40w0d- EDD!

Gracyn is 6 days old!

MIMICKING AUNT CAITLIN !

PRECIOUS!!!!!

6 DAYS

GOING SHOPPING TODAY !

6 DAYS OLD- BELLY BUTTON

Gracyn's belly button cord fell off during her sleep last night! TIME IS FLYING BY!

VISITING WITH BABY GRACYN!

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT

FINISHED NURSERY

5 DAYS OLD! BREAST FEEDING AND SLEEP

Little Miss Gracyn is a champion sleeper! Two nights in a row she has slept for 4 hour stretches (Getting up around 2 am) !!!!!

Breast feeding has been a challenge with poor to non existent latching which required Mommy to pump and bottle feed. Now that Mommy's milk is in Gracyn is starting to latch! Three successful feelings in a row so far.... Fingers crossed!

4 DAYS OLD- BATH TIME!

4 DAYS OLD

If they could only stay small.....

FAMILY

FOOT PRINT FOR BABY BOOK!

4 DAYS OLD- SNEAK PEEK

Here's a sneak peek from the photo shoot today! Isn't she beautiful?!

4 DAYS OLD

She loves her bouncer and swing! I have a picture of Caitlin that looks just like this! I will have to find it and compare!

4 DAYS

I snuck a picture during the professional photo shoot!

3 DAYS OLD!

Looking cute....even at bedtime last night! Mommy called this morning and shared that she has the BEST baby in the world. She went to bed around 10 pm with a 2oz bottle of mixed breast milk and formula (about 1/2 and 1/2) and slept until 2:00. Mommy tried to breast feed, but Gracyn is having a hard time latching....so Daddy changed her and fed her another 1/2 and 1/2 bottle mixture while Mommy pumped. Back to bed they went.....until about 7:30!!!!! WOW!

2 DAYS OLD

Getting ready for her first night at home and making friends with Lilly!

NEWBORN HOSPITAL PICTURES!

BIRTH STORY

9-17-12 8pm -First hard contraction labored at home for 5.5 hours. (39w0d) 3 minutes apart with a bloody show!

 9-18-12 -1:30am (39w1d) Contractions 1-3 mins apart. Still 2cm dilated and 75 % effaced....No change from last Thursday's OB visit!  :-(

3:30 - Still 2cm dilated and 75% effaced ...but heavier bloody show... Nurse willing to wait two more hours for a sign of progress!  :-)

 5:30-no change. SENT HOME with consistent contractions 1-3 minutes apart   :-(

6:30-7:30- Daddy went to bed thinking he might go to work half a day, but I wasn't convinced that it was false labor again like the previous two times were. Caitlin and I tried to rest downstairs.  The whole time I listened to Caitlin moan with contractions the more concerned I got. If she wasn't progressing at the hospital with this kind of pain how were we going to know when she was progressing?  I certainly couldn't check her!  Finally around 7:20 I told Caitlin that I was taking a shower and taking her to the OB's office for him to help her. Just before I got into the shower, I heard Caitlin yelling for me......

7:30- Her water broke !  She felt a pop like a balloon burst. She told me she thought her water broke. I looked at her pants and saw a small wet spot and confirmed her thoughts while yelling for Joey to wake up. When Caitlin got off the couch she felt a gush. I ran to the kitchen and got a dish towel for her to put between her legs and helped her to the bathroom. Thank goodness she was wearing one of those hospital pads for the bloody show or there would have been a mess to clean up!!! 

8:15- 4cm   100% effaced. Nubane was given to take the edge off the contractions until the epidural could be started. 

9:20-Low platelet blood count due to her blood disorder (MTHFR) and baby aspirin therapy (even with the clotting normal test results)  so no epidural was allowed.  By this time she was 6cm , 0 station.  I'll never forget Caitlin's reaction when the anesthesiologist told her the news of no epidural with the worst case scenario of being put to sleep with a c-section. .... Caitlin said, " You're kidding right?" when he said no..... Her whole mindset shifted to a determined focus to birth this baby naturally.  The room was quiet with Caitlin shhhhh ing our side conversations. 

10:20- 6.5 cm , +1 station, resting in between contractions but pain meds (Nubian) wore off.... She wasn't allowed to have anymore this far into labor because it could affect the baby. 

11:00- Caitlin felt more pressure in her bottom but no progress from the last check.  She was bleeding but nurse thought it was  the cervix's  vessels bursting and not to worry since she was not gushing blood....rather it was a slow drip. .... She  kept an eye on the bleeding. 

11:25-  7-8 cm, +1. 

11:55- 9 cm, +1, with the  urge to push. 

By 12:10-  10 cm! SHOWTIME! Each one of us had a job to do. Joe had one leg, I  had the other leg and counted, and Vickie helped to support her back and shoulders and helped with the counting. Caitlin was allowed to have the birthing mirror, which helped to keep her focused.  The only time she was vocal was when she had to push.  During the pushes, she was centered and strong! At one time she even paused to touch the baby's head when she crowned.  No screaming, yelling, or cussing.... Even when experiencing the ring of fire from crowning!  Before the head came out I noticed the OB talking in code to his nurses..... Before I knew it, a nurse replaced me and one replaced Joey .... The nurses were on top of Caitlin's belly pushing down while the doctor pulled and twisted the baby out....her shoulder was caught under the  pubic bone!  As the baby came out so did a gush of blood.  Gracyn did not cry for about 15 seconds  and they were the longest 15 seconds of our lives!    The OB worked on Caitlin while the nurses worked on the baby... But at one time the nurses left the baby in the isolet to work on Caitlin who was losing a lot of blood. The OB thought it was from internal tears and scraping and not a hemorrhage (By the way, Caitlin did not tear externally)  ... Whew!  Once the bleeding was under control, the nurses took all of Gracyn's stats:

Born on 9-18-12 @ 1:48pm

9.4 lbs.

21.6" long

Apgar's 9/9 

It was an honor to be part of this beautiful birthing experience.  Mommy and Daddy were a perfect birthing team!  I am sooooo proud of my daughter for focusing and staying in control... And of Joe for the great partner he was during this experience.  They are going to be GREAT parents!!!!

Sent from my iPhone

MEET GRACYN OLIVIA

Born 9-18-12 at 1:48pm (without epidural!). 9.4 lbs. 21.6" long! Mommy, Daddy and baby are all fine!!!!

39 WEEKS PREGNANT!!!!!!!

Dear Gracyn,

OMG....You will be here in one week, if not before!  I think this will be the longest 7 days of my life!  Last Thursday, Mommy was 2 cm. dilated and 75% effaced with inconsistent contractions.....still having the inconsistent contraction.....I wonder what the OB will say on Thursday's visit.  To be honest with you, I am hoping he sends Mommy directly to L & D .....but then again, maybe not because that might mean he is concerned.....Here's to hoping and praying that Mommy's body pushes you out sooner rather than later on her own!

This waiting is KILLING me....I need to see that sweet baby face of yours....Who do you look like????  Soon we will find out!

Love, Grandma Dason

38w6d- TRYING TO BUST OUT!

38w5d- CM

Caitlin woke up this morning and noticed cervical mucus with a slight dot of red!......Could it be the start of a bloody show?????  Time will tell! :-). SINGLE DIGITS - 9 DAYS AND COUNTING!