Brylee Reese is here!!!

So time for our most exciting blog update!!! Brylee Reese Crass is here!!! She was born on Friday, May 22, 2009 @ 9:19 a.m.... she was 7 pounds 9 ounces, and 21 inches long! But actually she might not have been QUITE 21 inches long, because she did have a little bit of a conehead right after delivery =). So here's a rundown of how labor went for me! =)
Labor began at 3:18 a.m. last Thursday morning, May 21. I started timing contractions and they would vary from seven to ten minutes apart. So I got up, went into the livingroom and hung out, and when Sam woke up for work at 5:30 a.m. I told him, "Well, maybe you should stay home today?" I thought this might be the real deal, because my contractions were continually getting closer together. Even if they did end up being Braxton Hicks, I was supposed to have an ultrasound at the doctor's office at 10:00 so he could stay for that and then go into work. Well, I called the doctor at 6:30 a.m. that morning and she said to go to the hospital. Well, then my labor took a 20 minute break, so I called her back and said my contractions were inconsistent and I wasn't sure if this was the real thing. Since I had a doctor appt. that day at 10:00 anyways, she told me I could wait until then, unless things intensified. Well, contractions gradually got harder and were about 5 minutes apart, so at 9:30 a.m. Sam and I headed to the hospital. They checked me and I was still only 1 centimeter and 70 % effaced... so they hooked me to the contraction machine for two hours. I was regularly having contractions 4 to 6 minutes apart (which is when they tell you to come in with your first child)... but they checked me again at the end of the two hours and I wasn't dialated any further, so they sent me home. Well, the doctor wanted me to stop by the office on my way home, so I had an ultrasound, and all looked well (but like during the course of the ultrasound I had 5 contractions). I got blood taken and during the course of getting blood taken I had two contractions. So Sam and I decided to go eat, and during our meal... my contractions were still coming about every four minutes, the intensity was getting greater and I couldn't eat while I was having one.
Well, Sam and I go home, and we're like let's try and take a nap. So, I take a nap repeatedly being woken up by contractions every 4 minutes or so...and Sam is like "Let's go to the hospital again!" Well, these contractions were really starting to hurt, but I didn't want to go back to the hospital and have them tell me I wasn't dialated and send me home, so I wanted to wait until I was sure I would progress. So I sent Sammy to his 6:45 p.m. dentist appt. and walked a few laps around our apartment complex. They say if it's "real labor" walking increases the contractions... and my contractions were still going strong! Well, my mom decided they better come down (I wanted her in there when I was in labor)... and so they got here around 8:15 p.m. By the time my family arrived, I was really starting to have hard contractions, so I told Sam at 9:30 p.m.... we're going to the hospital. I told my family I would call them when we get there, and if I was really in labor they could come. On the way to the hospital I was thinking "If this isn't real labor, I will never make the real thing, b/c my contractions were getting SOOOOOO PAINFUL!" Well, we get there, and they check me and I'm NO FARTHER ALONG THAN I WAS AT 9:30 a.m. that MORNING!!! 12 HOURS AGO!!! I was devastated!
Well, they put me up to the monitor, and the contractions are still every four minutes, but the pain with them was PRETTY UNBEARABLE. They told me they were going to hook me up for an hour, and didn't come back for two! I told Sam, that whether or not I was dialated, they had better admit me for labor, or give me some strong painkillers, because I couldn't handle the contractions anymore. They ask you to rate your pain, and on a level of 1 - 10 (10 being burnt alive), these contractions were a solid 8. I told Sam that they have people in this hospital getting pain relief for things like broken arms, etc.. that don't even hurt at all compared to what I was going through, so they better give me something! Well, the nurse comes back in, after two hours, and I told her, I don't care if I've dialated any further or not, I need some pain relief. And she checks me, and she was like "Well, you're CLOSE to two centimeters, so I guess we could admit you.." I was just thinking you have got to be kidding me... I mean, I was in EXTREME pain and I was only two centimeters??? At this point it's like 1:00 a.m. and I had been having contractions for almost 24 hours, and solidly 4 to 5 minutes apart since 9:30 a.m. that morning!
They take me back to labor and delivery, and I pretty much immediately ask for the epidural. I didn't want to get it when I was only two centimeters, but the contractions were TERRIBLE, and the nurse told me, that actually the reason I might not be progressing is because I wasn't relaxing b/c the pain was so intense. Sometimes epidurals slow down labor, but sometimes, if it's because the person can't relax from the painful contractions, it will speed labor up!
Well, at about 2:30 a.m. I finally receive the epidural and it was SWEET RELIEF. And my water then broke on it's own an hour and a half later. SO had that nurse in triage sent us home (the one that said "Well, I guess you're two centimeters I can admit you...") I would have just been back after a few more hours of intense pain, because my water would have broken on it's own anyways. So after my water broke around 4:00 a.m., they decided to give me picotin to hopefully speed along dialation. Well, at 5:00 a.m. I was 3 centimeters... and I had to keep changing positions during contractions because the cord kept getting wrapped around Brylee (they could tell by her heartbeat).
So, since they had me changing positions, the one position that kept the cord from bothering Brylee... only made the epidural work on HALF of my stomach! So, I would have a contraction and feel part of it on one side of me! It was strange, but who cares, I could handle half of the contraction pain if it meant I would have a healthy baby! =)
Well, when they checked me at 8:00 a.m. I was ten centimeters and Brylee's head was RIGHT THERE. So we had to wait 35 minutes for the doctor to get there, and when she came I pushed for a half hour and Brylee Reese was born at 9:19 a.m.!
Anyways, this last week has been amazing with her (even with the lack of sleep =) )... Sam and I just like to stare at her all the time, and are so amazed that she is actually here! We feel so lucky and blessed to be her parents! =)
Sammy getting to hold her before she is all cleaned up...

Closeup of her little face, just an hour or two old! She looks a LOT like Sam!

Brylee and her very worn out, but super happy momma! =)

Grandma Sue

Aunt Katie

Grandpa Jack

Aunt Steph and Uncle Zach

Granny Paulette

Grandpa Roy

Roy's wife, Cathy

Our little family on Saturday at the hospital!

Brylee in her going home outfit, look at that little face =)

So, I brought three options to bring her home in, and let Sam have the final say on which outfit! =)

Brylee and I ready to get out of the hospital!

She looked SO TINY in her carseat on the way home!

Daddy bringing her in!

The first night, she wouldn't sleep unless she was held, so Sam went out and bought this swing. She enjoyed it for about ten minutes, that's it... but SHE ACTUALLY DOES LOVE the swing seat itself, so we moved that into our bedroom and she sleeps in there a lot! =)

Tiredness and Cuteness =)

On Tuesday we took her to her first pediatrician appt. outside of the hospital

Ready to go! =)

@ the pediatrician's office

Once again a car ride photo... =)

In her big girl crib, sometimes she likes to sleep in here too! =)

Her first taste of vitamins... she wasn't a fan

SO CUTE! =)