4 weeks ago today . . .

Four weeks ago today, I was officially 8 days past my due date and (obviously) miserable. It was, though, finally my induction day!

It turned out to be an extremely busy Sunday, which wasn't what we had expected. We went to church, then the hospital called and told us to come in at 6:00 p.m., so wanted to nap and get some rest since it was going to be a very long night. We did take a little nap, but our Home teachers came over, then Jer had to go home teaching, and then my visiting teachers came! After all of that, my mom, Stephen, Kamie, Alex, Jer ate dinner and then we headed to the hospital.

6:00 p.m. - Four weeks ago today, we checked into the hospital. They checked me at about 7:00 and I was finally starting to dilate; I measured 1 1/2 and 70% effaced. They started me on this pill thing to ripen my cervix. Normally the pill just gets things moving, but it had a HUGE affect on me. I started having contractions quickly and they began coming to close together. Mom and Kamie visited and kept us entertained for a bit and then everyone went home for the night.

3:30 a.m. - Right when I laid down to try and sleep, the pain really increased and I started having really strong contractions that were close together. I had been taking an I.V. pain medication, but it wasn't doing the trick at all. I asked the nurse for an epidural. The nurse couldn't believe that I had waited until the pain became so bad! The pain was so strong that I wasn't even really worried about the needle. After the epidural was placed, they started me on pitocin to progress the labor. Baby's heart rate, though, didn't like it at all and kept dropping really low. They stopped and started it several times, but couldn't get the baby's heart to stabilize, so they finally took me off it completely. Surprisingly, though, my body kept contracting on its own and I progressed from a 1 1/2 to a 7 really quickly.

Four weeks ago today, I was amazed by my extremely supportive husband. Everything about labor is kinda a blur, except for the single constant memory of Jeremiah constantly by my side. He was so supportive and caring and didn't care at all about his own wants and needs. He stayed by my side all day, never once complaining or turning on the tv or anything. It was really fantastic to have someone so supportive and loving by my side. It made me so much more comfortable and calm. My mom also spent a lot of the labor time with us and she was really reassuring and entertaining. The whole time I just kept thinking about the little girl that I would soon meet, and I couldn't wait to see her face.

12:30 p.m. - Four weeks ago tomorrow - Finally, they told me that I was fully dilated and could start pushing. I couldn't believe it - it felt like I had been waiting for so long and now, finally, I would meet my little girl. Jeremiah and I were the only ones in the room, and he helped me to begin pushing with each contraction. The whole experience was kinda unreal . . . I seemed like I had waited for this moment for my whole life, but then I couldn't believe that it was really here. But through it all, I just couldn't get over how grateful I was to have Jer by my side.

2:30 p.m. - Finally, after two hard hours of pushing, I asked the nurse to go get my mom because I just couldn't lift my leg by myself anymore. She helped to replenish my resolve and give me the extra support I needed to keep going. The doctors came in and told me she was close, so I had to last just a little longer. By this time the epidural had really worn off, and the cramps in my lower stomach were bad! I was exhausted, thirsty hungry, sore, and completely overwhelmed. I was so exhausted, started crying, and said "I'm losing it." The doctor asked if I wanted to use the vacuum or push for another 15 min, so I chose to push some more. I tried and tried, but I just couldn't get her to come. Finally, they pulled out the vacuum extractor and used it during one set of contractions. She still didn't come. I couldn't control my tears at this point. The doctor gave an ultimatum - if the baby didn't come this time, then they would have to prep for a c-section. I just kept thinking, "I can't wait for them to prep me . . . not after all of this work." On the next set of contractions, I pushed harder than I ever thought possible, and out came my little baby.

3:01 p.m. - Four weeks ago tomorrow, I fell in love with my little girl. They immediately put her on my chest and my tears increased a trillion times as I looked at her for the first time. She was bloody and beautiful and I couldn't believe that I had produced such a wonderful and miraculous little baby. She was 8 lbs 14 oz and 19 inches long (later, the doctor decided that she was actually 18 1/2 inches). She had at least 1 1/2 inches of dark, beautiful hair all over. She was more precious and beautiful than I could have ever thought possible - so much more than my greatest dreams of her. I was instantly in love and completely dedicated to her.

2 1/2 hours of pushing, but it was all worth it. Overall, the entire day was just more than I could have expected. Labor was harder, delivery longer, Jer more supportive, my mom more needed, and Kaiah more perfect than I could have dreamed. The first day of the rest of our lives!

Newborn Pictures

She is just too much for words. I love you, little Kai-Kai monster!

I love the way you look when you're asleep.
And your adorable chubby cheeks.
I love how you always have to have your hands by your face.
And all of your hair!
Most of all, though, I love you because you are you. You are unique, special, one-of-a-kind, and completely irresistible. I will love you forever, little bug.

Special thanks to Mom and Stephen for paying for these amazing newborn pictures by Skye Johansen. I love, love, love them! Click here to see all of the pictures.

My little turtle

I can't believe how fast time is flying . . . I feel like just yesterday we brought little Kaiah home, yet she is almost three weeks old! I don't know where the time goes . . . I feel like it is slipping through my fingers. She is growing up right in front of my eyes and I just want to press pause. I want to enjoy every last second of my little girl because before I know it she is going to be getting married and leaving home.

There are so many little things that I absolutely love about her and I don't want to forget, but how do I even start documenting those things? I just want to clone her at this age so I can keep her like this forever! Some of my favorite things right now:

1- She is a cuddle bug - She loves, loves, loves to be touched and held. She likes having her hair, checks, hands, and feet rubbed and to snuggle up under your chin. I wish she would keep this forever!

2- She has finally started becoming a momma's girl. She has always been daddy's little munchkin, but only a few days ago did she finally start looking at me. Now she will stare and stare at me with her beautiful big eyes and it just melts my heart.

3- She has the very best hair-do ever!

4- She still snorts like a pug when she is crying.

5- She is only gaining weight in her belly.

6- Her adorable surprised face she pulls when she is eating or looking at bright patterns.

7- She commands every single second of my time - seriously. She demands attention, and who am I to deny her? When she is awake (which is, actually, a lot of the time) she expects all focus to be directed at her and can scream with the best of them when she isn't center stage.

There are just too many things to write. I love her double chin. I love how she turns red and shakes when she cries. I love how much I love her. Yes, it is hard - some days more than others. I won't lie, there have been times when I have seriously questioned what I got myself in to. She has no desire to follow a night time sleeping schedule and has deprived me of many hours of sleep. She almost always decides to poop right after we put the clean diaper under her bum. She will lock her legs so we can't clean her properly and she will scream and scream when she doesn't get what she wants. But after all of these things, when I am exhausted, frustrated, completely overwhelmed and (I'll admit) crying, she undoubtedly will become my little cuddle bug again and fall asleep in my arms. There is nothing better than watching my little angel sleep. It makes it all worth it. I only hope that I can be the mom that she deserves.

Pictures to come! I will also try to get my labor and delivery story ready and post that, too!

P.S. She had her two week check up, and everything looks great so far. She is 8 lbs 12 ounces (so not quite back to her birth weight yet) and 19 inches. She is in the 61% for her weight but only the 6% for height! She is short, short, short!

Introducing . . .

Wow. That's about all I can say right now. My life has changed more than I could have ever imagined. Everything is measured on a larger scale now. I am more exhausted than I ever thought possible, but I am also more dedicated, ecstatic, overwhelmed, and completely in love with my little girl than I could have ever imagined. She has become our life and we couldn't be more thrilled.

I have lots of stories to tell and so many things that I want to blog, but for now I will just have to settle with a couple pictures. Eat your hearts out.

We had her newborn pictures done by the same photographer that did my prego shots, and we can't wait to get them back - they are going to be to die for gorgeous. We obviously aren't the best newborn photographers and our pictures don't do her justice. She is so beautiful - you'll just have to see her in person to understand!

P.S. Mom is fine. Exhausted, but fine. Recovery is easy with a little monkey to love!

Baby Kaiah here!!

This is Jer.

I just wanted to pop in and say that our beautiful baby is here. She was born 03/01/2010 at get this 3:01. She was 8 lbs 14 oz and 19 inches long. Life has been really busy since the little one was born and so the late announcement. We have tons of pictures and I am sure either Kasie or I will be on soon to post them as soon as we get a bit more adjusted to the new life with our sweet girl.