silver lining: 2016

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Due Date: Monday, June 21st

Birth Date: Wednesday, June 15th

At my 38 week check up my doctor checked me and I was dilated 1cm and 50% effaced. My previous appt (just 4 days prior) I had no progression, so with the sudden change in my body (and i was feeeeeling it) my doctor said, "you're having this baby before the weekend." She offered to strip my membranes right then and there but I got too nervous and said i needed a couple more days. I called jason and we started freaking out. came home, packed my hospital bag, lined up babysitters for piper and waited. The week passed by and nothing. ugh. why did my doctor tell me that???? it drove me nuts and i felt so overdue, even though i still had a week left until my DD. I did everything to get this baby out. Walked a few miles a day, did curbs, ate spicy food, etc. nothing. Sunday night we went on a walk down at strands and while walking my mucus plug came out! (ya sorry that's TMI but this is a birth story, after all) I tried not to get too excited, but i couldn't help it. We waited that night for something to happen..nothing.

The next day was Monday and my body was really feeling it. I had an appointment and had the doctor strip my membranes there. I told her to strip them real good - i wanted it to hurt ha! and it did. felt some cramping, but nothing else.

My friend Kelli and i (who was pregnant the same time as me) had plans to go walking the next morning in hopes of getting our babies out. She texted me that night saying, "Meet you at 6:45am?" me: "see you then!"...well i woke up that morning to a text from her that was a picture of her new baby saying, "well looks like i'm not going to make it for our walk!" i was so excited for her but at the same time totally jealous. i needed this baby out of me!

that day was different. my pelvic bones killed and i could barely walk around.

and i was so tired.

i was supposed to meet up with another friend that night to go walking and i texted her to cancel our walk because my body just couldn't do it.

at about 9:30pm i took a hot bath and had jason give me a massage after.

We watched a youtube video on how to do the pressure points to induce labor.

he did them all.

{10:45pm}

after the massage I got up to go to bed and as i hopped in bed (yes, i literally hopped into my bed), my water exploded! like literally a faucet. my water broke at home with piper but it just leaked, this time is was full on draining out of me. water was all over the floor and jason was just wiping it up with a towel (so funny now). THIS WAS IT! we called Cheri to come meet us at the hospital to take Piper for us.

{12:00am}

we checked in, got wheeled up, and they checked me. (mind you, my water is literally EVERYWHERE)...they checked me and i was at a 4. contractions started and they did not start lightly. they wheeled me into the last room available (packed house!) and i asked for the epidural right away. my contractions were already at a 10 and i was having them every 5 min.

got the epidural and it was pure heaven. tried to sleep but i was too excited.

{3:30am - ish}

i called the nurse in to check me. i was really feeling a lot of pressure and felt like i could push. she checked me and i was a 7. she left and a few contractions later i felt tons of pressure and felt like i couldn't help but push! i made her come in and check me again...i was moving along but she said i wasn't ready to push just yet, and before she could walk out the door i had another contraction and i told her to come check again because it was taking everything in me not to push! she checked me and was like ohhhh ya she's ready. called in the doctor and started prepping for delivery. she had be do a couple practice pushes and the first one she was crowning.

the doctor finally came in which felt like forever!

{4:54am}

one contraction and 2 pushes later our HEIDI JUNE was born!

8lbs 7oz // 20in long

this labor and delivery was a million times better than it was with piper. It was faster, didn't push as long, got the epidural right away this time...and there were similarities like middle of the night labor, water breaking at home, and some pre-term labor things that happened with both.

one of the highlights of the day, and really the moment i had been looking forward to since the minute i found out i was pregnant was the reunion of these sweet sisters. it was a little piece of heaven on earth when piper walked in the room and saw her new baby sister. tears were flowing from every eye in that room, especially mine. i started crying before she even walked in!

it was a moment i will never forget.

im so grateful i get to be a mom and that i get to have these 2 beautiful baby girls.

life is good :)

Probably the least unattractive picture of me ever, but this was the moment <3

same outfit we brought piper home in <3

my heart is full.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

I don't love being pregnant but I still wanted to capture this special time in this season of my life. I had Jill take a few shots of Piper and I and my growing belly back in March.