Emmy's Arrival and a Visit from Mom

So, for those of you interested, here is the story of Emmy's arrival.  :)

I had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, September 25th.  I had asked not to be checked at my prior appointment simply because I didn't want to be disappointed.  But this time, I had to know if I was getting closer at all.  Well, I was 70% effaced and 4/almost 5 centimeters dilated!  SWEET!  The dr. stripped my membranes (owe) and said he expected to see me in the hospital within the next few days.  Well, I headed to every store under the sun to keep on my feet and get contractions started...it worked, but nothing consistent.  That was kind of the story for the next two days...I walked and walked and walked and although I was having contractions, they just weren't getting into a regular rhythm.  Meanwhile, I ran kids to and from school, attended a DARLING baby brunch hosted by my sweet friend, Karrissa, prepped for Primary Sharing Time, assembled General Conference packets for 65 children, and continued to do laps around the house, up and down the stairs and around the neighborhood.

Finally, around 10:30 pm on Thursday night (September 26th), my contractions were steadily coming 7 minutes apart and I felt like it was time to head to the hospital.  So, we called Karrissa who came over and stayed the night with our children and headed to Houston Medical Center.

We were admitted around 11:00 pm and after being checked in triage, they told me they wanted to monitor me for an hour because I was still at a 4, almost 5 and 70% effaced.  I wanted to cry.  So, I lay there for an hour hooked up to all their stupid equipment fearing they were going to send me home.

Around 12:30, Dr. Nyugen came in and checked my progress.  Dilated to a 7 and 90% effaced!!!  Hooray!  They were going to let me stick around after all!  :)

I had decided about midway through this pregnancy that I wanted to have a "natural birth"...no meds.  Brandon thought I was insane, and I reserved the right to beg for an epidural and not hear a word about it later on.  But the plan was NO MEDS.  I really was doing fine going "all natural" until right after the dr. broke my water at 1:30 am (Friday morning).  Dr. Nyugen said he was gonna head down the hall and close his eyes for a little while and our nurse said to page her if we felt like we needed her for anything.  Well, it was probably 10 minutes after they had left that I felt like the contractions were so intense that I might be getting close to pushing.  At this point, I was wishing for an epidural.  I have never known such intense pain.  So, Brandon paged the nurse, who after staying with us (and helping Brandon to keep my legs from shaking like CRAZY) for a few minutes, decided it was time to call the doctor back in.  I felt like I needed to start pushing before he made it back in, so the nurse put on some gloves and three pushes later, she delivered miss Emmy at 1:58 am.

She weighed in at 8 lbs. 4 oz. - my biggest baby so far, and was 20 1/2 inches long.  Her size surprised me a little, but it was her long black hair that took the cake!  Where did that come from???  We love it though.  It's her trademark.  :)

  Our super amazing friends, the Windwards, stayed with our kids during the night, got them up in the morning and even took them to school for us so Brandon could stay the night with me for the first time since Jemma was born!  It was AWESOME to have him there and know that our children were in good hands.

Brandon brought the kids down later that afternoon to see her.  They were SO excited!

Love the wrinkly hands!

The kids were so enamored with her.  They (mostly the boys) had TONS of questions.

After coming home, we had great friends who took care of dinners for a whole week, which was amazing because that perfectly covered the time before my mom would arrive.  Tender Mercy.  And may I just say that every meal was DELICIOUS.  So many talented women around here.  :)  And Brandon took time off of work so that I wouldn't have to get the three older kids out the door and off to school each day.  Sigh.  I wish he was still off work. ;)

Anyway, my wonderful mother came and stayed with us for 8 days and it was so, So, SO wonderful to have her here in Georgia!  Man I love that lady!!!  She always brings a new book with her to share with the kids.  This time it was "Pete the Cat".  So cute.  The kids LOVE it and read it to me now.  :)

While she was here, the kids had their annual Book Character Parade at school, so with my mom here, I got brave and ventured out for the first time (besides dr.'s appointments) with Emmy.  Carter was Jake from the Neverland Pirates and Jemma was Hermione from Harry Potter.

We also took a trip to Jo Ann Fabrics to purchase ALL the stuff for the kids Halloween costumes - which, btw, my wonderful mother sewed entirely during her visit.  THANK YOU MOM!!!

And, we visited Lanes Orchards so my mom could try their amazing peach ice-cream.  I am usually a die hard chocolate fan, but truth be told, their chocolate pales in comparison to their peach!  FYI.  :)

My darling mother made every meal while she was here, and they were GOOD meals.  No cold cereal or spaghetti during those 8 days!  She made chocolate chip cookies and enough dough to freeze and store for 3 more batches.  She read stories to my children, sewed their Halloween costumes, snuggled Emmy when she was fussy so I could get a shower, AND her last day here, she cleaned all my bathrooms, mopped my kitchen floor, baked brownies and STILL had time to sit down and watch Anne of Green Gables with me and Jemma.  (A gift sent by my sweet sister, Julianne.)  :)

She must be Wonder Woman!

Thanks again Mom for coming, and thank you Dad for always sending her!