Our newest addition arrived just 3 weeks ago on October 26, 2010!
Henley Pierce is the sweetest little girl in the whole world and we are truly enjoying every single moment with her! And just so I don't forget, I feel I need to get my labor and delivery experience down on paper so I will have Henley's beautiful story to share with her in a few years. My experience with Hudsen was such a blur, that I really wanted to do my best to remember each moment this time.
As our family and friends know, we had a scheduled date that our 2nd baby would be born...mainly to avoid going into labor before hand and messing with the planned c-section. So knowing the date ahead of time was great....sort of...and in a previous blog, I noted it was also not so great :) My anxiety leading up to this BIG day was out of control! But somehow now, just 3 weeks later and looking back, it doesn't seem that it was all that bad...my husband may recall things a bit differently though :)
The night before, I kissed my big girl goodnight....for the last time....as the next night, I knew I would always have 2 girls to kiss goodnight....and I knew these thoughts would continue and keep me up so I popped an Ambien and hit the sheets in order to avoid any more tears.
The morning of the 26th....I woke up refreshed, and ready to do this. We got ready, and took Hudsen to my parents around 7am, and then headed to the hospital. I had much been dreading the 'good-bye' to Hudsen as I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I would see her for the last time as our only child....and it was just as hard as I had imagined it would be. But we got the goodbyes over quickly to avoid any major meltdowns on my part.
*Making Hudsen take 1 more picture with Mommy before heading to hospital)
Walking into the hospital, holding Justin's hand, knowing that we would be walking out in a few days as a family of 4 was such an incredible feeling...hard to describe, but it felt fake to me....like it really wouldn't happen....or maybe that it wasn't happening to me. Sometimes, when I think about my life, and our family, and how everything is going great, I have this bad habit of suddenly picturing horrible things happening. I think it is because I feel like I am entirely too lucky to have everything that I have, and something bad is bound to happen to me at any given time. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, the best parents in the world, and had just experienced another wonderful pregnancy...seems too good to be true to me and so I automatically started thinking...oh my gosh, what if the delivery doesn't go well, what if the baby has problems, what if, what if what if?!
*Although, gotta admit, I don't look too nervous here :)*
The anesthesiologist, Austin, we had met the day before to discuss the procedure was there waiting for us, and no time was put to waste getting the epidural going. Austin was amazing, and really helped me get through this as my nerves were out of control. I have been told and like to think I have a fairly high pain tolerance, which is great...but I had zero control over my nerves...and got through it by crying randomly. It took awhile to completely numb my lower body...as Austin checked on it often with the prickly needle....'can you feel this?' 'can you feel that?' etc. I think my whole right side went numb, but I could still feel my left side for awhile, so he kept the meds pumping until I had no feeling at all. When I would say 'yes, I can feel that' - I was always worried, like 'oh my gosh! don't wheel me into surgery yet! I can still feel it!' - and he just kept calm and kept repeating 'we wont do anything until you don't feel a thing!' God bless you Austin! I owe him a thank you note! (as I know I also owe some of you who may be reading this one! - sorry, I am so behind! :) )
My OB was now there, Dr. Cindy Mueller, the best OB ever! Finally numb and ready to roll...it was time and I was 'medically' ready!
The roll down the long hallway to the operating room was emotional...shocking, I know! But we entered the double doors, and into the bright room. I remember getting situated on the table and having my arms spread out on side tables next to me, and someone asked how I felt, and I was looking straight at the ceiling, and into the florescent lights, and I said 'I feel like I am in a movie, is this really happening?' - they all laughed....nothing like a good chuckle before having your stomach sliced into. But it really did feel exactly like a movie to me.
As they got started, I had Justin at my right side and Austin at my left. Justin did great talking me through everything-trying to keep my mind off of what was happening behind the curtain...I remember him talking ALOT, and right now, and considering the circumstances, I am having a hard time figuring out just what we may have been chatting about...(I'll have to ask him when he gets home from work) :)
A few minutes in I started to feel lots of pressure (not uncomfortable), but could tell they were really working on things...and after the fact, Justin revealed to me that there were at least 4 people using all of their might pushing our baby girl out of me. A few minutes later I heard Dr. Mueller say, 'Here She Comes!' - and immediately I started to cry...I couldn't believe the time had come and she was HERE! She told Justin it was safe to look, and he peeked over the curtain and said 'Oh My God!' then looked at me and told me that she looked just like Hudsen! He was right! A slightly smaller version, but there were so many immediate similarities it was crazy!
I was rolled into the operating room at 9:20am...and at 9:35am, Henley made her grand entrance! We were immediately in love! I remember saying that she had such a 'cute cry'...here we are at week 3, I can definitely say its not so cute anymore :)
Getting 'sewn back together' this time around was definitely more intense than I remember the first time. Justin was taking pictures of Henley as they took care of getting her cleaned up, weighed, etc...and I chatted with Austin. I asked him if he thought everything went good, and he kept reassuring how it had went perfectly. I asked him, if they were almost done....and I will never forget what he said....he peeked over the curtain, and then looked back at me and said 'yep, they are just getting ready to put your uterus back in, and then you'll be outta here.' I had no words. I have always refused to read about or watch a video on a c-section. I didn't and don't want to know how it all goes exactly...but WAIT...'put my uterus back in?!' Where was it?! On a side table? On the floor? Was someone just holding it? Too much information.
Justin came back to my side with Henley for me to hold and all thoughts about the whereabouts of my uterus were thrown out the window! I was finally holding our little girl and that was all that mattered.
A few other special pictures from the hospital..
*Being wheeled by the nursery on our way to our room...so crazy to see your baby through the glass window!*
*Probably the proudest father ever!*
*The next day, Hudsen was introduced to her Little Sister, she immediately started in on her Big Sister role...*
*And one minute later was WAY more interested in a graham cracker*
*I was left alone while Justin ran home to take a shower, and I was stuck in bed so Henley and I had a staring contest :)*
*Last morning in the hospital...so ready to take this little cutie home!*
I want to say a Big Thank You to Justin. Without him I don't think I would have gotten through this. He talked me through so many emotional breakdowns leading up to this important day. The last month my mind was taking me to crazy places, and he always brought me back to Earth...Wildwood, Mo that is :) I am so lucky to have such a great supporter, and I love him more today than I did when I married him 5 years ago.
We are the proud parents of another precious girl, how lucky are we!?
Henley Pierce Backsmeyer
October 26, 2010
9:35am
6lbs 12oz, 19in
All packed up and ready to go!
