Family of Four

Clara was able to come visit us a few hours after May was born. 

The first thing she said was "Hi baby May!"

She likes to wave to her little sister.

I was so happy when Clara wanted to climb in bed with me... She doesn't usually want to sit by me like that.

And then she wanted to "hold it... Baby May!"

Our new family of four!

{Maylee Renae}

Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day! I remember waking up at 6 am with a contraction. It was mild, but painful enough that it woke me up. I was able to fall back asleep and continued having random (20-40 minutes apart), mild contractions throughout the morning. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I was pretty excited that they would make me stop everything just to focus on breathing.

11 AM- I started timing the contractions. They were coming about 10-12 minutes apart, still only mildly painful. I debated whether or not to find a sub for my Sunday School class or not (church was at 2, sunday school at 3)

12 Noon- Still trying not to get my hopes up that this might be real labor, but they were coming about 9 minutes apart. I texted my team teacher because even if I went to church, I didn't think I'd be able to talk through the contractions- real or false.

1 PM- I debated on going to the hospital or not. I really didn't want to be sent home. I wasn't quite miserable enough yet... They weren't making me cry. They were coming about 7-8 minutes apart. My dad came and picked up Clara to go hang out at his house.

2 PM- I tell Dennis that we should probably go to the hospital. If this isn't the real thing then I will go crazy! We get our stuff together, take our sweet time, he gives me a beautiful priesthood blessing, I make him go to the back porch and take my picture, and we get in the car at 2:30.

2:40 PM- We stop by the ATM because we have no cash for the vending machines. I tell Dennis he could grab a burger if he wanted to... We weren't in a rush.

2:50 PM- We get to the hospital and decide that I need to stop smiling and act more miserable so they don't laugh and send me home.

3:00 PM- I take my sweet time putting on my cute home-made hospital gown, sign all the papers, wait to get checked by the nurses...

3:10 PM- The nurse comes in to check me and tells me she's happy that I will give her something to do for the last four hours of her shift. She asks if I want an epidural. I do. She checks me and laughs. "Well honey, you're at a 7. You might not be getting that epidural!"

Up until this point everything has been calm, relaxed, and leisurely. I mean, the contractions weren't pleasant by any means, but I still didn't think they were horrible enough for me to be in real labor. I remember Clara's making me cry and writhe in pain. It's funny, because all of the contractions after this point were rather intense... THOSE were the ones I remembered with Clara!

The nurses called the anesthesiologist to come back quickly- he had just left the hospital after giving drugs to a previous laboring mother. The nurses say he might get back in time to give me something for the pain, but that I probably couldn't get an epidural. The next little while was a whirl wind of contractions and phone calls (grandma Mary better leave from Kimberly quick if she was going to get there in time!) and monitors and needles. They told me the baby would be here soon, but I don't think I had any idea how soon exactly...

3:20 PM- I'm now an 8 and 100%. Three or four nurses frantically try to get an IV in my stubborn small veins. It feels really weird as they fish around in my arm trying to get it to "slide in" or something... I don't remember what terms they used but I just remember is sounding (and feeling) really weird and icky. I now have five really sore spots where they were unsuccessful in getting an IV to go in. They ask, "do you really want an epidural?" Um yes. Poke me again please!

3:40 PM- The anesthesiologist (my most favoritest person EVER!) comes in and gets my IV in my arm in no time (albeit in a very inconvenient spot- but I'll take it!) and gives me two options: 1) Epidural 2) Intrathecal. I guess they pretty much have the same effect, but the Epidural takes at least 15 minutes to start working, but can continue to give relief throughout the duration of labor. An intrathecal starts numbing instantly, but will only last an hour or an hour and a half. He didn't want to decide for me- he wanted me to decide. The nurse may have whispered to me to definitely get the intrathecal. I still didn't understand how fast this baby was coming, but I took the nurse's advice. Oh how I love those drugs! It was perfect to "take the edge off." I could feel the contractions, but they didn't make me feel like I would die.

3:50 PM- The anesthesiologist and doctor trade places. He tells the nurses to go ahead and break down the bed (me thinking, "already?") and prep for baby. He breaks my water. I'm at a 9.

3:55 PM- They tell me I can push with the next contraction. We get an announcement that grandma is just down the hall. The doctor has me wait to start pushing so grandma could get there. I announce that "somebody better have a camera on this baby when she's born!" First contraction of pushing... Second contraction of pushing (I don't even wanna know what that feels like without drugs!)... Third, very painful contraction of pushing...

Baby Maylee Peters was born! 

(We still didn't settle on a middle name)

4/15/12. 4:09 PM. 7lbs 1oz. 21 inches long.

Maylee didn't cry immediately afterwards. She had the umbilical cord around her neck and arm so the doctor had to cut it. Dennis said she was a little blue, but she did let out a little cry after they took her to the warmer (insert mommy's sigh of relief) and was completely fine after that. Dennis "trimmed" her cord, they checked her, weighed her, wrapped her up and brought her back to me. What a sweet and beautiful baby girl! Minus a couple of stitches and five excess IV holes, it couldn't have gone any more perfectly. I can't imagine what might've happened if we stopped for a burger... Or went to church to teach my lesson (finish class at 4... Baby at 4:09?) I remember feeling so discouraged on Saturday night that after one of my 3:00 AM trips to the restroom I just had to talk to my Heavenly Father about it. I knew that I was still a week out from my due date, and that every day I was pregnant was a day that May would grow and be better prepared for the outside world, but i was just so depressed walking around (practically) in early labor for so long. I remember asking to know when I should go to the hospital (I had had so many false labors that I didn't feel like I would know when the real thing would be coming) and I remember wanting so badly to just ask for my water to break like it did with Clara... But I mostly prayed for patience and knowledge to make the judgement call of when to go in, and just to say that I was ready for this baby to come if she was. I am SO GLAD that my water didn't break! I think Dennis would've been delivering our baby at home if that were to have happened. It is very humbling to look back on instances like that and just realize that Heavenly Father knows what's best for us, and sometimes NOT getting what we want is a blessing. What tender mercies I have been given!

Just a few seconds old...

Happy she's here!

7 lbs 0.7oz (how's that for perfection?)

Waiting to hold Maylee...

Sportin' the eye goop...

Daddy gets to hold baby May!

...And change her diaper. What a good dad!

Stubborn veins of mine... I suppose I really can't complain because if my arms are the worst of my post-partum pains I think I've got it pretty easy!

Thanks for taking all of these pictures mom. :) You know how happy pictures make me! :)

Welcome to the world sweet baby Maylee!

She's Here!

{Maylee Renae Peters}

4/15/12 ~ 4:09 PM ~ 7lbs 1oz ~ 21 inches

I think she looks like Clara did, but with a rounder face and a bit more hair. She is definitely a Peters!

Our room was right by the heli pad... Every time it flew by it made me think of Clara. She would've LOVED to see it in action!

Maylee's sweet little dry feet...

And teeny tiny fingers!

Mmmm... We love our sweet baby May so much already!

Everything went well and we are home now enjoying the beautiful spirit she brings to our family. Dennis has this week off work and I'm very grateful to have so much of his help as we try and balance things so that everyone gets at least a little bit of sleep. ;-) I have lots of pictures and Miss Maylee's birth story to share but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get it all written and posted. I'm having a hard enough time keeping my eyes open long enough to write this post, so it might be a few days! Just know that we are all healthy and happily adjusting to our new little family of four. :) 

Nap Time {And a Pregnancy Update}

I put Clara down for her nap yesterday afternoon. I was aware that she didn't actually fall asleep until at least an hour later... But I didn't know this is what she was doing!!!

Clara's newest thing is to organize the books/dvd's in a pathway and slip and slide on them. Oh boy.

I got out the infant car seat a couple weeks ago so I could wash it and get it ready for the baby. It is Clara's new favorite hang-out. She gets really mad when we take it away from her. I wonder how she's going to feel when there's a little baby occupying her car seat...

*Pregnancy Update* (Because I know you really want to know these details... haha!)

I am 38 weeks 3 days with baby girl #2. Yesterday at my Dr. appointment I actually ended up seeing the same doctor as last week because the one I had an appointment with was busy delivering one of the 7 babies (plus 3 scheduled c-sections) they had in yesterday morning. It made me giggle because he pretty much told me the same thing as last week, except instead of "probably go into labor within the week" that I'd "probably go into labor within the next couple of days." Hmm... If I see him at next week's appointment I'm not sure if I will laugh or cry! I would still only be 39 weeks, but it's the whole "she's-coming-any-minute-now... but-not-really" thing that is driving me crazy and trying my patience! Not that I am mad at the Dr. for his estimates... I just wonder if it'd be better if I never heard them and just went on being ignorantly pregnant. I guess this baby is just determined to not follow the "norm."

So, as of yesterday I am dilated to a 4, 80% effaced, and at a zero station (baby is low). From what I've read in the pregnancy books I've progressed from early to active labor with those stats! Haha. Awesome. Two nights ago the contractions were actually a little painful so I timed them for almost three hours. They never got closer than 7 minutes, and the pain eventually faded. I really really really thought I was in labor, but alas, I was able to fall asleep and woke up contraction free. Yesterday I asked the Dr. when EXACTLY I should come in because I was really debating about it two nights ago... He said if my water breaks or if contractions come every 5-10 minutes for an hour. I think I could've gone into the hospital four or five times these past two weeks... But they just didn't hurt enough to be the real thing in my mind. I think next time though I will go in. I am really nervous that since I am already halfway through labor that when it really does happen it will go so fast that I won't get there in time for an epidural. Is that a legitimate fear to have? If it goes really fast is the pain "easier" to bear naturally? I'm not into breathing exercises (they make me feel like I'm going to pass out- and I know what passing out feels like! Haha), nor am I much in control of my mental self enough for the whole hypno/positive-thought/imagine-you're-drinking-virgin-pina-coladas-at-the-beach kind of "pain management" that they taught in Clara's birthing class. I made my mind up long ago that I was a fan of anesthesia in all its forms (a certain Ramones song comes to mind... I want to learn it on the guitar but I sadly don't have room on my lap for both my belly and my guitar) even if it's only partially effective on me. I think my dentist uses at least 3 or 4 times the "usual" dose of Novocain to get me sufficiently numb (bless him!) Maybe the thought of saving a few hundred dollars by not getting an epidural would be good pain management for me... Now that is some motivating positive thinking! ;-)

Hmm... This was going to be a short pregnancy update. Can you tell what I constantly think/talk/write about these days? Haha... Keep cookin' baby... I will try really hard to be patient!