My stomach was feeling stretched to its limits. Having measured 40 weeks at the beginning of the week still, I knew that the time was closer than ever. My doctor, Margie, was shocked our baby girl had not burst my water and we hadn't had her yet. I was dilated to a good 4cm and her head was as low as ever. Baby girl was pushing and making my stomach into the oddest shapes. She was done being cramped inside, it seemed. We got a few last photos of just us 3 before dinner. Crazy to now look back and realize how many things we were doing for the last time with just our baby girl Eliana, just the 3 of us. We went home and put our tired baby girl to bed a bit earlier and settled in to watch some NFL. My hubby, Bogy, and I love football and sure were excited for the game.
Since we got home I had started to feel quite a bit of pressure and my stomach was hardening a lot. I lay back to relax, as I knew from the previous times I was cramping, it would pass after I rested a while. This time though, the pressure was not going away. Instead it started feeling more intense. I went to pee at least once every half hour. Baby girl was bearing down on my poor bladder. After about 2 hours or so, we decided to go in to the hospital and get checked out, this wasn't passing nor easing up. My sister arrived to stay with Eliana and we grabbed our hospital bag and headed out.
When we arrived at the hospital at 11 pm, it was so empty. There were just a few nurses working the night shift in labor and delivery with no one else in sight. They put us in a room and had me change. They hooked me up to monitor my contractions and the babies heartbeat. She was doing great, and I was having consistent contractions, but nothing I would call painful at all. Just my back was starting to hurt and stomach continued hardening. After about half an hour of answering questions the nurse checked me but I still had made no progress, still dilated to 4. She unhooked me and suggested we wait another hour and she would check me again. Hubby and I were pretty tired and sleepy by then. We wandered the halls, reminiscing about the first time we were there. We got coffee for Bogy and water and some lemon sorbet for me. An hour passed, the nurse checked me again, but no progress. She gave us the option to go home and come back if I felt things change. We decided to stay another hour just in case. Its such a hassle getting a babysitter and coming all the way to the hospital, just to end up going home.
Another hour passed and I started feeling more contractions, with pain this time. At first we were able to walk around some more. I even did a lot of deep squats, with my husbands disapproval, to pass the time (I had read somewhere it would help me progress quicker). But after a bit, even walking started to hurt. My back felt like its broken and I couldn't straighten it. I would have to stop to catch my breath. We were getting pretty hungry, having not eaten since having dessert following our Thanksgiving feast. We got a sandwich and ate, the whole time watching the clock and timing my contractions. They were consistent, every 2-3 minutes and each lasting a minute or so. Towards 1:30am, I was definitely no longer comfortable. The nurse checked again, but I had no real progress. I dilated slightly during contractions but would go back to 4. Once again we were being politely asked to go home and come back when things progressed. At this point there was NO way they were kicking me out and sending me home. I told the nurse that this pain I'm feeling is nothing like I've been experiencing the last two weeks, plus, its intensifying. I told her my doctor had said if I felt strong contractions, to come in and she would break my water so we would get the show on the road and hurry things along. The nurse didn't like that idea. She was saying they are short staffed and she doubts the night shift doctor would want to break my water and have us stay on, but she would check anyhow.
My contractions were getting really painful. It hurt to sit, my back hurt bad. But, I couldn't get up and walk around because I was hooked up to the monitors again. The nurse came back after half an hour and explained that they would go ahead and admit me in for labor now. They had spoken to my doctor and Margie said they absolutely cannot send me home. Margie said she already knows, after my first delivery, that my labor is very quick and she would be in as soon as possible. It was such a relief to see Margie come in around 3 am. She got things ready to break my water and when she checked me, I had already dilated to a good 7cm; just in the hour since the nurse checked me. Margie broke my water and the contractions continued, wave after wave of pain washing over me.
The nurses and Margie were getting things ready in the room for the delivery. My hubby was holding my hand, encouraging me as I leaned against him through contractions. I was sitting up in the bed, there was no way I could lay down. Around 4 am I started to feel like I need to push, so I told them. Margie and nurse quickly came to the foot of the bed and had me lay back and put my feet up. With the next contraction I pushed really hard, the pain felt like I was on fire, so excruciating! I heard Margie exclaim that she sees the head already. Trying to distract myself from the pain, I asked my hubby what color her hair was, of course they couldn't tell yet. Another contraction hit about 30 seconds later I gathered all my strength and with a final push, she was here!
At 4:07 am on 11/28/2014, Isabelle Bogdanovna Mulyar was born; weighing 7 lbs. 9 oz. and 20 inches long. The pain was done and forgotten about and my little angel was laid down on me. She was so perfect, lots of dark hair, pouty lips and long skinny legs and arms. Margie showed us that she had a perfect knot in her umbilical cord. She was so active she made a knot when she was much smaller apparently. Thank God it never tightened and she thrived just fine with it there. Hubby cut the umbilical cord and the nurses quickly wrapped her up and gave her back to me. Oh the love I felt. She was so perfect, so strong! She grabbed my gown and held on tightly when we tried to hold her little hand.
Hubby and I just kept gazing at her and smiling at each other. We couldn't believe that she was here, the waiting was over. And the delivery was SO quick. The nurses never took her from me. They just let me hold her warm little body against me. While Margie stitched me up and cleaned me up hubby thought to ask, "Did anyone check to confirm that shes a girl?" lol. We all started laughing because none of us including the doctor checked. We confirmed, shes a girl. :) After the nurses weighed her and cleaned her up, they gave her to Bogey to hold. He was beaming with happiness, staring at our precious little girl with so much love. There truly is nothing like seeing my amazing hubby holding our tiny little baby. I don't know how I was ever blessed to be able to experience this twice now. I couldn't stop smiling and kissing her. She immediately started rooting around, looking for food. I nursed her for the first time. How special it is to be a mommy, to have a healthy strong little girl who knew exactly what to do from the get go. It felt like a dream. She didn't leave my sight or my arms for more than a few moments. I felt so relieved, blessed and happy. We just felt so much gratitude for this incredible delivery.
Around 7 am, once again I was forced to ride in a wheel chair to my recovery room. Although, I could walk perfectly fine. Isabelle with us the entire time. So amazing. Still was unreal to Bogy and I that she was with us, no one taking her anywhere. I took a shower while hubby settled down for a nap. I tried to nap as well, but unfortunately that's exactly when everyone started making rounds. Getting our food orders, room service came by, nurses came to check my vitals and Isabelle's...needless to say, that night we got no sleep. Around noon my family all started coming by to visit. It was so special to see everyone loving on her. Exclaiming over how tiny she is and how much she looks like my side of the family. In the evening right when we recieved our celebratory dinner, our siblings brought our daughter Eliana to meet her little sister. She looked at us shyly and almost gave Isabelle a kiss, but pulled back last second shyly. All she wanted was mama and daddy. She did not leave our side. We were blessed to take Isabelle home the next day. We have been enjoying her so much! She has the biggest appetite imaginable. Lets us know every time she wants to eat or needs a diaper change. We have been enjoying staying at home as a family of 4. Bogy and I are enjoying watching our girls bond. Eliana wakes up every morning and gives her sister kisses. So much love. We are so excited to watch our girls grow up together, play together and just do everything with each other.
Our last photos as a family of 3.
11/27-11/29/2014
Pink and White Bow Hats: Etsy: NatalkaShop
Brown Pompom Hat: Etsy: NatalkaShop
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