Welcome Baby

6 months or so later...

Here is our baby surprise! (Yes, we knew we were going to have one, and yes it was planned- we just didn't know the gender...)

Introducing:

Emily Aurora Feagin                 
Born 9/1/12 at 5:13 am 
Weighing 8 lbs. 13 oz.
Measuring 20 inches long

It's a girl!! Hooray! Throughout my pregnancy, during this long, hot summer, everyone- I mean, EVERYONE, told me it was going to be a boy. Everyone had their opinion. I guess they thought that because of how large I was. I didn't want to say anything- that I had a feeling it was a girl, because what if it wasn't!? I really wanted it to be. I wanted to dress up a little baby girl in cute frilly stuff again, I really did.
Elena is elated, of course, to have a baby sister. Aaron adjusted to the idea very quickly (he wanted a brother) and seems to really love his baby sister too.

We named her Emily after my paternal Grandmother- Emily Rose, and Aurora because she was born in the wee hours of the day. Right on her due date, I might add.
She was my quickest and easiest labor yet. Here's the story: I had trouble sleeping that night- more than usual. I couldn't get comfortable in any position. I even tried some of the yoga tricks, but they didn't work. I powered through for several hours, but by 3:30 am it was not getting any better. So, I called my OB and told her I thought I was in labor but wasn't sure. (My first two were induced.) She told me to come on in to L&D where she was on call. I lucked out to have the same doctor on call that delivered my first two kids! We checked in around 4:30 and I was wheeled up. The whole time I kept asking for the anesthesiologist. I wanted that shot ASAP, before it was too late! I sat for what felt like forever at the nurses' station, then finally got a room. In agony I waited for them to hook me up to all the monitors, and IV drip, and for the doctor to come in. She finally did (she was busy that night- delivered 6 babies!) and when she checked me she laughed. "You're at a 9 and you think  you're in labor!?" Oh. Is it too late for the epidural? Yep, it was. Crap! But I told myself I could do it. Here was my chance to be a "real woman"!  I had chickened out and got the epidural with the other labors I had. It all happened so fast from that point. I started to really want to push, and luckily they were inclined to oblige me. Probably around ten after five I started to do so and she was born by 5:13. Phew! Jim said she kept us in suspense for even longer- for a while he could only see her face and wasn't sure- boy or girl? Then when she was all the way out her legs were crossed. So sneaky!
She was my biggest baby yet, and I did it all without the pain killers! Wahoo! I now have a very empowering feeling of "I just did that!" And she was so perfect. I have had an amazingly quick recovery, most likely due to the fact that I didn't use the drugs. To those of you who have never used an epidural- GOOD FOR YOU!!
The very next day my Mom & Dad, and brother Dan arrived from Reno to meet the baby and stay the week. That was so much fun! Mom will be coming back the end of October as well and we are immensely looking forward to that visit...more pics to come!
Until later!