our little girl's birth story.

First of all, I never wrote down Cruz's birth story and I really regret it. Also, it took my several days to write this out...and there are probably lots of typos and grammatical errors. :)  And...this is extremely long!! It's really just for me to remember...but I thought I'd share it with all of you, too!


On Wednesday morning, March 14th (2 days before my due date), Tyler and I went to my Dr's appointment together. My mom came over to watch Cruz for us. We were very curious to get an update from the Doctor. I had been dilated to 5cm for a couple weeks already...my bags had been packed for a few weeks already as we just didn't know when I would go! Our families were both on pins and needles waiting for the phone call. So, we were very curious about what my Dr would say....was I going to be dilated more? Should we induce? I didn't really want to induce, but was nervous about getting to the hospital in time once labor started. Well, right away when we got there my nurse checked my weight and blood pressure like normal...and I had high blood pressure. They had been keeping an especially close eye on me since I had high blood pressure with Cruz's pregnancy. That's why I was induced two weeks early with him. When my Dr. came in the room she said right away that she recommended that we induce. She said that there was no harm in inducing since the baby was already almost at 40 weeks, and that we should do it to avoid any complications due to the high blood pressure. She pretty much made the decision for us. We would be induced the next day...Thursday, March 15th. She said once the pitocin started that I should have the baby really fast...she thought I'd have it by noon!

We walked out of the hospital with excitement in our footsteps! We were going to have our baby in our arms the next day! I could hardly believe the time was almost here. We had lunch with my Mom at Chipotle and then Tyler went back to his office to finish up some things.  I spent the rest of the day with Cruz at home.  I was extremely excited, but I was also a bit emotional that day...thinking about how it was my last day as a mother to one. That it wouldn't ever just be the three of us anymore. Poor Cruz had a fever, so we cuddled on the couch and played together that afternoon.  Then Mom and Dad came and got him and took him to their place for the night.  We thought that would be best just in case I went into labor during the night.  Tyler and I had one goal that night: picking out a girl name and a boy name.  We still hadn't settled on the names yet.  :)  Tyler's mom arrived that night, as she wanted to make sure she was here when the baby arrived!

Tyler and I stayed up too late, as usual.  I was a bunch of nerves...it took me awhile to fall asleep.  We prayed for our baby together...thanking Jesus for this new little one we were about to meet.

Thursday morning I woke up about 6am and got ready.  I called the hospital to make sure our 7:15am check-in time was still scheduled, as they had asked us to do.  Our good friend, Matt, came over to start documenting our day with photos.  We sat down to eat breakfast and I thought about how we sat in the same spots a little over three years earlier...eating breakfast together before being induced with Cruz.  How time flies!!

We got to the hospital at about 7:25, and by 7:45 I was being hooked up to all the monitors.  It took forever to get all the paperwork and stuff all ready (they were really busy that day), so the pitocin didn't get started until around 9:30am.  I got my epidural right away - like at about 10am.  I had just started feeling a few light contractions before getting the epidural, but since I was already so dilated my Dr thought it would be best to get the epidural right away in case things went really fast.  I really don't like the process of getting those things (am so scared that I'm going to move!), but it went really well.  And it took really well...I could still move my legs a bit, but couldn't feel it when they broke my water a little while later.  I didn't even feel the water...they said that a lot came out.

We had a few visitors that morning...including my parents (who brought Cruz with them), Lance, Tyler's mom, and a few of my friends...Misty, Kristy, and Jill.  They all spent the day out in the waiting room...waiting to hear the big news.  I loved the fact that they all wanted to be there for us...we've got great family and friends!  

I took a nap around noon...still wasn't feeling the contractions (amazing!).  I started feeling nauseous  and threw up a few times.  My blood pressure dropped really low (like 75/40??) and the baby's heart rate dropped really low...the pitocin had caused things to go too fast and so they slowed it down.  My contractions were getting heavier at this point, but I still couldn't feel them.  The only thing that was bad was my nausea.  I also got the chills so they gave me some heated blankets.  I had to lay on my side since the epidural was taking to one side more strongly than the other.  Tyler sat by me and held my hand as we waited...before long the nurse told me I was at 8cm.  I think that was maybe a little after 2pm?  Not sure.   Tyler kept the family in the waiting room informed...we were all getting so excited!

Things progressed pretty quickly and by 3pm I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing.  I remember thinking how crazy it was that I couldn't feel the contractions...I remember how they felt at that point during labor with Cruz.  It was so different this time with an epidural that worked.  I was talking and laughing with Tyler and Dr. Collins. It was awesome.  They had me start pushing around 3pm.  They told me when I was having a contraction and then I would push...it took me a couple times to figure out the technique again. :)  Tyler was right by my side and was such an encouragement.  He also helped me relax by making me laugh between contractions.  I loved having him by my side.

I asked my Dr at one point during the pushing process what she thought the sex and weight would be.  She said she thought it was a girl, and she thought she would be 6 lbs 8 oz.  A few minutes later, when she saw the baby's head she said that she was going to have to withdraw her weight guess, as this baby was big!!  Thank goodness I couldn't really feel anything. :)

And at 3:26pm our baby girl was born.

When Tyler saw the head the first thing he said was "it's Cruz"!  He thought the baby looked just like Cruz at first. The Dr didn't say the sex, but just held her up and said "what is it?".  Both Tyler and I saw her at the same time and I said "it's a girl!".  We both started crying tears of happiness...we had a baby girl!!  We were overjoyed.  I couldn't believe it.  Tyler and I cried and kissed each other...and before I knew it our baby girl was on my chest.  She was absolutely beautiful.  I was so in love.  My baby was finally in my arms.  I just remember being so happy...I couldn't stop crying...and I couldn't take my eyes off of her.  They took her away for just a few minutes to weigh her and wrap her up, but then they put her right back on me.  We had some skin on skin time, which I loved.  It took awhile to calm her down.  I think she cried for about an hour.  They said that since she was bigger it was more traumatic for her to go through the birth canal.  

Tyler stepped out for a few minutes at like 3:45 to tell our family and friends the news.  I could hear their excitement from my room...everybody was so excited!  Tyler's Dad and his sister, Jenni, and her girls had arrived and were waiting as well...as well as my sister, Sara.  Tyler loved sharing the news with family.  We absolutely love not finding out the sex until the birth...it sure makes the birth extra exciting!

After Tyler came back in he held Eva for a little while...his new daughter.  I can't get enough of watching him hold Eva.  She looked so tiny in his arms.  He told me that he was really hoping for a girl, but was thinking it was a boy (he had pretty much convinced me that it was a boy).  I didn't know until after Eva arrived that he was really wanting a girl.  And can I just say...there is something so amazing about going through childbirth with your husband by your side.  I love how it draws us together.  There is so much emotion involved and there is noone I would rather spend that time with than Tyler.  I'm so thankful to have him.

We had Cruz come in by himself for some time with just the four of us after Eva had calmed down and Tyler had some time with her.  Cruz looked so cute walking around the curtain into the room...he just had eyes for baby Eva.  He crawled in the bed with me and looked at his baby sister.  I asked him if he liked her after a couple minutes, to which he replied "no", and asked to get down!  haha. :)  He was back up in my lap a little bit later, asking to hold her again.

After we had our time as our little family of 4, family and friends came in...they were so excited!  There is something so special about seeing your family welcome your daughter into the world.  I loved seeing their excitement.  When someone loves your child, they are showing love to the mommy as well. My heart was overflowing with joy.  Thank you to all of our family and friends who have welcomed Eva.  It sure means a lot to Tyler and I. 

So there it is...our little Eva's birth.  I keep replaying this day in my head...I don't ever want to forget it.  Giving birth is such an amazing experience...such a miracle.  We now have a priceless gift from God to love and raise...I am so thankful for our little Eva.