I'm back after a very exciting week! Thank you for all of your thoughts, prayers, and sweet comments, especially those who kept us with us as Ryan updated the blog during labor...you guys are troopers!
Being a mom is more than I could have ever imagined! We are completly in love with our Kinsey; with cute chubby cheeks like hers what's not to love?! God has blessed our lives beyond measure by giving us a beautiful, healthy (and I mean healthy) baby girl! I just feel like I could never thank him enough for such a precious gift and hope and pray that Ryan and I raise her to come to know Him and the wonderful God that He is because He is so good!!
I know Ryan kept you up to date during the delivery but there are so many things that I don't want to forget so I'm going to give you my version the past few days-more so for my sake so I can look back to remember. Feel free to skip over this part if you wish...it will probably be long!
Back to Thursday morning: I woke up with contractions that were pretty steady-every 5-7 minutes or so-and I was a little crampy but nothing too uncomfortable at all. Since we had a Dr.'s appointment scheduled for 2pm I just figured that I'd wait it out to see what she said. I went for my morning walk and waited for Ryan to get home from work after lunch. I had a feeling all morning that this might be it but didn't want to get too excited. Most of our things were packed and I really considered taking our things but I knew as soon as we did the doctor would just send us home and if I didn't come prepared then she would send us straight to the hospital. I even told Ryan my thinking and he offered to load our stuff in the car but I declined. I had finished packing our things "just incase" she did send us to the hospital Ryan's dad could just come by and pick everything up. Boy, I'm glad that I did! The only thing I did take to the appointment was the camera. I figured we could wait for everything else but the camera was a must!
At the doctor's visit, they hooked me up to a machine to see if I was having contractions and to monitor the baby. After about 10 minutes, the doctor came in and checked me to find I was dilated to 3 cm; she also looked at the readings and determined I was in early labor and wanted us to head over to the hospital---just as I had suspected!!
Ryan and I were both a little hesitant to go to the hospital because all along I wanted to try to have Kinsey naturally and everything that I had read said to try to wait as long as possible before heading to the hospital, to try to do most of the laboring at home. I didn't want to be stuck at the hospital for hours on end just waiting and since I wasn't in much pain I thought we still had a while to go. When we arrived at the hospital about 3:30 pm I walked up to the registration desk in labor and delivery and the lady behind the desk asked me how she could help me and I replied, "I'm here to have a baby; my doctor called to let you know that I was coming. She thinks I'm in labor." She just looked at me kind of like I was crazy and said okay. She said she had seen lots of women in labor while working there and it didn't look to her like I was! I told her that I didn't think I needed to be there either but the doctor told me not to go home. They admitted me to the triage to be monitored to make sure I was actually in labor.
The receptionist walked us down to the triage where they told me I needed to pee in a cup before I changed clothes so I go in the bathroom and I guess I had to go so bad I just sat down and started peeing while reading the directions for using the cup and what all I needed to do. Before I realized it I was finished and had forgotten to pee in the cup. I felt so stupid!! I guess I was just a little excited! So I had to explain to the nurse what I did and she was very nice and said I could just try again later but I still felt like a moron! I changed clothes and they hooked me up to the monitors and checked me again. I was still 3 cm so she told me they'd monitor me for and hour or so and check me again. Well after about an hour I was still at 3 cm so they called my doctor and she asked that they monitor me for the full 4 hours since we live almost an hour away and she was leaving to go on vacation the next morning so she was wanting to deliver this baby too! The nurses told me that I could get up and walk around and to be back at 5:20 pm for them to check me again and to hook me back up to the monitor so Ryan and I walked around for about 45 minutes and headed back to the triage. When we got back, Ryan was starving so I told him to go get something to eat I would be fine there waiting by myself. They hooked me back up to all the machines and checked me again--still at 3cm. About 10 minutes after Ryan left and I was just laying there resting when my water broke. At first I just thought Kinsey had kicked me but then I felt water everywhere and thought okay I don't think that was just a kick. I called the nurses in and they confirmed that my water had broken and made arragments to send me up to labor and delivery. Kinsey was on her way and we were there to stay!
We got settled into to our labor and delivery room about 7:00 pm where the nurse checked me again and I was still at 3 cm. I thought it's going to be a long night! My Dr. had ordered them to start a pitocin drip which I wasn't crazy about because I had heard they make contractions much stronger but I felt like I didn't really have a choice. When I told my nurse I was going to try to go natural she said that she would just start the pitocin out on the lowest dose and see how things progressed. By this point my contractions were getting stronger but they weren't too painful. Ryan was calling everyone trying to keep them updated. His dad had stopped by our house and picked up our things and was on his way. After about an hour the nurse came in and checked me again and I was just at 4 cm. She said that she would check me whenever I wanted her to just to let her know. I figured the longer I could put it off the better, hoping that I would be farther along. Well after about 1.5-2 hours later my contractions were much stronger and I was beginning to doubt myself. It was about 10:00 pm at this point and I told Ryan that if I was still just 4 cm dilated then I was getting an epidural! I was just not comfortable at all and couldn't get comfortable lying in the bed. We asked the nurse to come and check me and I was dilated to 6 cm and I thought okay I think I can do this! I asked her if I could sit up in the rocking chair for a while so she and Ryan got me all situated. Sitting up in the rocking chair definitely helped, especially as the contractions got stronger. I rocked for over 2 hours before I couldn't take it any longer...I thought I had to be dilated to 10 cm because the contractions were getting closer together and much stronger! They got me moved back into the bed so the nurse could check me and I was at 8 cm. I thought okay it's too late for an epidural you've got to do this now!! The nurse told me to let her know when I felt like I needed to push and that things were going to get really be tough from here on out. It must have been less than 15 minutes later and I told Ryan that I had to push! The nurse came over and checked me again and I was almost fully dilated but told me that I couldn't push until the doctor got there. She stated that she would go ahead and call my doctor because it was going to take her 15 minutes to get there. I was like what!?! 15 minutes!!! I'm not going to be able to wait 15 minutes to start pushing! By this point it was everything I could do just to make it through each contraction much less trying not to push when that's all your body is telling you to do! Not an easy thing to do! I almost told Ryan to get down there to catch our baby cause she was coming whether the doctor was there or not!! Finally my doctor arrived and the nurses got me ready to push--feet in stirrups and all! It's funny how when your in that much pain you don't really care who sees you in all your glory you just want it to be over! It took me a few pushes to get the hang of it but I finally did and Ryan told me he could see her hair to keep on pushing! I had already told my doctor that I really didn't want an episiotomy but I think she realized quickly that Kinsey wasn't coming without one! She finally told me if she could do an episiotomy I could have her out with the next push to which I yelled, "OKAY"--just get her out was all I was thinking!! Sure enough in the next push or two Miss Kinsey made her debut!
I think I was in shock for the next 30 minutes-just shaking uncontrolably but finally the shakes wore off. Ryan was running back and forth between me and Kinsey checking on both of us. I remember when he brought her over to me just falling in love with those fat cheeks! When he told me she weighed 9 lbs 8.5 oz I thought to myself how in the world did I just give birth to a baby that big!! After things settled down our families got to come in to see us and to meet Kinsey. Ryan's parents and sister had been at the hospital since at least 8 pm if not before and my parents finally arrived about 30 minutes before I delivered--just in time! (It's usually about an 8 hour drive for them but I think dad made record time this trip!)
I have to brag on my sweet husband for a minute. There's no way I could have had such a wonderful birth experience if Ryan had not been by my side the whole time! He was absolutely amazing! He had told me before hand that he was a little nervous about the labor and delivery part because he didn't want to see me in pain but he did great! He was right there with me through every contraction rubbing my shoulders and back, telling me to relax and breathe and just encouraging me every step of the way. I know I wouldn't have been able to have a natural birth like what I wanted if it hadn't been for him being there. All of the nurses were so impressed with him and how involved he was. He's the BEST- that's all there is to it! I truly am the luckiest woman in the world to have such a wonderful man! He is so good with Kinsey and jumps right in to help in any way he can. I think he's probably changed more dirty diapers than I have!!! Ryan-I love you so much and I'm so thankful that God has blessed my life with you! Thanks for being such an amazing husdand and daddy!
I can't believe that she's already a week old! Time has flown by and we've had a great first week at home. My parents were here until Wednesday and Ryan's mom has been here since then so we've been well taken care of! We'll see how next week goes when it's just the 3 of us!
Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers! I'm going to try to get some more pictures up today....I know that's all you guys want to see anyway! : )
Kinsey's all ready for Trick-or-Treating! 
Kinsey snoozing with Daddy
She never lets that bottle get too far!
Kinsey's first trip to church!
Aunt Terri came by to meet Kinsey last Saturday and went to church with us on Sunday. 
Kinsey and Marget
Kinsey with Great Aunt Sandra and Uncle Charles 
Chubby cheeks!
Kinsey with Grandpop
