Londyn's birth story

*Feel free to skip to the bottom for some cute pics :) *

The last pic of me pregnant- Thomas family shower on Memorial day

It all started at my 38 week appointment.

I was dilated to a measly 1, 90% effaced and had my doctor strip my membranes.

After she stripped them she told me that she thought I would have the baby in the next week or so.

Londyn's head was really low and she said my uterus felt like it would respond really well to the membrane stripping.

This freaked me out!

I had prepared myself for a long wait for Londyn's arrival and was expecting to go past my due date.

I figured having her strip my membranes would maybe help me deliver closer to my due date instead of over it.

I had no signs of labor the next day so I kind of started to doubt her prediction.

Then 2 days after the appointment I lost my mucous plug.

This freaked me out again!

I knew that was a sign labor was near but I just felt like I needed one more week.

In one more week Chris would have 2 days off from work so he could spend it with me and would have less to make up at the end of this rotation.

I didn't sleep well after that because I only dreamt about being in labor and not being ready for it!

After my mucous plug fell out nothing else really happened.

No contractions. Nothing.

We made it to the following week and I was determined to have the baby on Tuesday or Wednesday, June 5 or 6.

That would leave Thursday and Friday (Chris' days off) for him to be with me for a nice long weekend.

I told everyone it was going to happen and I was prepared to try all the ways you can supposedly get labor started.

Tuesday, June 5 (1 day shy of 39 weeks) I woke up as usual to go to the bathroom at 5 am.

I went to the bathroom and as I laid back in bed I felt a small little gush down yonder.

I thought maybe my bladder had somehow randomly lost control so I went to the bathroom to check it out.

After a little clean up I walked back from the bathroom and there was more fluid leaking out.

I realized as it continued to gush/leak out that my water had broken.

I turned on the bedroom light so I could find a towel and Chris woke up.

I told him what was happening and he was immediately alert.

Very shortly after this point the contractions started.

We decided to pack the hospital bag and time the contractions.

Right off the bat they were coming every 2 to 4 minutes.

The pain wasn't too bad at first but was quickly getting more intense and painful and became back labor.

For the next hour we packed and got ready to head to the hospital.

By the time we were leaving they were still coming every 2-3 minutes and I was in major pain.

We got to the hospital at about 6 am and as I tried to sign my name for something another contraction came and my signature became totally illegible.

We were then taken to a room (with a few breaks on the walk there as my contractions hit).

They checked me and I was dilated to a 4 1/2.

The contractions were getting SO bad and I had to squeeze Chris' hand and moan through each one.

They gave me an IV and then the epidural.

AHHHHH HEAVEN!

Relaxing and checking out the meal menu after the epidural.

I loved the epidural! 

Getting it was scary and weird but it started working fast and just in time.

At that point I was dilated to a 5.

For the next couple of hours we chatted, discussed a middle name, watched tv and talked about how we couldn't believe we were having a baby today!

I loved watching the monitor and seeing when I was having contractions but couldn't feel a thing.

Much sooner than I expected my nurse checked me and said I was dilated to an 8 or 9!

I got a little scared and started shaking but was so glad Chris was there to calm me down and ease my fears.

They also said that the baby was facing anterior and needed to turn posterior, so I laid on my stomach/side for a while to see if she would turn.

She did...so at 12:15 (dilated to a 10)  I started to push.

It was so much harder than I expected!

Two steps forward, one step back.

I had a mirror to watch things and it was discouraging sometimes how little progress I was making for how hard I thought I was pushing.

Now my contractions were every 5 minutes and it felt like FOREVER waiting for them to roll around to push.

After pushing for an hour and 40 minutes, Londyn was born at 1:55 pm.

They had blankets and towels on my chest and put her there right after she came out.

My first thought was "Who is this alien?!"

(I feel like terrible mother, but she was a little freaky looking covered in cheese and screaming).

After they cleaned her up we did skin to skin and she looked much less freaky.

I was definitely in a happy shock.

She didn't look anything like I expected!

It was the most surreal moment of my life.

So THIS was who had been kicking my ribs.

So THIS was who had been keeping me company for the past 9 months.

It didn't take long to fall head over heels in love with her!

 She weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces and had quite the cone-head for a day.

One very proud daddy.

our first family photo

We love her little toes.

Heading home from the hospital-- so tiny!

The hospital stay was nice and I LOVED every nurse I had, but we are definitely glad to be home.

Cuddle time with daddy, who can frequently be heard saying "Why did we wait so long to have a baby?" 

and "When can we have another one?"

I almost punched him when he asked the latter as I was getting a million stitches right after her birth!

(I hope it's true what they say about forgetting the pain of childbirth).

Skin to skin with daddy's hairy chest after bath time.

Caught her sleep-smiling! Can't wait til it's real.

 In case you were wondering:

She looks just like Chris (as a baby).

Every feature on her is his.

Butt-chin, dimples, forehead wrinkles, mouth, lips, toes, etc.

So far she doesn't seem to have ANY of my features!

 Things have been going pretty great so far.

She is the perfect baby. Hardly ever cries or fusses (keeping our fingers crossed that it stays that way!).

My recovery is going to be a long road and has been AWFUL very painful so far but things are slowly getting better.

I just have to remind myself that I need to rest.

 It is very bizarre to me that I could still be pregnant and waiting for my due date.

So grateful that she came at the perfect time!

We are so crazy in love with her and happy that she is here!