It doesn't get any cuter than this...

My Labor Day

Everyone has their story and I am pleased to say that mine started out frustrating and ended up being FANTASTIC! We were supposed to go in at 7am on the 2nd to be induced. I woke up at 5am and called the hospital to make sure they could still get me in...sure enough there must have been a full moon or something and they were full. After killing time shopping and hanging out with family fir the day, they finally called late in the afternoon and said to be there at 5pm for induction...how exciting...and nerve racking!

As Eli and I walked into the Hershey Med Center I couldn't help but feel the emotions! How many times I had made that same walk into that same hospital wondering if I would ever have a baby of my own and now here I was walking into the hospital with my best friend in the whole world about to meet the new addition to our family, it was both a surreal and an exciting moment.

They checked me in and told me that I had made no progress since my last doctors visit a week ago. Apparently Gwyn was very comfortable in there and had no plans of leaving anytime soon. Without going into too much detail they began with a few treatments to get me going without using pitocin right away since I really wanted to avoid it as much as possible. I labored naturally through the night with back labor...which SUCKED! I actually didn't know it was back labor until one of the Docs asked me where the pain was, I just thought that was part of labor! Finally by about 1am I was dilated to a 3 and they broke my water.

Anyway, the funny part of the story is what happened from about 3 am to 6 am. Many of you know I was considering a natural child birth. Natural in my mind went something like this, me waking up in the middle of the night telling Eli my water broke, going to the hospital and labor taking its natural course. Once I realized I was going to have to be induced and pitosin was more than likely going to be part of the process I started to rethink the situation since pitosin isn't really a "natural" experience anymore. So keeping that in mind, Eli and I were laying there talking when at about 3am we could hear the woman in the next room screaming for her life. These are thick hospital walls too, I couldn't believe it! After 3 hours of blood curdling screaming we hear the baby cry and think, phew we don't have to listen to that anymore! Then suddenly we hear one final ear splitting scream from the woman next door....it was the "repair" shot!!!! The one I had dreaded above labor and delivery and everything else. I took one look at Eli and hit the nurse call button. Epidural please!!! At this point going through labor for 12 hours, experiencing what pitosin does to your body and enduring back labor for that long with no sleep was enough for me. The thought of trying to push after being so exhausted sounded crazy. I got the epidural, at this point I was dilated to a 5 and slept for a couple of hours and than sister and her husband came by to say goodbye since they had to leave to go back to Boston. So sad they would miss the birth.

They left and I was eating a popsicle, chatting with Eli and all the sudden the door flies open, the entire nursing staff and doctors come in since the baby's heart beat had dropped suddenly and disappeared. They put me on all fours, gave me oxygen and realized I was at a 10...time to push! What a shock, no one would have thought it would go that fast! Eli quickly called my mom and said to come NOW! I pushed for 2 hours and Gwyn made her appearance.

It was really sweet, she cried a little until Eli went and held her hand and talked to her and she was quiet right away. Such a sweet baby who is already a daddy's girl.

Sister and her husband turned right around and came back to see Gwyn then officially left for Boston and my mom made it to the hospital just in time. I was so glad they got to see her.

Moral of the story, a great husband, screaming lady in the next room, epidural and pleasant company make for a fantastic birthing experience!!! I had such a high!

Happy Birthday Gwyneth Dawn!

After being induced at 5pm on June 2nd, Gwyn made her appearance rather suddenly at 12:13 pm on June 3rd surprising not only the entire staff of the hospital but her mother and father too! I guess she is just like her mom in that respect since that is how I entered the world!

Some of you have asked about the name, we chose the name Gwyneth because it is another from of Guinevere which is where the name Jennifer comes from. Dawn is a family name from my side, the first born daughter has the middle name Dawn making her the 4th generation to carry on the tradition.

She was 8 lbs 9 oz and 21 inches long! Big girl! Here are some pictures of her right after delivery.

We couldn't be happier!

41 Weeks & Ready!

The last pregnant day!  I spent it with my mom and sister getting pedicures and then we all went down to Amish Country for some good ol' shoo fly pie!  Hopefully all the walking and yummy food will put me into labor tonight!  If not, I will just have to make due with the induction! 

Hopefully I will have some good news tomorrow and finally know if my little one is a boy or a girl!  Wish me luck!