2+1= Our Biggest Adventure

Kind of a long one, but I feel it's a must... The birth story takes the longest to tell so skip over that of your not interested... :) (Oh, if there are typos it's because this was done on my phone and it's harder to catch grammatical errors.)

Not quite ten months ago, we started on our next adventure. While that time was mostly just my adventure that Preston had to just tolerate and support me through, it was the beginning of an adventure we will never be able to (not that we want to) reverse or finish. I can't tell all the emotions that are rolling around in me these days but I've felt them all to the extreme since we've had McKinley (no thanks to the post-partum recovery). Well, we have survived the first week with no major disasters! The only losses would include the normal sleep deprivation, a few pounds (I'd like to think at least 7 lbs 5 oz...) and possibly a slight bit of our sanity. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Anyway, we absolutely adore our little bundle of joy (except right now since its 4:25 am and she won't go back to sleep after her last feeding at 3:00... Mom, where are you!? Lol). She is just too precious for words in mine and Preston's eyes.

Birth story (more for my remembrance but read if you'd like...): I didn't progress well through the end of the pregnancy. I was completely closed till my 40 wk (& 1 day) appt. Then I opened to a one. YEAH! I stayed that way until I was induced... Boo!

I was scheduled for the induction on Tuesday the 4th. I was supposed to call the hospital at 6:00 am and get a check-in time. Instead, I got a call Monday night from Danylle, who turned out to be my favorite nurse. She said since I was already past a week due and the list of people to be induced was HUGE, that I should just head to the hospital now. WHAT?! I still didn't have my bag packed yet... Pathetic I know. She asked how soon we could get there and I told her within the next hour.

Now my heart started to race a little bit. I am glad I at least have sisters that have gone through this plenty of times and so I had a good idea of the stuff to pack and what to expect when I got there. So, even though they prepared me a little, of course I'm going to be a little anxious, excited, nervous, etc. It's not everyday that you have your first baby! Well I think I did a pretty good job of keeping the emotions inside and staying calm.

We got to the hospital and checked in to labor and delivery. It was a nice way to go instead of doing it for the first time actually in labor. Anyway, we checked in and they took me to my room and got me all set up for the "fun" part. Honestly, just as they tell you, the IV was the worst needle they stuck me with. That was in the beginning. All the other needles weren't that bad, comparatively speaking. Even the epidural didn't really bother me, but of course I wasn't about to ask to see the needle.

So all hooked up and ready to go, they decided to give me a pill to get things softened and ready for the pitocin. All it did was give me contractions. So they decided to put me on pitocin and see how it went. They were worried the other medicine would get my contractions too strong, which effects the baby, and could force a possible c-section. Yuck!

Once the pitocin started at about 1:30ish (I think) I started to progress relatively quickly. I was dilated to a 3 at about 4:00 am. I was dilated to a 5 when I got the epidural at 6:00. When the doctor came in at 9:00 to break my water, I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing! (Sweet! I'm thinking get this kid out already!)

So they got everything ready and I started pushing around 9:15. The little lady hadn't turned face down yet and so she was still sitting pretty high. The doctor turned her and had me push and the heart rate plummeted. The cord was around her neck. Apparently this happens about 60-70% of the deliveries they do they told me. It really matters how tight. So they had me relax for 15 min and I pushed again. She turned back so then I was rolling side to side to get her to turn back. I was pushing every 10-15 minutes for a little bit... Finally she decided to just tough it out and she kept her heart rate up just enough for us to continue. She was born at 10:17 am.

She came out with out a cry, and we know what that means. She was in stage two apnea and only half of her actually had the gross fluid on her so she was struggling a bit. They put her on oxygen and worked on her for what seemed like forever! The three people working on her finally got her to a point where she could be held for a second, so they gave me about 2 minutes with her before she was whisked off to the nursery for more work. With the Apgar test, she ended up with a 4 the first time and 9 the second time. (I'm so glad it wasn't a one the first time!)

A little while later they finally brought her in so Pres and I could hold her and love her. Now we get to all the time, whenever we want. Sometimes we don't want. She gets pretty dang gassy in the early morning hours but we get through it. I talked to a lactation specialist about it and she said one thing that really helps babies with that is to just sit them up for a few minutes after they feed. They will actually work out most the gas themselves. We've been trying this and it actually gets rid of the hiccups really quickly, and does take care of quite a bit of the gas too. Then we work through the last little bit and try and relax her enough to go back to sleep.

Overall, I am so grateful and feel so blessed to have this little girl in our lives. I know people say that you don't know this kind of love till you actually have a child of your own. It's true. I feel like I have a little more insight now of how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel for us. That unconditional love that is only felt for a child by their parent. I'm a little worried they have trusted us with such a precious child, but I know they are there to help us. We will figure it all out eventually (or maybe not). She is actually a really easy baby, and does really well with everything we put her through (bath time, diaper changes, car rides, etc.).

Anyway, we absolutely LOVE, adore and cherish this new adventure we call McKinley. This adventure is going to take us a while... Like forever.

Here are some pictures I've got on my phone of her. The crazy picture of her is just her coming out of a yawn, but she looks like she could kill. She isn't upset in the bath pics either. She was trying to get her mouth on the sponge... :)