Emma Has Arrived!

So we are officially a family of SIX!!! Hard to believe!  Emma Louise finally arrived three days past her due date on September 4, 2012 at 3:44 AM.  Here's how it all went down...

On Saturday the 1st (my due date) I started having some contractions so we decided to head to the hospital and get checked but NOT to my surprise, no progress still!  So they sent me home.  I walked everywhere on Sunday determined to help Emma make the decision to bless us with her presence.  On Sunday night while we were asleep I woke up with HORRIBLE back pains...probably worse than any "normal" contraction.  So I got through the night in fear of there still not being any progress and pushed through Monday morning.  By 10:30 on Monday I couldn't do it anymore and we headed to the hospital yet again (BTW, our hospital is 45 minutes away)!  They started monitoring me and checked me and I was barely 1 cm dilated.  I seriously looked at the doctor and said "you have got to be kidding me, what can I do to get this baby out"! 

They were preparing to send me home again when they noticed that I was carrying a consistent fever beginning with 100.9 and getting as high as 101.3 and Emma's heartbeat was pretty high as well.  After running a few tests they discovered that I had an infection called Chorioamnionitis.  This is when there is an inflammation of the fetal membranes due to a bacterial infection.  It is also an infection of the amniotic fluid. It effects 1-4% of all births and if you don't deliver immediately your baby can be at risk for Neonatal Sepsis which can cause brain and multi organ injuries.

Before Contractions Began!

So at 4:30 Monday evening the Pitocin drip began and the epidural was given!  I felt pretty good at first...lots of pressure with the contractions but not too much pain.  Then my water broke on it's own and the contractions began.  I increased the "drugs" but for it wasn't doing much for my left side for some reason so I began feeling a lot on that side including that horrible back labor again!  We were approaching 9 hours of labor when the doctors came in and inserted internal monitors where they actually clip a monitor on the hair of the baby rather than use the belly monitors so they can monitor them better.  This is really when the pain set in yet I was only at 3-4 cm!  Everyone thought this was going to be a long drawn out labor!  Around 11 hours I couldn't take the pain on my left side anymore so they increased the epidural again and they came in to check me...Joe was getting coffee at this point and when he walked in he heard the words "TIME TO PUSH"!  What!? I had gone from 3-4 to fully dilated in a matter of a couple hours!  So I began pushing at 3:35 AM and 9 minutes, 3 pushes later Emma was here! Nobody could believe how fast I had gone. 

7lb 6oz, 20 1/4 in

Unfortunately, she had to be taken to the NICU and had to stay there for 48 hours to be monitored due to the infection.  She also had to receive antibiotics during this time for my Strep B infection (a whole other issue).  An hour later, after being stitched up (tier 2 tear) Joe got to push me down and see her! Talk about an amazing feeling! 

Seeing our sweet girl for the first time! Holy Swollen Face!!!

While in the NICU, Emma had to undergo a Spinal Tap to be certain that she didn't have any infection around her brain...not something a little newborn should ever have to go through. But she's one tough little girl already and pulled through like a champ!  The results came back after 48 hours clear! 

My first babies got to come visit me on Wednesday but unfortunately couldn't come to the NICU to see their new little sister...

So Proud!!!

Big Sis!

So excited to be a big brother!



Brayden preferred to have the dinosaur!

Once the test results came back clear we finally got to take Emma home and I was discharged free of infection!!!

Welcome Home!

Daddy buckling her in at the hospital

Welcome to your new home full of chaos!

 The kids are lovin' having Emma home and can't get enough of her!

Brayden and Ava just watching

Gavin loves to kiss her!

Ava is so excited to be a big sis!