Emery's Debut

Exactly 2 weeks ago today our little Em made her way into the world. It took some time, but she made it :) and me and Court were in love with her as soon as we heard her first cry.

So... her little birth story is not the usual 'I had contractions and we rushed to the hospital, and everything went just as it should and normal, etc.' It ended up being a little more complicated and quite long, and not anything we expected. SO let's just dive right in. (WARNING: this is wordy and long)

A week in a half before we had her, I was up watching Parenthood because I couldn't sleep. All the sudden I felt all 'leaky' (sorry some of this might be gross to some). I stood up and there was some  fluid on my blanket. Not a whole lot. Not enough to make me freak out like crazy but definitely enough to make me wonder if something was up.  I looked up some tests online and they said if it's your water it would continue, you would know it, blah blah blah. Court and I decided not to worry about it because it stopped.  (To whoever reads this, my advice would be if you think something is up..go to the hospital, call your doctor, whatever. Don't not go because it's too far or you think you are over reacting, better safe than sorry. Next time I will heed my own advice, luckily Emery was fine through everything, but still). Well the next week I continued to feel a bit more fluid leak here and there, not a lot, definitely not as much as that first time on the couch, but I just kept wondering and didn't do anything about it since my doctors appointment was soon. So I go to the doctor on Tuesday and tell him I had been having contractions since Sunday night and to PLEASE test me to see if my water had broken or had sprung a leak or something. He did the test with the little strip of paper and it came back negative. I was relieved, but still felt like it wasn't right for some reason. From everything I told him I had been experiencing, and because my bump was measuring 3 centimeters smaller, he wanted to see me in two days and do an ultra sound to check my fluid level that way. Here is where the fun begins. I go in Thursday and Doctor asks me, 'any more fluid leak?' I say, 'as a matter of fact yes, again yesterday and this morning.' He gets out his ultra sound machine looks and says well we need to admit you to the hospital and get this baby born. Apparently my fluid level was a 6 and it should be at a 10 or something. Plus, my bump was another centimeter smaller. Yes, I had a sprung a leak. So I call Court and tell him to get to the hospital because we are having a baby. I was very calm because I was just kinda shocked, but I wasn't at the same time, and I knew it would be awhile for little Em because all my contractions had stopped so I had to be induced.

We get to the hospital and set-up shop, start all the texting and letting family know, and we're excited, but trying to remember it's going to take time.

 Last belly pic, exactly 38 weeks

 I got the pitocin around 3PM and then the epidural around 1AM. Slept nice and soundly through the night (poor Court probably didn't since the chair  he was in didn't look too comfy). Around 7AM I was awake and feeling some pain because my epidural was wearing off. I ask my awesome nurse (she was the best) if we could shoot up the epidural again because I wasn't feeling too hot. She says of course but let's check you first. 7 1/2 cm dialated and shock in her voice when she says, 'ummm there's no head there, there's no head! My finger just went up her bum.' Em was a breech baby. Everyone was shocked. I had no idea how no one figured it out. None of my ultra sound techs, my night nurse who checked me through out the night, my doctor, no one knew she was breech until I was dialated to 7 1/2 cm. Well I wish I could say I stayed nice and calm knowing a C-section was our fate, but I cried. I remember telling Court before I was ever in labor, "I know when I give birth I shouldn't expect anything to go exactly as I want because it's not realistic and I'm okay with that, but I hope hope hope I do not have to have a C-section." So I was a little freaked out.  I knew nothing about them because I thought I would never need one. Court just told me everything would be fine and my nurse just explained everything about them and told me I didn't need to worry. I thought about my blessing Court gave me earlier and said a prayer so I was able to calm down. I just got a good feeling after that, that everything was going to be fine and I knew we would all be okay. My mom and sisters got there right before I would get wheeled in to have the C-section and it helped to see them too. By 7:40AM I just wanted IN to the operating room because I was then dialated to a 10 and feeling so much pressure and so uncomfortable and I wanted baby out. Finally we go in. I get numbed up to my collar bone and am super relaxed. I kinda start falling in and out of sleep while Court is behind me holding my hand and peaking over the curtain. All the staff were super nice and made us feel extremely comfortable. So I'm feeling very calm and the doctor says, 'okay here she comes.' Me and Court look at each other and then I feel a lot of pressure and then very light all the sudden, and then...we hear her cry. It was the best sound I have ever heard. I look at Court and I can't help it, my eyes got very teary and I just loved her so much already. I watch Court go over to our beautiful baby and I felt so good, I was so happy and all I could focus on was Emery. Court holds her and brings her over to me and I wish so bad I could get up and hold her. Court was so sweet with her, and I'll never forget his expression when he looked at our little baby. The nurse said it was time to take her and Court out and they would be waiting for me in the recovery room, but to let Emery say hi to her mommy first. This is a moment I won't ever forget. She brought her over and set her right next to my face so I could kiss her little cheeks. Right away she opened her eyes and turned her little face right at me and I knew she knew exactly who I was. Court said it was so neat to watch. That is a moment I wish I could go back to and relive again and again. 

Finally, all sewn up, I was wheeled into the recovery room with Court and Emery waiting for me. I was finally able to hold Em. 

Now let's put a few pictures to the story.

 Right before I was wheeled into the operating room, yes thats a barf bag, I got a little nauseous with all those contractions. 

 Feeling much more relaxed

 Here she is

 Proud Daddy

 First family picture

 Our 7lb. 1 oz. baby 

 Recovering

 She is the sweetest

Since she was a little breech baby her legs still always wanted to be up straight by her little face, so swaddling her was a little difficult. Her legs are always kinda of half-up like a froggy so she always looked like a little triangle. 

I absolutely love my little family and can honestly say all of getting her here was worth it, and I wouldn't change it. We are so grateful for all the help we have had and all the visitors at home and the hospital. We can't get enough of Emery. I have about 50 million more pictures of her to load but that is for another post.