Welcome to the world little Lucia!

Ok everyone, I've had lot's of emails from friends asking about our whole experience so I will fill you all in with all the goods! Let me first say that we are unbelievably happy she is here. Elated, ecstatic and completely and utterly OBSESSED WITH HER. Many of you have been there and are there right now so I know you understand. For those of you who aren't yet, oh my goodness what you have in store for you. I won't attempt to put into words the feelings that came along with this little one, what it feels like to hold her and feel her tiny warm body against mine. I won't try to tell you how overwhelming these past two days have been each time she fusses and I know she wants me! Wow I am choking up as I sit here as I type this! All I know is that these feelings are not of this world. They couldn't be. They are too divine for this world. We are humbled and so thankful to have this marvelous opportunity.

I guess it all started on Tuesday. Can't believe that was only 3 days ago. We went to our 39 week doctor's appointment Tuesday morning, and I was pretty excited because the few days previous I had really felt like I was progressing. I was having contractions more often and they were getting more intense, and I don't know I just felt like my body was really getting ready for it. We were pretty disappointed when doc said even though I was 100% effaced and everything else was in position, I hadn't dilated any more since the previous week, still only at a 1 1/2 cm. ugh. "I know you don't wanna hear this but most first babies go past their due dates." (This was on the 22nd, our due date is tomorrow the 26th.) Disappointed though not desperate, we made our appointment for the following week (which would have been this coming monday) and said we would talk about inducing me then.

Well that was fine. Jason had a canoeing trip planned for Tuesday afternoon with the priests quorum in our ward that he was looking forward to and my mom was still in Idaho. There was still plenty I could do around the house so we were fine with it. I told Jason to go ahead on the evening's adventure, and called my mom and told her I wouldn't be having the baby any time soon so she could take her time making her way down.

A few hours went by, I was just doing laundry and cleaning the house and I was REALLY cramping. I called Jason and told him, "It's not like I'm gonna have her tonight I just don't really feel comfortable with you possibly being out of cell phone service and not being able to reach you." So he said if I felt like that he didn't need to go and he would be home a little later.
So there I was just minding my own business loading the dishes when suddenly I feel this little surge of warm water. Gosh that's weird what was that? I go and check things out and wonder... but it's not much so I just figure whatever... probably nothing. Well, within seconds, I was a lot more wet and beyond the point of curiosity and wondering and to the point of my eyes filling with tears. As I'm standing there in our bathroom like a deer in headlights unable to move I hear Jason come in and I start yelling his name. He comes in and I say, "I think my water just broke." haha I will forever have engrained in my mind the look on his face as his eyes bugged out of his head and got a little misty at the same time. "Are you sure??"

I called my doctor's office and told them what happened and she said, "You need to go over to labor and delivery right now." Wow what an adrenaline rush to hear those words! Is this really happening? Are we really having the baby?! It was the best! So exciting! We hustled around, got the bags we had packed into the car, got the car seat and within minutes we were parking at the hospital. It was so surreal. I felt like someone was going to suddenly tell me I was on candid camera or punked or something at any moment. This didn't really look like the way they showed it in the movies so maybe it wasn't for real afterall.

I was officially in labor for 12 hours, from the time my water broke to the time she was born. The first part was definitely the most trying. They immediately put me on pitocin and the contractions started coming, regularly and intensely. However, for some reason I still was not dilating. They didn't want to give me the epidural until I was dilated further, so I had a good 5 hours of hard contractions before the relief came. Wow, can I just say I almost kissed that anesthesiologist right on the mouth? I did in fact tell him, "I love you." He patted me on the head and started to laugh. Those 5 hours were the most physically grueling of my life. The contractions were 2 1/2 to 3 minutes apart and getting harder and longer with each passing minute. I started feeling like a caged animal, panic set in every time I felt one coming on. There's absolutely nothing you can do to help yourself, nor position you can get yourself into that might ease them. But once that blessed blessed epi was in place, I was good to go! I sorta felt like I was suffering from multiple personalities. All the sudden my sparkling personality came rushing back and it was like I'd been gone for a little while but was ready to rejoin the party! Jason suffered alone with me for the worst of it... my mom rushed down in a panic as fast as she could from Idaho Falls and made it to the hospital by about 10:00, just after I'd recieved the epidural. (I'm so grateful you made it, mama!) Before I knew it I was dilated to a 10 and the nurse was telling me we're gonna get ready to start pushing. 35 minutes of pushing and voila! Out she came, the most perfect little creature I'd ever seen. Her cry was the most glorious sound to break into that room.

We are home now. She has been sleeping a lot...shocking behavior for a new born, I know. I'm obviously sore in ways I'd never dreamed of, but the experience was so much better than I ever could have imagined. It was nowhere near as bad as the horror stories I have heard. There was a serenity in that room with us throughout the process. There weren't 12 nurses running around yelling at each other like in the movies. It was just one nurse, my doctor, Jason and my mother. There was no panic. I feel like we were very fortunate. Regardless of what the experience was, I know it still would have been completely worth it. It was a very spiritual experience for us. What does the Lord have in store for this little Lucy? What will become of her life? What challenges lie ahead for her? What lessons will be the most difficult for her to learn? Oh I just want to hold her in my arms forever and ever and never ever let go. Right this minute, I don't even want to think about watching her grow up! I just want her to stay just like this forever.