You know those moments in life where you don't want to forget a moment. We have been taking a million photos and still I am worried I'll forget some of this overwhelmed with love for all this. Even now I'm getting teary, of course there is always the potential it is hormones. But man...we're so blessed to be here now. Getting to this point, struggling for 4 years wanting this little girl so bad. IVF is such a blessing and I'm just thrilled to share our story.
At 1am on June 8th (Everly's due date) I started having consistent painful contractions 7 minutes apart. I just kept timing them, but let my husband sleep in case they all fizzled out and he had to go into work. Well, to my surprise they didn't fizzle out, but they also didn't get worse and didn't get closer together. SO...we went on this walk, in the following is a photo (likely me between contractions). Walking was a brilliant idea from my mom as it got my contractions 2-3 minutes apart and slightly bumped up on the painful scale. Although I could walk and talk through them. I came home tired and Logan was sick of walking. I sat down and they then fizzled to 7-10 minutes apart, but they were still rather painful. I had a scheduled appointment that day for 10:15am...I called the office telling them where I was at this point and what I should do. They recommended if I were willing to hang with it, to come in and get checked rather than have the hospital do it and turn me away.
Well, we went to the appointment and my OB Dr. Joan Warner checked me and I was 5cm, 100% effaced and 0 station. She said I probably need to walk the mall and I'll probably get it to get more intense that way. Between contractions I was having absolutely no pain which was a miracle compared to Logan's delivery. It's amazing how each baby can be so different. The OB offered to strip my membranes since I was as dilated as I was. I was scared as I heard how painful it can be. She offered to do 1 sweep and see what I thought. It wasn't too terrible, so we went forward with the full job. That really put the throttle on more as the contractions bumped up a notch and came closer together. I was group B strep positive which meant needing antibiotics before delivery. The medical assistant, Dolly came in and suggested going straight to the hospital instead. We gladly took that advice and went straight to going home for our hospital bags to me B-lining it for the labor & delivery area at Mercy Gilbert Hospital.
The following pic is us settled into our room and them needing to get an IV placed for antibiotics. They also needed fluids started on me for the epidural along with a platelet lab. It took 1 1/2 hours for them to get an IV going. Within an hour from my appointment I was checked at 6cm. I was getting antsy letting people go to town poking me. It took 6 times before getting one placed...so frustrating. Suddenly I felt the need to push and was scared. I didn't want this, this was not my plan and we were so close to getting an epidural FINALLY. The nurse checked me at that point being 9.5cm dilated, she said all I'd need is the OB to break my water and we'd be on our way. SO...from there is was a game of whether the needed lab results and anesthesiologist would get there first or my OB. Well, lucky for me the epidural was able to work out. What a miracle medicine is...after it was placed I asked the nurse when she thought it would work or if she could tell me when a contraction was coming, she said, "you just finished one up." Heck, yes! Although in hindsight I realized I probably had it within me to go natural I just thought this labor would be as constantly painful as Logan's or that I didn't have the power to settle my nerves. I realized I did more when I had to focus so much through contractions to stay calm and still when the anesthesiologist was doing his magic. I had read that Bradley method book and it definitely was a help. Well, Dr. Warner (my OB) came in moments later out of breath. She said, "I heard you moaning over the phone and knew I had to book it." Clearly I'm not so much the suffer in silence type. Anyhow, she gowned up and gloved up. 4 big pushes. Jimmy said that while the Everly's head was there waiting for another contraction, my OB was giving her her first hair style. Mohawk and curling it over. Love my OB and her lightening the mood...well a few more tiny pushes and she came. She came!
Here Everly is all wide eyed just after delivery.
Everly Annalise Shaver arrived June 8th at 1:07pm, all 8lbs 3 oz, 20.5 inches long and just a beauty!!
Logan holding Everly for the first time. He is SO cute with her. Telling us, "she loves me" "look I know how to make her happy" and he does by putting her hands up to her face and she calms right down. He is so proud and man, does that just make me more in love with our sweet little family. Logan is the best and he is going to make the best big brother!! We are so lucky!
Little missy getting her first sponge bath. The princess loves LOVES having her hair washed up...the best part!!
Always need to document the most interesting hospital meal. Below is a "veggie omelet" it tasted fine, just came in square form...interesting, right? Most food was actually pretty good.
Oh, the sweetness :)
Documenting surviving night #2...the dreaded cluster feeding night. Which we were champs at it!!
Everly on her way home in her car seat!
I think all I've been doing since she's been here is staring at her. She is just so stinkin beautiful...loving her long dark hair, her big beautiful eyes, her occasional smiles, the yawns, the coughing, the peaceful sleeping, her little hands, fingers, toes, peach fuzz on her shoulders, the rolls on her arms... I didn't realize how much I really super was baby hungry until apparently I'm still not satisfied as I constantly want to hold her, do skin to skin and just stare...
And the following is her now in my arms...snoozing post sponge bath.
This girl is the sweetest...she rarely cries and if there was a sweet cry, she's got it. She nurses fairly well aside from some gumming action I'm learning to work with. She sleeps really well, that I have to wake her for feeding sometimes. Life has been so great! I feel better than I did with Logan at this point...although I'm taking scheduled ibuprofen and tylenol which I think has been making a difference. Yesterday was my only real moment of break down as nursing stresses me out as it did with Logan that uncontrollable crying continued until I could lay with my husband and hold her again. A million photos is not enough...seriously don't want to miss a moment of this. Wishing we could freeze time!
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