Your Birth!!!

Well, Little Girl!! You are here!!! We were very excited! :) You waited until you were 41 weeks in my belly and then you still had no intention of coming out! At our last doctor appointment on Feb 15, they said we were at 3 cm dilated. But, when we got to the hospital on Feb 21 to have you, they said more like a 2! We went backwards!!! And I did all those things to encourage you to come out!! So, ultimately inducing was our only option! So, this post is going to be a recount of February 21, 2011 -- the best day of your mommy and daddy's lives! :)

Below is a picture of me at 41 weeks pregnant, the day before you chose to come meet us!
Your daddy and I had to get up REALLY early the day you were born! We had to leave for the hospital by 6:00 in the morning! So we were up at 5:00!! We got around and got ready, then we headed for the hospital! We had to be there by 7:00. We made it with great time, and the nurse took us back to our room. The first thing we noticed was there was no whirlpool tub. Our birth plan was to go as natural as possible while having you and we knew a tub would help with that. When we asked the nurse about it she said that when you start pitocin (which is the medication they give mommy to start the labor) you have to be on the monitor the whole time - which means no tub, and very little time out of bed!
Though this was not OUR birth plan, I had prayed to God all weekend to grant me peace in however you came into the world. So, I took a big breath and said, Okay - let's do this! :)

You know, there were some signs that everything was going to be okay. For example, our nurses for your delivery were named Carrie and Faith. Carrie - like Carrie Underwood (your mommy's favorite singer), and Faith - as in God! So I felt pretty good when I saw that.

The contractions were pretty rough. It was hard for me to lay in bed and not be able to move and wiggle through the pain. But, they had to have your heart monitor on you at all times. At one point I sat up and said I Just Have To Move!! The nurse came in when I did this, because you had fallen off the monitor. She let me get up and go to the bathroom, and then she let me sit on the ball for a while. The ball felt amazing - Much Better than laying in that bed!!

Your daddy never left my side. He did great telling me how wonderful I was doing. He was an awesome coach the entire day!!

After a little while on the ball I began to really decide if I wanted to go without the epidural. I knew you were going to be a big baby so I needed to decide if I wanted to continue without meds. I decided I wanted to somewhat enjoy your arrival, so I went ahead and decided to get the epidural. The nurses checked me right before I got the epidural and I was at a 7.5 almost an 8!! We were almost there!! But I went ahead and got the epidural! It was 1:15 at this time. I'm glad I got it, it numbed my contractions enough to where they weren't too painful, yet I didn't get enough drugs to where I was still able to move in bed and move my legs! I was also able to visit with your daddy, Mimi, and Amy while we waited for me to progress the rest of the way.

I wasn't able to eat this whole time, so I was starving! The entire pregnancy if I got hungry I would get sick. Well, labor and delivery was no different! I threw up the morning of delivery and threw up in the middle of labor!! So, your daddy did a wonderful job of feeding me ice to fill my tummy so I wouldn't get sick!

Well, at 2:00 they checked me again and I was basically at a 10 - but you had rotated! So they had me lay on my left side to encourage you to rotate back and they told me to go ahead a push slightly with the contractions! So the next hour that's what I did!

At 3:00 it was time to really start pushing! Your daddy did amazing again, counting and encouraging me the entire time! My epidural was so light, I could pretty much feel everything that was going on, but it did numb the pain a little! I pushed until 3:25 and they were concerned the doctor wasn't going to make it!! But she walked in just in time!!

And you were born at 3:34!!

This is your daddy and I meeting you for the first time - it was pretty amazing!

Despite the pain you caused when you came out, I was in love at first sight! You caused a 3 degree tear when you came out, the doctor said she wasn't expecting you to be that big so she didn't cut me to help you make it through, so you just cut your own way through!

Our first family photo - we were both very happy and you weren't too upset yet! :)

They weighed you and you were 8 pounds, 11 ounces!! I was expecting bigger! So I was pretty pleased! :) You were also 20 inches long!

They took your footprints and put a bracelet on your ankle and wrist. That way all the nurses knew you belonged to US! :)

Your daddy was so happy to meet you and finally get to hold you! When I saw him smiling at you in his arms I cried it was such a beautiful moment to see him finally get to meet you!

Then it was my turn to hold you again! I can tell we are going to have a very special bond! You are my sunshine and my angel - and I am so in love with you!

your daddy just couldn't get enough of you - you are so perfect!

This was the best day ever - I couldn't have asked for a better delivery - or a more perfect baby! I can't wait to start our new chapter together! :)

We named you Eliana Bonnie Marie Higginbotham. Eliana means God has heard and answered our prayers. Which is a beyond perfect meaning for you! Bonnie is after your Great-Grandma Bonnie Higginbotham, who you will never meet, but we will tell you all about her and how amazing she was! And Marie is after your Grandma-Great Marie Regehr, that is who your mommy is named after and she is one awesome lady!

Little Girl, we are so excited that you are finally here! We cannot wait to share our lives with you and start our exciting journey together as a family!

We love you very much!

Mommy