After a seemingly endless pregnancy of 39 weeks filled with a weight gain of nearly 60 pounds, overwhelming bilateral lower extremity edema, and long nights of Butterfinger bars and Mountain Dew, I was schedule for a labor induction at 0600 on the morning of December 14th, 2005.
Shortly after my admission, Pitocin was started to bring on the contractions. Then, around 1100, Dr. Sutter broke my water and my labor was officially under way.
I was so swollen that my face didn't even look like it was mine anymore. My nose was huge! This was a wonderful photo of me after laboring for about 5 hours already. I was epiduralized and getting pretty tired already.After my water was broken, Grace's heart rate kept dropping significantly after every contraction, called " persistent late decelerations". Unfortunately, she wasn't moving down into birth position and I just wasn't progressing very quickly. After interventions to help bring her heart rate up didn't work, it was pretty evident that an urgent C-section was the best option for everyone.
Before I knew it, I was in the operating room around 4pm. Poor Jesse was so worried and nervous!
This is me as I was lying on the operating table waiting for Grace to be born. Jesse was right next to me the whole time taking pictures.
Here she is! Grace Josephine arrived at 4:37 pm, weighing in at 7lbs. 3oz., 19 inches. The first thing Jesse said when he saw her was, "She looks just like me!"
Grace was wide awake after she was born. She was pink and chubby with a cute little birth mark shaped like a butterfly right between her eyes. The one thing that everyone commented on when she was born was how long her fingers were! People still tell us that, too. Maybe she'll play piano or guitar some day...The whole family was there when Grace was born. Everyone was waiting for her when Jesse carried her out of the OR to the nursery.
Our first family photo.
Aunt Renee, Chaela, Steve, and Nena (my mom), watching Grace through the nursery windows.
Grace's first bath while I was in the OR. My friend at work, Denise, cleaned her up while Jesse took pictures and our family watched through the nursery windows.
Back in my room after the C-section, I got to hold Gracie for the first time. It was the best feeling in the world!
My Dad's first photo as a Pap Pap with his new granddaughter.
Jesse's sister, Roberta, now more commonly known as "Aunt Sis", holding Grace for the first time. Grace is named after Roberta; they have the same middle name, Josephine.
One day old.
One month old.
Six months old.
12 months old.
18 months old, with a newborn little sister.
24 months old.
2 1/2 years old.
3 years old.Grace is an amazing, smart little girl. She is an awesome big sister and we just love her with all of our hearts. I love watching her grow and learn every day!
1 comment:
Awesome post, Tiff! The first time I met you, you were pregnant with Grace, and well into the Butterfinger and Mountain Dew phase. ;-)
I laughed out loud when I read that Jesse said Grace looked just like him when she was born - boy, he hit the nail on the head right away with that one, didn't he?!
AND! I also cracked up at that first picture of her in the OR, all wrapped up and looking at the camera - she looks JUST like she does now. If you would have lined up 10 pics of white little girl newborns, I so would have picked her out right away. She's incredibly cute! She and Ben need to play together sometime - they would have a ton of fun :-)
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