When I woke up on the morning of Friday, September 4th, I had a feeling that Lucy was going to join us very soon. I had been having contractions for weeks, but they were a little stronger and I just didn't feel good. Molly had "cowboy" day at school that afternoon and I really thought I should go, so Sadie got dressed up like a cowgirl and off we went. I called Kelly on the way and updated him (translation:cried on the phone and begged him to bail me out and go to cowboy day-but he had patients waiting), so he'd be prepared if something happened. Cowboy day turned out to be okay and I made it until Kelly got home around 5. For some reason, I don't know if my body relaxed knowing I wasn't solely responsible for Molly and Sadie, but my contractions picked up and I was very uncomfortable. I wasn't to the point that I was sure it was time, so Kelly took the girls to get pizza and I stayed home to rest. They had been gone about 30 minutes when I decided it REALLY was time and that I thought I was in labor. I called Kelly, so they finished their pizza and headed home. By this time my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart and lasting about a minute, but were not horribly painful. When Kelly and the girls got home it was about 6:30. At this point, we decided that we were going to hospital, so my Mom headed our way to take care of the big girls (she's about an hour away). We got to the hospital around 8:00 and went to triage. I was checked and was 2-3 centimeters dilated and 50% effaced, contracting every 2 minutes or so. The doctor wasn't satisfied that I was in labor (because I had been at 2 cm and contracting often for a couple of weeks), so they told me to walk around the hospital for an hour and then come back to get checked again. The sweet nurse whispered to me to go and walk the stairs. So, for an hour, I hauled my hugely pregnant self up and down the stairs. I was determined I wasn't going home without a baby!!! Kasey and Libby arrived at the hospital to find me climbing stairs and were just thrilled to join me for some excercise :-). At the end of the hour, I was soaked with sweat and having some very painful contractions. The nurse checked me and I was 4-5 centimeters and still contracting regularly, so I was admitted to labor and delivery about 10 pm. I called my Mom and she came to the hospital while my Dad stayed with Molly and Sadie. I got settled in and immediately asked for my epidural, my contractions were getting very painful at this point. They gave me the necessary fluids and the anesthesiologist came in to take care of me. After the epidural had taken effect, my Ob came in checked me and broke my water. I had TONS of amniotic fluid and my stomach shrank dramatically with the fluid gone. The nurse checked me another time or two and by about 1:15 am I was fully dilated. They got the room set up and called the doctor. I was only 35 weeks and 6 days, so a NICU nurse came in for Lucy. I pushed for about 90 seconds and Lucy was born!! She weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces and was 19 inches long, quite a big baby to be 4 weeks early. She was perfectly healthy, but since she was so early they took her to the nursery for observation for 4 hours and had a neonatologist see her. We were discharged on Sunday and came home to a delicious meal and a birthday celebration for Molly.
This was taken right after she was born, she was very bruised from her quick trip into the world!
Molly and Sadie meeting their baby sister for the first time
Dressed to go home in the beautiful gown and bonnet that Granna made
We are so incredibly blessed!!!
