Baby Gwen

After one long week of braxton hicks contractions, a couple trips to the hospital, and a lot of crying on my part, our little angel finally decided to make her debut.  I was just laying in bed on Thursday, February 16th, when all of a sudden I felt and heard a big POP.  I couldn’t quite tell what it was, whether she had just kicked me really hard, which was not uncommon, or if perhaps my water broke and this was the awaited day.  A few seconds later it was confirmed that it was most definitely the second.  I was so happy I almost started crying. 

I labored at home for about 2 1/2 hours, before the contractions got REALLY intense.  I was planning on doing a natural birth.  I had taken a class, read some books and felt really confident.  I did pretty well at home, but I was all alone, and I was exhausted because of the prior week.  I had gotten nearly no sleep because of the contractions and the over all pregnant state of my body.  I finally had Dan come home from work so we could go to the hospital because the contractions were so intense, and coming every minute.  We got there, and found I was only dilated to a 3…which is what I had been all week long. So I continued to labor some more in the hospital.  About another 3 hours, and I was only a 4.  I was getting light headed and nauseous because the contractions were so intense, and so I finally decided to just go ahead and get the epidural.  It was good.  I could still feel every contraction, could feel and move my legs, just couldn’t feel the pain.  After that my body was able to relax and I was dilated to a 10 within 4 hours.  The dr came in to check me and said, “Oh, this baby is ready to come out.  Let’s start pushing” so I did, and 30 minutes later, out popped little Gwen.  She weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces and was as beautiful as could be.  She was crying and as soon as they gave her to me and she heard my voice she stopped crying and calmed right down.  Right after she was born and wiped off, we did skin to skin, and she was so wide awake and so alert.  She was just laying there on my chest with her eyes wide open looking around and trying to understand what had just happened.  It was so cute.  Dan and I both fell instantly in love with her and all her dark hair.
After about an hour or so of skin to skin Dan took her to have her first bath while the transferred me down to mother/baby.  I was sad I didn’t get to be there for the bath and to watch Dan, but the nurses did take some photos for us.

This girl has got some serious cheeks on her.  They are so completely kissable.  Sometimes I think that is all I do all day long.  Just kiss her chubby cheeks.  Also, she has about 4 chins.  It’s adorable.  How come it’s so cute when babies are fat, but not when adults are fat?
 
I love this photo.  She looks so much like Dan.  They have all the same facial expressions, and the exact same furrowed eyebrows.  I love this photo because they have the same hair style, and the same look on their faces.  It’s adorable.  She loves him so much.  Dan loves to sing, and so he is always singing something, whether its made up or a song from the radio.  When I was pregnant, every time he would sing Gwen would start moving and kicking around. Now when he sings, she is turning her head every which way to find him and listen to his songs.  If he’s holding her and singing to her, she’ll just stare at him.  It is the cutest thing ever.

We had a lot of visitors in the hospital, and it was fun to see everyone loving on our sweet baby, but by the time I was able to go home, we were ready.  Ready to be back at home and in our own bed, and get started on our life with our girl.  She was such an angel.  She had a bit of jaundice, so for the first week of her life I had to take her back to the hospital every day to get it tested.  Luckily she never had to be under the lights, and finally it was under control so I didn’t have to take her back to the hospital anymore.  She is so sweet.  She hardley ever cries, unless she’s hungry or has a bubble in her stomach that needs to come out.  Otherwise, she is content to snuggle, or lay on the couch or blanket by herself and look around, or sleep.  She loves looking at colors and if there is something in front of her to look at she really has been entertained for hours just staring at the colors.

She is so sweet and we feel so blessed to have her in our family.  We really couldn’t ask for a more perfect baby.  She is an angel and we are loving getting to know her and having her sweet spirit in our home.  Also, Chloe loves her.  Dan has taught Chloe to check on her.  He’ll say, “Chloe, where’s Gwen?” and Chloe will run to her and look at her, then run back to him.  If ever I get home and I put her car seat down without getting her out right away, Chloe will run to her seat and nudge the cover up so she can see her, then she will sit right there watching her until I get her out.  It’s pretty cute.
Could she be any cuter?