I guess the story started on Tuesday April 3rd at about midnight when I started get really regular contractions. By 2:00 a.m. we felt like it was time to call our parents to let them know and have them come help us. We waited another hour and my contractions were still 3 minutes apart and were getting harder so we thought it was time to call. Tim's mom came right away (it is a 2 1/2 hour drive for her) so she could be with our kids while we were in the hospital and my parents started their journey here as well, so my mom could make it to the delivery. We went into the hospital when Tim's mom got here first thing in the morning. They watched me in the hospital for quite awhile with my contractions still at 3 minutes apart. Tim took school and work off and then the weird thing happened, my contractions just stopped and we were also sent home from that hospital at about 10:00 am. So after about 10 hours of labor we were quite confused. With both our moms here we were not quite sure what to do. Tim's mom decided to head home and my mom said she would stay until the baby came. This was probably the best result of my false labor. I was able to spend a week with my mom's undivided attention. We just loved having her here and she is such a great example and help to me and my family. One of my most favorite things about my mom is that I ALWAYS feel SO GOOD about myself after I have been with her. She has a special way of making me feel special and important. That is just exactly what I needed during the end of my pregnancy. I still feel that it was no accident that everything worked out the way that it did. Though I feel a little selfish having her all to myself/family for a week. For one, she was already up here for a dental appointment with my dad. For two, she ended up needing to go back to the dentist while she was here and for three (this is the real miracle) they were worried about how my dad was going to get home if my mom stayed with me. While they were at the dentist my mom's brother Chris came walking into the dentist office. Now Chris is from Mesquite (where my parents are from) and was heading home right after his appointment. They didn't even know Chris was coming up north as well, so this was quite a surprise to them. They couldn't of planned things that well themselves. So my dad ended up driving home with Chris and my mom was able to stay here with me while still having her own car.
Now on to the REAL story. Exactly one week later, at about midnight again, I started having regular contractions, AGAIN. Now, I wasn't sure what to think because I had been tricked before. At about 2:00 am my contractions were getting hard enough that I couldn't sleep and were a lot harder than my contractions had gotten the last week. I decided to wait it out and let Tim get as much rest as he could. At about 4:00 am I couldn't wait any longer. I was worried about the baby coming fast because once I get to about a 4 dilatation my babies come really fast. I didn't want to risk anything so I woke Tim up and we headed to the hospital. Thank goodness my mom was at our house to stay with the kids while they were sleeping. Once we got to the hospital, they checked me and I was already at a 4 so they hurried me over to the delivery room and gave me an epidural. I have to admit that I was still skeptical and worried they were going to send me home again. They only thing was that my water had not broken yet. They waited to break my water because they were waiting for my doctor to get there on time. They finally decided that they needed to break it and when they did, they could not figure out what was going on because my water was not breaking. They brought someone else in to break it and she had no success either. They finally came to the conclusion that my water had already broke but was trickling so slow that it was hard to tell. Because of all their trying to break my water Elcee had lots of little scratches on her head from the little hook. She is just fine though. Anyway, within an hour of my water breaking I could feel lots of pressure and her head ready to come out. The nurses told me to wait to push because the doctor was on her way and it would take about 45 minutes for her to get there. They said she was running all the red lights and parking illegally to get there on time. Ha ha, it is usually the other way around in the movies. Well, we had another resident there and they decided to let me start pushing. Right when they got all set up and I was ready to push, my doctor came running in just in time. I started pushing and then my doctor told me to wait for a little bit so I wouldn't tear as bad. Two more half pushes and she was out. I couldn't believe how smooth it all went. With my epidural, I didn't feel hardly any pain which made it all too easy. I most definitely have to say that the healing after a baby is a lot harder than having a baby this time. I don't know why I get to be one of those lucky people who's labor and delivery is pretty easy, Just lucky I guess. (I was still worried that they were going to send me home with false labor even when her head was about to come out). I know what it is like to have a baby natural (with Emery) and it is NO PICNIC!!!! The most painful thing EVER!!! I guess it has made me appreciate my other two easy births that much more.
Elcee is just the sweetest thing. I have been enjoying her so much. She seems a little bit older than she is. The nurses kept saying that she seemed advanced for her age in the way she looked at people, responded to things and holds herself. One night at the hopsital Tim was holding her up with her body out. He started talking and she lifted her head and turned it around to look at him. We could hardly belive it. When ever I talk to her, she just lights up. Sometimes she even smiles. She actually smiles quite a bit and I swear it is not just because she has gas. After we had her, my mom was able to get back home to her life and Paula, Tim's mom, took our other two kids to Delta while I recovered a little. That has been the best and hardest thing. It would have been really hard having them here for me and them but I have missed them SO MUCH. It doesn't feel quite like home without them here. They will be home today though so we will see how it all goes. SURE LOVE MY KIDS!!!!! I am SO GRATEFUL for such great family to help out during this time. I sure do have great moms.
Here are a few pictures of our last few days with Elcee. I didn't get the greatest pictures and all that I wanted because we left it in the delivery room so it was lost for awhile. I didn't get pictures of when Emery and Kaven saw her for the first time. Those pictures would have been priceless because they adore her SO MUCH. Oh well, here you go.....
Meeting mom for the first time.
Meeting Dad for the first time.
Picture with mom and dad.
Elcee with sweet Grandma Bug-a-Boo (my mom).
Meeting grandma Paula
Emery doing a great job holding her all by herself. Just before this Elcee was crying and I couldn't get her to clam down. When we handed her to Emery she calmed right down and just let her hold her like this for a long time.
Here we are leaving the hospital. I thought Kaven would like this picture because of the wheels on the wheel chair.
Here is our little Elcee Winn right after I walked through the front door. Home at last!
