Sophia Brynn is here!!!

Sorry for the much delayed post, but we've been a bit busy around here:) Sophia was born 12/5/09 at 12:07 PM. She weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

For those who only want the pics, scroll down. For others who want the details, keep reading. I'll probably keep adding to this also, as I remember more info. It's amazing how Mother Nature can work so quickly to let us forget the "bad" stuff and only hold on to the good. But really, the whole experience was ok.

We left for the hospital about 7:15 and stopped at McD's on the way (fries of course). As we were walking out of our condo, Dan said "let's go have a baby." My waterworks started and I cried, and cried, and cried some more.

We checked in at 8 pm, and by the time we were in a room and the pitocin started it was about 10 pm. The nurse checked me and there had been no progress since last dr appt, still at 3 cms. I didn't feel much for several hours, just the same as what I'd been feeling. It was interesting though to see the contrax on the monitor, b/c alot of them I 1) didn't feel or 2) felt but would never have thought it was a contrax. We were surprisingly able to sleep most of the night. She checked me again and I was 4 cm and 90% effaced. Prior to checking, she told me not to be disappointed if there wasn't much progress. It was hard not to be though, after over 4 hours of pitocin I had hoped for more. About 5 am I woke up to some pretty bad cramps. The nurse had told me to tell her when I got to that point, but being the people pleaser that I am, I wanted to make sure they were "bad" enough. After each one, I thought to myself "oh that wasn't horrible" but looking back they were all really intense. I finally told her about 6 am and she didn't even check me, just told me I was next in line with the anesethioglist for the epidural. I got that about 7 am. I got checked again after that and was at 7 cm and 100% effaced. The nurse told me to tell her when I started having "pressure in your bottom." Again, being the people pleaser, I wanted to make sure the pressure was "enough" prior to bothering her:) It finally got to that point about 10:20. I was checked again and ready to go!!! Wouldn't you know it, Dan had just left to go take a walk. I called his cell and just said "you need to get back here now." He didn't even ask, just hung up on me and was back in 2 minutes. While waiting for him, the nurse had me do a couple practice pushes. I just kept thinking he better get his ass back here, or the nurse better slow this down!

In all, I pushed for about 1.5 hours. We had to stop pushing and wait for dr (yes, I did all this with only the nurse), b/c Sophie's h/r kept decelerating as I pushed. They put oxygen on me, and we waited about 40 min for Dr. S to show. Once Dr. S was there, it was about 30 minutes and Sophie was born! During those final pushes, Dr. S asked Dan if he was going to cut the cord. THis was honestly something we had never discussed. He seemed hesitant but in the end decided to do it. Oh, and I might add...he saw almost the entire birth. All along he had told me he "just wanted a shoulder." But when it came time, curiousity got the better of him and he watched. I, on the other hand, had no interest in that mirror they tried to give to me. No way.

She came out with cord wrapped around her neck, completely silent. I knew she was silent, but something...endorphins maybe...who knows, kept me calm. I just layed there, as Dr. S did whatever she did and finally they put Sophie on my belly. I was just overwhelmed. Speechless. I think it was at least 15 minutes before I even uttered a word. Dan went with her to the warming table and was talking to her constantly, while I just lie there. I had a bazillion thoughts running through my head, but none made it out of my mouth. I finally said "she's beautiful."

I, however, was put through the ringer, thanks to her big head:) I had a 3rd degree episiotomy. It seemed like it took forever for her to sew me up. Thank goodness for meds. In all though, the labor was relatively easy, compared to what it could have been. I would do it again, WITHOUT MEDS, if it meant that Sophie was the prize at the end.

Her first APGAR was 8 and second was 9. She was completely healthy, and born with strawberry blond hair:)

We are utterly amazed by her. She is wonderful in every sense of the word. I didn't think she looked like either of us at first. The day after she was born the hospital photographer came to take some pics, and it was only after viewing those that I realized she looks exactly like Dan. I was almost freaky how much those pics looked like him.

On the day we came home, I cried the second I sat in the wheelchair and the nurse put Sophie (in carseat) on my lap. We had done it, finally done it. In the IF world, most RE's gauge sucess on the idea of a "live birth." I personally hate that term, but it is what it is. There's no real way to sugar coat it. Another term that I also dislike but is very descriptive is "take home baby." As I sat in the wheelchair, all I kept thinking was that we finally had our take-home baby.

I'm writing this 6 days after her birth, and lots more has happened since then, but I'll save those for a different post.

Here are some pics...

Minutes old.

Meeting mommy for the first time.

Ready to go home!