Overall I had a really smooth, easy pregnancy. However, I was not one of those women who was just in love with being pregnant. By 30 weeks, I was way done with the process and I was wondering why babies take 9 months to grow, and praying she would come a little early! I started having braxton hicks contractions sometime around the 30 week mark and they stayed a pretty consistent presence until she was born. Fast forward to the 38 week mark. I had an appointment on Friday morning and I was hoping it would be my last one. I never got checked at any of my appointments to see if anything was happening. I was so ready to be done that I didn't want to know and be frustrated if nothing was happening. I waited until the last minute to have maternity shots done, but on Saturday morning, the day before I hit 39 weeks, we had them done. We spent the morning walking around a beautiful park and getting some beautiful pictures of this special time. The whole time I joked that this was going to send me into labor, and I really hoped it did. Later that day I started to feel some contractions that were stronger than my normal BH I was used to. I thought it was odd, but just decided it was from all the movement and heat that morning. We went to church that afternoon and I had several more while sitting in the service. I looked at Aaron and told him these were getting real. But we went home and nothing really happened after that. I got a shower after we put Ryah to bed, and then they started to come back, with much more intensity. I decided to start timing them and they were coming 10 minutes apart at that point. I told Aaron we may be going to the hospital that night and he laughed, thinking I was joking and he went to sleep!! I laid down and tried to get some rest, but they just kept coming and started to get a little closer together, 8-6 minutes apart. So I woke Aaron up, and called the doctor. She told me it didn't quite sound like active labor yet, but to come in if my water broke, or if the contractions got to 3 min apart for an hour. So yet again I tried to rest, but that just wasn't going to happen. Contractions continued to get stronger and closer together and I knew it was the real thing. At this point it was after midnight, and I had been texting my mom and our super awesome friend who would be coming to watch Ryah if we needed to leave, and told them it was the real deal. I got a few last minute things together as we waited for our friend to get to the house, and then we headed to the hospital around 1am. This was not how I wanted things to go, of course they never go how we think they should! I was worried about Ryah waking up and us not being there, since that had never happened before. Thankfully I had been preparing her for a few weeks and telling her who she would stay with when it was time for baby sister to be born, and she loves Amanda. So I said a prayer and hoped she wouldn't be too scared in the morning.
We got to the hospital by 1:30am, thankfully we were just a short drive away. We were both hoping that they wouldn't send us home, we were ready to meet our girl! My doctor was in surgery when we got there, so they told us to start walking until she got out and could check me out. By that point, contractions started to come on top of each other and I could barely make the laps around the hall. I wanted the pain meds so bad, but they couldn't do anything until they admitted me. I had gone back and forth over whether or not I wanted an epidural, but once we got to the hospital, I knew there was no way I was going to make it through without it. So much respect for women who can do it without it, I have several friends who have, I just couldn't. And my nurse kindly reminded me that I didn't get a trophy or anything for not getting it haha! Finally, the doctor came out to check me. Thankfully I was at 4 cm already and she said I could stay if I promised to keep walking. I told her she had a deal and I walked for maybe another 45 minutes until I couldn't take the pain anymore and I asked for the pain medicine. They tried something through my IV to start with, but all it did was make me dizzy and took the edge off for maybe 10 minutes, so I asked for the epidural. I finally got the epidural around 5am and I felt so much better! The doctor was afraid it would slow my labor down, but I just kept trucking right along thankfully! I could see the contractions on the screen and I was so glad I couldn't feel them, they looked intense!! Aaron kept asking how long the dr thought it would be, and she said with first babies you just never know, but her goal was to have her here by midnight that Sunday night. The next time they checked me, around 7am I was at 6.5 cm, two hours later I was at 8, and then another 2 hrs I was at 10 and ready to push! Right before I got to 10, the epidural was wearing off on my left side and I had to get it redone. I was so thankful I had time to do it, because they checked me right after and said it was time to push! I couldn't believe things had gone so fast, especially with it being a first baby and getting an epidural. I was prepared for hours of pushing, but hoping that it wouldn't come to that. I was ready to get baby girl out, and she was ready to be out! She was so low when we got to the hospital, everyone who checked me kept commenting on it! My water never broke, the doctor literally broke it 3 minutes before I started to push. I started pushing around 11am. I literally couldn't feel a thing, but everyone kept saying how great I was doing, but I wasn't so sure. After a few minutes, her head and shoulders were out, the doctor looked at me and said "ok, pull her out," without even thinking I reached down and grabbed her and at 11:15 she was here!! I still can't believe I did that. I had already told the nurse that I wanted them to clean her off before they handed her to me, so for me to pull her out and put her straight on my chest was not something I was expecting! I guess I was just in the moment and all the adrenaline kicked in! She was so tiny, but Cora Layne was here!! Born at 39 weeks exactly, she weighed 6lbs 14oz, and was 19 inches long. We were instantly in love and she has been a complete joy since that moment. God gave us such a precious gift in giving her to us. I still can't believe a little person came out of me, and that she was finally here. We cannot wait to see how she changes and grows, and how she will change us. God has big things planned for her!
