She's Here!!!!

Introducing Miss Tatum Ashley!!!

These are all pics from my phone!

Little miss Tatum came to us 8 days early.

Tuesday the 18th I woke up and noticed I was having some little contractions. Check the clock, it was 6. All morning I kept having little contractions, they didnt hurt at all, just really really tight and pressure. I was sccheduled to go into work at 1 and called about 12 to tell them I was having contractions and would see what happened. I said id probably be in around three. ha.

They started getting stronger at 12, not to bad though. By 2:30 I was having a few big ones, but nothing regular. Id have one then 15 minutes later another, then 3 minutes another....

Greg was supposed to go into work at 3, and I didnt know if this was real or not so I called my midwife and asked her what I should do.

She said I was in labor, but because I wasnt going to have an epidural or anything I should try and wait it out at home as long as I could. She suggested getting into a hot bath if I needed.

We decided Greg should go into work, so he left at about 3:30.

We had been cleaning up the apartment all morning, and I was still trying to get everything put away and in order in Tate's room. I kept organizing things stopping here and there to breath through contractions.

Took a short nap at about 4:30. Ate a popsicle.
They started coming closer together. I called Val at 7:00 to tell her I was contracting and then while I was talking to her I noticed I had about 4-5 contractions in our short maybe 10 min conversation. I called Greg and told him he better come home right now. Right now? Yes please leave right now.

He got home and I was rocking on my yoga ball "looking calm". I asked him to stick our bags in the car so we could go, so he started getting things together slowly. Changed his clothes. Went to the bathroom. Walked around a little, I dont know what he was doing, but I was thinking "it dosnt look like he's getting those bags into the car".

I said ok lets go to the hospital now. We drove over and were checked into the tiny closet of a room by about 8 o'clock. They check and I was at a 5 almost 6 centimeters. I asked "so this isnt going to go back down to a one or two right?" They said no, you wont go back down. I was so worried they'd have to send me back home!

They admitted me right away but said they had to clean up a room for me. They were having a very busy day and had just gotten done with an emergency c-section. They said it would be about an hour.

So we watched tv and waited and contracted.

They were getting pretty intense, and pretty close together. Greg was great and talkd me through them. Helped me rememeber to breath. We were in there for what seemed like a looong time. I really wanted them to check me and see how far along I was. After we were in there for 2 hours I had Greg go find a nurse to figure out what we were supposed to be doing.

I think they forgot about us, but they said they had a room all ready and they made me walk into the delivery room. I had a big contraction while I was walking.

I got in and used the bathroom, then they laid me down and the midwife came in and checked me. I was at an 8. I was really considering having an epiduarl at that point, but I had a few more contractions, had them run the hot bath for me and was checked again. I was at a 9.

The midwife showed Greg how to push on my knees for pressure and that felt reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyy goood during the next contractions.

I had wanted to use the tub and she asked if I wanted to get in and I started having another contraction. I was feeling alot of pressure and said I felt like I needed to push. They checked again and I was at a 10. I think I went from 8-10 in about 25 minutes.

The midwife was Kathryn and she was really great. There was another girl there who is studying to be a midwife doing her internship. They asked if I minded if she helped, I said go for it. She actually had done my last checkup appointment so I had met and liked her already. She said she had done about 30 deliveries already. I cant rememeber what her name was....

She said I could start pushing, so I did. I remember only having to push through 4 contractions, Greg said it was more. Who knows. Kathryn said I only pushed for 8 minutes though.... and she was here!

Man it hurt!!

They put her on my belly and Greg cut the cord, then they wisked her off to be cleaned and poked and sucked at. She had swallowed some of the fluid before she was born and was having a hard time breathing. Intern/midwife lady pushed alittle on my stomach and asked me to push again about 2 minutes after the birth. Out came the placenta, it was pretty cool looking. Very weird to see where my baby had been living for the last 9 months. It wasnt as big as I thought it would be. I had Greg take a picture of it :-)

They didnt tell me anything was going wrong with Tatum but took her right out of the room to fix her breathing. Greg got to go with her. The nurse cleaned up a little bit and then I was left all by myself. So I called my mom and talked to her for a little while. Soon Val came into the room and stayed with me. I was freezing. The nurse had asked me if I wanted any medicine for the pain before she left and I said I did. We were there for about an hour and she hadnt brought it. I was actually feeling great, once those contractions stopped I was on cloud 9.

Val went to find the babe and ask the nurse to get me some drugs. G came back into the room and then Val and Andrea Emily and Talia came in. The nurse came soon after to take me down to my room.

Allie came too and I saw her when we passed by the nursery.

We all went into my room and waited for that baby!

She was finally brought in to me at about 1 o'clock.

Everyone got a chance to hold her, then they all left except Val. She helped me get started nursing. I had no idea what I was doing, but it all felt very natural. I was soooooo tired though. Val left, Tatum finished feeding and then we had the nurse take her to the nursery so we could sleep. Greg and I were both exhausted. I couldnt believe how tired I was, but once we turned the light off I couldnt fall asleep. My body was greatful for the rest, but I dont think I closed my eyes once. They brought her back in about 3 hours later to eat again.

From then on is a bit of a blur.

Sleeping a little. Feeding. Visitors. Pretty good hospital food. Looking at the baby. Listening to her cry. She has a good set of pipes.

We left the hospital at about 1 yesterday, had our first night at home, and everything is going really well so far. We love her so much! Shes so cute!