Miss Daphne has arrived!

I had been feeling contractions for about a week and on Thursday the 30th they were very consistent at 3 minutes apart. After a few hours we went to triage and after monitoring me for over an hour they sent me home to rest and wait for them to get harder - I went home, I fell asleep and they stopped. Lame.

Sunday while watching LDS General Conference with the Harrisons, I started to feel much harder contractions about 15-30 min apart. I was going to wait and be sure this time. I did not like getting sent home. I told Blair as he was getting ready for a night shift at work that they were harder and closer. He decided since his flight was only 3 hours max that he would go and wait to hear from me. I regretted letting him go 30 minutes later, as we dropped Charlotte off with the Coronados and contractions got harder. By the time my mom and I reached the hospital I was in tears because 1. Daphne would turn and move under the pressure of the contraction - increase my pain, and 2. Blair was still in the air and I was distraught over the fact that he might miss the delivery.  They took me in to triage right away and started an IV then moved me to a delivery room. 

 

Blair FINALLY got there to watch me suffer through about 3-4 Daphne intensifying contractions.  I got my epidural and waited for the happy numbness to take over my lower half. The right side of me was just the way I liked my epidural last time. I could move a little and still feel some pressure. But, my left side was barely numb at all and could still feel contractions. Turning me on my side and increasing the epidural dose finally did the trick and I closed my eyes to try and rest while I waited to be fully dilated - thinking it would be a few hours. My nurse came in 10 minutes later and asked if I felt pressure, I said no because we had increased the epidural so much and I had just barely gone numb on the left side. She checked and I was complete (10 cm). For real. I checked in to the hospital around 6:30-7pm and was now 9:30pm.

They called the on-call doctor, Dr. Hu, who lives 15 min away. He walked in, shook my hand, broke my water, had me push for a second then said stop and wait for a contraction. 1 (yes, o.n.e. - one) push later I reached down and picked up my beautiful Daphne. 

October 2, 2011 9:51pm

 

( Pretty sure we are making the same face here)

 Blair did great. Very supportive and didn't pass out :) He cut the cord and everything - he did not want to but he survived :)

 He loved his Daphne foot print and showed it off to everyone.

 Daphne 8lbs 3oz (5 days early) 20 in. I cook my babies fast the last week of pregnancy and like to have them on the 2nd of the month.

 Charlotte had been told by cousins and grandma that Baby Daphne was here, but when she walked in the room and saw her in my arms she stopped and said *gasp* "Baby Daphne came out!"

 She loves her new baby sister.

 She is so happy baby Daphne came out and is anxiously awaiting her play mate to get bigger. Charlotte can not believe how often Daphne poops, and informs me often that everything Daphne does - she did when she was a baby, but now she is a big sister. When Daphne cries, she will say - "Mommy, she wants your milk. She's hungry."

 Daphne brought her a present!

 Power tools and a Big Sister Cape!

"Thank you baby Daphne"

After 2 nights at the hospital they sent me home (I don't look that tired do I?) and everything has transitioned so smoothly. Daphne is a GREAT baby and I feel so blessed!

 

So, I realized this morning that on October 3, 2009 - I hiked Half Dome with Mr. Jackson - I would have said you were crazy if someone told me I would give birth to our baby 1 day short of 2 years later. But, I guess everyone thinks I am the crazy one, so there you go. 

I may be crazy, but I am crazy happy.