Meet Our New Daughter!

 My water broke at 1:30a.m. on Wed, Oct 3. I wasn't feeling regular contractions, so I called the hospital and begged them to let me try walking at home, which they agreed to. When Travis came home from the night shift at 3:30 I was cooking tortellini and cleaning! Then I started walking... at 7pm we dropped Sophia off at her school and went into the hospital! I was 3 cm dilated, 80% effaced and having contractions 2-3 min apart at that time. After a few hours my CNM broke the bottom of the amniotic sac (I had a high leak and she wanted to try breaking the bottom so the baby would come down and put on some pressure!). A few hours after that I started having very hard contractions and, again... back labor! My worst contractions started around 3pm. I went from 6cm dilated to 9cm dilated in about 20 minutes! I pushed for 19 minutes, and then finally held our new baby!

 I am so lucky that this birth was such a great experience. YES it was INCREDIBLY painful, but I didn't have a single needle in me (not even an IV!), no interventions other than breaking the amniotic sac (which was no big deal), and I didn't even tear. My CNM was amazing! Very calm and supportive and made this such a wonderful experience. I felt so conscious when this baby was born. I held her immediately and cried with joy!

 Travis cut the cord!

 Our new BIG little girl! 8 lbs, 4 oz... a whole 2 lbs, 2 oz bigger than Sophia!

 Sophia was waiting with her grandparents and aunt as I gave birth. We thought that Sophia might attend the birth, but decided it was too scary. I have one thing to say about my pushing: it involved lots of roaring! Pushing a big baby out in 19 minutes takes a LOT of power! Right after the birth Travis brought just Sophia in. She was excited to press the button that plays the lullaby announcing a new baby.

 Grandpa Ralph bonding with grandchild #9!

 Grandma Carmen... Carmen and my sister in law, Lindsey, drove to Fargo/Moorhead in the morning and stuck it out all day waiting for the new baby!

 I can't tell you how proud Sophia is. She is already such an amazing, attentive, doting big sister!

 New baby with her Aunt Lindsey (sorry to keep saying "baby"... as of this posting we still haven't settled on a name!).

 This girl is FEISTY! She was up ALL night, and nurses constantly.

 

She's so beautiful and perfect... we feel so lucky!