Emma Grace's Arrival

(I know that many of you have heard Emma's birth story - but I want to capture it so that one day when she reads this blog she'll have the story)



May 19, 2009 - Seemed like a pretty normal day. Andrew went to work and Snoopy and I hung out around the house. I took a nap in the morning and then got a burst of energy in the afternoon and decided to take Snoopy for a walk. It was just going to be a short walk but we managed to make our entire loop!

Later that day Andy came home and made an awesome dinner and prepared to leave for his softball game. I had decided not to join him this time and am glad I did. As he was walking out the door he asked me to grab his laptop that he had left on the floor so that Snoopy would not eat the straps. Well, right as I bent down to get it I felt a sudden warm gush and knew right away that my water was breaking. I yelled to Andy Ummm...my water just broke as he was in the garage and he turned around and entered the house. We struggled for a bit as to whether or not we needed to call the doctor and decided to go ahead and call her. Andrew got the call service and we were told the doctor would call us back. In the meantime I started making last minute packing arrangements and started to freak out about my dog. Where would he go at 8:00 pm? Contractions started pretty shortly after that! It seemed like forever until the doctor called us back and it was determined that we needed to head to the hospital. So luckily Andy's parents agreed to take Snoopy for the night and Andy and I rushed around trying to get everything together. We had packed mostly everything beforehand but it was still a scramble.



In the car, I sat in the back and Snoopy say up front with Andy. Believe me it's easier than having him all over my lap while having contractions!!! My contractions really started to pick up in the car! We dropped Snoopy off at Andy's parents and headed over to Chilton.



Everyone in the Emergency Room was so nice to us and I remember just trying to stay calm all the while dealing with stronger contractions. We were wheeled up into labor and delivery and escorted into our room. I remember changing into the gown and getting up into the bed and thinking wow this is really happening! The nurse asked me some questions, weird things, like have you been to Africa and stuff like that. She asked how I wanted to handle the pain and I told her I wanted an epidural. I got the IV and she checked me out to see how dilated I was. I was only 2 centimeters!!



I asked the nurse if it was normal to feel the urge to want to puke and she told me yes and I said No I mean like right now and she quickly handed me a blue tub - All of the delicious meal Andy had made!!!



The nurse asked if I wanted the epidural anytime soon and I said yes please - those contractions were hurting and I had a couple of people tell me to get it early.



The wait for the epidural seemed to last forever and each contraction sent me into a shivering shaking ball of agony. I tried to breathe but it just didn't help! Once the anesthesiologist arrived I was ready for what I had been so afraid of and watched bravely as Andrew left the room. It seemed to take forever for the anesthesiologist to be finished and when they said it would take about 10 minutes to kick in I didn't think I'd make it.

Eventually the medicine kicked in - the nurse dimmed the lights - Andy grabbed a blanket and pillow and settled into the reclining chair in the corner and we tried to relax. I wanted to sleep but with the blood pressure monitor going off every 20 minutes and the shakes I had from the medicine there was no sleep. That 70's show was having a marathon so I tried to watch that.

At about 4am there was a lot of rustling coming from the hallways and I figured someone must have been brought in for labor. My thoughts were confirmed when I started to hear screaming. I don't mean just everyday average screaming this was blood curdling screaming, cursing and thrashing! It went on for what seemed like an eternity and I started to get really scared and didn't think I'd be able to go through labor. Andy and I just kept giving each other these looks! Finally my nurse came in and told me that the woman came in fully dilated and had no medication and that my delivery would be better. Once she set my mind at ease she checked me out and to my surprise and delight the pelvic exam did not hurt and even greater than that I was fully dilated. The nurse said let me call the doctor and we can start pushing. I couldn't believe it! I thought for sure I'd be lying in that bed throughout the next day waiting. We started pushing and about 35 minutes later little Emma was born. I felt no pain, no discomfort, I was completely calm and ready to meet my child.

When she did come out they put her on my tummy and Andy and I were just so in awe of the whole thing that we forgot to ask what we had just had. The doctor must have assumed that we knew - at the same time we both were like "What is it" and we were both amazed when they said girl!

And that my friends is how Emma Grace came into this world.....

Keep checking the blog - I am going to keep it up but will start putting Emma updates, stories and pictures. Thank you all for your love and support throughout the pregnancy!