"Let's Start From the Very Beginning"

Bringing Carly into this world was the most incredible experience of my life.  We had our 39/40 week check up on Wednesday and I was only 1cm dilated and 75% effaced.  The doctor scheduled us to be induced for Saturday morning (my due date) and we agreed as there were no other slots the rest of the week.  After getting home, I spent the next few days agonizing over the induction and felt no peace about it.  I did a little bit of research and found that 44% of first time mothers who are induced before 40 weeks end up with a c-section (and before or on 40 weeks...similar times to me!).  It was pure peace from God to cancel the appointment because right as I was researching, Brian sent me a text from work and said, "Trish, I think we should cancel the appointment...your body can do it!"  I called the doctor and moved the induction back to the following Friday, hoping and praying God would make her come before then!

I began to feel contractions Thursday evening, but they didn't turn into anything more than a few contractions.  Then...Friday evening into Saturday morning I began to feel light contractions at midnight.  At 1:45am I felt a pop in my stomach and had this incredible urge to pee, but couldn't make it to the toilet in time!  Feeling embarrassed, I called for Brian and said I just wet myself. I stood up to wipe and walked back over to get in bed, only to start dripping again!  Then I hurled over as I had my first big contraction.  Brian thought for sure my water had broke and began timing my contractions...which were less than 4 minutes apart already!  I went to get my mom and she came in and verified that my water had not only broke, but that it was stained and we needed to get to the hospital immediately!  I broke out in tears as I was SO afraid she was going to be sick.  We piled into the car and I had 4 contractions within our 12 minute drive to the hospital!

As soon as we arrived at the hospital, we were taken to the delivery room and my blood pressure measured 150/100!  If I got to 160/100 there was risk of seizures, so immediately I had nurses running all around me, hooking me up to an IV and putting monitors all over my body!  I fought with them about it as I had hoped to not be confined to a bed so I could bare the contractions utilizing different positions.  Eventually one of the nurses told me I was no longer in normal labor and was sick and needed to cooperate.  At this point I was incredibly worked up as I thought both mama and baby were sick!  I fought through the contractions for the next 6 hours, feeling complete support and help from my mother and husband.  Brian put pressure on my back while my mom fed me ice cubes.  It was SO hard, but so worth it.  I was able to work with my contractions by relaxing, which progressed me to 7cm within 6 hours.  I was SO thankful it was moving so quickly.  The morning took a slight turn as the magnesium sulfate I was on relaxed my muscles and caused my contractions to slow.  Because of this, they put me on pitocin.  I knew the contractions would become stronger and I looked at Brian and said, "This is really annoying.  I don't want to deal with this pain for the next 4 hours."  We made a decision to get the epidural...BEST decision we made!  Because I had already dilated to a 7, almost 8, I knew I could get to a 10, so it was nice to have the medication and rest before pushing.  Carly's head was "sunny-side-up", so I was actually stuck at 9cm for nearly 4 hours, rotating from side to side to get her head to move.  Eventually she did and pushing began.  This was the funnest part of labor! 

I pushed for 30 minutes and was doing so well that they made me stop and wait for the doctor.  After he arrived, I pushed for another 15 minutes and all of sudden THERE SHE WAS!  Oh what an incredible moment...nothing shy of a miracle from God!  As I saw her emerge I was overcome with joy and tears!  My little girl had arrived!  They had a respiratory specialist clean out her lungs from the meconium and she was essentially unaffected by it.  Praise Jesus!  Everything I prayed for, God granted us, from going into labor naturally, to delivering vaginally, to a healthy baby who I would be able to nurse. I was in labor for 14 hours and was completely satisfied with the experience.  The rest of the hospital stay was incredibly enjoyable, resting with Carly on my chest, skin to skin.  Beautiful.

That's quite the story...one shared by millions of women yet completely unique to me.  I think I will probably remember it forever, but it's kind of nice to have it documented.  Plus, lots of people have asked me about "my labor and birth story," so it will be nice to direct them here.  That's the beginning...and a plenty long blog for today.  Here is my favorite picture of her from the hospital!

"Blossom of Snow May You Bloom and Grow"

What a great time to start a blog!  My daughter is just over one month old and I've decided that in order to properly document her life I need some sort of motivation.  My sister-in-law started this great blog about all of her daughter's "firsts" and she has some wonderful memories documented.  I love the idea and thought and thought about what I might call a blog.  Then...my Mom told me that the song, Edelweiss, from one of our favorite musicals, The Sound of Music, was spelled with our last name in it.  My favorite line from the song is, "blossom of snow may you bloom and grow."  So to me, that's why I'm writing.  I'm writing about all the ways my beautiful little girl is going to bloom and grow over the next months and years.  I want to document those experiences and remember all of the little ways she grows each and every day.  I've already noticed monumental differences in her cognitive ability and overall maturity the past month.  Each day is special and I a try my very best to appreciate all of it.  Getting up in the night, the pain caused by nursing (I love nursing, by the way, but it's no easy task), settling her when she is crying and the giving up of my freedom.  It won't last forever.  Someday I will be able to cook again, clean again, exercise, be social and wear my pre-pregnancy clothing.  And...someday I won't be tired.  But it's not hard to get past the difficult aspects of having a newborn as there are just a million things I love.  When her big blue eyes look up at me while she is feeding, the morning naps that we've been taking together while she lays on my chest, the smiles, giggles, coos and squeals, the snuggles she gives me when she's tired and wants me to put her to sleep and really every time I get to hold that precious little bundle of joy.  She's amazing, a miracle and God's gift to Brian and I.  I think I will start tomorrow off by reflecting on the past month.  "Let's start from the very beginning...a very good place to start..."