Just a quick recap of Stella's birthday! I had a doctor appt the morning of her birth and I found out I was a good 4 and 80% effaced still. Since I was past due, they hooked me up to a non-stress test to see how she was doing. Before they hooked me up, my doctor informed he really thought I would have had her already and that he was going to be on vacation all next week. Well I love my doctor - he's amazing during the birth and a great coach and he has birthed all of the other kiddos. To say I REALLY wanted him to deliver her would have been an understatement. I was on the verge of tears! :( I did not want to be induced - as I have been induced with all of them - but I found myself saying please induce me tomorrow so that you can deliver her! Well during my non stress test, we found out I was contracting every 3 minutes (though I really couldn't feel them). He came in when the time was up and asked if I wanted to be sent down and have her that day! Um, yes please was my answer! Again, I did not want to be induced, but I was thankful he was going to deliver her.
So I called Sean (who happened to be leaving for Great Bend for work) and told him he needed to meet me at home! We made our arrangements for the kiddos and once Sean's mom arrived, we headed to the hospital and got there at 1. Water was broke at 1:54 and she was born at 4:49 PM - completely naturally. I'll save all the rest for her birth story, but I will say this was the toughest labor I have had so far! It hurt - waaay more than Cohen's did (who was also completely natural). But she was healthy a can be when she arrived and that's all that matters!
Here's me right before we left - 40 weeks 1 day. Please don't mind the double chin and swollen face in all these pictures. The last 2 weeks of my pregnancy I gained about 10 lbs in water weight! (Though, thankfully I have lost it all but 6 pounds so far!)
Large and in charge! And SO ready to have a baby!
Filling out the paperwork!
Stella had meconium in her water so she had to be checked out by a pediatrician right after she was born. So thankful she checked out healthy as can be!
Minus the double chin - I love this picture!
Us with our awesome doula! She is amazing and such a blessing!
My big little girl! I could not believe I actually gave birth to an eight pound baby! I was thinking I was going to have a high 7 lber, but not so much!
She's the biggest by 1 whole pound!
Sean surprised me with a "push" present and got me a bracelet engraved with all the kiddos names and a bible verse!
One proud daddy!
Meeting her big sister and big brother for the first time!
Stella "bought" her big sister and brother a few gifts! Lyla got some preschool work books, a My little pony and a Cinderella barbie doll.
Cohen got a wooden train set, a lacing set, & a book!
A week prior Lyla picked out some gifts for Stella and those were an elephant rattle, a soft book, and a rattle toy!
My girls!
She is such a proud big sister and just loves her to death. She asks to hold her no less than 25 times a day!
Meeting her grandparents!
Her first hospital bath!
