Amelia Grace Hallberg

**I always like to have the birth story written down, since my memory is so dang shotty...so if it's too much info for you, feel free to skip over the details and enjoy the pics! :)**

This little girl is a superstar. She was trying her hardest to make an early appearance, and she finally won out when my doctor decided to take pity on me last week, and scheduled to induce us on Monday, January 24th.  My due date wasn't until January 31st, so we were still a week ahead of schedule.  After over a month of regular contractions and being dilated to 4cm, plus two false alarm trips to the hospital (which I won't go into - ugh!), we got to go to the hospital for reals.  We arrived at 7:45 am, and they settled us into our Labor&Delivery room.  That was when we remembered to take a final belly shot...you gotta love hospital gowns...or not.  I think they like patients to feel inferior somehow...so they make you wear ID bracelets that say "Fall Risk" and gowns that flap in the breeze...but who cares when you know what the end result will be, right? :)

I paced a little bit and took pointless photos of the hubs and the room (which I'll spare you from) until the doctor came in at 8:45 and broke my water. There was meconium in the fluid, so they said that we should be on the watch for stress from the baby...but she looked perfect on all the monitors, so there ended up being no need to worry. They said I was still at a 4, so they started a low dose of pitocin,  About an hour later the contractions were starting to get a lot closer and stronger.  I was at a 6, and they asked if I wanted to get the epidural.  For some reason I always feel like I should be at the breaking point of pain before agreeing to get the epidural, which I wasn't at yet.  I went back and forth with Joel over whether I should wait, and he convinced me that by the time the doc got there to give me the epidural, it might be too late, since they were getting stronger and stronger every second.  Ten minutes later, I was getting the epidural, and very grateful because the contractions were peaking every two minutes. The anesthesiologist had just finished up, and they had me roll to the other side to evenly distribute the numbness.  About 15 minutes later the nurse told us that she was going to give me about half an hour before she checked me again.  I laughed and said you might want to check now because there was a ton of pressure.  She did, and with a look of shock, she told us I was at a 10 and ready to push.  She kind of rushed around the room turning off the pitocin, getting things ready, and calling the doctor.  Luckily, he was in the building, and came within a few minutes.  We had to laugh in hindsight, because I don't think the doc even thought things would go so quickly.  He hadn't seen Joel since the beginning of the pregnancy, and struck up a conversation about Joel's new job and all that it entails.  As I was pushing, they were stil shooting the breeze about books and guy stuff.  Joel kept giving me this apologetic look, but I could care less. I was focused on the task at hand! :) I pushed for 20 minutes, and she was born at 12:21 pm. (3 and 1/2 hours - YEAH!)

She weighed 8 pounds 0 ounces, and was 21 inches long.  Perfectly healthy, despite the meconium.  The biggest surprise was all of her dark hair.  It's a first for our little ones to actually have hair at birth!  We counted toes and fingers, and adored her for a bit.  My mom brought the little girls just as they were getting ready to move us to a recovery room.  They got to meet her, and then Joel took her to have her first bath. 

 

While Grandma and little sisters looked on...

And then they brought her to me.  Pure bliss. 

 

We rested and enjoyed her all afternoon, and then Joel went to get the older kids from school,

and bring them to meet her.  They are kind of in love... they each jockeyed to hold her a minimum of 3 times each.  (And smother her with kisses any time they got the chance!)

The next day, my fabulous friends Andrea and Amy came to visit.  Andrea brought sushi since she knew how much I craved it during the pregnancy, but couldn't have it! (THANK YOU - it was heavenly!!!)  And while they were visiting, my mom snapped this photo of Paige.  I had no idea what she was doing...so adorable. 

 And we brought her home Wednesday afternoon.  YAY!!!

 

 There are a million more photos, of course, but I think this post is getting too long, so I'll spare you!  We are so blessed to have her here and that she is healthy.  The last few weeks, I was so focused on just getting her here, that I don't think I fully enjoyed them as much as I should have.  It's a bit sad to think that this is the last time we'll do this.  We're so blessed to have her, healthy, happy and here!  She's been a sweet addition to the family.  She's very mild mannered, and I so look forward to learning her personality as she wakes up from her newborn coma. :) (No, not a real coma, but the one where she sleeps ALL of the time!)  Welcome to the family sweet little baby!!!