It's a Girl!!

On Saturday, December 8th, I went to bed around midnight. Curtis, Abram and I had made a long trip to Home Depot/Lowe's that morning and then had been cleaning like crazy all afternoon and I was so tired. I had been cramping some, but nothing with any regularity. I woke up at 2:00 AM with regular contractions and by 2:40 I had some "show" and I could tell the contractions were close enough that I woke Curtis up to start getting ready to go. I took a shower and ate some "breakfast", preparing myself for another long labor. We called our neighbor to come stay with Abram and we left for the hospital. 

We got there close to 4:00 AM and got checked in. When they checked me, I was 2-3 cm. They didn't have portable monitors (broken), so I was confined to bed...which ended up being the place I wanted to be. This labor was WAY different. It came on hard and really fast! I don't remember how many centimeters I was at different times, but I do remember my water breaking somewhere around 6:00 and then I was 9 centimeters (last time I stalled at 7 and went no further) and still no epidural! I had wanted to get an epidural this time in case of an emergency c-section. We were waiting on labs to come back and Dr. Borden (who was on-call) didn't think I was going to be able to get the epidural, but the anesthesiologist went ahead and came in and did it before I started pushing. Thank goodness! I was really struggling with dealing with the pain, which is weird since it lasted so much longer last time, but I think it just caught me off guard!

I pushed for about an hour to an hour and half (again, time was irrelevant). They got me a mirror to see everything, once the baby was staying down low. I remember feeling when the head came through and then they were laying a baby on my belly and saying "It's a girl!" Curtis and I were so surprised! We had assumed we'd have another boy, so this was great! Now we have one of each! They let me hold Lydia for a little while, but since there had been some meconium present when my water broke, they took her to do some really good suctioning and get her crying. Dr. Borden had to do an episiotomy and then I tore really badly (4th degree) so she took a while stitching me up, then they gave Lydia back to me and we had about an hour or so to bond and nurse before they took her to the nursery to scrub her up and me and Curtis to a regular room. 

Lydia Rose Cunningham

December 9, 2012

7:50 AM

8 lbs 4 oz

20" long

After a few hours, family started arriving (this time they couldn't get her fast enough!) and my parents brought Abram to meet his sister! My sister got there at about the same time and so did Curtis' parents. Curtis' Aunt Krista and sister Kimberly (and boyfriend Erick) arrived later that night and visited for a little bit. Mom and Dad and Leslie stayed at the house and took care of Abram during the rest of our stay at the hospital and came and visited each day. The 3 days there at the hospital are now just a blur of visitors, pain meds, icepacks, sitz baths, meals, and feedings! 

We came home with Lydia on Tuesday after lunch. Mom stayed with us the rest of the week and was such a big help with Abram and dishes/laundry/meals. Curtis' work let him take off this second week too (SO thankful for that!) and then he's off over the holidays, so I get to ease into taking care of two at a time. Recovery from this VBAC (with a tear) is painful but SOOOO much faster and easier than from the C-section. I'm so thankful I'm able to be up and around, I can pick up Abram, I can drive, I can climb stairs, I can SIT UP on my own...the list goes on and on! I prayed that I'd be able to have a VBAC and that the baby would come early enough for us to go home for Christmas...and God answered those prayers a hundred times over!

  Welcome to the world, Lydia Rose!