She's here!!!

Nora Theresa McGaughey

Born January 31, 2013 @ 2:47pm

Weight 8 lbs 12 oz

Length 21 inches

Can you believe it?  She's finally here!!   I am having a bit of trouble grasping that it's real...We have a daughter now.  I am a mother.  Mom.  Mommy.  Whatever she will choose to call me.  I have been waiting for this for such a long time, and now its here.  I can't even express how I feel right now!  We are a family now!

As we said, we started the induction on Tuesday afternoon around 2:30pm with a foley bulb for cervical ripening.  We went home and hoped that true labor would start that night.  No such luck. So we headed into the hospital Wednesday morning thinking, "This is the day!"  When we got settled. Dr. Miller came by to check on me.  Turns out had made a bit of progress during the night.  So we started out Wednesday at 4cm dilated, 50% effaced and she was still really high.  So not really a great place to start, particularly not a great place to start Pitocin.  So Dr. Miller decided to do some more cervical ripeninng with Cytotec.  4 doses and 16 hours later, I had made a smidge of progress.   Now I was 5cm dilated and 80% effaced, but the baby still wasn't moving down.  Regardless, it was time to start the Pitocin to get my contractions moving.  Everything was going well with the pitocin, but again slow.  The contractions weren't regular or very strong.  Then, around 3am, my water broke.  It was like someone had turned on the contractions in full force!  They were coming way WAY stronger and really close together, which is difficult because the breaks between contractions are really important for coping!  Plus we were still increasing the pitocin.

Anyway, I did the best I could with the contractions, but I couldn't find any positions I could tolerate the contractions except for one.  Then I started getting sick and shaking...and I caved.  I got an epidural.  In the end I am glad I did because it allowed me to get some sleep for the next few hours.  We were able through the day (Thursday) to turn up the pitocin and my contractions became more regular and the intensity was much stronger.  However, in the end it didn't really matter that I was dilating (got up to 7cm) because she would NOT move into the birth canal.  Her head wasn't even close!  So it was time for a cesarean section.

Not what I had planned, but ultimately my plan was for a health baby and that is what I got!!  She's perfect!  She came out pink and crying!  She looked great!  Shawn went with her to the nursery while they finished up on me.  The CS went great for me as well!  I had minimal bleeding and Dr. Schmitz and her assistant both commented on how awesome my placenta looked (explaining the big baby!).   Shawn was able to bring Nora back from the nursery to breastfeed before she was an hour old and she did great and has continued to do really well since.  Because she was big, they have been checking her blood sugar before she eats and those are all done now because they have all been fine!  We are going to meet with the lactation consultant today just to be sure we're doing everything right.  The people I usually help with breastfeeding have babies much smaller than mine!  Hopefully they'll be able to give me some tips!

Shawn did great with Nora in the nursery.  He helped a bit, but he got to watch a bunch of stuff.

First shots :(

10 Fingers and the first time she'll hold Daddy's hand!

10 toes too!

First bath...not so happy about it!

Our beautiful girl!!

Holding Nora!!

I am recovering well from the CS.  I am having very little pain, just some MAJOR itching from the medicine they use.  I'm not surprised though...that stuff always makes me itch.  I've also had a bit of nausea with some vomiting, so we're going to progress very slowly with eating.  Sticking with clear liquids until I and prove I'm ready for more (and no solids until I start passing gas!).  Looks like we'll be in the hospital until Sunday probably.  If you're in the area and want to visit, you sure can!  They should be letting me shower today, so I'll be presentable again by tonight after people get off work.

Mom, Mimi, Ian and Logan all stopped by last night to meet Nora too!  Of course Abuelita was so thrilled to get to hold her!

Logan seemed to like her too...

Shawn and I are so excited to be parents and wanted to be sure to thank all of you for being so supportive of use through the infertility and then the pregnancy.  We couldn't be happier with our beautiful little Nora!!

Now for Marcie to meet her...