Our Delivery....5/16/2013

Well, Eliette was born on 5/16/2013 after 15+ hours of labor!

What was supposed to be a recurrent c-section on 5/21, came a little sooner than we expected.
On the morning of 5/16 after a long night of labor pains that got closer together, Damon took me to the doctor's office at 8:30 when they opened. I had an appointment at 9:45, but I didn't think I could wait until then. When we got to the dr's office, the contractions were 6 minutes apart. They sent us to the hospital in Dallas right away. When I was checked in L&D, the contractions were 4-5 minutes apart. I was dilated to a 1, but Baby Girl was way up high in there. I was 38w2d that day. Due to a risk of uterine rupture, there was no stopping labor, and the next open OR after I got the epidural was mine... Everything went so fast! I spent more time signing in and filling out papers than any other part of the process... I was in L&D triage for about 10 minutes, and then moved over to a different room to await Anesthesia. Got the epidural. It was a lot more painful this time...but it was a lot more effective!

About 2 hours after our arrival to the hospital, Eliette was born. It was not the day I had imagined. My hair wasn't done, and I had no makeup on.... I'd been awake for more than 24 hours.... We showed up at the hospital with no bag, nothing! Luckily for me, the camera was in my purse..."just in case." We planned for Gage to be picked up early on the day of our delivery, with a waiting room full of activities and snacks...and family. Nope, no such luck. It all just happened so fast once we got to the hospital. AND, my OB who I just ADORE, wasn't on call, but he was in the Dallas office that day, and he came down to deliver my baby. The on call doctor assisted. I love it. I adore Dr.B, and he's delivered all of my babies now. We've been through so much together!

Delivery Pictures....

At this point, I seriously felt like I couldn't breath. Eliette was so high up, and they pressssssed down on my upper abdomen near my rib cage, and oh man.... "You'll feel pressure, not pain" is what they told me the first time around...With Gage, I had so much medicine on board, I felt nothing the whole time. This time---I was just trying not to throw up and inhale at the same time.

The atmosphere in the OR was so upbeat and bright. The radio was on.... Sadly, I have to report that the song playing on the radio at the time of Eliette's delivery was some song by Wham! I can't think of the title...but, I'll work on that....

The first thing Daddy said to her, "You need a bath, little girl."
They weighed her before bringing her over to me...much smaller than one of the docs predicted...but, then again, she came just a wee earlier than anticipated too...

...and then I saw her....and I just cried and cried....
The first thing I said to her, "Hi." {Really, I couldn't come up with anything more original than that!?}

Now...let me remind the world about these next photos: everything on me was swollen. I was puffed up like a little chipmunk! I know this.... Now that she's here: SO WORTH IT! We started our skin-to-skin right there in the OR...

Here's my doc, getting me ready to go back to my room...

And away we went...

This is where I'll end the post...
There's sooooo much more to add, but this is the story of her delivery.
I'll post soon (I hope!) about the rest of that day.... including Big Brother's visit and meeting her for the first time...