It's been so long since I've had time to blog, but I want to document everything that's happened over the last three months for my kids so bear with me (and all the posts to come).
At our 39 week appointment, I told my (new) doctor (my doctor went to Europe for 3 weeks, remember?) that I didn't care how far dilated or thinned I was that I wanted him to stretch me before I left there. I had become so miserable and really wasn't sleeping well that I was getting desperate to do anything that might throw me into labor. Luckily for me, my doctor was kind enough to 1) do what I asked him to do and 2) ask me when I'd like to induce. I've never gone into labor on my own. I've been induced with each child, and luckily for me I tend to dilate quickly and be far enough along at the time of induction to get my epidural right away. Sadly, this was not the case with Avery. I was barely a cm dilated the first time they checked me and barely 2 cm at 39 weeks so I was getting nervous. My appointment was on a Thursday and my doctor scheduled my induction for the following Monday giving me the weekend to try to go into labor on my own.
The weekend came and went and we found ourselves at the hospital at 5:00 am Monday morning ready to start the induction. I can honestly say that I was more relaxed than I've ever been, and Wayne and I were able to enjoy the quiet couple of hours we had before the doctor came in to check me. Pitocin was started at 5:30 am and the doctor made his rounds about 7. I was thrilled to hear that I was about 3 1/2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. I was equally delighted to hear the doctor say he'd be back in less than thirty minutes to give me an epidural and then break my water. The epidural (as always) was no fun. It was actually the most painful epidural I've had so far, but
even though I thought I would die I survived and was grateful that I'd feel no pain from my contractions (especially since they were coming harder).
At 10 am the nurse checked me again since I started feeling a bit of pressure, and I was dilated to 5 and 100% effaced. She said the only thing holding the baby in was my full bladder and that we should have a baby within the next hour. Wayne and I started calling our family in, and as they began to show up we enjoyed visiting with them. For some reason, I don't think my epidural took completely, and while I wasn't in a lot of pain, I could still feel my contractions. Around 11:15, I could tell my contractions were coming back to back and I knew it was getting close to time to deliver. Because Presley came without me even having to push (and before the doctor even made it into the room), I went ahead and called the nurse in to let her know I thought I needed to be checked. Sure enough, it was time to start pushing. By the time the room was cleared, set up, and the doctor arrived, it was 11:40 or so. I pushed just a couple of times and Miss Avery Kathryn was born at 11:51.
We were shocked to see she had blonde hair especially after Makenzie and Presley were born with jet black hair, and Avery looked so much like Wayne it was hilarious. She was so long and perfect, and we instantly fell in love with her. She weighed 6 lbs. 15 oz., and was 20.5 in. long.
We asked our family to wait while Makenzie and Presley came in to meet their new baby sister. Our girls had prayed for Avery since before she was conceived, and we felt like it was only right to give them a few minutes alone to meet her before everyone came piling in and started passing her around. The girls loved her from the minute they saw her. Even Presley said she'd keep her and decided she didn't need a little brother after all!
Our first picture together as a family:
Love my new little family of 5!
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