The big day!

Labor for me was definitely not the typical experience of having the labor pains start, go to the hospital, wait 12 or more hours and baby arrives. No, mine came quick and hard but was so worth it!

Day at a glance:

Wednesday, July 20

2:20 Dr Appointment - induction scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9am

2:40 Dr strips membranes (40% chance to induce labor)

3:00 Labor pains start - Not sure if they were really labor pains as it never stopped, just got worse and lessened, but never left completely

4:00 Pains continue to get worse. I rest while Jeff cleans the house in preparation of the new arrival coming tomorrow. We decide to do dinner and a movie, if pain continue to get worse we will go to hospital after the late movie

5:30 Hospital calls asking us to come down now as they have room now (huge blessing!)

7:00 Arrive at the hospital, can no longer sit comfortably, stand comfortably, or do anything comfortably. Pain doesn't stop ever!

7:15 Because we were a scheduled induction, our room was ready for us. The nurse hooks me up to machines and within 10 minutes I am getting medicine to slow down contractions. (Doesn't work) Nurse never leaves my side, thanks to the contractions never stopping.

9:15 Epidural starts to get placed, takes her 40 minutes to get the epidural in thanks to the contractions.

10:00 I am one happy girl! Epidural is working great! I am on cloud 9 because the pain is finally gone. I can think again!

11:15 Dr walks in, ready to get the baby out.

11:40 Start pushing, baby doesn't respond well. A whole crew of people start trickling in. Nurses everywhere it feels like, 4 nurses by the door, a nurse practitioner waiting for the baby, 2 nurses by my side, and the doctor. Again, I thought this was normal, apparently it isn't.

11:53 Elizabeth Ann Barney is born thanks to Dr Beck's skilled hands with a vacuum and forceps. Amazingly enough she had a perfectly round head, no conehead at all, which is amazing with all the equipment used to get her our quick. She decided to come out with the umbilical chord wrapped around her neck or jewelry on her neck as Jeff likes to say. That explained why her heart rate would drop every time I pushed.

After the birth I learned how scary the process actually was. The nurse didn't leave my side because her heart rate kept fluctuating (140 down to low 50's) and the OR was prepped and ready to go because of the heart rate. Luckily my skilled doctor was able to get Elsie out quick. Turns out Jeff knew the whole time the process was intense, glories of having an RN for a husband. The people taking care of me did a great job of keeping it on the DL which I am so

grateful for!

Aunt Katie commented on how she is definitely my daughter, will always make the deadline but finishes at the last moment possible, which is so true. No messing around, when it was time to come she came and made it right on time!

Happy Birthday Elizabeth Ann! 8lbs 6 oz, 20. 5 inches. Absolutely perfect!