Kendall Love has Arrived!!!!

Kendall made her entrance into this world on Friday, January 16th @ 12:23 a.m. She weighed in at 8 lbs. 11 oz., 21 3/4 in. long. And most importantly she is perfectly healthy!

The journey started Wed. night when I checked into the hospital at 6 pm. As soon as I was hooked up to monitors I was told that I was having contractions consistently 3 minutes apart. Had no idea! It took the nurses 3 attempts at an IV before they found a "good" vein. I was given cervadil to soften my cervix. I had to stop eating/drinking at midnight and was given sleeping pills to prepare for the long day ahead. With Rob sleeping next to me on a cot, we spent our last night as a family of 2.

Thursday morning around 8 my Dr. came to check on me and start the patocin drip in my IV. I was dilated to a 1 and my cervix was still so far back she could hardly reach it. She recommended I get an epidural so she could break my water and strip the membranes of my cervix to help progress labor. By about 11 am I was dilated to a 3. Unfortunately not much more action happened for the next 12 hours. I would go on to dilate only 2 more cm. Between 10:30-11 p.m. Thursday night my Dr. and I came to the conclusion that Kendall wasn't going to come out on her own and it was in the best interest of Kendall and myself to perform a c-section.

Then everything started happening fast, REAL fast! The anesthesiologist medicated me. I was prepped and wheeled to the surgery room. Rob stayed behind and dressed in his gown until they were ready for him to come in. We couldn't believe they let him take pictures and videotape Kendall's entrance into this world. Her first cry was the most beautiful sound I have EVER heard in my life. I was able to give her a kiss and smell her sweet skin before they took her to the nursery to be cleaned up (Rob went with her). I unfortunately had to stay behind and be sutured back together. The anesthesia made me shake terribly and my blood pressure went extremely high. Then I got nauseated and started vomiting. All I could think about in that 40 minutes is when am I going to be able to hold my baby. I think I asked them 20 times if they were almost done.

My Dad, Elizabeth, sister and her husband returned to the hospital around 1:30 a.m. to meet Kendall for the 1st time. I was able to feed Kendall for the 1st time around 2:30 a.m. (I had to wait for my shaking to stop). She latched on immediately and has been a wonderful eater from the word go. She eats for an hour and if I stop short of an hour she feels slighted and will want to be fed again within the next 30 minutes. And so began my nights of waking every 1-2 hours to feed her. I have never been so happily tired!

We were released from the hospital Sunday evening to go home. What a surreal feeling to have this sweet little baby bundled up in her car seat and going home with us. At last she has arrived and we are now a family of 3, our own little family. I am amazed every time I look at her!

Stretchmarks on the Horizon

Here I am in my 39th week of pregnancy............

I went to the Dr. today for my last appt. and still no change =(

My Dr. has been astonished that I haven't had any stretch marks with my belly as big as it is. I have been using an oil from Clarins specifically for pregnant women. Up until this point I guess it has worked, but every situation has a breaking point and mine has come. I have heard many women say they didn't get any stretch marks til their last week of pregnancy and it appears as if I might be one of them because Kendall still has no plans of coming out. In fact, I think she just sent out invitations for her apartment warming party! Actually, the stretch marks aren't that bad and probably not even visible to anyone other than me. AND, such a small price to pay for this wonderful gift I have been given.

Sleeping has not been easy and is quite uncomfortable. That mixed with having to go to the restroom every hour and a half, plus lying awake thinking about seeing Kendall's face for the first time and hearing her cry. Did I mention a husband that snores and 2 dogs that know something is going on and want to sleep exceptionally close to me?

Tomorrow Rob is off from work and we are putting the car seat in the car and going to the hospital to pre-regsiter (one less thing to do when we are ready to check in). My hospital bag is packed along with Kendall's diaper bag (and her 4 different outfits I've packed). Oh yes, and we will put up the pack n play/bassinet next to our bed so we will be all set when we get home from the hospital. By then we will have finished our preparations for Kendall's arrival. We just need a little more group participation from Kendall.

I can't believe in at least a week I will be a Mommy! Such an overwhelming, exciting feeling!