Harper Grace | A Birth Story {Part 3}

So there I was. There we were. In total shock. I immediately called my mom and let her know the situation. My mother in law was on her way over to watch Quinny so my mom could come to the hospital. My bestie also skipped out on a work meeting to come hang out with me.

It was just a waiting game. Everything was so relaxed and natural. No one came in and broke my water, no unnecessary drugs, my midwives just sort of let my body do what it was going to do. 

It felt amazing.

My second favorite midwife came in and just told me to relax, that I would know when it was getting close. (Insert vomit #2 and #3). Sorry Anth and Tess. 

We waited it out, Anth got some food and my mom finally made her way to the hospital. The midwife came in one last time to check me.

I was a 10. Words I honestly thought I would never hear. The baby was still a little high so she just told me to hang tight and let gravity do it's thing. Which was fine with me, because I was still trying to register the fact that this was actually happening. While crossing my legs.

Let me just mention here that before Sue and Stephanie left after their shifts were over, Stephanie mentioned to me that the new nurse, Pia, was amazing and that I would love her.

She was right. She was this tiny little lady from the Phillipines who was just the sweetest little thing. I literally felt like I had hit the jackpot with all of these amazing people who were bringing this sweet little baby into the world.

The midwife, Janine, was training an adorable girl (woman?) who couldn't have been older than me, to be a midwife. She already had a lot of experience and had worked at the hospital for a while, but she was wonderful. Full of energy and even did a little dance as I was pushing. Bless her.

So after a final throw up, apparently I was ready to push. Can I also just add that no one really teaches you how to push. Like I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I had texted my friend Krop earlier asking for her advice as she had given birth twice like a champ. Her advice? "Girl, breathe and push, like you're taking a (bleep)."

Easy enough, I thought, so I went with that.

I will also say that I was very adamant about Anth staying NEAR MY HEAD. I didn't want to scar the poor man who probably was more nervous than I was. So when the nurse told him to grab a leg, I was all "No thank you."

But as I figured it would happen, not a shred of decency was left in that room and there he was. All up in there. He actually turned out to be great, because he got all "coach" on me and kept telling me to push in a stern, kind of rude way. Totally Anthony. Which is exactly what I needed. The competitive in me wanted to do it, and do it well, so it was very effective. (I guess he does know me.)

At one point someone mentioned a mirror and in comes a nurse wheeling this thing and I said:

Absolutely not. Not an ounce of me wanted to witness that.

The midwife was out of the room doing paperwork because she figured it would be a while before she actually had to deliver the baby. Well, she was wrong. Everyone kept saying what a great job I was doing and how fast it was happening. They hurry up and call the midwife in who quickly puts her scrubs on and gives me the last set of directions.

It was the absolute weirdest feeling I have ever experienced. I could feel her coming out, but there was no pain at all. Her head popped out and Anth said it was very strange because it was just sticking out, while I waited for another contraction to push out the rest of her.

I remember someone saying that the cord was wrapped around her neck and that they may have to take her right away to the warmer to check her out, but that they would put her on my chest immediately. One last push and she kind of just flew right out. 27 minutes of pushing. That's all it took.

She didn't cry. Apparently the cord was wrapped around her neck twice and she looked almost gray. They kept saying how pale she looked and I almost wanted to stop them and be like "Do you see my husband?" They did put her on my chest right away and Anth got to cut the cord. But they were a little concerned with her color so they quickly took her away as I just sat there and watched. They called the NICU nurse to come take a look, just as a precaution.

7 lbs, 8 oz | 20 inches

(Quinn was 7 lbs, 10 oz and 20 inches!)

Turns out she was just fine. The nurse said her lips were a great color and that was the most important thing. Everything looked great, and she quickly started turning more and more pink. All I could think was how much she looked like Quinn. I couldn't believe it. Everything was kind of just a blur. She sat in the warmer for a long time while Anth took pictures and I watched his little girl just gaze at him. It was amazing. Everything that I missed with Quinn, I got to witness with Harper. It was such a different experience.

I started to feel a little lightheaded so I made Anth go get me a coke. It was magical.

They finally brought her over to me so I could feed her. Just like her sister she latched on right away and nursed for almost 30 minutes. Which was wonderful because they were stitching me up and that was awful. The midwife was watching over the girl she was training as she did everything, so I have no idea if it took longer than it should have, but it sucked. That was probably the worst part of the entire delivery. But I had this little face to distract me. I actually only had a couple of small internal tears so thank you infant baby Jesus for that.

After all of that was done, it was just us. And Pia. Sweet, sweet Nurse Pia. I could not thank her enough for how wonderful she had been through everything.

My husband is too pretty.

Sweet Pia. Does it sound like I'm in love with this woman?

Because I am.

My mom finally got to come in and meet our little angel. She had been in the waiting room with Tessa, who had to leave for a dentist appointment at 12:30. Harper was born at 12:27, go figure!

Proud Daddy and his newest little girl.

Lita's newest grandbaby.

It was the best day ever. After we got settled into our new room and gave Pia one last hug, they took Harper to the nursery for her some tests and it was just me, Anth and my mom. It was just so weird to process everything that had just happened. 

I just had a successful VBAC. I could get up and pee by myself (with the help of Anth because my left leg was seriously dead. It was kind of funny.) 

Once my baby was back in our room, we welcomed our first visitors. 

Aunt Tessa and Uncle Ryan. 

Who so graciously came with the single thing I have been craving my entire pregnancy. A footlong Subway cold cut.

I will never have enough words to thank you guys for that.

Shameful.

And then the moment I had been waiting 9 months for. 

My "baby" meeting her new sister. It was only then did I realize how much Quinn is so not a baby. She looked so grown to me. So grown up.

Recovery has been....different. I would choose this over a c/s any day, but it was rough for a couple of days. I am almost 3 weeks out and I am finally starting to feel completely back to normal. Thank you ice packs and Advil.

Life is good and Harper has proven to be just as awesome as her sister. She is seriously such a little blessing. An amazing baby.

I think about this day often. How amazing it was. How we were blessed to be surrounded by such awesome people. It was like God was paying me back from Quinn's birth and then some.

I am so thankful to have had such a great experience. And especially thankful for my husband, who didn't once faint, complain, or look grossed out by anything that he witnessed that day.

I knew I married that man for a good reason :)