And just for fun..

My due date was quickly approaching (Wed, October 24th) and I was actually worried that Faye would make her debut before my mom arrived on Saturday October 20th.  As the 20th got closer and closer I was then nervous that she wouldn’t come while my mom was here to help with the kids.. So after talking to my Dr. about wanting to have this baby while my mom was around to help, she agreed to strip my membrane’s on Friday October 19th. Just so you know, it hurts like a beast. {I had this done with Lola 3 different times to help progress my labor so I knew what I was in for..}.. So I had my checkup–on the 19th and was dialated to a 1 (barely) and measuring 38 cm. and my cervix was so high that the Dr. almost couldn’t reach to strip my membranes.. Great.  The next few days I enjoyed time with my mom and we did some walking at at the Mall (which happens to be one of Hudson’s favorite places to go).. Not much happened except for a few sparatic contractions.. By Tuesday October 22, I had another appointment. Much to my surprise, the baby had dropped (I now measured 35 cm) and was dialated to a 3. YAY! So Dr. stripped my membranes again. OUCH! And then scheduled my induction for Friday Oct. 26 at 7:45 am, just in case..  Wednesday the 25th I started having somewhat consistent contractions in the middle of the night. They were uncomfortable enough that I couldn’t sleep–not so much that I needed Brandon awake with me though.  They were pretty intense but anywhere from 5-15 minutes apart.. They started around 2 am and stopped around 5:30. I was bummed. I really thought I was in labor..

The next day, pretty much nothing happened. I decided that morning (after so little rest the night before) that I would just try to rest and plan on being induced the next day.. But, restless that afternoon–we decided to take the kids for a walk to the Rose Garden Park a mile away. I insisted on pushing the stroller and started having a few contractions on the way home where I needed to stop and wait them out.. We got home and during dinner (while sitting on my Yoga ball at the dinner table) I had a few more bad ones. (Can I just say that my Yoga ball is the BEST invention ever!) We got the kids to bed and then for the next 3 or so hours I sat on my Yoga ball and had contractions every 5-8 minutes apart and felt like they were getting more intense. They weren’t getting any closer and I was getting frustrated.. I wasn’t supposed to go to the hospital until they were 5 minutes apart. Since they weren’t close enough together we decided to get ready for bed and wait til morning and go in for the scheduled induction.

At about 10:30 pm, as I was washing my face and getting ready for bed I had 3 really bad ones close together, so we called the hospital and they said we could go ahead and come in.  It was 11:45 when we got the hospital. At midnight when they checked me I was dilated to 5cm (and quite proud of myself, I might add). They admitted me, got me all hooked up the monitors and I.V. in. I was asking for an epidural since the minute I got there, but they said it was really busy so I would probably be waiting AT LEAST another half hour. By then it was about 1 am. The nurse asked if I wanted some other drugs via IV while we waited for the epidural. I told her I’d like to know how long I’d have to wait before I decided so she called the anesthesiologist who said he would be in right away. WHAT A BLESSING!   He is my new favorite person, by the way.. My epidural was AMAZING. The best one that I have had.  By 2:20, the Doctors came in to check my progression. (I say “doctors” because Kaiser-Santa Clara is a teaching hospital and I had 4 residents come in to check the progress, now it seems crazy to have an audience but at this point I didn’t care much–with one or two hands poking a prodding me and seeing everything I own, what’s a few more?! .. One checked then the other confirmed that I was dilated to 6 cm.  They left the room after telling me they’d be back in two hours to check me again and possibly break my water to help progress things.. I asked how far apart my contractions were and they said they were still 5-7 minutes.. I just remember feeling really grateful that we decided to come in instead of waiting for them to be 5 minutes apart..

So, thinking we would get a few hours of rest/sleep, Brandon went in the Bathroom not even 5 minutes later and came out to find the head nurse in the room asking me if I felt like I needed to push.  I told her that I had just had a crazy contraction and yes, I felt like I needed to push–but they had just checked me and I was only at 6 cm so I couldn’t.  I also told her that my water hadn’t broken yet.  She told  me to push the next time I felt like I needed to and my water would brake.  So I did. Then she told me not to push anymore–which felt nearly impossible.. As she started to get everything ready and call my audience (4 Residents, 1 Attending, my nurse, and the baby nurse) I started panicking and told her that in my first two deliveries I only pushed 2 or 3 times and baby was out.. She held it together, but let my audience know they needed to rush and started hurrying herself.. 3 of the residents delivered my baby with the attending coaching them along.. I was a little confused as to who I should listen to. It felt a little chaotic but I don’t know if this was because I was still in shock it was happening so fast or because there were so many people in the room.  I can’t remember how many times I pushed but it was quick–one of the times they forgot to count and I got after them because I felt like I was pushing for way longer than the 10 seconds. Faye Kimberli Waldron {daddy chose the name—this sweet girl is named after my dear Mother-in-Law, Karen Faye, and obviously myself } was born at 2:39 am on Friday October 26, 2012.

One of the best parts was how they laid her on me right away, wiped her down (while in my arms) then let me hold her, feed her, and look at her for the next hour.  They didn’t even weigh her first or anything. I loved that, it was such a peaceful and precious time with my new baby.. Brandon was amazing and wonderful and such a good support to me the whole time.  He is such a sweet Husband and Daddy and is so tender with our new little Faye.

Now for the best part–PICTURES!

She has one dimple like her beautiful Mama

Love her little newborn neck wrinkles!and tiny ears..

CONGRATS Larson Family! She is BEAUTIFUL!

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Stay tuned for more to come shortly!