It was July 4th, 2014. I was a hot and sweaty pregnant mess.
I was surrounded by family & friends, dressed like an American Flag and my belly was full of hamburgers, homemade root beer, apple pie and a baby. It was a fun day which was about to become even more fun... because at 11pm that night I felt my first REAL contraction and BOOOOM!! I was finally in labor!
I had been feeling whimpy little practice contractions consistently for the previous two days. They weren't painful, just completely obnoxious. Basically my uterus was all, "neener neener neener" and I was all "QUIT IT".
But, you know.... uteruses.
I was waiting for the real contractions to kick in and at 11pm just after the fireworks, THEY DID!! So travis & I packed the hospital bags and folded some laundry then headed to bed at around midnight {We had left Millie at her nana & papa's house to stay the night}. I slept for a good twenty minutes and then woke up with a jolt because contractions.
So i breathed through them and the time passed quickly by. Then I got bored. When I labored with millie i labored in the bath tub and it was super great, but this time I was tired and did not feel like getting wet & pruny. Now, when I am pregnant I do a lot of research {don't we all?} and in my research I found a crunchy mom's blog who said that laboring on the toilet is amazing. I assumed she wasn't simply crazy cray and decided to give it a try.
and folks, she was right.
I sat my pregnant self down on our toilet for a few hours in the middle of the night. my husband slept and I did my make up & curled my hair between contractions. by the time we left for the hospital at 5:30am, I was flipping beautiful and had a very sore bum.
We arrived at the hospital at around 6am on a Saturday morning. We were the only ones in labor and delivery! They got the IV in after three different nurses and four different tries {UM YES I'M IN ENOUGH PAIN ALREADY} and readied me for the epidural. The nurse checked my cervix and I was dilated to an eight! With millie I only made it to a five... apparently labor is something you get better at with practice. The nurse asked if I wanted to try to keeping going all natural and the only answer I had for that nurse was a resounding, "Nope."
Then came the epidural and then, a much needed nap. I slept for a few hours and when I woke up at 11am I was dilated to a nine and my Arizona family was just rolling in from their 16 hour drive! I was so happy that they had made it!! At 1pm it became time to push and at 1:06pm I gave birth to an absolutely gorgeous, 9lb 8oz, blue-eyed, red-headed little Riglee Jane.
Riglee's eyes looked at mine & her little hands and feet were so incredibly small, her cheeks so chubby, her quivering chin and her sweet little body. She was all mine! All mine and trav's and Millie's.
Forever.
We finally had our little sister here on earth with us.
In an instant, I loved her. She is a sweet little light in our home. I know that she was placed into our family for a reason. I love the relationship that has already developed between Millie & Riglee, I can't wait to see them together for years to come! GOSH! Motherhood really is something, isn't it?
^ a daddy's girl in the making! ^
^ When Millie met Riglee for the first time, she said, "my beebee seesta mommy?" ^
we love you riggy roo
peace & love
lauren
