The last couple weeks waiting for Hallie was an emotional experience. We were all so ready for her to be here, and I was certainly ready to be done with pregnancy. At my 39 week appointment, I was only 50% effaced and at a 2. We were hoping to induce a couple days early over a the weekend because of Chase's schedule with school the week of my due date (Monday, November 13th). This didn't work out how we wanted. Since I wasn't as effaced, my doctor recommended waiting until after my due date, so we scheduled an induction for Tuesday the 14th. The next several days we waited in hopes of not having to induce on Tuesday, but she didn't come. My due date came and still no baby. We were supposed to induce the next day, but that day turned out to be a terrible day for Chase and school so I saw the doctor instead that day (still 50% effaced and at a 3) and pushed the induction to Thursday... 3 days late. Little stinker, who knows when she would have come if we didn't induce, but Thursday was a wonderful day!
Wednesday night came and Chase, Ashton, and I went to bed as a family of three for the last time. It was a terrible nights sleep for both me and Chase. Such a long night. We both ended up waking up at 4:30am and just laid in bed until 6 talking and waiting. I called the hospital at about 6:30 to confirm the induction and we got ready and headed to the hospital at 7:30. Chase's sister took Ashton until my mom could get to Cedar that morning to take over.
Here is a quick, easy timeline of my labor and delivery with Hallie:
7:30am- We arrived to the hospital
8:00- I got hooked up to IVs and pitocin (pitocin is pumped every 30 minutes to get contractions going)
8:20- My doctor comes to break my water
10:30- I start feeling contractions suddenly and intensely
11:00- I received my epidural. My left side went numb much better than my right side so I had to shift from side to side often to even it out. Something about an epidural makes me sick when I lay in any position besides one of my sides so of course they wanted me to lay on my back slightly sitting up while putting in a catheter and I puked big time. So terrible.
11-1:20- This next two and a half hours is kind of a blur. It all went so fast. After my epidural and getting my catheter in, I was checked by the nurse where they thought I was at a 5, but my doctor came in right after and checked and thought I was at a 7 instead. The nurses kept having me switch sides every so often to try and even out the epidural more. Eventually it did get more even, but I did have one spot on my left side. Trying to explain it, I just thought it felt like my left ovary was bursting. Of course, all I could do it just sit and endure the pain. When probably 1:00pm was approaching, I started to feel some pain and pressure in my lower back. Things were getting close and by 1:20 they checked me and I was at a 9. Right as they said 9, they left and came right back in and said you're close enough, lets get this baby out of you. The doctor came in and prepped everything. The pain and pressure was pretty intense and I was breathing like crazy.
1:30-1:53- I started pushing at 1:30. I remember looking at the clock as we were about to start because with Ashton, I pushed for an hour and I was gonna try to time it this time around and hope it wasn't an hour long. It was so fun delivering at a different hospital with a different doctor than with my first baby. The experience was so different. Not just because of the difference in labors, but the way they handled the delivery was so much more relaxing this time. With Ashton, I don't know why they didn't give me oxygen because they wouldn't even let me take a breath. I was so worn out from holding my breath while pushing, that was one of the hardest parts. With Hallie's delivery, They would let me take a breath, skip a contraction if I needed a break from pushing, but I was so ready to get her out, I didn't need much breaks this time around. It didn't even hurt pushing, it felt so good. At one point when Hallie's head was coming out, the nurse grabbed my hand and said feel her head. So amazing! Finally she was out. Only like 20 minutes of pushing. It was so much faster.
She was born at 1:53pm on November 16, 2017. She weighed 8 pounds 15 ounces and was 20 inches long. She looked identical to Ashton. It was a really busy day for the hospital in Labor and Delivery. If I remember right, 7 other babies were born that day. We had to wait 2-3 hours before we could get out of the delivery room into our room we were gonna stay in. So we just hung out, held our baby girl, had some food, and had the nurse give her a bath. We didn't invite any family over until we were settled into our room and we wanted to give her her name too. Finally we got into our room and had our time together. This is my favorite part of having a baby. We did it with Ashton, and the experience with Hallie was just as perfect. In this time, we pray and come up with a name for our baby. It's a beautiful, personal time that Chase and I get together with our new baby. Hallie is a name that came up unexpectedly while I was pregnant and it was added to our list of girl names. It fits her and we love it. We didn't do a middle name. There isn't a middle name either of us loved and I don't think a middle name for a girl is necessary. I don't have one and I turned out fine haha.
At about 6pm Chase had some family come and then my mom came and brought Ashton to see her. Right at first, Ashton was a little reserved about what was going on, but he warmed up to her really fast and within a few minutes, he asked to hold her and he was giving her kisses. So sweet! Once everyone left, Chase made sure I was settled and had dinner then he went home to sleep because he got no sleep in the hospital when we had Ashton. He was so drained so I told him he could head home to sleep with Ashton.
We were finally able to go home the next afternoon around 3. There's a lot of to do's before you're able to leave the hospital so it was kind of a long day. But finally we got to bring our girl home!
Wow long story, but it was amazing and we are so happy to have such a sweet little girl!
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