The first week of August seemed like an eternity. There is nothing like waiting for a baby to slow down time. It was a long 6 days of contraction filled nights followed by nap filled days. I was pretty miserable and impatient. I struggled with reminding myself God had a perfect birthday for our little girl and trusting His timing.
Philippa's Birth Story
August 6
My contractions were 8 minutes apart all night long. I slept as much as I could, but was up pretty much all night. My water began slowly leaking around midnight. So when I woke up on Thursday morning and got ready for my 40 week doctor appointment, I looked at my husband and said, "I will burst into tears if I get sent home without a baby today." I looked at my son and said goodbye and for the first time ever he just waved and said "bye!" to me. No crying or trying to follow me, just a simple see-ya-later-mom wave as I left the house. What a Big Boy! For sure he'd become a big brother today, right?
I made my way to my appointment and after a half hour or so into the exam the OB finally asked, "Are you ready to have a baby today?" Most definitely, YES! Unfortunately, due to hospital rules as a VBAC patient I was not supposed to be induced at all, so I was sent to Labor and Delivery only knowing that some way or another our baby girl was coming but I had to wait for the OB on call to make the final decision of how I would deliver.
After I had been fully in-processed, set up in our delivery room and Zack had arrived, the OB on call finally came in to consult with us. She had to review the increased risks with an induced trial of labor after a cesarean; then she decided I could receive a half dose of pitocin. And that sure got the party started, as my body reacted very quickly and effectively to the pit.
The whole day went by very quickly. Zack and I looked at the clock at 4 and he bet we'd have a baby by 6:00 and I bet we'd have a baby by 5:00 because at that point I was very much still feeling every contraction. Thanks to a visit from my new best friend, Captain Ha the anesthesiologist, I finally felt good for the first time all week long. This meant we were able to take a little break and both eat a little bit of dinner before pushing. I was only allowed broth, Jell-O, and Popsicles so I told Zack that he was in charge of getting me In-n-Out as soon as this baby came out! And I was dead serious...a cheeseburger, fries and a shake sounded like heaven after a day of laboring and only having one granola bar that morning.
I was SO relieved and happy that my pain was gone for the first time all week, that my one hour of pushing was actually fun. We cracked jokes and told stories with the midwives and nurses the entire time. Then at 1834, our beautiful little girl arrived...and I don't remember many details after that. I just held my baby, cried, and kept saying "I did it!" I was proud and grateful that I had a successful VBAC. It was something that had been weighing on my mind, causing worry and doubts, and just making me nervous for the last 9 months. Since I was under general anesthesia when I had my emergency cesarean with Elliott, neither Zack nor I were present for his birth. It was an overwhelmingly emotional moment for us to both be present for Pippa's birth. When I had to let go of her for the baby nurses to do their thing, I couldn't take my eyes off her. I was completely unaware of everyone else in the room still working furiously, and it was just a really cool couple of hours that I'll never forget.
The whole day went by very quickly. Zack and I looked at the clock at 4 and he bet we'd have a baby by 6:00 and I bet we'd have a baby by 5:00 because at that point I was very much still feeling every contraction. Thanks to a visit from my new best friend, Captain Ha the anesthesiologist, I finally felt good for the first time all week long. This meant we were able to take a little break and both eat a little bit of dinner before pushing. I was only allowed broth, Jell-O, and Popsicles so I told Zack that he was in charge of getting me In-n-Out as soon as this baby came out! And I was dead serious...a cheeseburger, fries and a shake sounded like heaven after a day of laboring and only having one granola bar that morning.
I was SO relieved and happy that my pain was gone for the first time all week, that my one hour of pushing was actually fun. We cracked jokes and told stories with the midwives and nurses the entire time. Then at 1834, our beautiful little girl arrived...and I don't remember many details after that. I just held my baby, cried, and kept saying "I did it!" I was proud and grateful that I had a successful VBAC. It was something that had been weighing on my mind, causing worry and doubts, and just making me nervous for the last 9 months. Since I was under general anesthesia when I had my emergency cesarean with Elliott, neither Zack nor I were present for his birth. It was an overwhelmingly emotional moment for us to both be present for Pippa's birth. When I had to let go of her for the baby nurses to do their thing, I couldn't take my eyes off her. I was completely unaware of everyone else in the room still working furiously, and it was just a really cool couple of hours that I'll never forget.
Philippa Rae Pittman
08.06.15 1834
7 lbs 8 oz 20.5"
We have had some people ask for the pronunciation of her name: PHIL-uh-puh
Her big brother calls her "Baby Pippa" and is in love with her. On Friday morning, Elliott came to the hospital to meet his sister.
We are now officially a family of four! Elliott occasionally likes to hold his sister, but he always likes to inform us when she is crying, where her paci is, what items belong to her, and where her body parts are (especially her eyes...they get poked a lot). He also loves to give her kisses on the head and it makes my heart melt every single time.
Thank you very much to our dear friend, Megan, and to Granmama for helping us out with Elliott, H&H, and the house while we were at the hospital. It was very helpful knowing everyone was in good hands so we could focus on our new baby.
Pippa has been the best eater and sleeper since the beginning. She is a very calm baby and has been (without jinxing it!) an easy baby. We are obsessively in love with our sweet baby girl, and are so incredibly grateful that everything has been much easier this time around. We have been able to relax and enjoy our newborn more than we did when we were first time parents during the holidays, recovering from surgery, and before a cross-country move.
We have had a full house this entire month. First, my mom was here for our first week home. We stayed fairly busy with some errands, Pippa's doctor appointment, and yummy meals out. Fairly busy for having just had a baby, that is. The boys went on a couple hikes and even had a Father Son Camping Trip! Elliott stayed busy playing with all his new "Big Brother" toys and definitely got a lot of attention during this transition time.
Then Alicia came, and boy what a help she was! Tia played with the kids, took us on many fun shopping trips, and even made some freezer meals before she left! Plus, we got to catch up and visit all week long. It was a great week--thanks for coming!
Aunt Amanda came next, but I completely failed at life and don't have any pictures of her with the kids. That just means she needs to come back soon!!! Amanda babysat so both Zack and I could go to Pippa's doctor appointment and so we could go see a movie for Zack's birthday! We played, visited, and apparently had so much fun with her that we forgot to use the camera!
Uncle Bugs drove down to make sure he didn't miss his first niece while she was itty bitty. He played lots with Elliott and even had an epic water gun fight! He was a great bedtime story reader, kid TV show watcher, and choo choo builder.
Our most recent guest was Auntie Tavia. She was the Queen of Baby Snuggling and I think Pippa was more than ok with that! She even babysat so Zack and I could celebrate our 5th anniversary! We had a really good time visiting and enjoying a relaxing weekend.
A big THANK YOU to everyone who came to visit. It was special to have family and friends share this time with us. Also, THANK YOU to everyone who brought us meals during this time. We really appreciate the yummy food and the extra time we had to adjust to the craze of dinner, bath, and bed times each evening. We are grateful for all the help, loving gifts, and encouraging words we have received this past month. We have been blessed with a wonderful family, amazing friends, and an awesome community and we love you all.
...and don't worry more cute baby pictures and updates will be making their way to the blog for all of you to stay updated soon!
