An Update From Mom

It's true...I am alive and I made it through pregnancy and childbirth...and I am happier than ever! Bill did a great job at giving you all a glimpse of our little girl Nina...but I am here to give all of the gory details...plus share how much our little peanut has grown in the past 15 days! (Beware: upcomming is alot of details...do not feel obligated to read the following scattered but straight from the heart comments.)

Well it all began Saturday the 12th. We went shopping all day for the new house and completely exhausted ourselves. I was not feeling real great for some of the day, but not lousy enough to stay home...so we went shopping. Saturday night was just pretty relaxing. We watched a movie with my family and I decided I better update my journal...just to inform any future readers that I had come to grips with the idea that I would be induced the following Monday. I was really okay with that. (I know, I know...a surefire sign that the baby was coming...but I didn't see it.) So Bill and I stayed up late working on our future landscaping plan when I started to feel contractions like I had never felt before. They were no where near intense...but they were alot lower than I had felt before. So we started watching the clock starting at 11:06. I had about 4 contractions that hour so I decided to just keep watching them. We decided to "go to bed" but I could not get a wink of sleep in between the contractions. Bill asked me to wake him up every time I had one so every 10 minutes or less all night I was waking him up. He kept wanting to go to the hospital, but I refused until my contractions were closer together. Finally we compromised that if I had 3 or more at 7 minutes or less apart we would go. Finally at about 4am that happened. We got out of bed and got our stuff together and informed our parents that we were going to the hospital. (Billy's mom and dad were in Phoenix and booked a flight home immediately.) The contractions were getting a little more intense all night...but I was still totally fine between contractions. (Something I did not expect.) So we got to the hospital and they checked me and I was a whole whopping 2. They monitored my contractions for an hour...at least when the monitor picked them up. When we got there they were 2-3 minutes apart, and stayed that way but the monitor was not picking them up. I told the nurse and she said she knew. They checked me again after an hour and I was still a 2. No progress. They called the doctor and said they would see us the next day at my induction. I could not believe it...and I did not know how I was going to go home and "rest" until they induced me the next day. I could not sleep all night through the contractions...how was I going to rest?! Lets just say we were a little bit bugged. So we went home totally rejected and in alot of pain on my part. (At about 6am) We decided to go back to bed. I laid there and timed my contractions and Billy slept for two hours. (This last sentence might sound bitter...but I really did want him to get some rest.) After about 2 hours of laying in bed in pain I was done. I threw the paper and pen that I was writing down my contractions on at Billy and said, "We have to do something." (This was one of my low points. I knew I was loosing it...more mentally than physically, and poor billy was so tired he did not even know which way was up...on on the other hand had not slept at all since saturday afternoon when I took a 20 min. power nap.) I told him that we were going to go for a walk...and we did out to the kitchen...until I could barely stand up. Then I said, "Lets go to the hospital."(About 8am) So we got back in the car and drove down. We said a prayer that there would be some kind of progress so that they would not reject us again. (Who knew what I would throw next.) They checked me and I was a 3-31/2 and monitored my contractions, and then told us that we could stay. My doctor was there and said that he was going to go home and shower and that he would be back. I was just so relieved that we were finally in and that I was one step closer to an epidural. I was in alot of pain at this point. We got checked in and they gave me an IV that they had to try twice...and then I was really sick and threw up. I asked for some Zofran (The nurse was impressed that we knew the name of the anti-nausea medication...then I told her I only stopped taking it about two weeks before and she understood.) I was really shaky through the whole process and I knew it was about time for the epidural...and I was so nervous I would not be able to hold still. But they got it in...and it was the most painless part of the whole process. I was so scared...and had heard so many horror stories...but it was great! I was able to relax alot more after they got that in. I got to lay in bed and let my legs get numb for a few minutes and then the nurse brought in some pitosin to speed things along. right after she hooked it up to my IV I thought my water broke. I told the nurse and she said she would check me...and she said I was complete. I was like, "Complete? Like you mean I am a ten?" She said yes, and then she said "We are going to say you are a 91/2 and let your body use these contractions for about a half an hour to get you ready to push." She also said that Billy should go and get something to eat. I was a little nervous about this...but they said I could still push for hours so I told billy to run and bring his lunch back to the room to eat. Oh, and my water had not broken...I was just bleeding...but they did turn off the pitosin. So I laid there just breathing to myself until Billy got back. After he got back we still had about 20 minutes to wait but every time I would have a contraction the baby's heart rate would drop or stop. The nurses kept rolling me over and shaking my belly until the heart rate would start again. If I was not scared already this really got me. They gave me oxygen and kept a close eye on the baby and went and get the doctor to break my water. Our families came down to the hospital and came in our room to check in...but I was so worried about the baby I could not even think straight. Billy asked everyone to leave, and then the doctor came and broke my water. He said there was Meconium the the water...aka baby poop. This is something I was seriously nervous about. They said I would push and when the baby came out they would not try to get her to cry...but instead suction her out first. This was great information to know or else I would have been really afraid when the baby came. So it was time to push...and I thought that this was another "good part" of the whole labor part. I pushed for about 15-20 minutes and the baby was born. Billy cut the chord and they were able to suction her out a little before she cried. They attended alot to the baby and then they brought her over to me and I got to hold her. They had respiratory specialists there too watching like I hawk while I held her, and then they said they needed to take her down to the nursery. Billy went with them, and I got stitched and cleaned and had the best hospital meal of my life in recovery. I felt great. The nurse called down to the nursery for me to see how Nina was doing and they said that everything was fine. I was so relieved. Oh yeah...and you know how her heart rate kept dropping? That was because the chord was wrapped around her neck. Thank goodness that I did not have to push for too long!! The hospital stay was great and I did not even want to leave...but we have survived at home as well. Recovery has been really smooth and nursing is going great as well. Our little Nina has grown out of her snorting...and do we ever miss it! (Good thing we have some great videos!) Nina is growing so much everyday, and just getting cuter and cuter! We have only known her for 15 days and we do not know what we would do without her!! We have had an eventful two weeks...and here are a few pictures of the festivities!

Nina in the cutest little outfit...we call it her party dress...she was not so happy that we wanted to take so many pictures.

I cannot get enough of these little tiny bird legs!

Our house is moving along. We get our key one week from today. Here are some pictures of the kitchen!

She looks so chubby and old in this picture...but I think it is adorable!

She still has her little stok bite on her forehead but it is fading a little bit...I am sure just like the snort...we will miss it when it is gone.

Nina with her Grandpa De Groot

4 generations!

Everytime we put Nina down to sleep we find her with her hands high above her head...even after we swaddle her tight. It is hillarious.

Dad took Nina for her first swim at G-ma De Groot's pool on the 24th of July. She was screaming...but it sure was fun.

I love this picture...it shows the immense amount of support that we have. Here each grandma has a limb, and cousin Ava is sharing her float. Gotta love family!

Here I am comforting Nina after the swim...

And here is Nina in her very own lounge chair.

Nina and Aunt Maddie taking a nap.

Billy and Nina on Billy's B-day. Her cute little outfit says: Pretty girl, clever girl, daddy's girl. This is billy's favorite!

Happy 24th Birthday Bill!

Grandma and Grandpa Wheadon with Nina

For Billy's Birthday we had a mario-kart tournament on the Wii. It was so fun. We even made huge bracket and everyone played. It got pretty intense at moments.

These were our final 4...and Tanner won the whole thing.

Resting with Mom. One of our favorite past times. Life is so wonderful!! We will keep you posted!