Our New Reality

Okay... so being home with a newborn isn't quite as boring as being home big and pregnant for weeks.  I'm actually more productive here with a baby than here without one.  Who wants to do laundry and dishes and house cleaning when they are nine months pregnant and carrying around all that extra weight?  Now I've only got got naptime to do all the things that need to be done.  It's kind of like waiting til the last minute to do science fair.  Laundry must get folded and put away and I've got t-minus 45 minutes before she eats again... go!  Here is a picture of a recent naptime.

Anyways, Julia's arrival has changed our our lives but it's hard to imagine life without her now.  For those who are interested I'm going to do a cliffs notes version of how she got here... you see when a husband and a wife decide they want to start a family... just kidding ;)

On Wednesday March 9th I awoke to consistent contractions starting at about 4:00 am.  Real fun, let me tall ya.  They weren't unbearable, but as the morning progressed they were getting stronger and closer together.  When Evan left for work he knew to have his phone ready.  After phone calls to Dolly and Mimi and Sarah and Dr. Thompson and walking the neighborhood again and again the contractions were close enough to go into labor and delivery testing... to make sure I was actually in labor.  We were in a tiny room in L&D from 2:00pm to 8:00pm waiting to see if I was actually going to progress.  Finally after my doctor left town, of course, I had progressed and was admitted.  Another doctor in the practice took over and monitored my labor and delivered Julia, all was well.  Once we were admitted, the real excitement began...

•  8:30 They broke my water.  Contractions began... fo real... wow... really.  Moms and Dads arrived with gifts for Julia, dinner for Evan(thanks Mom and Dad), and birthing comforts for me (thanks Ann and Tony and Sarah). Much contracting, much pain, discovered that Ann was one of my nurse's professors at TWU... small world!
• 10:30 Check-up... had minimal progression.  Lovely.  Still going strong without drugs but getting pretty tired.  Pain getting really bad... puked while my father in law is in the room... cute.
• 1:15 Check-up... progressed to 5 cm.  Oh no... bring on the epidural.  All of that for 5 cm?  Uh uh.  
• 1:30 Best thing that's ever happened to me... the EPIDURAL!  Also, got put on the lowest dosage of Pitocin.  Quality of life increases dramatically.  We all get a little rest.
• 2:30 Julia's heart rate begins to drop a little.  I got taken off the Pitocin and put on oxygen.
• 3:30 Check-up... 10 cm!!!  No way!  Evan, mom, get ready!  It's go time.
• 3:45 Pushing begins.
• 4:30 Baby Julia graces this world.  I delivered an 8 lb. 4 oz. baby.  Pretty awesome miracle.

 Here are my favorite pictures from the morning that changed our lives.

It is just amazing to me how much she has changed in the last few weeks.  I'll be posting more now that we've settled into our new reality.  Having Julia here is really a dream.  We thank God everyday for our wonderful new addition.