So Andy and I went to bed the night before Lily was born with our heads swimming. We were so excited to meet her and a little scared about becomeing parents.
We woke up at 5:30 since we had to be at the hospital by 6:30. We both took showers and finished getting a few things together before we headed out the door one last time knowing that when we returned that we would be parents.
We arrived at the hospital and Andy dropped me off at the door and he went to park the car. I walked through the hospital towards labor and delivery and rang the bell to get into the L & D wing. I spoke to a nurse and she showed me to my room. Words cannot describe how surreal it was walking into the room where we were going to become parents. Andy found his way to the room and we just sat there for a little while not really knowing what to do.
The nurse came back in and told me to change into my hospital gown and started my IV and the medicine that would induce my labor. We got started at about 7:30 with the IV and meds. I was still only 2 cm dialated (and had been for 2 weeks) so we called our parents and told them that it would be sometime and that they could come on over once they got ready.
Around 9:30 my doctor arrived and checked me. I was at 3-4 cm and she decided to break my water. Once they did that they put a few monitors on me to check the baby's heartrate and monitor the strength of my contractions. My doctor told me that she would be back later to check on me. She asked one more time if I was going to get an epidural and I told her that Andy and I had discussed it and that since I was induced and I knew that my contractions would come fast and very strong that I would probably end up getting one. She was totally supportive.
Once everyone left the room Andy and I just hung out. As the contractions came they were much stronger since my water had been broken and they were coming pretty quickly. By about 10:00 am my contractions were about a minute and a half apart and they were strong. Since I was hooked up to all sorts of monitors around my stomach I was having a difficult time doing my breathing and I could not really change positions to get more comfortable. Andy just looked at me and said, "you know, they are only going to get worse." I agreed and we talked for a minute and then I called the nurse's station and requested an epidural.
The woman who came to administer the epidural was wonderful. She listened to all of my concerns and questions and told me that she was going to make a few adjustments to make sure that the epidural was succesful. Let me just tell you that getting and epidural is one of the most difficult things to sit still for. Not only do you need to stay perfectly still but you are still having contractions. It was not fun but I was so glad that I got it.
We were finished with the epidural and our parents came back into the room by about 11:00 am. We all hung out for about an hour and since it did not look like anything was going to happen anytime soon so everyone except my mom decided to head to lunch about 11:45. My epidural was amazing. I could still move my legs and feel all of my contractions they just didn't hurt. Andy was so funny. He kept poking my legs and asking if i could feel it, which I could.
Dr. Evitt arrived back to my room at about 12:30. She checked me and to my surprise I was at 9-9.5 cm. I was so shocked and texted Andy immediately and said, "I am at 9. You may want to come back to the hospital." He was with his mom at lunch and said we need to get back to the hospital, Cameron is at 9. His mom was like, no way, you are kidding right. Nope we were not kidding. Dr. Evitt said that she was going to come back in about a half and hour and check me again.
Andy was pretty close to the hospital so he arrived quickly and by that time Dr. Evitt was back to check on me. I was at 10 and ready to go but she said that she was going to let me labor a little longer because her other patient was also ready to go in the room next door. The nurses that came in were joking about who was going to have their baby first. Well the other woman won. Apparently in 4 pushes she had a baby. I later found out that it was her second baby and not a fair fight.
Dr. Evitt came back in about 1:30 and we were ready to go. We got my mom, Andy's mom and Emily in the room and I started to push. Andy was great. He has always said that he wanted to be up by my head, so he sandwiched himself between my bed and a cabnet to keep himself from passing out. He was so reassuring and sweet through all of it. I felt like I pushed for hours but it was really only about an hour. I had my mom holding one leg and Emily holding the other. I was so glad though when they started to break down my bed because I knew that she was going to arrive soon. A few more pushes later Lillian Hayes Broome was here. She was placed on my chest and started screaming immedately. It was the sweetest cry I have ever heard. It was so amazing and just like that Andy and I became parents to the sweetest little girl. She is the cutest baby I have ever seen.
I cannot say enough about my doctor, Dr. Evitt. Andy says that she is my favorite person in the world. I agree that I am in awe of her. She was amazing thoughout my entire pregnancy and so supportive. I felt so comfortable and at ease in the delivery room. She was so positive and encouraging throughout the delivery. I still feel so lucky and blessed to have had her as my doctor. It is amazing to me that I basically picked her out of the phone book and had never met her or known anyone that was a patient of hers. I now know a ton of people that go to her and they all speak just as highly of her as I do.
I delivered Lillian Hayes Broome at 2:34pm. She weighed 8lbs and was 19 3/4 in long. She was perfect in every way and Andy and I feel so lucky to be her parents.
love always,
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