Charlotte Nicole Asay was born on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 1:37pm. She was 8 lbs 15 oz and 19 3/4 inches long. We're so excited that she's here! That's the short version of the story.
Here's the long version (with pictures).
I was up several times Tuesday night because I was having contractions. About 5 am on Wednesday, I decided I was finished trying to sleep and got up. I took a shower and got dressed, and Matt was about to leave for work a little after 6 am, but I asked him to look online before he left about how far apart contractions should be before you should go to the hospital. I couldn't remember exactly, and I didn't want to wait too long because I tested positive for
GBS and needed to be sure I had time to get antibiotics intravenously at the hospital before delivering.
While he was on the computer, I was finishing getting ready for the day and I thought my water broke. I wasn't sure because the doctor had to break my water with Elise, so I had never experienced my water breaking spontaneously before. And there wasn't very much fluid. We decided we better head to the hospital to get it checked out for sure. We finalized our hospital overnight bags and called my sister. About this time, Elise woke up. While we got her fed, dressed and ready, my sister Holly headed over with her van full of her own kids and got there about 8 am to pick up Elise and take care of her for us. (Thanks, Holly!)
We got to the hospital around 8:30 am, where the woman we talked to seemed skeptical that my water was actually broken. They brought us to the triage center to get checked out.
About 9:15 am, they told us that my water was broken, but it was a "high break." They told us that the sac of waters had burst on the side instead of the bottom, which is why the fluid wasn't leaking very fast. All the labor and delivery rooms were full, so we stayed put for awhile. They put me on penicillin about 9:30 am, and Dr. Beck came in a little after 10:30 to break my water again in a lower place and to check my progress. They had started me on Pitocin about 10 minutes before, but the doctor told them to stop the Pitocin because I had already progressed from 2 cm when I got there to 4 cm. He wanted to be sure I had 4-5 hours to get both doses of penicillin that I needed for the GBS. He gave me the okay to get an epidural, and I was relieved that I could go ahead with it since I was starting to get pretty uncomfortable. When they checked me again at 11:30, I was at 5cm.
At 12:40 pm, a labor and delivery room finally opened up and we moved there. Just in time, too! At 1:20, I was dilated to 10 cm. I had just gotten the second dose of penicillin in, so we were good to go!
At 1:37 pm, Charlotte Nicole Asay was born (Nicole after her aunt, Holly Nicole Rader). She was 8 lbs 15 oz and 19 3/4 inches. And so beautiful. I even got to watch the whole thing in a mirror, which was a neat experience (not literally, because it was actually pretty messy). That was the first time I had seen a birth. I didn't need an episiotomy, and there was no tearing (just like with Elise, except that Elise was only 7 lbs 11 oz). Pushing only took a couple of minutes.
Charlotte cried so loudly that the nurse kept saying things like, "Wow! She really has some lungs!"
warming up before her first bath
bathtime
washing her hair
warming up again
The nurse made Charlotte this hat. I really liked my labor and delivery nurse, Tara; she was probably my favorite nurse of all the ones I had during my stay.
meeting her sister for the first time
Elise loves Charlotte so much already.
I hope they'll be best friends.
We had to stay in the hospital for the full 48 hours because the pediatrician wanted to watch Charlotte because of the GBS. I was a little bummed since I was eager to get home to be with Elise, but at least the food was good! I had salmon twice and various other (big) meals that I didn't even have to make myself.
Charlotte's first time outside
This was the day after she was born when Matt and Elise came to visit. The hospital has a cool garden area that you can visit while you're there.
Elise likes to use the Boppy like me.
going home
Elise looking at her own baby book.
tummy time together
My mom came to visit from Wednesday, September 26th till Monday, October 1st. It was great to have her help, and I was glad she got to visit with the girls.
On Sunday, September 30th, we got together with Holly's family and walked around the Mesa
temple. It was nice to get out and to visit with family.
Elise has done pretty well with the transition to being a big sister. She is so cute with Charlotte, always wanting to kiss her and bring her toys.
And now I get to spend all day enjoying this sweet face. Don't you just love those chubby cheeks?
