And Then There Were Two...

Madalyn Lily Tappana was born Sunday, August 18, 2013 weighing 7lbs 12oz and measuring 21 inches long. Here is the story.

Saturday I decided I was going to try anything and everything to go into labor. So, we started out walking around the farmers market and grocery stores. I mean, we did a TON of walking. We went to dinner with my parents and I wasn't contracting or anything, but I felt a lot of pressure. That night, I bounced on a yoga ball and we ate a ton of pineapple. As I was sleeping, the contractions started. I slept awful of course. At about 5:30, I decided to get out of bed as they were getting worse. I watched some TV and started timing them. They were about 7-10 minutes apart. I called my mom and let her know so she could be ready at choir to leave and pick up Abby. I woke up Sam about quarter to 7 and said I thought I was in labor. I decided to take a shower and by the time I got out, I knew I was. They were getting pretty painful and were becoming closer together. I called my mom at 7:30 (just as she sat down in the choir seats) and said we were going to the hospital. She left and my dad and her met us at the hospital. 

As they checked me in at 8 my contractions were progressively getting worse. They checked me and I was at a 3. (my last doctors appointment I was only at a 1) They had me wait and hour and then they came back

and checked me again. In that hour of waiting, my contractions were frequent and PAINFUL! Nothing I did would ease them. And yet, I was still afraid they would send me home for some reason. Well, turns out my water broke, but I was too focused on pain that I didn't really get that that is what happened. When the nurse came back in I was at a 4.5 and of course they kept me. She hooked me up to an IV and got the Anesthesiologist in. I was trying to keep my cursing in as I was contracting, so its a good thing he came in when he did. At about 10:30, I was hooked up and by about 11 the pain was all gone. Thank heavens for that! It was such a perfect epidural too. Well, in that 45 min of getting all hooked up and numbed, I went from the 4.5 to an 8. at about 11:50 I was fully dilated. I started pushing at about noon and out came Madalyn after 4 pushes, at 12:06.

 It was so different than with Abby. Abby I pushed for near 2 hours, and there were a whole bunch of people in the room. With Madalyn, it was the doctor, the nurse, and Sam. They had to take Abby away immediately to clear her mouth of meconium. I was able to hold Madalyn right away, and I wasn't exhausted like I was with Abby. It was so wonderful.

Madalyn is already proving to be a really good baby. True, she is only 5 days old but she nurses really well, she wakes up at night to eat and then falls back to sleep almost immediately, and has the sweetest squeakiest cry.  It doesn't take much to calm her down when she is really upset. I hope it lasts!

Abby is the sweetest big sister. The first thing she asks every morning is if she can hold Madalyn. "Mamalyn? Hold it?" As she holds her, she cant help but poke at her face, touch her ears, and give her multiple kisses. She was even saying "shhhh" to her one day as she was crying, trying to calm her down. She has also been a really good girl. She has acted out a little, but so far nothing terrible. Sam has been home from work this week so that has helped, and when he has had class at night my mom and sister have taken care of us. I am not going to lie though when I say I am really nervous to be on my own next week. This whole being a mom of two thing? Its exhausting. And scary. But I can do it right?

Oh and how is daddy doing? Well, lets just say he has another little girl's fingers he is wrapped around.