Well the little one is finally here! She decided not to steal her mother's birthday glory and waited to come until November 22nd. Thanks Raegan :) She was born at 5pm and weighed 7lbs 11oz and was 20 inches long. She is absolutely perfect and we love her so much!
If you're interested, here are the wonderful delivery details: We went in for our induction on Sunday the 21st at 7pm. Not sure why they do this to you because you literally can't sleep the entire day before you go and of course you're not going to sleep much after she is here. Annoying, but I guess it's to the doctor's benefit. Who knows. Anyhow, they started the first dose of the induction around 9:30pm and the 2nd around 3am. The 2nd dose was the kicker and put mama in a lot of pain. I have no idea how women give birth naturally - I have immense respect for those who can do it. I was NOT one of those!
Even with lots of begging, the nurse did not want to give me an epidural just yet. I was only at 3cm and she thought it would slow down the process. So I had to wait until 7am to get one. It was rough, but I made it through. And once that wonderful, delicious drug kicked in all was perfect! It's amazing how fantastic that drug can make things! Once I had the epidural I waited another 4 hours to see if things would get moving along or if I would need to continue with the induction drugs. After begging the nurse in those 4 hours, she finally checked me. Much to her surprise I had gone from 3cm to 9cm. She was shocked and said that rarely happens - she told me I did 10 hours of work in just 4 hours! I was quite proud of myself and wanted to tell the nurse who wouldn't give me the epidural when I asked "I TOLD YOU SO!" :) But her shift was over and things were progressing, so she lucked out.
At this point, the doctor came in to check on me before we started pushing. She noticed that the baby was facing up and told me that is normal and the baby normally turns around to make their exit. The nurses went to work placing me in some interesting positions to try and get her to rotate and face down. After a few new positions it was now time to push.
Now because the epidural is the world's most fabulous drug and allows you to give birth without really feeling anything, it also somewhat hinders your ability to feel how well you're pushing. I just pushed and pushed hoping I was doing it right. My cheering section was super helpful and things looked somewhat promising...that is until the 2 hour mark when NOTHING! Nada, zilch, no movement. Raegan was just not budging. I think the nurse could sense I was tired and frustrated and recommended a break and to have the doctor come in to check me.
After an hour or so, the doctor came in and unfortunately, Raegan was still face up. She recommended a c-section and I accepted. I was just ready for her to come out and to stop pushing without any luck. So off to surgery we went and baby Raegan Marie Kelly was born via c-section at 5pm. C-sections are no joke and a very weird. You feel all the tugging and movement, but no pain. Not fun, but not too bad either. Hayden was awesome and helped keep my mind off what they were doing to me. And once we heard Raegan's cry we were elated! She was finally here!
And so there it is...how Raegan Marie Kelly entered the world. Stay tuned for more stories about her journey as our daughter.
Well, Baby Kelly is pretty cozy inside my belly and is not showing any signs of wanting to come out. This week's doctor visit was pretty much the same as the rest. She's measuring just right, her heartbeat is great and she's in the right position to make her way out here...she's just not trying to make her way out just yet!
BUT...when I asked about how long they recommend I go before they schedule an induction, they said a week unless I want to let it happen naturally. Well me being the impatient person I am, of course said yes to a week and moved ahead with scheduling the induction. Of course, they couldn't schedule it right then and there and I had to wait 5 hours for them to call me (which was just torture!!). I finally received the call and the scheduler told me that I'm all set up for THIS SUNDAY the 21st. I asked her 3 times, "you mean THIS Sunday?" and she said yes each time.
So folks, Baby Kelly will be here whether she wants to be or not this Sunday or Monday!! I've said I hate the unknown, but now knowing that barring any wild schedule changes or natural contractions, our little one will be here in about 4-5 days! I'm a freaking mess and not exactly sure how to take this news. I mean, I'm super excited, but my nerves are at an all time high. WOW! So, stay tuned for the big news!
The D-Day clock is definitely ticking...just 8 short days away from Baby Kelly's due date. I can't believe it is almost time. Or that it can really happen at any minute! The doctor visit this week showed no signs that she is ready to come out just yet, but you never know what can happen. I think she'll be close to on time, but we shall see. Maybe she knows just how much her mother loves her birthday that she just doesn't want to steal her thunder right from the start!! :)
We are literally packed and ready to head to the hospital at a moment's notice. The car seat is set up in the car, our bags are in the trunk and I've pre-registered us at the hospital. Now on the outside it seems like we've got it all together and are completely prepared, but on the inside, it's a whole different story! I keep trying to visualize how our life will be when she is here, but I just can't. I hope this is normal!
I just can't believe we're about to have the biggest life changing moment in just a few short weeks and I'm still walking around in life as usual. It's all so strange. I guess it has a lot to do with the easiness of this pregnancy. I swear I could keep her in my belly forever! She's so easy in there and I'm totally comfortable. Now ask me this when she is 2 weeks overdue and it may be a totally different story. But overall, I've loved being pregnant and haven't minded it one bit.
I know once she is here I'll look back and call myself crazy. We shall see. Stay tuned for news of Baby Kelly's arrival...could be any day now!
Well it's getting closer and closer to D-Day and things are moving along pretty well. I've been feeling really good, but getting more and more tired every day. I guess it's a good thing I'm not working full time anymore. Not sure how I'd make it through a whole day. This week's doctor appointment went really well. Baby Kelly is growing along and so far is positioned and ready for her entry into the world! We'll see if she gets here on time or not. I haven't had any symptoms of labor and have no idea what it is I'm waiting for. That is the scary part - the unknown! My belly is growing more and more and things are getting a tad more uncomfortable. Putting on pants and shoes is now a big challenge and getting off the couch is pretty entertaining to watch. Oh and the ever so frequent bathroom breaks are probably the most irritating part of the whole experience. I'm thinking of setting up a TV and make shift kitchen in there and camping out for the next few weeks since I'm in there so often!
Overall, we're as prepared as we can be for Baby Kelly's arrival. We've completed almost all of our classes, but played hooky last week for the one class Hayden was looking forward to going to: Baby Basics. I was way too tired to leave the house! Hayden was very eager to learn how to change diapers, swaddle and all that good stuff. I told him he would have a crash course once she arrived, but he still wants to go to the class, so I had to reschedule. I'm sure it will be worth it and he'll get plenty of on the job practice soon.
The countdown has officially begun and we're just 17 days away...fingers crossed she arrives on time! Until next time...or Baby Kelly's arrival! :)
