Welcome To The World, Elizabeth Anne - Our Sweet Eliza

I knew on January 3rd that things were changing a lot and by 12:45am on January 4th, I knew we were really close.  In fact, Daddy and I got showered and dressed to leave for the hospital at 2am.  But, when I was all ready, I sat down and Daddy was laying down.  I felt really tired and I knew Daddy was tired too.  Plus, if we woke Mimi and Papa to tell them we were leaving, their day would start then as well.  So, since my contractions slowed as I rested, I decided that we should all just get some sleep instead.  And we did.  My contractions continued through the morning but weren't consistent in timing or strength.  We got up with Emily and Everett and fed them breakfast and eased into the Sunday morning.  It was about 8:15 when I went in to tell Mimi that we were going to leave because today was the day.  My contractions were still slow and inconsistent but Daddy suggested we walk around the mall by the hospital to get them going. So, at 8:40am we gave some big hugs and were off.

But, as we walked around the desolate mall, I realized that there weren't any bathrooms and that my contractions weren't immediately picking up.  We decided to get some breakfast and then I suggested we just go home and go about our day - take some of the pressure off.  So, we did.  We didn't go out and do anything but instead just walked around the house and waited for them to pick up.  At 4:00pm my contractions were really close together and I had needed Daddy's help to get through them for about an hour.  It was time to go - again.  I gave a smile between contractions...

and then just started praying we would get there fast without too many contractions because sitting was REALLY REALLY painful.

I ended up with 3 contractions on the way to the hospital and couldn't have been more excited to get OUT of the car and INTO the hospital!  I was taken to triage to be assessed and after several more terrible contractions while being forced to lay down, I was told that I was 4 cm and was cleared for an epidural.  When Mimi and Papa arrived at the hospital sometime after 6pm I was not in any pain and eagerly awaiting our baby.

I was freezing and tired.  I could feel the contractions but drifted in and out of sleep.  By 7:30 I was 6-7 cm and the nurse thought the baby would arrive if only my bag of waters was broken.

At 8:35pm my bag broke and I squeezed Daddy's hand that I was holding at the time and he called the nurse.  I was feeling A LOT of pressure leading up to the bag breaking and even more once it was broken.  I was "complete" shortly after and the doctor was called in.

At 9:31pm our 3rd beautiful baby was born into this world.  The nurses called out that she was a girl and she was placed on my chest.  Elizabeth Anne - Eliza - at last, on my chest.  But, she wasn't crying.  The baby nurse rubbed her a lot to get her to cry and I pleaded... then a small whimper started.  Praise the Lord!  She lay on my chest for a few minutes before the nurse asked to take her to the warm bed so she could really get her crying.  It worked and I watched from the across the room as Eliza was rubbed down (she had a LOT of vernix for being 39 weeks!) and Daddy looked on lovingly.  She was all tagged up and the nurse did her footprints, even giving one to her doting Daddy.

And he was allowed to hold her and bring her to me again.

I will never forget those first moments as you lay there looking up at me, Eliza.  My heart was so full and I fell madly in love.

Eliza fussed a little - I think it was the box swaddle she was in - but settled down as I held her to me and shushed in her ear.

Mimi and Papa came in after she had been out for almost an hour!  Boy does the time fly with the whirlwind of birth!

After Eliza nursed (a LOT, she didn't want to stop - good girl!), the nurse, Marilyn asked if she could give her her bath.  We asked that she wait long enough for Mimi and Papa to get a few snuggles in.

Then, Eliza had her hair washed for the first time and loved it.

She also loved laying under the warm lights and talking with her Daddy...

Papa...

(Papa in the same shirt he wore to all three of his children's births and all 8 of his grandchildren's births too - though he didn't actually wear it at Everett's since he was in TX, Mimi brought it to the hospital and wrapped Everett in it)

and Mimi.

Eliza was so content under the lights.

And as she lay there happy, I ate and called her uncles to announce her arrival.  (It had been almost 2 hours since she was born - yikes!)  I was also FREEZING - though I didn't know how ridiculous I looked in all of those blankets until I saw this picture.

Then, sometime around midnight, things quieted down and I just got to nurse my sweet baby, stare at her, and take pictures.

Welcome to the world, our sweet sweet Eliza.