All Things Lily: The Big Day

Monday, July 27, 2009

8:00am

So my due date was July 25th and I was getting a tad anxious. Okay, quite anxious. We had just recently moved back into our house (like a few days prior) and I was so thankful that we had made it through all the floor staining, cabinet painting and wall painting before Miss Lily decided to make her grand entrance into the world. Over the weekend I was feeling some pretty strong contractions but nothing real regular or close together. We knew it wasn't time to go yet. So on Monday morning as I sat at home alone with nothing to do but think (because I was too big and uncomfortable to do much else) I started to worry that I hadn't felt Lily move much. So I waited and tried to count her movements but still, nothing and I was worried. It got to me so much that I decided I'd just go to Mercy and have things checked out.

10:00am

When I got to Mercy I signed in and they asked me a few questions, one being, when my due date was. I told them it had already passed, that it was last Saturday. They seemed a bit more concerned at that point. They got me to a room and shortly after I was so relieved to hear that baby girl's heartbeat just pumpin away. I called Houston to let him know there was no need to come, everything was fine. But then they noticed I was having contractions about 2 minutes apart. I could feel them but they didn't seem very strong to me. They wanted to keep me hooked up and watch things for a little while. The nurses came in to check on me a while later. They told me they thought I should go ahead and have the baby since I was already here. Huh? You can do that? They acted like it was no big deal and left the room to call my doctor. I laid there a little stunned and before I knew it they came back and said my doctor agreed and that we'd just go ahead and have a birthday party today. I wish I could have seen my face. It took a little while for that to actually sink in. It's like I wasn't sure if this was real and really happening.

11:00am

Before I knew it I was being wheeled to my room. The delivery room. Yes, the one in which I would soon be giving birth. That one. I was so excited and it all just seemed to be happening so fast. I called Houston as soon as I got to the room. That was definitely a very cherished, memorable moment. I could hear the excitement in his voice when he said, "Really, today?". I could hear that he was smiling. Thankfully he wasn't too far away and arrived shortly after. They got me all hooked up and started the medication that would induce my labor. We called our family but told them not to come yet. We knew it could be awhile and possibly not until the early morning hours. I remember sitting there with Houston, holding his hand in silence. We were just trying to take all of this in. It was so exciting. We were beside ourselves.

2:00pm

We decided that since it would be awhile, Houston should go home and get our things. I didn't want him to leave but I was anxious to have our stuff. While he was gone, things began to progress quite a bit. The contractions were about a minute long and a minute apart and were getting quite painful. I was in the room all by myself and decided I would call the nurse. I was ready for the epidural. I hated doing it while Houston wasn't there but things were getting pretty intense and I didn't want to wait too long, you know. They had warned me that they would get pretty strong pretty quick and that I shouldn't feel like I needed sit there in pain to prove anything to anyone. So I didn't. Good thing though, things moved very very fast after that.

5:00pm

Time to push! Houston got back in plenty of time. I filled him in on the epidural experience. He said he was glad to miss it. I said thanks. (It wasn't bad at all, but I guess I didn't look at the needle either) Before we knew it we were pushing, I mean I was pushing! Funny thing, there was no sign of my doctor. Hello, I'm pushing. This baby is coming and where are you? I guess she just comes in for the very end. Everything went fine. Everything was wonderful. Houston saw way more than he wanted to and at 5:47 Lily Grace let out her first cry. Whew. She was here and she was perfect! It was all so surreal. It was the greatest experience of my life and I don't think anything could ever compare. Except doing it again!

7:00pm

After spending some time together we finally went to get the family. They were all very excited to meet Lily. They got to watch her get her bath and I listened to their oohs and ahhs from the bed. I was feeling pretty tired and a little out of it at times and getting sick some too. But it didn't even matter. All that mattered was that she was here and she was perfectly healthy and oh so beautiful!!!

Here are some pictures from our special day. WARNING: There are a few a bit graphic in nature.

All my bags are backed and I'm ready to go....