Addalyn Embree Isaacson

I can't be more excited to announce that Addalyn Embree has finally decided to join our family! She was born Tuesday April 26th at 8:22am. She weighed 7lbs 9oz and was 20in long.
Labor and delivery went surprisingly well and fast. My due date was the 24th of April (which happened to be Easter), but of course she decided she wasn't quite ready to come yet. I had a doctors appointment Monday afternoon and we talked about my options. I had only progressed to two centimeters by then and still wasn't really contracting. I was very adamant that I wanted to go into labor on my own and not be induced if I didn't have to be. But, I also didn't want to go a week overdue either. I set up an induction date for that Thursday and figured I would try to give myself until then to go into labor. My doctor stripped my membranes that same day to see if that might progress things along for me too. I am not a fan of getting my membranes stripped! It hurts, it's uncomfortable, and it usually doesn't do anything for me. Apparently this time it did. I started contracting randomly throughout the rest of the day and didn't think much of it. I went to bed around ten that night with contractions about every 15-20 mins. They hurt, but weren't unbearable. I woke up around 3:30am and decided I should probably start timing the contractions. They were coming every 2-3 mins and were getting pretty intense. I woke Cory up and told him we had better go. We got to the hospital around 4:20ish and had to be monitored for an hour before they decided to admit me or not. At around 5:30am, my doctor came in and checked me and said that I was at a four and that he would wait to break my water until after I got my epidural. (I had asked for an epidural from the moment I got to the hospital but still had to wait over two hours to finally get it!) I was in a lot of pain by this point and really really wanted some drugs, but all my nurse said was sorry, the anesthesiologist doesn't come in until 6am. I looked at Cory and told him I didn't think that I could wait that long.
(when I finally got my epidural!)
I give a lot of props to those women that decide to do it naturally on purpose. There was a few contractions where you feel like you are going to pass out because the pain is so sever and strong. Trying not to hyperventalate was another problem. Cory kept telling me to breath and I kept tensing up and holding my breath.
Finally at 6:15 the anesthesiologist comes walking into the room and starts slowly getting things ready. I was so frustrated. I just wanted him to hurry up and get on with it! After I got my epidural, it was a nice relief except that it was only working on my left side and not my right. The anesthesia guy assured me that it would eventually move to my right side and to give it time. Well, I waited and waited and it started to sort of numb my right side. After the anesthesia guy left my doctor came back in, checked me, (I was now at a 7) and broke my water. He left and said he would be back in a bit to check on me. That is when my epidural stopped working from the pelvis down. I could feel every contraction and pain. I told my nurse and she talked to the anesthesia guy again. I was feeling a lot of pressure and my doctor came back in around 7:40am to check me. He said I was at a nine and that it shouldn't be that much longer. They hurried and got the anesthesiologist back into the room to give me another boost of epidural right before I was supposed to deliver. I was at a ten by a little after 8am and the nurses and staff got busy getting the room ready. I was still in a lot of pain and was still feeling everything from the pelvis down. But, I was at a ten and was told it was time to push. Luckily for me I only had to push twice and she was out! I don't know if I could have handled pushing for longer that! The one nice thing about the boost that they gave me, was that I did go numb by the time my doctor started to stitch me up.
In all I was in labor for about 4 hours.
Definitely my shortest labor yet, and even though I had more pain with this one, it did go smoothly and quickly!
I was so nervous and anxious about having and bringing home a brand new baby that I didn't really get excited for when the time came to actually have her. But as soon as she came out, I was smitten. She is the most adorable thing and I just can't get enough of her. So far she has been my best baby (knock on wood).
The first night we brought her home she slept for 6 hours straight. Since then she wakes every 3 hours to eat. My kids adore her and Cory and I adore her. I couldn't imagine life without her in it. I am hoping that this transition just continues to be smooth and she continues to do as good as she has been doing.