Lola's "birth"day

Since I have only uploaded pics as far as my journaling has gone for the last few months since I was having uploading issues, I will explain some of the previous photos. In the June pre-Lola post there were pics of  the Friedli fam having a tailgate party at the Burger Bar celebrating Father's Day early. It was SO fun. We all love the Burger Bar, & I think of it very fondly because my dad proposed to my mom there with her engagement ring in her banana split. I think it is so sweet & romantic <3 My mom also had burger bar food the night before she had me. So, it was pretty cool when I kind of figured out my water had broken there. It was a little trickling, not like the gushing you see on movies. Enough that I felt it looked like I peed through my dress though! Bobby walked over to the CVS across the street with me to use the potty & sure enough that's what was going on. I still wasn't sure th ough! Your body does crazy things during pregnancy so I didn'gt know what to expect. Well I started contracting pretty regularly the rest of the evening. It had started around 8pm-ish. I went home & soaked in the tub to see if I felt any better. The contractions were not as easy to keep track of as I thought they would when you time them. Do I count from when I feel a little pain or a lot? Do I stop counting when the pain lessens, but is still there? After a few hours of this & with the contractions increasing to 2 minutes apart & my mom & Bobby wanting me to decide what I wanted to do... I  finally called L&D to see who was working & if they thought I should come in or not. My cute friend Natalie was there & said to come in & get checked because it sounded like the real thing. I hesitated calling because I didn't want to be dramatic because I WORK there! So, we left the house around 1:15 AM after Tate was asleep & Liv was ready for bed. We assured her it probably wouldn't happen anytime soon & we would have Bobby's parents pick them up in the morning to come up to the hospital.

     Natalie checked to see if it was my water broken for sure & it was. She said my cervix was really hard to get to, but she could definately feel the baby's head right there. She went & got Carolyn, another one of our nurse friends. She said it was a little tricky to get to but that I was dilated to a 1. I was disappointed because I had wanted to get to the hospital as late as possible to be able to do my VBAC without being rushed. I did NOT want to chance not getting to the hospital in time though so that overrode my embarassment of being dramatic. My nurse said my contractions were about 90 seconds long & every 1-2 minutes when I got there. I didn't realize you could contract that often & only be dilated that far. Again, this is all confusing & you have no idea what your body is doing. At least I didn't! It was not so black & white like the text books seem to portray.

     Natalie called Dr. Boheen. Boheen said to call if I progressed a lot during the night & that they would start me on pitocin in the morning around 6AM. I thought okay, cool I'll get some sleep & I'll be prepared in the morning. Then my doc called back & said to start me on the pit & she'd be in. I got a little nervous & excited. This was really going to happen! After they started the pitocin it of course hurt so I wanted my epidural. Rick, one of my favorite nurse anesthetists at work came in to start it. He had to massage a lot of the fluid out of my back because I was so swollen. The epidurals are not bad to get. Although I did get a little scared when my leg jumped in reaction to the needle's placement. I kept thinking about how my sister Ashley's got screwed up & how sick she was for days after with terrible headaches. It went fine though & then I felt awesome :) Except I hate not feeling my legs. They each felt like Jabba the Hut & I couldn't even move them with my own arms. Probably TMI here, but it's funny so I have to include it. I knew & was nervous about the fact that you couldn't tell if you were pooping when you are pushing, due to the epidural. I hadn't thought about passing gas. Bobby was on the couch & I heard a loud noise. I said, "Man do you hear my stomach?" Still didn't figure it out until my cute nurse & the aide Heidi came to move me (they do every hour). I was totally farting & had NO idea! There were the reactions to the onion rings I stole from Bobby AND Lindsay, AFTER I had eaten my own fries. There was my penalty! It was quite funny that they had to explain it. I said "Was that ME?!" They gigggled & told me it was & it happens all the time. Still...Pretty funny anyways though :) 

     Dr. Boheen had checked me when she got there & went to sleep in her room until I progressed more (they have to be in-house with a VBAC. I loooove my doc but I wasn't sure how patient ANYONE would be waiting around for me to dilate fully. I didn't know how I would do either. Since Tate was a c-section it was pretty much like having my first baby (vaginally)). I think I was only about a 2. Thereafter I progressed about a centimeter every hour. The nurses switched shifts at 7. When my new nurse came on I was all of a sudden a 10! My mom had texted me around 3am & I was only a 3 so I said to get some sleep, relax & I'd call her later in the morning. Now that I was a 10 I was like, "Crap! Do I have time to call my mom!? I need her here!" Thankfully my cute parents were already there in the waiting room. I felt so bad that I didn't know though! I'm sure the hospital was cold & the chairs uncomfortable. I think I may have squeezed in a 45 minute nap during the night (it was hard to get comfortable not being able to move my fat numb body, & they were checking me & moving me every hour), but that lil nap felt so good & I wish they would've just come into my room & been more comfortable with me! I had wanted them to rest & be ready to enjoy this process!

     So they came right up. My dad said hi & waited out in the hall. I was so relieved they were there....Emily, my day nurse & the same nurse who I had when I had Tate, was working on pushing with me. This was really happening! Dr. Boheen came in later when I did the active pushing. It took forever! I wasn't sure if I was doing it right, I couldn't feel anything, I pooped out (no not literally ;)) before I could make it to the count of ten with each push. I felt like a was going to pop a blood vessel in my head & that's about the only thing I felt like I was accomplishing. I was so nervous the whole time too, waiting for her to tell me she wasn't coming out & I had to section. In hindsight I wish I would have relaxed & not worried as much, but the pain of the c-section sucked after having been in labor before. I knew it would be worse this time because I was so much further. I was going through some personal things too at the time & I didn't want to be recooperating that long with a c-section. Plus Tate still required so much work & lifting. I wanted to heal as quickly as possible.

     Well, after an hour of pushing the doc decided to shut off my epidural so I could actually feel it & push better. This was a bit painful, but helped a lot. I could feel what was going on & started pushing better. Still, another hour went by. This was freaking exhausting! I kept waiting for the bad new of a c-section, but Dr. Boheen said I was so far we wouldn't do one. Yay! Whenever she, Bobby, or my mom told me it was a good push & they could see her head it gave me confidence to do better. Man, this makes me almost tear up thinking back on this day. What a precious opportunity & memory to have. I am so extremely blessed. 

Finally, she started coming out. I had asked for the mirror so I could watch the whole thing. It was frustrating to not see progress the whole time I was pushing, but man that was cool to see her head peek out when we were that far! So awesome. Of course when she started coming out, my view was blocked by my doc. Lola got a little stuck Bobby said & she had to pull to get her shoulder out. I tore with that...Oh my gosh what a cool day! I just keep remembering this as I'm typing & it is really such an amazing experience. I am so grateful I got to experience the VBAC...She pulled her out & they handed her to me. She was really cheesy & bloody so I asked for a towel. They put her on my belly. The whole thing went so quickly & I couldn't believe she was actually here. I did it! I finally did it! I had been pushing for so long it felt weird to be done & that this part moved so quickly! She had dark hair. She was beautiful. It was all so surreal! 

9:59 A.M. 7 lbs. 12 oz., 21 1/2 inches long. Perfect.

     Connie was our nursery nurse & did all her vitals. It took Lola a minute to cry & it was making me nervous. I'm so glad that Bobby is a therapist too, & such a great one. It eased my worry. Dr. Boheen said the baby might be a little distressed from the long delivery & being stuck there. I was bleeding so they turned my pitocin back on & she stitched me up. I felt terrible after that. Connie bathed the baby & my mom video'd it. I was SO SAD! I had brought my video camera, charged it, & had it set out right next to the bed. I had NOT thought to check the memory though! It was full so we couldn't record any of the birth. I was so pissed at myself. My mom had taken so many photos though & I wanted everything, so it was so cool to have those. I appreciate it so much too. I feel bad because it probably took away from the moment having to focus on that, but I am so happy she did that for me. Thanks Mom! 

      Bob, Sandi, & the kids were there now. My head hurt so so bad, & I felt like crap from having the pitocin again so they took the baby right outside the room & showed everybody. I regret that now. I wish I could've seen Tate's & Liv's reactions. I did not even feel like myself though. I felt sick & exhausted. I felt alone too! I was alone in my room. I was still trying to realize what just happened. Again, so surreal. My beautiful, perfect baby girl was here! Hooray! I was able to do the VBAC, all was well, & I was so happy. What a blessing. I am so grateful to Heavenly Father that I had this opportunity, & the opportunity to be a mom. I love my kids more than anything in the world. I look at them & I cannot believe they are mine. I made them (& dang I did a great job!!!) ;) We always joke that I grew 'em so cute with french fries. They do the trick! ;) I hope I can live up to what they deserve & be the best mom that I can. They deserve it. My little sweeties <3 So happy that we have the luxury of recording these memories in digital journals & photos to relive it again & again. Especially because I have a terrible memory! Thank you again Mom for documenting this day for me. You're the best & I love you so much. Thank you for being there with me through this special experience & for holding my hand. You know I always want my mommy ;)

What a beautiful day!

Look at my poor swollen feet! I have the skinniest, longest toes normally!

My "worry doll" I made for my mom when I was little. She saved it & gave it to me when I had Tate. I held onto it the whole time with him. Even during the c-section!

Waiting....

You can see the stress in my face that I'm waiting for the news that she won't come out & we have to section

She's here!!!

A little cone-shaped noggin, but she's out!

Beautiful....

Love...

My perfect baby girl

She still has this little scowl :) It's so cute

Tater was not sure about her at first. Now we have to pry him off of her ;)

I love his face here

Such a beautiful pic. These kids could not ask for a better sister. She is awesome & loves them so much.

Connie picked out a cute little bed for her :)

This pic makes me cry. I love her SO much.

Her sweet, perfect lips

Grammy feeding Lo a bottle.

Lola was a little shock-y after the birth. Dr. Nye wanted us to supplement her with a bottle to get her fluids so we didn't have to do it via IV.

I LOVE this picture

Best mom in the world

She has got SO many dimples. On both her cheeks, one at the top of her forehead, at the corners of her eyes, at the corners of her mouth (Tate has one on the corner of the right side of his mouth too :)), & one on her neck

Proud daddy

Bobby is a great dad. He loves the kids so much. They bring us so much joy & definately bring us closer as a couple. It makes me happy to see that he feels the same way I do about these sweet little blessings of ours.

What a special special day embedded in my heart forever....