So it's 2 weeks and 1 day later, but before I forget the details, I wanted to write out the story of Hailey's birth (sheesh, my eyes are already welling up with tears just thinking about it again!)
October 5, 2009:
My due date was Sept. 30, and by this time I was very anxious and impatient to meet my daughter. Not because I was terribly uncomfortable, but because for weeks we'd been expecting Hailey to arrive "at any moment." We had a scare with pre-term labor at 33 weeks, and assumed she would probably be early like I was, and add in being dilated for weeks and it definitely seemed like I wouldn't make it to my due date.
Well my due date came and went. I really wanted Hailey to come out on her own, but I also was so ready to meet my daughter that I was open to talking about inducing labor, however my doctor wouldn't consider it until the following week.
I had a doctor appointment scheduled for the early morning of Monday, October 5, which so happens to be my mom's birthday. I desperately hoped to go into labor on my own, but also would have been happy to be induced on Oct. 5.
Anthony and I enjoyed our last weekend as a family of two - we went on a date to McDonald's and saw the movie Zombieland, funny details I will never forget. On Sunday night, Oct. 4, I went to sleep hoping to go into labor over night.
No such luck. We woke up early on Oct. 5 and headed out to our doctor appointment. We took all our hospital bags, in the hopes that we would be told it was time to have Hailey.
I got checked in and the nurse checked my blood pressure, twice. It was high, and had been a few times throughout my pregnancy. Dr. Hudson came in and said they didn't want to mess around with high blood pressure and that today was the day to have my baby! The doctor determined I was 4-5 cm dilated and 90% effaced, a very good candidate for induction.
I wasn't worried about the blood pressure, and was just so excited it was time to meet Hailey, and I was so very happy that she would get to share a birthday with my mom.
Dr. Hudson sent me straight over to Labor and Delivery at the Northwest Hospital Women's Center. We got checked in and settled into our room, then I got hooked up to an IV so they could begin the medicine to start my contractions. They started the pitocin around 10 a.m., and until about 2 p.m. we just waited for the contractions to get stronger and more painful. During this time Anthony, my mom, sister Ashley, Anthony's mom Cindie and occasionally my dad kept me company (though for the early part of labor Anthony was a little bored and kept himself busy playing games on his phone!).
Around 2 p.m. Dr. Fewell came in to break my water, that was a very weird feeling! She checked me and determined I was at 6 cm dilated around the time she broke my water. Very quickly after having my water broken the contractions started to get more painful and I decided it was time for an epidural. After I got the epidural I felt better almost immediately and I was so grateful I got it when I did - we watched the contractions on the monitor and they definitely would have been VERY painful, but I couldn't feel anything!
A couple hours later Nurse Kristen checked me and said that I was 10 cm dilated and it was time to push! I suddenly got very nervous, I couldn't believe the big moment had arrived and it was time for me to begin the hard work. Since I hadn't had the epidural for very long I was worried about not being able to push, but Nurse Kristen, Anthony and my mom all coached me through it and it turns out I was pretty good at pushing for not being able to feel anything!
The nurse pulled up a mirror so I could see Hailey's head as I pushed, that was great motivation! Not too much later Kristen was calling for Dr. Fewell to come in to deliver Hailey! They told me she was right there and I just needed to push through another contraction, I don't think they were quite ready, but at the next contraction I pushed as hard as I could and Hailey popped right out! I laughed because I couldn't believe how easily she came out!
While I was busy pushing, Auntie Ashley was (im)patiently waiting outside the room with her ear to the door the whole time, and as soon as Hailey came out and gave her first wail Ashley tried to burst into the room because she was so excited but the nurses told her she would have to wait a few minutes.
In total I pushed for about 45 minutes, and my whole labor lasted about 8 hours - I don't think I could have asked for a much more perfect labor and delivery experience.
Next thing I knew, Hailey was being placed on my chest and it was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life - I was the mommy of the most beautiful baby girl in the whole world.
And Anthony was a daddy - I will never forget the emotion and look of pure love on his face as he held his daughter for the first time.
Hailey Marie Coulter was born at 6:13 p.m. Monday, October 5. She was 8 pounds, 1 ounce and 20 inches long. She was born with lots of dark brown hair and beautiful long eyelashes. All the nurses kept exclaiming over how cute she was, and we all had to agree!For the first two hours after she was born, Hailey was wide awake and such a happy baby - how could she not be with all the love in that room? We received our first visitors: Grandpa Dave, Auntie Ashley, Grandma Cindie, and later on mommy and daddy's best friends Scott and Krissy (parents of Hailey's BFF Riley!) A little later the nurses gave Hailey her first bath; she wasn't really a fan of the bath, but she did love to have all her dark hair washed and massaged. Then the nurse gave her a cute little mohawk!
October 5, 2009 was one of the best days of my entire life. My beautiful daughter was born, I got to make my mom a grandma on her birthday (she even got to cut the umbilical cord!), and Anthony and I proudly became Mommy and Daddy.
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