Our Hospital Stay

Sweet girl swaddled up nice and tight. See her little hands sticking up at the top?

I love, love, love seeing that birthdate. <3

Just like her sister. Does not like being unwrapped or undressed!

Grandma with big sis

Love these three so much.

Love this face. Again, looks so much like big sis.

Adorable even when crying.

Madeline has the exact same hairline as her daddy and sister. Nothing a spray bottle, detangler, and a comb can't fix. ;)

If our hospital experience is any indication, Madeline is going to be such a good baby. No fussing. She eats, she sleeps. Such an easy baby so far! (knock on some wood!)

Laying on Daddy. So sweet.

My heart is so full!

<3

Anna Claire wants to give her little sis lots of kisses!

Giving Madeline one more hug.

The next couple of days at the hospital brought with it lots of visitors, so many special people we love. They will never know how much it meant to us that they took time to stop by! My sister Kathy, my long-time friend Kelly, Ken and Teresa from small group, Grandma and Freddie, Pop, Clint and Lisa and more! We love you all! Of course, big sis Anna Claire came by to visit too!

Despite her best efforts to hide it, Anna Claire is showing some signs of jealousy. But Larry and I will do everything in our power to make sure she feels loved and special. No need to feel jealous in our family! Too much love to go around.

It's funny how you forget the process of what goes on following the birth of a baby. I feel so blessed to have passed the healthy colostrum on to Madeline through nursing her, and the lactation consultants have been so helpful in reminding me of different holds and positions. I was so worried that nursing might not be an option for me since I had a c-section, but she is a total natural at latching on and nursing. I am still amazed at how babies innately know what to do!

I was super-excited to be removed from monitors and machines. For a full 24 hours, I was hooked up to a blood pressure cuff, compression boots for swelling, IV, and what I call the "ET finger" which took my pulse. Along with the machines, I got to say "sayonara" to the aggravating hospital gown. It was the absolute worst possible garment for a nursing mom, particularly one with lots of visitors. I also have no love for the sexy mesh panties and giganto panty liner that hung out the back of my gown. Bye-bye gown and panties.

Up until last night, I was on a clear liquid diet. They wouldn't allow me off the liquid diet until I could "break wind." So for almost two straight days, I was limited to popsicles, jello, broth, and beverages. Blah, blah, blah. I was so excited when Larry offered to get take out from Noodles and Company. I loved my Bangkok Curry Noodles. I will definitely be ordering that again.

We have had five meconium poop diapers since we've been here! The doctor said Madeline's lost about 7% of her weight, but that its normal for them to lose before they gain, so not too concerned there. She is sleeping so well and is pooping, so we are fairly confident she's getting plenty to eat through nursing.

I can't tell you how excited I am to go home and begin our lives as a family of four!

Madeline Elizabeth Averitt

It's official...she's ours!

Baby stats: 7 lbs, 6 oz.; 20.5 inches. Born at 3:20 PM on September 28!

Precious footprints.

The card taped inside her hospital crib. <3

Madeline's Birth

Larry and I arrived at the hospital at 5:30, as scheduled.

With Anna Claire, it took an hour or so for them to get to us, I remember there was a full moon...the maternity floor was packed that day. (There is a correlation between full moons and moms going into labor. True story).

But with today being a Saturday, and the moon in our favor, I was donning a hospital gown, hooked up to a baby monitor, blood pressure cuff and line of pitocin within the first half hour.

Contractions came on fast. Very painful, partly due to round ligament pain. They did not let up at all. I would finally make it through one, then here would come another.

Madeline did not tolerate the pitocin at all. It really lowered her heart rate. So they turned down the pitocin, repositioned me, and put an oxygen mask on me until her heart rate came back up.

Once it was back to a normal rate, they restarted the pitocin, and here we go again. The process of turning down the pitocin, repositioning me and wearing the oxygen mask would repeat again. I heard one nurse say to the other, "Should I get everything just in case?"

"Just in case what?" I wondered. What did she mean by that??

We repeated this process several more times, until it occurred to me it had been a minute or so since we had heart her heartbeat. I looked at the doctor and nurse's faces and they looked as worried as I was. It was about that time that Dr. Johnston walked over and explained the possibility of a C-section and making sure I knew what that would entail.

I began crying, thinking this wasn't the plan we had discussed. I felt cheated from having the chance to try and deliver her naturally. I couldn't hear Madeline's heart! Was she ok? Would we make it to the OR in time?

The next half hour was a whirlwind, but I can't tell you how impressed I was watching how quick these ladies worked to get me unhooked from monitors and moved into the OR.

The anesthesiologist came back in and increased my epidural, giving me something else to help numbing as well.

When we arrived in the operating room, I remember thinking how bright it was and thinking how weird it was to feel so groggy knowing my baby was coming into the world in a matter of minutes. Tears continued to flow. I was scared. My body wanted to fall sound asleep, right at that moment, but my heart and my mind wanted and needed to stay awake. I didn't want to miss a thing. It was so hard to fight that sleep urge during the hour that followed.

I watched as everyone worked around me. They prepped me for surgery. I saw Larry come in and put on his scrubs. This is happening too fast. I haven't had time to prepare for this mentally.

They poked me with a needle on my shoulder. OUCH! Then the poked me all over my lower half. I felt nothing. I was ready for surgery. 

All of a sudden, they were putting up the paper divider so we didn't have to see all the action. Then within minutes I hear Dr. Johnston say you're going to feel lots of pressure. You shouldn't feel any pain, just pressure. I didn't realize this pressure was the baby coming out already. Unbelievable how fast they were working.

Then, before we knew it, we could hear the baby crying. Larry and I both started bawling like babies. We were both thinking the same thing: SHE'S OK!! WE HAVE A BABY!

Dr. Johnston holding up our sweet girl for her very first picture.

Madeline Elizabeth Averitt

7 lbs. 6.6 oz.

Born at 3:20 pm, September 28, 2013 (My Momma's birthday!)

I have an almost identical picture of Anna Claire. Can't wait to find it and compare. They look so much alike!

Larry couldn't get up for a couple of minutes he was so emotional, but he was able to get up and go see her. They brought her over shortly after for me to see her. So beautiful. Perfect. I felt so much love well up inside when I saw her.

First pic of the 3 of us. That little white bundle is Madeline.

There's my girl! So precious.

Of course, they took her away shortly after, but I was at peace because my baby was thriving. Larry was able to travel with her for a bit and get some pictures.

My mind began reeling. I started thinking of all of the advantages and disadvantages of having a C-section delivery: Having a c-section would mean 8 weeks of maternity leave for me, whereas I would have just 6 with a natural birth. No episiotomy. That was no fun, and a lot to care for after having Anna Claire. I have an incision that's going to be pretty sore though. I'll be in the hospital for a longer stay. How much more will this cost us? How much more is a c-section versus vaginal birth? 

These were just some of my thoughts in back in my delivery room as a lay and wait for my baby so I can nurse her for the first time.

Thoughts the night before Madeline...

39 weeks, 6 days selfie.

• Will I make it to the hospital in time, even though I'm being induced?
• Should I have gone in 3 days ago when I saw what I think was my mp and felt tons of pressure? 
• Is the baby ok?
• Will getting an epidural affect my bulging disc?
• Will I ever go to sleep? Too excited.
• I wonder if Anna Claire is in bed yet. It's so weird not having her here.
• I wonder if there's anyone else I need to send Momma's death certificate to.
• Thankful for Larry's help today and that the upstairs is clean and nice for Madeline.
• The baby just moved. Thank you God.
• I need to start a blog for Madeline.
• I absolutely made the right decision taking the last 2 days off.
• I hope Madeline is as sweet as her big sister. 
• Technology has changed so much since Anna Claire: app to keep track of my contractions, apps for all the week by weeks, Pinterest. With AC we only brought a point and shoot camera and our Flip video. With Madeline we've packed the SLR, smartphone, tablet, laptop (to upload pics from SLR), and Flip.
• I miss my mom.
• Made it past midnight without contractions. It's Momma's birthday, and Madeline's!! :)