Claire's Birth Story

It has been a busy last few days. Claire made her arrival on Thursday May 17th.

on my way to have Claire

I was scheduled for an induction on Thursday.  Needless to say I didn't get much sleep Wednesday night. 

last picture as a family of three

We dropped Caleb off at school with lots of tears on my part Thursday morning and arrived at the hospital at 7am. 

my last Belly shot (39w4d)

It was just Matt and I when we first got to the hospital so I got settled into my room, the nurse started an IV and got the Pitocin going.  Around 8:30 Dr. Wiley broke my water and checked my progress I was 3cm, -2, and 100% effaced. My mom and grandmother showed up  to so Matt decided it was OK for him to leave me alone to get breakfast.

Matt went down stairs and got breakfast, while he was down stairs he ran into our favorite Chaplin, Angelo and asked if he would come pray with us.  I had been feeling anxious all morning about the events that were going to happen Thursday.

When Matt got back up stairs the nurses, Angelo, Matt, my mom and grandmother prayed for peace and calm during my labor. It was so nice and after that I felt more at peace and less anxious that something would go wrong.

Throughout the morning more family showed up including my other set of grandparents, my sisters, and my dad and step mom and Matt's mom.

Around 10:20a the contractions were really starting to get painful so I asked from my epidural.  PLT for modern medicine!  Jim Moore was my CRNA, and he is a friend of Matt's, he made the whole epidural experience very comforting. (my last epidural was AWFUL)  So once I had my epidural it was smooth sailing. I was pain free and decided I should try to take a nap, hoping that would help me progress quicker. So Matt and all the family that was there went down stairs to eat lunch.

After lunch about 1:40 Dr. Wiley came back and checked my progress I was 6cm, -2, and 100%. Some how during my check my IV got pulled out. Being the nurse I am  I clamped the IV so my sheets wouldn't get wet, held pressure on the site and called for the nurses to come start a new one.

Trying to start a new IV was a fun experience because I have HORRIBLE veins. The nurses could not find anything, so they called Jim back to see if he could find something, my mom was was working admin supervisor  that day she came a looked but couldn't find anything, Matt was also looking for a vein.  So finally after three other attempts Jim was able to put an IV in my hand.  This whole experience took about 45 min.  In the mean time Matt's dad arrived at the hospital so Matt went down stairs to meet him and show him up to the room.

My nurse decided she would check my progress because in her experience once you hit 6cm it normally doesn't take very long to progress.  So she checked me and I complete 10cm, +2, and 100%!! I was shocked, I tried calling Matt on his cell phone but he wasn't answering! He finally showed up after my sister Erin, texted him to come up stairs because I was pushing!

I started pushing at 2:40 and Claire arrived at 2:49. Weighing 7lbs 7oz, 19.5 cm long. She is just perfect! And her arrival could not have been more different than Caleb's.

My first moments with Claire

My sweet girl

Bigger than her brother by 1lb 7oz

I had to make sure she had her hat bow on :)

Caleb's first moments with Claire

 Caleb got to meet his sister after school. He was completely in love.  When he first held her it looked like a press conference, there were flash bulbs on cameras going off all over the place.

This picture melts my heart.

After Claire arrived my step dad and brother showed up, along with my Aunt and two cousins.  The room seemed stuffed full with people but I wouldn't have it any other way, I love my HUGE family!

My mom, step dad and Claire

Unfortunately Matt was manning the camera most of the time during my hospital stay so I don't have very many pictures of him with Claire.

One of the only pictures I got of Matt and Claire in the hospital.

I was so afraid that I would not be able to love another baby as much as I love Caleb but everyone was right, you can.  It is like a secret chamber of your heart you didn't know was there was unlocked the moment she was born.  I feel like our family is complete and I can't wait to see what the future is going to bring.