Here's the run down:
On November 27th, I had one of my weekly appointments with my OB. It was a standard visit, and everything looked good. I was very anxious to get the show on the road, so we ended up scheduling an induction for December 6th...Brent and I left the OB office very happy and excited that we had a for certain date of her arrival!
That same morning, we went on a 3 mile or so hike through the El Paso desert/hills...It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time walking around! Of course, I was as round as a basketball, so it was a little extra effort to keep up with Brent...haha.
We arrived home after doing some grocery shopping at Walmart, and proceeded to take it easy and rest. I called my mother, and told her about our scheduled induction so she and Todd could plan on arriving the day before.
Immediately after I hung up the phone my water broke. I knew without a doubt that I had NOT peed myself. Brent did the dishes and laundry while I showered and did my hair...Brent was amazing and got our hospital bag together and put the car-seat in the car. I called the hospital, and then we were on our way to have our baby!
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| The last baby bump picture- about 5 minutes before we headed to the hospital! |
I was not having contractions at this point, and was barely 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. After about 7 hours, they decided to start labor contractions with an oral medication. My contractions were not terribly bad throughout the night, but I did not get any sleep because they were still uncomfortable and too frequent for rest. In the morning, I hadn't progressed much at all. I was on strict bed rest and was not allowed to get out of bed for any reason...which was pure torture! The baby was not engaged yet, and there was risk of a prolapsed cord (which is very dangerous for the baby). They started Pitocin at 0700, and my contractions became awful. Just awful. They were very close together, and I was not able to rest in between them. I wanted to see if I was progressing very much before I accepted the epidural, but at 1100 I was only 5cm. The contractions were excruciating, and the fact that I couldn't move out of bed made it worse- so the epidural was given! It was AMAZING. The best decision I made!!!! Thankfully, I only received a small dose so I could still feel the hard pressure of the contractions and could move my legs (though they felt very heavy). With this wonderful relief I was able to doze for the next couple hours. The OB came in to check my progress at 2:50, and he announced that I could have the baby now if I was ready to push! 20 minutes later, Genesis arrived screaming her tiny little lungs out for all she was worth :) She was active and alert, with APGARS of 7 and 10! She was doing very well, even though it had been a little over 24 hours since my water broke, and about 13 hours of active labor and strong contractions.
We were laughing and crying, and in such awe of our perfect little daughter. The Lord has blessed us so very much. Genesis Mae Turpin was born at 3:08pm, 7lbs 2oz, and 20 inches long! She has big, expressive eyes, and sweet, kissable cheeks.
Recovery was much easier than I thought it would be, and I was able to bounce back with no complications. Genesis on the other hand, had to be admitted to the Intermediate Care Nursery for two days because of at elevated white blood cell count (risk of sepsis). She was just fine though, and after her two (LONG) days in the hospital, was allowed to go home!
During this time my Dad and brother, TJ, had arrived, as well as my Mom and her husband, Todd. It was so good to see everyone! Brent and I had been updating my sister, Amanda, as much as possible throughout this whole process, so she was very much aware of Genesis' birth and all the happenings surrounding it.
Genesis is now four weeks old (WOW). She has grown so much and is eating like a pro! The first two weeks were very stressful, and there were definitely moments of crying and frustration...but thankfully, we are more scheduled and have figured out how to properly care for a newborn!
Brent has been my hero, and I am thankful for him- what a great Daddy he is!
Though Brent and I are often very tired at the end of the day, we wouldn't change a thing. We love our little girl so much; she has provided us with much laughter and joy!
At this point I can only dream of getting more than 3-4 hours of sleep at a time, have a thoroughly clean house, or have the opportunity to shower and look decent on a daily basis, but I know it will get better with time. I do not want to take this time for granted as she is still so small and cuddly :)
We had our first Christmas as a tiny family, and ended up staying home and enjoying each others company. It was a very quiet day, but restful. Genesis received lots of presents from her Grandparents on both sides- she is spoiled already!
Thank you all so much for your excitement with us as we welcome our daughter, Genny, into this big world. Please pray for us as we adjust to our new life with her, and that we would be parents of discernment and wisdom!
Love you all!
