My littlest love is already a week old today, and it’s so very hard to believe! I figured I needed to get her birth story up before the memories start to fade a bit, so here we go!
I started having symptoms of cholestasis right around 35 weeks. Itchy hands and feet told me it had returned yet again (I had it with Natalie also) and I was also having a lot of preterm labor. I went to my 36 week appointment and told my doctor and she said we would be delivering baby at exactly 37 weeks. Finding out you’re going to meet your babe in only 10 days is one of the craziest feelings ever!
I spent the next 10 days super busy. We had Natalie’s birthday party and her celebration on her actual birthday along with doing all the cleaning and before-baby prep work. The time seriously flew, and before I knew it baby day had come!
I was allowed to eat until 11:00am, so I started the day with a big breakfast from Mimi’s Cafe. We had a nice quiet day with the girls, settled them in with Brian’s mom, and then headed out around 2:30 to go to the hospital. They wanted us there 3 hours early for pre-op, and I was honestly glad because the waiting game was killing me!
Once we got to the hospital, they took us back to labor and delivery for pre-op fairly quickly, where I had an amazing team of nurses helping to get me ready. They told me that rumor had it that my OB might want to start with me a little early, and I got so excited! Sure enough, they walked me to the OR a half hour earlier than expected and we got ready to start the c-section.
I felt so much more calm this time than I was with Natalie. It was nice to know what to expect, and I was able to joke around with my nurses and actually had some fun. They brought Brian in to sit by my head and hold my hand, and I knew then it wouldn’t be long before our baby girl was born!
I heard my OB and nurses giggle at the sight of her little breech booty popping out of my uterus. “She has the cutest little buns!” made me crack up, and minutes later at 7:09 pm Evelyn Mackenzie Hope entered the world! (Fun fact: all of my girls were born during the 7:00pm hour, Baylee was 7:15, Natalie was 7:42) I didn’t hear a cry, so I knew immediately something wasn’t right. Brian could see her on the warmer and said they were giving her oxygen and that she was starting to pink up, which was a relief. They had to work on her so long, though that they decided she needed to go to the nursery for 4 hours of observation. I was bummed but I knew my OB had to finish my tubal ligation (I decided to get my tubes tied so no miracle oops babies in the future) and I had to still go to recovery, so I was hoping that would make time go by fast. Before they took her, I got to spend a few moments with her by my head snuggling and telling her “Happy Birthday!”
Once I was in recovery, Brian left the nursery to see me and show me pictures and video of our girl. I didn’t even know her stats yet, so he filled me in that she was 18 inches long and weighed 6 lbs 13.5 oz. Right around the same size as our other two beauties! I was counting the time to be able to finally meet her, and before I knew it, they were wheeling me in to my postpartum room.
Once I was there, and settled in, Brian went back to to nursery to see how she was doing. He texted me to let me know she was having chest retractions while breathing, so they needed to do a chest x-ray and keep her for and additional 6 hours. I was heartbroken that I wouldn’t be able to meet my baby on the night of her birth. I tried to get some sleep, but it was nearly impossible because I was so worried about her. Brian stayed with her until around 1:00am and then came to the room so we could both get a couple hours of sleep before she joined us in our room. At 4:30 I woke Brian up to go back to the nursery, and at 5:30 he texted me that they were on their way to the room! I was finally going to get to hold my baby girl!
She was an absolute dream, and looked just like a combination of her big sisters. That “big love” feeling returned immediately, and I couldn’t believe there was ever a time that I almost lived life without her! She is 100% the missing puzzle piece that completes us.
I was also very lucky because my mom happens to be a postpartum nurse at the hospital where I delivered, so she got to be with me all 3 days, and got to give Evelyn her first bath which she has now done with all 3 of my girls! So special!
We stayed in the hospital for one more night, and both her and I were doing so well the next day that we were discharged to go home! I was so excited because it was Valentine’s Day and she was the most perfect Valentine’s Day present! Plus I was going to get to see my big girls, and I couldn’t wait!
It was love at first sight for the two big sisters, and now we are settling in as a party of 5! Welcome to the world Evy girl, you are the most perfect addition that completes us and we love you to the moon and back!
