Introducing...... Allie Rose Joy!!!

The blessed event finally happened! I was beginning to think she would never come out. Dr. said he would induce me Monday the 28th if I hadn't had her by then, but luckily she came before that. So Saturday at about 5:15 am, I started having some minor contractions. They were pretty steady and I was peeing every 15 minutes. It was all the peeing that made me suspicious. With Sophie I peed every 10 minutes until my water broke. So at 7am I finally turned on the light in the bathroom, dry heaved like crazy, and realized that I was spotting. I thought, "Hooray!! Today is the day!" No one was up yet, but I couldn't lay down anymore because I was antsy and hurting so I did what any normal, in the middle of labor, type of woman would do......I took a shower. I looked hideous with Sophie in after pictures and didn't want that again so my hair was going to look nice by golly! Plus the hot water on my back was excellent pain relief:)
I got out of the shower and found Regan in with my mom on the couch. I told my mom that today was the day. She just smiled and said that the first thing Regan said when she got upstairs was, "I think my mom is going to have her baby today." My mom didn't know what was going on with me and Regan had never really talked about when she thought I would have the baby, just prayed that it would be soon, but she said, "Oh really...why do you think that?" "I don't know, I just do." So funny:)
I woke Jason up and told him today was the day. Contractions were pretty steady, about every 3-8 minutes. It was such a different experience from Sophie. With Sophie I was miserable and having irregular contractions all day til my water broke in the afternoon, then they were non-stop and I was howling. These contractions were painful, but not crazy Sophie contractions so I was wondering if I should wait at home for a while until my water broke or just head up to the hospital. I didn't want to get up there and have them send me home. I tested GBS positive a few weeks before, so I reasoned that I should play it safe and head up to the hospital since it is 20+ minutes away.

Getting in the van to go.

We took Regan and Sophie to a friend in the university housing. Thank you Amy! Jason's sister, Patty was in Lindon for the holiday and came and got them a couple hours later. We had Thanksgiving with Patty and her in-laws on Thursday and Patty was actually going to leave that day to go home, but since I was having the baby she delayed her going to the next day. She had been up for 2 weekends before that, eager to hold a brand new baby and had left disappointed both times, so she didn't want to miss it this time:) We were glad she was here and could help with the girls.

My mom came on November 16th to help out. She unpacked boxes, got the babies room ready, sewed some last minute things, cooked, cleaned, took care of the girls and me. In the picture above she is finishing my hair since I didn't finish it at home. She has been such a great help and I am so grateful for my wonderful mother!!

On Tuesday when I saw my dr. I was 80% effaced and dilated to 2cm. We got to the hospital about 9:15am and when they checked me at the hospital I was fully effaced and dilated to 5cm! They weren't going to send me home.....hooray!! Things just went so smoothly. Steady contractions, but not crazy. I got an epidural and that was awesome. I did have to stay on my right side though, because everytime I laid on my left side, my blood pressure would drop. At one point it was 71/33. They came in around noon and was at 7cm. I needed two doses of antibiotics for the GBS before they would break my water. At 2:30 they broke my water and there was some meconium in it. They never gave me any pitocin, which I didn't mind. I did have 4 bags of i.v. fluid and was pretty dehydrated because I only peed out a little over one bag worth. I got very swollen. So much for nice pictures afterward. I was at 10cm around 4:45pm and started pushing around 5pm. This pushing process was lots easier than Sophie too. With Sophie I couldn't feel anything and they had to tell me when to push. This time I could feel some pressure and they let me lead on when to push. It was hard to breath through it all because of my sinus infection, but it was a great experience and lasted about 40 minutes.

Here's Allie's stats:

Born at 5:42pm

7lb 14 oz

19.5 inches

13.5 head circumference
She was so alert after birth. She just kept looking around and studying everybody. She definitely knows her mommy! She quiets down to my voice and looks so knowingly at me. I am smitten with her! I am in deep smit over this sweet, sweet girl.

Patty brought Regan and Sophie up and they were pretty sweet with her. They sang her songs and took turns holding her.

Regan is particularly taken with Allie. I asked her if she would rather have a baby brother or baby Allie, and she said definately baby Allie. "She is the sweetest and cutest baby in the whole world!!" For an hour, one morning, she sang her all the soft, quiet songs she could think of. She worries about her safety constantly.

We came home Monday afternoon from the hospital. I had recovered our car seat (a process which I will not be repeating) and i think it turned out pretty cute. I also made that beanie that's on her head. She is eating so well. She had an appointment on Wednesday with the pediatrician and had started gaining back some of the weight she had lost. She is probably back up to her birth weight by now.

Allie has brought such a sweet spirit into our home. She is so sweet, special and precious. The way she looks at me sometimes I swear she is trying to smile, but can't quite get it yet. I am so pleased with how Regan and Sophie are handling everything. I have three sweet girls...seriously so blessed:)