She likes to make an entrance! Fiona's birthday!

Sunday February 16 what a sunny and beautiful day for a birthday!  

I woke up maybe around 6am thinking my Braxton hicks contractions were starting to feel crampy but weren't coming frequently and still felt unpredictable.  Needless to say I couldn't fall back asleep.  Logan woke up at 7 and we ate breakfast and got ready for church.  At 8 when we were getting in the car to leave I told Dom how I was starting to feel contractions and so we timed them from the car ride and all through out mass, they were becoming about 5 mins apart so we got home about 9:30 and called the doctor about 10 after some packing. She said it sounded like it was still early so I should take a warm bath and see if that helped. (This is when that lovely video of me that's on facebook was taken, thanks Dom haha) I got in the bath at 10:30.  Not so much haha.  I spent 30-40 mins in the bathtub and the contractions were becoming more painful and were now only 3 1/2 mins apart.  I called the dr back at 11 and explained the bath only made it worse, she said that's a good thing and it was time to come to the hospital now.  Luckily my dad had come to colorado earlier then we originally arranged (which was for him to be here Sunday the 16 since my induction was set for Wednesday night the 19) so he was already at our house watching Logan for us.  Dom got his exciting "my wife's in labor drive" and we drove the 15ish minutes to the hospital.  Contractions and round a bouts are not a fun combination.  There's three on the way to the hospital ;).

When we got to the hospital my contractions were getting much more intense and closer together.  We checked in and made it up to the delivery room probably 11:30.  The nurse came in asked a few questions then left to do who knows what and in that time I was having close contractions and in a lot of pain, as in "get me the epidural now".  Dom went to find the nurse who came back to see how much I was dialated (I was 2-3cm at my appointment on Tuesday) and she said "I feel a head and there is no cervix" ... I said "so 10cm?!"  That was fast!  She said my options were to push a few times and have a baby right now or to wait for the epidural, but my body was saying it was ready.  So we decided to just go for it and start pushing.  Then there was a flurry of activity in the room setting up.  Dom got to experience a whole new side of Krystal in pain compared to Logan's birth, I was full on pregnant lady in the movies screaming while giving birth.  It was exhausting, painful and I'm not sure I was fully convinced we were really having a baby that day seeing as how fast everything was!   After maybe 7 contractions worth of pushing and yelling and squeezing my eyes shut while saying "It feels like she's ripping me in half" (doms favorite 'I'm in pain' phrase of mine) instant relief was found with that last push and out she came!  Dom got to cut the cord and they gave her right to me and I just kept saying how tiny she was!  We were both overwhelmed and exhausted.  I never want to give birth without drugs again but in this moment it was what we needed and I wouldn't have changed how crazy our Sunday turned out to be after all.  I never imagined she'd come on her own accord, I assumed she'd be stubborn like her brother but I guess our little lady likes to make an entrance ;).

Fiona Harriet Maes 2-16-14. 12:19pm.  6lbs 11oz, 18.25" long.

I got to hold her for an hour with me after birth while they stitched me up (I tore naturally this time... Still painful!). Then Dom got to help weigh and measure her and give her a bath.  It was nice they did everything with Fiona in the room so I could watch too.  After that she tried out breast feeding for the first time and proved she was a champ and knew what to do.  She's a much better eater then Logan was, at least for now!  We got transferred to our room and got our first visitors.  Uncle Erick, grandpa and big brother Logan came to see us.  Logan was adorable and so sweet, he was very interested in her and wanted to be close to her.  He's proving to be quite the loving little guy.  We didn't get much sleep either night we had to stay in the hospital, but that's to be expected! ( We had to stay 48 hours for observation since I was group b strep positive and they didn't have time to give us antibiotics before she was born, there wasn't time for much before she was born!).  The next day we had uncle Erick bring lunch and hang out and dad and Logan came by and Logan played in the room a good chunk of the day.  Jenny came by to visit also and it was nice to not feel like we were just stuck in the hospital waiting to go home.  I got a complimentary massage that day too, brilliant idea, why doesn't every hospital do that?!

We got to come home finally on Wednesday around noon and when we were driving up to the house we saw Logan peeking out of his window with a look of joy at seeing our car.  When we came inside the excitement in his little face and him running to hug me made me cry a little, I missed him!  He was very excited we were home!  We know he had a fun time with grandpa watching him even if he didn't act like it!  Such an exciting time for our family and we can't wait for all our parents and siblings to be able to come out to meet our newest addition!  So glad she is here!