Baby 1 meeting baby 2

Stella and Pepper's first encounter. We're still trying to show Pepper how to be gentle with the baby.

The beginning...the birth story!

We might as well start with the "Birth Story". This is more for me, so that I don't forget what happened on that day...the day that changed our lives forever...for the better!

It was 1:11am on November 10, 2011. My due date was 11-11-11, so fun! Well, I woke up with what felt like a contraction, but I wasn't sure. So I went back to sleep. About 12 minutes later it happened again. That is when I decided that I should start tracking them just in case. I don't think that this is "IT". Denial maybe?

Around 4am, when the contractions were about 4-5 minutes apart, I decided that I should probably pack the last minute things in my hospital bag. At 4:20 when the contractions were getting closer together I thought I should wake up Vance. I yelled down the stairs to him "Vance, I think I'm in labor". He said "really!?!" I said, "well I think so, I'm not sure, but I think I might be". I did not want to be one of those ladies that went to the hospital 4 times in false labor.

Well, once Vance was up my contractions started getting even closer. I had to stop what I was doing and breath through it. The pain was totally manageable, just uncomfortable. Once they got to 3-4 minutes apart, I told Vance that we need to go NOW!

We get in the care at 4:50am and a mile down the road my water breaks! I said "Vance, my water, it's breaking, the seat!" I take my seat belt off and spin around so that it wouldn't get on our cloth interior. Vance was like, it's okay, it's just a seat. I was saying "no, the seat"! I then proceeded to turn on the flashers and told Vance not to stop at any red lights...yield only. Once my water broke the pain went from being something I could manage to "Oh my word, this hurts SO bad."

We got to the hospital at 5am which worked out perfectly because the main doors opened then. I got out of the car and had to stop right away because I was having another contraction. I make it inside to the first counter. Vance was like "um, my wife, I think she's in labor". I stop at the counter and Vance left to go park the car. My head was down (contraction) and I hear this girl saying "oh, I was going to send you a message on facebook the other day and see how the pregnancy was going". I was like "who is this lady talking to? Doesn't she see that I'm in pain?" Well, she was talking to me. It was Tatyana, one of our summer interns from when I worked at the Heart of Kansas. We laughed a little bit and then a nurse brought a wheelchair over for me to sit in. I was NOT interested in sitting. I told her that I'd walk once I got past this next contraction. As soon as it was over I made a b-line for the elevator. We made it to the labor & delivery floor and they finally put me in a room to check me.

I asked them when I could have the epidural. The nice lady said I could have it once I got my IV. I said okay, just do it! Well, she sent in a Dr. to check me. When she told me that I was only at 3cm I thought I was going to punch someone. I was in so much pain. Vance was doing such a good job trying to help me breathe. I kept holding my breath because it hurt so bad.

I got the IV, which hurt, but not nearly as much as the contractions. I didn't care what they stuck me with at that point as long as the end result was an epidural!

They then move me to our labor & delivery room and again I asked when I could have the epidural. "Once you finish this whole bag of fluid". Oh my word, you have got to be kidding me. How long will that take? Not too long they say. Ya right!

Me: Again, when is the anaesthesiologist coming? One of the nurses said, "listen, when he comes you can't move at all or else he will get frustrated and he'll leave". Talk about fear! I couldn't stop shaking. When he finally came I was so scared that he would leave me. I tried so hard to stay still. I kept telling him I was sorry, I couldn't stop shaking. He was so nice.

*side note - The epidural didn't hurt at all. The IV hurt!

Once I had the epidural I was home free. What a relief! I have no idea why people CHOOSE not to have an epidural. Best decision I've ever made! (not really, but it's right up there)

So for the rest of the morning we just relaxed, watched a little TV and rested.

Dr. Maki came to check on me shortly after I had the epidural. I was so happy to see her I started crying. I LOVED my doctor. She came back when it was time to start pushing. It was 1:25pm. Little did I know how long of a process this was going to be. Two hours later, at 3:24pm our sweet baby Stella was born.

Stella Kathryn Garwood

7 pounds 6 ounces

19.5 inches long

head - 13.5 inches

Here we go!

I've decided to start this blog in hopes that I will be able to keep track of the highlights of our lives as we have added little Miss Stella to it. So here we go...