*She's Here!!!

I awoke yesterday morning (about 12am) to the urge of needing to use the bathroom. When I got up for the 3rd time (this is really unusual for me) I decided it wasn't just my bladder! My water had broken!

I called my Dr.'s office when they opened at 9am and asked what I should do. They told me to go to the hospital. I called Brice to tell him I was headed to the hospital, got all of my stuff together and drove to the hospital. I got there at 10am. They had me change into a hospital gown, checked my fluid to make sure it was amniotic fluid and then called the doctor to tell her things were a go.

Around noon they hooked up the pitocin to help increase the contractions I was having. I wasn't feeling the contractions to badly, but laying in that uncomfortable hospital bed was killing my back! They got me a birthing ball (a exercise ball) to sit on and that was a huge relief! Good for the back as well as helping the baby drop.

By 7:30pm the contractions were getting really strong. I was trying to hold off on the epidural for as long as I could, knowing that it slows labor. Finally I decided it was time to get one. They had told me that once I got my epidural they were going to put a couple of internal monitors on the baby because her heart rate was all over the place. They wanted to get a more accurate reading. When they started to get me prepped for the epidural, I started to get nervous and emotional. I have never had any type of surgery, in fact this was my very first hospital stay. Knowing the possible risks and side effects of the epidural, it made me a little nervous, plus they had just told me that they were worried about the baby, and I had just a few hormones going on!!! It wasn't a pretty moment for me!

The anaesthesiologist was great. He got it in quickly and relatively painless. They then put in the internal monitors and told me that I could possibly have to have a c-sections. I was still only dilated to a 2, and the baby wasn't handling the contractions very well. I was really upset at this point. Emotions were on over load. It wasn't so much that I was against having a c-section, don't get me wrong....I didn't want one, but I was more upset that they baby wasn't doing well then about the possiblity of a c-section. The resident left to go call my doctor. I had Brice give me a blessing to help calm me! It really helped! How grateful I am to be married to a worthy Priesthood holder!

The resident came back to say that Dr. Cannon just wanted to let labor progress. So I just tried to rest as much as possible. About midnight the nurse and resident came in to give me some medication to stop the contractions. Madison really wasn't doing well with the contractions, so they wanted to give her a couple hours without contractions just to recover. They would restart the pitocin at 2am. About 1:40am they came in because my body had started the contractions again on it's own. The baby's heart rate was all over the place, it was concerning them so they put the external monitors back on as well, to see if that made any difference.

At 2am they restarted the pitocin. At 2:15 the resident came in to tell me that the baby really wasn't doing well. With each contraction it was taking her longer and longer to recover. The resident had talked with Dr. Cannon and decided that the c-section would be best. I was totally calm and felt this was the best decision.

They started to get me prepped. Dr. Cannon arrived and shortly after they rolled me into the OR. Mom was at the hospital to be there for Madison's birth. She wasn't allowed to go into the OR, but luckily Brice was there to be with me. I have to admit, I was scared! This was my first hospital visit, and now I was having MAJOR surgery! I didn't really want to be aware of what was going on! Even with my obsession with Medical stuff... I just didn't want to know when they cut me open!

Luckily for me I was so exhausted with the day's events that I did sleep, through the whole thing! I was aware of being in the OR, and what not, but I couldn't keep my eyes open! When they took her out of me and she started to cry I immediately was awake! I got all emotional, and started to cry. Brice told me I was a mom! He went to go look at her and came back to tell me she had a full head a dark brown hair!

Brice went and got mom and they both went to the nursery while they stitched me up! They call into the nursery to get her stats! She was 8 lbs 13 oz, 19.5 in long! I said to Dr. Cannon "I'm glad we didn't wait another week to start this party!!" They took me back into my room and I waited for them to bring me my baby! Soon Brice and Mom arrived with my little Madison!!! What a beauty!! I am so in love!!! Here are some pictures.