Emily you have been part of the family for just over three weeks now. You are currently napping on my chest. I can hear your quiet breathing and can smell your sweet head. You have a head full of thick dark brown hair. You have a beautiful complexion and are so peaceful. Your brothers absolutely adore you and mom and dad love you so much. When you were born the first thing I said was that you look just like Nathan. Every day since you are looking more and more like your daddy. You have dark blue eyes and dad is hoping so badly that they stay blue.
Emily your birth story is a beautiful one. The day was filled with a little bit of anxiety, lots of excitement, but mostly complete calmness. Unlike your brothers you did not want to be born before 39 weeks. At my 36 week appointment, Dr. Smith brought up the idea of induction at 39 weeks but I declined since I was sure you would be born before then. Right after I left that appointment I couldn't stop thinking about induction and decided if you haven't come on your own by 39 weeks then an induction would be nice. Two weeks later at my 38 week appointment we scheduled the induction for September thirteenth. I really wanted to have the same doctor deliver you that had delivered Nathan. The entire next week I was very anxious thinking I might go into labor every night but then waking up the next morning still pregnant and horribly uncomfortable.
The night before the 13th I surprisingly got a lot more sleep than I thought I would. I woke up around 4:30/5:00 so that I could have plenty of time to get ready. I felt calm and excited. Dad and I got to the hospital just after 6:00am. We checked in and headed to the hospital room fairly quickly. Around 8:00am we started Pitocin. I was nervous about the Pitocin after hearing so many stories about it making contractions very painful. After three hours of being on it, it hadn't affected me much at all. Around 11:30am I got my epidural and then Dr. Smith broke my water. I was still dilated to about a 3 or 4 at that time.
Then we waited some more. It was such a strange feeling for me waiting to dilate. For both of your brothers deliveries I was pushing within an hour of arriving to the hospital. This all was so new to us. The nurse came in and checked me around 2:00pm and I was dilated to a 5/6 and about 50/75% effaced. A few minutes later Dr. Smith came in and checked me with the nurse still there. I was now dilated to an 8 and while she was checking me for not even 1 minute I went from an 8 right to 10 and fully effaced and had a sudden urge to push.
Very calmly the nurse and Dr. Smith grabbed the delivery cart that was ready and waiting outside in the hallway, they sat me up a bit, and helped me start pushing. Again it was all so surprising and almost bizarre how relaxed everyone was. I was used to a lot more people in the room when I pushed because of how quickly I delivered in the past. Once I started pushing my anxiety got to be a little intense. I was very nervous I wouldn't remember how to push and it had happened so quickly. Not even ten minutes earlier I was 6 centimeters dilated thinking I had three or four more hours to go and then I was pushing my baby girl out. It is hard to explain but it was a very calming yet anxious experience. With my first push you crowned and I could feel your head and all of your hair with my hands. Because of the epidural there was no pain but the pressure was still very intense. After two or three more pushes you were still crowning. I was convinced I was doing it wrong and wanted so badly to grab your head with my hands and pull you out instead of push anymore. Then during the middle of probably only my fourth push Dr. Smith told me to cough, and without even questioning her I coughed and you came right out. It was the most hilarious thing ever. I literally coughed you out. You were born in less than ten minutes of pushing. And even more amazing just a few minutes later Dr. Smith told me I hadn't torn at all.
You were born at 2:30pm September 13th 2020. You weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. The second you were born your dad and I were so amazed by how perfect you were and so in love with you. We couldn't believe how much you looked like Nathan. You had such an adorable swollen little face. You definitely made it known you had arrived by how loudly you were screaming. You continued to scream off and on our entire hospital stay.
We did skin to skin the first hour you were born. That time was completely magical and so special. You attempted to nurse that first hour and did a very good job. That first night with you in the hospital I was able to get a few hours of sleep because the night nurse held you for me. The rest of the night I held you and cuddled with you and let you nurse as much as you wanted. It was very special. After you passed all of your first 24 hours tests we were able to go home the around 6:00pm. Your brothers were so excited to meet you. You have been so loved by us all ever since.
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