Claire's Birth Story

I went to the doctor on Monday (12/26) hoping to have great news that labor was imminent.  No such luck.  We scheduled an induction for Wednesday morning.  I then went to work hoping to get this baby out in the next day and a half.  Tuesday was spent running errands (like going to the grocery store) and then I took a 2.5 mile walk.  No labor.  We took James to our neighbor's house to spend the night, and we went home to prepare for our 6:30 AM hospital check-in.

Wednesday morning I woke up for the last time pregnant. 

We got to the hospital and were set up in a delivery room where I was monitored until 8:15 when they started the pitocin.  An hour later my water was broken.  At 9:20 I finally felt the first contraction.  Daytime TV pretty much stinks, so luckily I had packed a couple of movies at the last minute.  We watched The Proposal and then The Devil Wears Prada.  Towards the end of the second movie the contractions were starting to really hurt.  But they were still only about 30 seconds long, but definitely coming closer together (every 2 minutes or so).  I asked to be checked because if I still had a ways to go, I was going for the epidural this time around.  I was only at 6 cm, and I decided that for how short the contractions were that I still had a ways to go.  This was probably shortly before 2 PM.  I asked for the epidural.  As I was waiting for the anesthesiologist I had 2-3 contractions that really, really hurt.  Like, "I can't do this" hurt.  Epidural finally went in around 2 PM, and when they checked me after it was in I was 10 cm and ready to push!  I'm thinking those last couple of contractions I felt were me transitioning.

Baby was ready to come out, and after 3-4 pushes (that I couldn't feel!) it was here.  The cord was around the neck, and once the doctor had it cut she held up the baby and asked us what it was.  Both of us were in a state of shock to look and see it was a girl. 
Even though all you really want is a health baby, I really wanted a girl.  We got the best of both worlds, she was healthy (scoring 9's on her Apgar tests) and a girl. 

I had thought that if this baby were a girl I wanted to name her Audrey Claire.  But as we stared at her, before we started making all our phone calls to family, I knew that she was Claire (which was the name we had picked out if James were a girl).  And Elizabeth, which is my middle name.

 She looks just like James!

      James at birth

There was someone super excited to get to the hospital, her big brother!  

Our family of four.  It feels just right.