So What's the Story?

Maybe this is more for me than for anyone who reads this blog, but I thought it only appropriate to recount the arrival of Madison Riley Pennington while it is still somewhat fresh in my head.

The last few weeks were pretty miserable. I literally felt like I was in labor for 2 months, but when it finally came on, it was fast and furious. As you may know from previous posts, Friday was one day past my due date. If she had not have come on her own by Wednesday (tomorrow), they would have broken my water, and if that didn't work, they would have C-sectioned her. I was all about preventing the slice and dice approach. So needless to say we are all thrilled that she came when she did at 40 weeks, 1 day, and 1 hour.

Friday was a day like any other day lately. I took Owen to school, ran some errands, picked Owen up and headed home for a restful afternoon. Normally Owen doesn't nap. It's just the fact of life for a 3 1/2 year old, but Friday he and his brother both took three hour naps. I was able to catch up on Grey's Anatomy and take in a little shut eye. I'd been having braxton hicks all day, but nothing to make me think I was in labor or going into labor. Neil came home, we had dinner, put the boys down, and came down to watch Ghost Whisperer. Right around that time I started timing the contractions which remained 11 minutes apart throughout the show. The around 9:50 (8 minutes after my last one), I had this one contraction and I know right then that this was no braxton hick. Suddenly (and surprisingly) I had the urge to take a shower just in case. Plus, if it wasn't the real thing, then they would probably dissipate with the movement. A few minutes later I was in shower and in intense pain at the same time. This is when I knew I was in labor. By the time I got back downstairs, the contractions had jumped to 6 minutes apart. I called the Kaiser advice line to see if I should go in, and the contractions were getting stronger and were more like 5 minutes apart. Of course they said come.

We left the house a little after 10:30 or so and arrived at the hospital around 11 pm. By the time I got checked in and sent the triage, I was 7 cm dilated. Yay, they were admitting me, and bonus...I was checked in by a mid-wife, so now I have experienced it all. Once we got to the room, the finality of all was setting in. There was absolutely no turning back now. My delivery nurse, Lindsay, was amazing. She was so chill which put me at ease right away. She checked me around 12:30 or so and I was 9 cm. It was time to call in the doctor. I'd never met Dr. Willard before. She doesn't work out of my usual office. She basically came in, broke my water and waited for me to get to 10, which didn't take long. Three or four real pushes later and she was out...just about the time I had decided I couldn't take anymore.

My first words: "Please tell me it's a girl." Thankfully she was and she was beautiful...okay maybe not with all that goo on her but once they got her all cleaned off, she was absolutely gorgeous.

Of course if you've had a baby before you know it doesn't end once she is out. There's all kinds of grossness to deal with. And then there are the stitches. Normally it's not too big of a deal because of all the adrenaline pumping through the body, but this time they couldn't find any local anesthetic. It took several minutes and I could feel the adrenaline fading. By the time she was ready to stitch me up, it was very uncomfortable, but that's okay because I got my girl.

A couple hours later we were "resting" in our room with our new little girl.

Mat brought the boys to see us Saturday evening. Blake waltzed in and went right for the baby. Owen took a few minutes to warm up, even to me. But at least he gets that the baby is Madison and that Madison is no longer in my belly (though it still looks like she could be). I'm thinking this new addition (and hopefully last) to our family will complete us.

Speaking of Madison, she is demanding some Mommy time and I will happily oblige. Maybe later I'll tell you about her first couple nights at home. It really is amazing how different she is from the boys, like night and day.