Carlee Amira

"You have until 2:00 a.m. - baby girl - and then I am done."  I whispered through the contraction.  Labor pains had kept me at bay for two entire days and I was done.  Completely done.  This baby either needed to come out right now or plan to stay inside for another couple weeks while I booked an unplanned vacation to Alaska... or Canada... or someplace much much colder than the unreasonable heat.

At 1:40 a.m. the midwife raised my epidural-heavy "dolphin" legs, with the help of the hospital nurse and Nate, while I pushed with all my might.

At 1:50 a.m., I declared that I had ten minutes left to give.  And if she didn't come out... well, I was going home.

The midwife didn't laugh.

Forget the machines with pleasurable non-grape-flavored epidural juice pulsing through my body.  IV's are a cinch to remove.  Come 2 a.m. - I was prepared to roll my way out of that hospital.  Even if she was crowned.

Somehow.

At 1:52 a.m. she appeared.  My little miracle.  If she does nothing - absolutely nothing -  to obey me in the future, I will always be content that she removed herself from my body before 2:00 a.m. on July 22nd.

The anesthesiologist was a complete genius.  After a completely natural delivery with Colton, I believed that it was only fair that I experienced this labor with absolutely no pain - no pain whatsoever

The epidural only worked on one side for the first couple of hours.  When the nurse checked and told me that it was time to prep for pushing, I panicked!  I didn't want to feel ANYTHING.  Pain was not part of my birthing plan this time around.

The lovely anesthesiologist came in and gave me one very large dose before the pushing.  It was amazing.  I didn't feel anything - yet - I could push.  Miracle.  I actually laughed when she entered the world in place of my traditional scream-my-guts-out.

And I didn't do anything crazy like bite my amazingly hot husband or break his fingers.

But this is where we can skip the details about being a beached whale for the following couple of hours and my nastily embarrassing incident with a bed pan.  I am pretty sure the entire hospital heard about it.

So. Embarrassing.

The boys came later that morning.
Colton couldn't stop clapping.
"She is here!  She is here!"

Conner held her with pride while Caleb gave her his heart.
Colton wouldn't stop clapping.
And he doesn't want to take a moment to hold her.
But that is okay.
 

We had a lot of visitors in and out of the hospital for those 24 hours.
Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents.
This little girl is definitely smoothered in love.

 

  
Carlee Amira:
Born July 22, 2013 - 1:52 a.m.
6 lbs. 4 oz.
19 inches