She's Here!!!!

Well I didn't get to do bump-dates for weeks 36 and 37, because things got crazy so fast, but after all our months of waiting she's finally here!!!!

Baylee Christina Grace Tibbetts! She was born at 7:15pm on July 15th, 2014. She weighed 7 pounds even and was 17.5 inches long! We are so incredibly in love with her sweet little face!!!

Baylee's Birth Story

I am so excited to report that Baylee's birth was amazing and I could not have asked for a better team (both family and medical) to have gone through the process with! My labor started around 4:00pm on July 14th. I was ridiculously tired and took probably 6 hours worth of naps all day long. It was weird...like my body knew what was coming and that it needed to stock up on energy! After having some pretty consistent contractions for a few hours, I knew something was up. I didn't want to freak out at the risk of going to the hospital and getting sent home again, though, so I just hung in there and let me body do what it was going to do. Brian and I went to bed around 9:00pm that night and I told him to get some sleep because it was very likely to be a long night! After about 3 hours of tossing and turning while laboring in bed, I finally lost my mucous plug. I knew that meant it was time. I tried to stay quiet for a bit longer, but finally at 1:30am I told Brian it was time to go. We got to triage and I was dilated to a 3.5. I was told that if I could progress after walking around for a couple of hours that they would admit me. My sisters and mom met Brian and I at the hospital and they all walked with us.

I walked around and by the time I got checked again at 5:00am I had already progressed to a 5.5! Holy crap...this was actually happening! We were admitted to our room and I got all hooked up to my IV and monitors...we were ready to do this! I wasn't nervous at all, just very excited! Really, all I could think about was how bad I wanted some breakfast!

We hung around for a bit and my contractions started to get stronger and closer together. I did my best to breathe through them and just let it happen. Laying in bed slowed down my progress a bit, so they let me get out and walk around the room and bounce on my labor ball. That definitely helped, because before I knew it my contractions got ridiculous! I was in sooooooo much pain! I literally felt like I was going to scale the walls and I started violently shaking all over. I tried to just hang with it, but I started to worry that the energy I was using to labor would leave me with no energy to push. It was around 3:00pm at this point so I had been laboring for almost 24 hours. I caved in and got an epidural, but I was so proud that I went as long as I did without one!

Once I got an epidural I was in a way better place. I kicked everyone out except for Brian and my Mom and took a nice rest. An hour and a half later my nurse checked me and I was at a 10! The time that we had been waiting for was finally here! The nurses prepped my room for delivery, and my cheerleaders (my sisters and mother-in-law) came back into the room. We started pushing and it was so exhilarating! Definitely the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I wanted that baby out so bad that I used every ounce of energy I had to push her down as far as I could. As soon as her head was in a low enough position, the nurses called the doctor  to come in. I was so excited that I was finally going to meet my baby! Once the doctor came in, I pushed a few more times and then she told me that if she performed an episiotomy that I would be able to get her out on the next push. Sure enough, I pushed with all my might and her little head popped right out! One last push and before I knew it she was on my chest crying in all her glory! There was not a dry eye in the room! It was literally the most beautiful moment of my life! Brian gave me a hug and a kiss and I looked at him and said "Babe! We're parents!" I fell in love with my husband all over again!

They took her away to do her measurements and get her all cleaned up. It was the longest time in my life to wait to have my baby back! When she came back we did skin-to-skin and I immediately started to breast feed her. She breast fed like a little champ and made me so proud! I couldn't believe how beautiful and perfect she was! In just one moment in time I went from preggo to mommy and the joy is unexplainable!

We stayed in the hospital for a couple of days, and since then Baylee has been doing great at home! We are the happiest little family of 3!!! I plan on using the blog now to give updates on Baylee as she grows and changes!