Introducing Isabelle Marie

On Friday, February 18th our beautiful daughter Isabelle ("Belle") Marie was born. She arrived at 11:56 am at a healthy 6 pounds-11 ounces, 18 inches long, and a head full of hair! 

The Birth Story:
It was no secret that we had a pretty specific plan for how she was suppose to arrive in this world. She clearly has a mind of her own and decided to arrive ahead of schedule, but only by a few hours. I wasn't even induced, she came on her own! Everything worked out just fine and it was still a very joyful weekend!

Thursday night: 

6:00pm- Dinner at Texas Roadhouse with parents

8:00pm- Check into hospital 

9:00pm- Only dilated to 2cm, so they began the Cervidil, which isn't necessarily an induction medicine, but more so a medicine that allows your body to better absorb the induction drugs that will start the next morning.

Friday Morning

6:00am- get up and take a shower. Ate contraband banana (and everything turned out just fine!)

7:30am- dilated only 2cm, doctor breaks water, contractions start right away, holding off on induction medicine for time being. Text to Derek: It's just so weird with you not here. Like it's just not supposed to be this way. He replies: I'm on my way, baby. Just hang in there!

8:30am- Derek boards first plane. Epidural arrives not much later. 

9:00am- Already to dilated 5cm... Woah, slow down!! I haven't even started my induction meds! I decided to do my hair, mom painted my nails... total denial people. I was still hoping she'd make it to 3:30pm.

10:00am- Derek arrives in Atlanta and texts: You are making fast progress. Hope I make it. I reply: You'll make it.

10:30am- dilated 8cm. Noooo!! Nurse tells me to tell her if I start feeling pressure. Mom calls Dad to tell him to get to hospital NOW. Start giving last minute tutorials to Mom and Linda on how to use the cameras.

11:00am-dilated 9 cm, no that's definitely a 9.5cm. And that is definitely pressure I feel. Quick call to Dad: "WHERE ARE YOU!?...You're still 25 minutes away!?...Nurse, do I have 25 minutes?!" She replies that if I can hold it in, I can make it. I literally had to cross my legs and attempt to hold her back for just a little bit longer. If I wasn't going to have my husband, my dad just had to be there!

11:15am- call Derek. She's coming... NOW. Shed a few tears because I was so disappointed. Even though he wasn't there in person, I was talking to him on speaker phone for as long as possible. He was soooo encouraging. 

11:45am- Dad arrives as my hand holder. Nurse attempts a last dilation check, but can't because the baby's head is so low. Derek had to get off the phone so he could board the plane.

11:56am- Baby Isabelle arrives! Dad cuts the cord. Seriously, less than 10 minutes from the picture above and the picture below. Amazing.

12:00pm- Call Derek, goes straight to voicemail. Dang it. He's already on the plane. Leave a quick voicemail. Oh wait-- he's calling me back! I get to deliver the news of our baby girl to him while he is sitting on the tarmac. 

2:40pm- get text from Derek that he's landed in KC.

3:15pm- Derek arrives and gets to meet his baby girl. He just gazed at her for several minutes, just soaking in all the beauty.

It was so good to finally get to experience our baby girl together!

We had chosen a name several months ago, but we decided to keep it to ourselves until after she was born. As soon as it was announced that she was born, the requests for her name reveal was immediate and plentiful. I don't regret keeping that quiet until Derek arrived. It just wasn't right for me to introduce her to the world via facebook pictures and text messages before Daddy even got a chance to meet her himself.

And just an observation: when you keep the name to yourself, more people respond to the news of baby with, "what's her name?!" than, "How's the baby, how's mommy?" and in this case, people didn't even acknowledge the disappointment that it was to have her come before Derek even came home- instead, just texts, phone calls, and facebook messages to me, Derek, and other family regarding her name.

Jackson is adjusting well to his role as big brother. He loves to look at her, give her kisses, and the occasional high five.

Derek stayed until Monday morning. It was pure devastation to tell him bye and watch him walk out the front door. I literally emptied an entire Kleenex box of tissues that day. I'm doing better, but I really miss him so much. I've been so strong the entire separation, but I don't have much strength to hold myself together when I think or talk about him anymore. I gathered some laundry today and broke down into tears as I was putting his t-shirts and jeans into wash. Thank goodness he is coming home next month.

Belle is struggling with her bilirubin levels, but is otherwise perfectly healthy. She's struggling with nursing, but improving a little bit each day. In the mean time, I'm pumping and supplementing with bottles to keep her eating and gaining weight. I really did forget how much newborns really sleep. I feel like she's hardly any work right now!