She's here!

Esther Yvonne Angel arrived 4:25PM on 3/1/13

After they broke my water at 12:30 I had regular painful contractions by about 1:00. I realized I had no further interest in natural childbirth by about 1:30 and was therefore luckily able to get an epidural soon after. It's true you feel a little bit more like a bystander when you're not feeling the full amount of pain, but I find it 100% worth it.
The pain chart is always right in front of you and I joked to Andy that I enjoy a pain level of 2. described as 'Mild Pain. Annoying. Troublesome' just enough to make me feel engaged in the process.

Anyway, luckily I was able to progress quickly without further intervention. I made it to fully dilated by 4:15, pushed a couple times and she was out by 4:25!

Snuggling up right after delivery

Hanging out with mom the next day

Hanging out with dad post bath

Sleeping during the first night

40 weeks

We called into the hospital this morning at 6:30 to check in for our 7:30 appointment and they were full. So they said to call back at 9:00 and check in.

In the mean time we were able to take the last picture in the series in daylight.

This picture makes me laugh because on the morning I was 38 weeks I woke Andy up as soon as it was light and told him, 'It's picture day, it's picture day!'
Thinking that if we didn't take the picture right then, I would go into labor at any minute (Van never got a 38 week picture). I told him I was also going to wake him up early on the 40 week picture day and we both laughed because we were both sure I wouldn't go that long.

But here I am!

I think this picture is good, the distinct changes you can see in between 38 and 40 remind me of the changes you can see with my last picture carrying Van, even though his last picture was 36 weeks. So I'm getting there, just on a different time schedule. 

PS I just called the hospital, they said to come in at 11:00. So that is the latest news.

Last bump pictures

Since tomorrow is the big day, I asked Svea to take some last minute pictures of my baby bump. She got some really great ones of both Elin and Van and I.

39 weeks 6 days. 

We'll try to get another picture in the red shirt/jeans combo out by the tree for a comparison shot tomorrow, it will probably be in the dark, as we have to leave for the hospital before 7.

2/28/13

Van calls a hammer a hamera, like it rhymes with camera.
"Daddy, where are your hameras?"

Van has been 'helping' Andy tile the fireplace. He says "Daddy are you ready to build? I just want to be your best helper!"

Or if we get him a glass of water or something he'll say, "thank you, you're my best helper"

***

Van has an insult, at first I heard him use it at Finn's house, then later when we were shopping he used it on me.
"You meteor! I'm so mad at you"

This is hilarious because Van knows about meteors from all the dinosaur movies he watches. He just knows they hit the earth in a fiery explosion and decided that this was a good thing to call someone you were mad at.

Baby Showers

I finally got a couple pictures uploaded from the baby showers. It's funny because the first one was 3 weeks ago and I remember thinking that it was planned too late and that Esther would probably arrive before it. Boy was I wrong.

The first shower was at Courtney's house. Laura made the deserts, and Svea planned the dinner. It was fantastic! I wish I had a group shot, there were so many fun ladies there.

delicious deserts!

Laura, Courtney and I

Then the next week, the ladies in my Kappa Alpha Theta Alumnae group threw Christi and I a joint shower. (Another one I was sure I was going to miss...)

Bump to bump

The whole group

The mommas

Anyway, thank you to everyone who helped with either shower, I had so much fun!

The Update

Well I had my doctors appointment today and she said I am 4-5 cm dilated.

And actually when she saw my name on the schedule, my midwife went ahead and reserved an appointment for me in labor and delivery to have my water broken. She said I didn't have to take it, but it's there if I want it.

So then I had a decision to make.
On the one side, this is a good option because it assures I'll be at the hospital when I deliver the baby and they can handle any complications.
On the other side, if they break my water and I don't go into labor they'll give me pitosin and things will  go from there. Once my water is broken, they will deliver the baby within 24 hours, one way or another.

I feel torn between letting things happen naturally and using medical intervention. I know both avenues are good, and that neither is good when taken to the extreme.
What I decided is to do move the appointment (original penned in for Wednesday) to my due date on Friday.

This solves several problems in my mind
 - it is the perfect P50 estimate of when the baby should come. I'm not taking an unnecessary risk by letting it go to far.
 - I'm also not being overly risk averse and 'inducing' labor unnecessarily early.
 - As a very important aside, if I am going to arbitrarily select the due date, well I want to make it a good one. and 3.1.13, that's pretty cool. Everyone likes a palindrome.

So she could come any time this week on her own, but if she doesn't, she'll definitely be here on Friday.
And we are excited to meet her :)

39 weeks

39 weeks today. Andy and I went to the hospital last night for a false alarm, we were there from 9:30PM - 2:30AM, but the contractions were inconsistent and did not increase in intensity so eventually we went home. They kept us for so long because I am 4 cm dilated, so once it does start, it should get serious pretty quick.  But still no guarantee on when.