Introducing...

Miss Katie Jane

March 22, 2011

7lbs 11oz & 20"

7:29pm

Birth Story

I had my regular weekly appointment on Tuesday the 22nd at 1:30pm. I was 40 weeks and 3 days, and not feeling any different in the baby department. I was however incredibly nervous to the point I felt sick and jittery. When I left the house with Issac I packed up the car with everyone's hospital bags and the car seat just in case. As I climbed into the car and backed out of the driveway I just had a feeling I wouldn't be back for a few days.

Issac and I met Donavon for lunch prior to my appointment. After eating I got up and my bum felt wet. I thought maybe my water was leaking? Got to the Dr and he checked, and he didn't get a positive reading. I said I was kind of crampy but nothing I couldn't handle. Then we discussed my concern over going into labor. With Issac my water broke, and I never felt contractions until they started me on pitocin 6 hours later. What if my water had never broke? Would I have ever gone into labor on my own? He said he could send me over to labor & delivery to be monitored if I'd like since I was crampy, it could be the start of labor. I left it up to Donavon. He didn't want to go back to work so we went. Oh, and I was 3.5 to 4cm dilated in his office.

At 2pm I checked into labor & delivery, they hooked me up and sure enough I was contracting. The nurse Jeanna checked me and said 'well your bag of water is thinning back and it will pop in the next day'. She called the Dr and asked him if he just wanted to admit me and pop it or let me go home and wait for it to break. He left it up to me again. Love this Dr, everything is MY choice.

We decided to just go for it. Donavon ran Issac over to Grandma & Grandpa's, took his government van back to work and then ran home to change out of his uniform. During that time I was officially admitted and moved over to a labor room. The Dr came over within the hour to break my water and I was already 5cm dilated. After he broke my water I just laid there and waited, contractions never got too bad so they started me on a small pitocin drip. I knew from last time I'd need a epidural so they ordered that at the same time.

Luckily Donavon made it back in time for the epidural. My nurse Jeanna and the Dr who administered the epidural where great at keeping the mood light and me distracted while I broke Donavon's fingers.

Once the epidural kicked in I was great! No more pain! Phew! We just sat back and relaxed, watched a little bit of the history channel and chatted with the nurse here and there. I was afraid my epidural was wearing off because I could feel my legs pretty well and pressure on and off. She checked me a little while later and I was at 7cm, she called the Dr and they got everything ready. By the time he got there I was 9cm and ready to go.

Wait... what? Ready to push? But... I'm not exhausted yet. We just started this, push? Noo... are you sure? I just got here!

I pushed maybe 12-15 times and she was out. 5 and a half hours from start to finish my friends.

During pushing the Dr. said "when did you crack your tailbone?" Huh? What? He said "you've cracked your tailbone, she's getting hung up on it so I'll probably have to use the vacuum". Well... now that explains A LOT from Issac's recovery, no wonder I sat on a donut for over 2 months! I broke my flipping tailbone!

However, somehow with my super powers I managed to push her out without assistance of any kind. AND... wait for it... no tearing AND no rebreaking my tailbone. Ok so one teeny tiny tear that took 3 stitches but you cant even classify on the degrees of tearing.

Amazing.

After she was out I kept saying "I cant believe she's out... like I already had her and I'm... not even tired... and I didn't tear, and it was sooo... easy?"

I'm still totally dumbfounded how it happened so fast, and so easy. But hey, I'll take it! Issac's labor was 18 hours long, 3rd degree tear, I apparently broke my tailbone and I was in agony for months trying to recover.

We were discharged on Thursday morning. I've napped all afternoon with Miss Katie bug, then made dinner and cleaned the kitchen. I had to stop myself there because even though I feel great, I don't want to over do it. I think I may have pulled a few muscles in my back from pushing, and my guts feel like they are trying to adjust but other than that, I really do feel great.

Katie is doing wonderful. She loves to eat, and eats really fast. I have to be really careful to make sure she doesn't down too much at a time. When she does she yaks it up. She loves her binky as well.

As you can tell from the pictures she has a full head of dark brown/black hair. You may ask 'where did that come from?', her mother. I was born with the same exact hair do, long brown/black hair and a ton of it. Her eyes are really dark, I am wondering if they might be brown like Daddy's. They certainly aren't any shade of blue yet. She makes the most adorable noises, almost like a little squeak toy. She loves to snuggle, she hated the 'crib' at the hospital and ended up snuggling Mom 99% of the time.

We couldn't be happier, we are completely smitten with her and all of her adorable features & sprouting personality.

Her big brother is... adjusting. Issac is only 2 1/2 so I don't think he fully grasped the concept. Since Katie was born early enough in the evening Grandma & Grandpa brought him over to see Mom. I guess he had been crying for Mom so we thought a visit in before bed while I sat in recovery would be good. He was so excited to see me when they walked in... until he saw what Mom was holding. Then I was chopped liver. How dare she! The rest of the visit he wanted nothing to do with his new sister, or Mom. He was content to play around the room and eat his Oreos the nurse gave him.

He spent the night with Grandma & Grandpa. I heard that he started crying and ended up sleeping in their bed. Dad was sure to be there when he woke up in the morning, and then brought him over to see us at the hospital.

He's had bouts of hating and loving her that is for sure. On Thursday night while I made dinner I put her in the swing, he was very curious. He came over to me with a big couch pillow and then took it over to her and pointed to his head. He saw her head was cocked and thought she needed a pillow. I told him that was so sweet but Sissy was ok. He squatted down in front of the swing for awhile and just checked her out.

I think he'll adjust with time. Right now he just needs lots of attention. I'm really hoping that the weather next week is nice and I'll be recovered a little more that we can go out and do little activities with him. I'm trying to still make him feel special, yet at the same time keep our balance and expectations.

We're still attempting to get a picture of them together. Pray that by the time I get her newborn pictures done he will because I plan on doing some of them together.

I cant believe I have not ONE but TWO kids. They are the cutest kids ever. I absolutely love them to pieces.

Name Story

Yes, it really did take me the whole pregnancy, plus some to decide on her name. People kept pestering me about it and no one seemed to believe I had no idea.

I had a baby doll named 'baby Jane' growing up. I always knew I'd name my first girl Jane. Well little did I know as a child that my dreams would be crushed. Jane Strain. Really? Sounds awful. I couldn't do it, yet I was so heart broken that nothing else sounded good enough. I made lists, but over time they all sounded bad too. There was only one name that hung around the whole time but I wasn't too sure on it. Kate/Katie. Donavon tried calling her that while I was pregnant and I told him to stop, it was making me not want to use it. I needed to find one and let it sink in. I never really found one though.

My sister, Katrina, was nicknamed Katie bug when she was younger. For about the first 4-5 years that is what she was called. Donavon loves the nickname Katie bug.

I sat on it for the first 12 hours or so, went through my list and none of them fit her. None. Katie however seemed like it could work.

We decided that Katie it was, after her Auntie Katrina. I knew all along Jane would have to settle for a middle name so Katie Jane it was, or Katie bug.

However I call Issac 'bubba cakes' and she's my 'sissa muffin'. We'll see which ones stick the most. Issac has several so I'm sure she will too.