was our daughter's cry. Our daughter's cry then sent both of us into tears. It was a precious cry, a cry that meant life had been breathed into her and she was able to live outside of her mother's womb.  The doctors just kept talking about how beautiful she was. It is definitely a moment I will never forget. 

This was my first glimpse of my daughter  that I got! How precious!! 

After this glimpse, they took her to be weighed, measured, and cleaned up! While they stitched me up, Paul went and enjoyed the time watching and being with his daughter. I sat and I waited patiently taking in every sound in the delivery room. I listened to the conversations and the doctors were talking to me every once in a while. While stitching up the doctor looked over at me and said that I had a tiny pelvis and there was no way she would have come on her own. This was great to hear as well that we had definitely made the right decision going the route we did.  I also soon realized I could breathe again! I took a big deep breath after she was out and looked at Paul with a sigh of relief. I finally felt my ribs again!! You see, she never dropped! So, her feet where sitting in my ribs and yes, I sounded like Darth Vader!

The doctors all had a bet on how big she was going to be, since that was one of the major reasons we did the c-section. She ended only weighing in at 8lbs. 1 ounce. The doctor also said that she had very little fluid covering on her which meant she was ready to come. Also, music to this mom's ears to know that the right decision was made!

My precious little girl squinting  at the new found light of the world that surrounded her! 

Finally in Daddy's arm safe and secure! He held her as I was able to touch her with my left hand and be amazed at how beautiful she was and enamored with the fact that she was ours. She was part of Paul and part of me. She is something that was made from both of us and she was knit so perfectly in my womb to be the beautiful creation that I saw before me on that day.  She was healthy and ready to come, and for that I am so thankful!

One of her first expressions. She is very expressive just like both of her parents! 

Daddy fell in love with his little girl right away! I so enjoyed watching the bonding begin in that delivery room. I know there is nothing more precious that a daddy/daughter relationship!

Our new little family of 3!

After they got me back to the recovery room, I enjoyed much skin to skin time with my little girl and the first feeding! She was ready to go! It was one of the most precious times I was able to enjoy! She seems to fit so well in my arms and on my chest!  It was truly the day that changed our lives forever!