Ava's Birth

Being pregnant with Ava was easy. I felt pretty good through-out the whole pregnancy. I thought I would have a harder time being pregnant because I had a son to care for. I did experience sleeping difficulties towards the end but leading up to Ava's arrival was exciting for me.

I had been going to the doctor regularly now and my last visit I was told we could set up a scheduled c-section, (because I had one with Kael). The doctor told me she would call me in the next day or two to schedule the c-section but I waited almost a week. I finally got a hold of her and she said we were a go for Friday August 1st. I was so excited.

Over the next few days I prepared as much as possible for her. I enjoyed going out to eat with my sister for lunch. I knew that when Ava came I was not going to be able to get out as easily with two kids.

Finally, Friday came. My dad was going to watch Kael and Raelynn while I went to the hospital with my husband, sister, and mom. I arrived at the hospital two hours prior to the c-section for preparation. The nurse introduced herself and told me to put on the gown, socks, and take off all my jewelry. The nurse was very personable to me and Walter. She joked and laughed with us until it was time to put in my IV. She took my left arm and tried putting in the IV. She told me to turn my head while she was doing it. I kept feeling pain and when I looked over she was wiggling the needle to find my vein. She took the needle out and tried in another spot on the same arm and again she was unsuccessful. My stomach was turning by this point and I could feel my whole body getting sick and flushed. She took my right arm and tried again. I was trying so hard to think about something else but when I felt the same pain I felt on the other arm I realized that she was having problems again. She pulled the needle out and once again she tried it in another spot. So, this makes the fourth time she has poked me with this needle and had been having a hard time finding the vein. Finally, she said that she was just going to put it in my hand and that she was trying to avoid that.

Once she got it in my hand I felt so sick. I had to lay there and shut my eyes about 30 minutes later I started feeling better. Oh my gosh, how awful was that.

All the doctor's had come in and talked to me about the procedure. I was familiar with it already so there were no surprises. They told me I could walk back to the operating room and Walter would join me in about 20 minutes.

I hopped up on the table and the doctor put in my epidural. Once again, they had trouble putting it in and had to try 3 times to get it. They laid me down and my legs started going numb. They preped my belly, put up blue drapes, and asked Walter to come in. They had already started the incision. I noticed my lungs getting heavy and they told me that would be normal from the epidural.

Only moments later I heard the doctor say it's a girl and little Ava was out. He quickly lifted her up for only a second for me to see. Walter rushed over to her to take some pictures. He kept coming back to me saying that she was rolling all over the place and that she didn't look like Kael. I was so medicated that I was kind of out of it. I just wanted to close my eyes because I was a little nervous about what was going on in just around those blue drapes.

Once they got Ava all cleaned up, weighed, and wrapped Walter walked her over to me so I could get a good look. She was just so darling. The emotion you have when you first get to see your little baby, that has been in your stomach for so long, is priceless.