Tori Annette's Birthday!

I was due on October 19th, but I still hadn't even really felt contractions or anything so on Thursday the 23rd the doctor scheduled me for an induction on Sunday the 26th. I was pretty nervous since I didn't really know what to expect at all, but I was excited to get going with having a baby!

We got a phone call at 5:30am Sunday morning telling us to come in anytime between 6 and 6:30, and so we packed up and ate breakfast (I was too nervous to really eat anything) and headed to the hospital. Once there we got started on the Pitocin and by seven-thirty I was feeling contractions--but just barely. I had a fantastic nurse who explained everything to me and was super about humoring me in my nervousness. We watched several movies to distract me and then the doctor came in after about a couple hours. He quickly broke my water and put in internal monitors for the contractions and the baby's heartbeat. Luckily the nurse had walked me through everything he put in me, because he didn't explain anything--just did it really quickly and then left again.

After my water was broken the contractions started harder and faster. I continued with this for a few hours, while watching more movies and talking to Jimmy (who was already exhausted since he was so excited). I dilated about 1 cm an hour (which is normal) and when I was about a five I was ready for my pain medication. I told the nurse and quickly got an epidural. The epidural helped me relax enough to be able to focus on trying to use the contractions instead of just get through them and although I could still feel a lot of pressure, I wasn't in pain anymore which was great!

After the epidural I started dilating really fast. I was a six almost immediately, then an 8 in twenty minutes, then a nine in another 20-30 minutes. At an eight I felt like pushing and made Jim go get the nurse to check me. She told me she'd be back in about a half hour, but in like ten minutes I made him find her again. I was moving fast! In the meantime we were on the phone with Mom who was quickly trying to make it to the hospital in time for the birth (she was driving up). Mom and Annie got to the hospital about ten minutes before I became a ten (we sent Annie to the waiting room), and then the nurse had me start pushing. Then she told me to stop while she went for the doctor, and then I had another half hour or so of pushing with him. And then Tori came out! (2:53 pm)

She was so gorgeous and I was about to cry--but she had swallowed a lot of fluid during delivery and so I only got her for a minute before they took her away. They suctioned her out in the delivery room, then took her down to the NICU with Jimmy to use a machine to clean her out. She was on the machine for an hour. In the meantime I cleaned up a bit then went down to the NICU to see her for a bit. Then the nurse took me back to my room and I sat with Mom and Annie while Jimmy was with her. They took her to the nursery afterwards for her bath and to do their stuff. I was pretty irritated that I had to do all the work and Jimmy got to spend all the time with her! Finally (7pm) they brought her to the room and we got some time together. We had lots of people there to see her--the Olsons, Adam, my Grandma, Mom, Annie, (I think that was everyone...) It was great. Finally, about 8, we got some time just for the three of us and were able to feed her and hold her. She's so beautiful!

I'll post a few pictures here, but there are more on my facebook--check there!