Lucy's First 2 Days

Here I am heading to the hospital at midnight. I think my face pretty much says it all.

And she's here! So I'll try to give a little of the "birth story." We got to the room a little after midnight and the nurse started observing me and the baby. I was starting to have very mild contractions (on my own) at that point. I didn't get any induction medication until 2am because the baby had such a high heart-rate and the nurse wanted it to come down first. It finally came down - once the baby stopped dancing in my tummy. By about 3:30am I was having stronger contractions and asked the nurse to check me. While checking me she broke some of my water - "crap!" was my reply. I had delivered within 15 minutes of my water breaking with my previous 3 experiences and I didn't want that to happen again! But I wasn't super far dilated so maybe I'd have time? I told the nurse to get the anesthesiologist in right away! Remember, I really wanted an epidural this time. By 4:15 the anesthesiologist was up (I was having yucky contractions at this point) and I got my epidural. Ahhhh. I smiled again. I think I was around a 5? Then at 5:30 I told my nurse I was having lots of pressure and that maybe she should check me. She told me that she'd come back in 30-45 minutes and would check me then. She left. 3 minutes later I told Ben to get her back in her to check me. She checked and was surprised (I wasn't): fully dilated. I told her I wanted to push and so she'd better call the doc. She (somewhat rudely) told me I did not have to push - I had an epidural. (Oh honey wait until you have a baby and feel that most intense of all feelings known to womanhood: the need to push when your baby is down.) But I'll give the nurse credit as the epidural did help me in not pushing when I so wanted to. Deep breaths, deep breaths until the doctor came. He came super fast, checked me out, had me push and then told me to stop. He got things ready. Told me and Ben that on the next contraction I would do 3-10 second pushes and that would probably be enough for the baby to come. Into the first 2 seconds of the first push, Lucy came out. :)

(picture taken at a later point) The handsome dad with his brand-new beautiful daugther.

Hat looking funny on Lucy, but this is Lucy in the first few minutes of life.

The kids and grandma and grandpa came around 11:30 that day. So fun:
The Big Sister.

The Big Sister and the Peeping Brother.

Oh so sweet. I have to say that Miles is just about the sweetest when it comes to Lucy. He loves her. He says such nice things about how cute she is, what cute clothes she has, etc. He's been angelic to her.

Jonas is a doll, too. He loves to hold her.

The new family of 6 all at the hospital. I love it! (But Darn It, should have changed out of my fancy gown.)

All the kids admiring our new beauty.

Grandpa Max holding Lucy for the first time.

Grandma Diana and her 16th grandbaby. Such beauties.

Here we were coming home from the hospital - Ben and Emmy came to get us. The boys eagerly greeted us.

And here's the whole family again - this time at Home Sweet Home.

p.s. I know a lot of these pictures don't show close-up shots of Lucy. Those will surely come in the next few days.