Ruthie's first week

We got to the hospital early Thursday morning and it was FREEZING! Luckily we were at Gateway and had to walk all of 30 steps from the parking lot. I started pitocin at about 7 and Dr. Huish came and broke my waters at about 9 and things finally started rolling.

On our way

I was doing fine getting through contractions and the nurse came in to ask about an epidural at about 10:30. I told her I was fine for now, then the very next contraction about took my breath away. From one to the next they were all the sudden WAY more painful and coming every 2 minutes. So I said, nevermind, give it to me! It took about 30 minutes to get the anesthesiologist in there and ready.. They were coming every minute and he had to keep waiting for me to get though a contraction to give it to me.

For some reason the relief was not very immediate this time around.. It took a good 45 minutes to kick it, but I had a 'window' as they were calling it in my lower right side that I could still feel everything. They said it's rare, but can happen if the baby is laying in a certain way that blocks the medicine. So I was feeling everything in about a fourth of my uterus. It was much better than feeling it everywhere, but still so painful. They kept giving me boluses of the med and changing my position, but nothing was working. Finally about 2 hours later they gave me a shot of Fentanyl and it worked. I was so exhausted by this point and so drugged I was compleltey out of it. I got about a half and hour to rest when she said I was a 10 and ready to go. I seriously didn't want to do it, I didn't know if I could even push or even move my finger for that matter. They got me in position (with no help from me) and I started having horrible shaking. Dr. Huish came in and I was somehow able to push. I pushed though three contractions and she was out! It was the easiest delivery.

Those first moments seeing your new baby are amazing! It's so emotional and overwhelming. The whole time I'm laboring I'm wondering why in the world I keep doing this to myself. At one point I said I was never doing it again. Then she was in my arms and I would have done anything to have gotten her here, and every second of pregnancy and labor was all worth it.

We stayed that night and were so ready to come home the next day. Our nurse said she'd never discharged someone so fast.. she couldn't believe we wanted to go home so quick...the shorter the better with hospitals for us. The pediatrician checked Ruthie out and said she was perfectly healthy... and home we were.

She is very well loved and cuddled

Look who Ruthie makes look huge!!

Benson likes when she's awake and when she holds his hand. He holds her lots and always calls her Ruthie Jane. Bela just keeps asking where 'that baby' is all day. "Where's that baby mom?" She'll hold her for brief moments, but she mostly just wants to know where she is... I'm wondering when she won't be 'that baby' anymore. :)

She's been a breeze so far. Perfectly good, calm, and content. And INCREDIBLY sweet. I can't seem to ever want to put her down. I could nuzzle into her face and neck and stay there all day if I could. I love her faces, her tiny noises, her stretches, her smell, her eyes... I really LOVE the newborn stage. I think she's mostly her daddy.. she even has one dimple on her left cheek just like he does. :)