Evelyn Grace Pape

So after a long nine months, 2 weeks of bed rest due to preterm contractions and 18 hrs of labor that ended in a c-section Evelyn Grace Pape made her appearance on February 23, 2009 at 12:49 pm. She weighed in at 7 lbs 9 oz and measured 20 3/4 inches long. She is now 5 weeks old and doing great! At her 3 wk appointment she weighed 8 lbs 6 oz. and I am sure she is way past that now!
So the birth story goes something like this. On Sunday Feb. 22 at about 5 pm my water broke and no it was not like a gushing waterfall that you always see in the movies. So after cleaning the kitchen (yes I am a neat freak and did not want to come home from the hospital to a messy house) I called the doctor and prepared to go to the hospital. By the time Dennis packed up the car I was starting to feel the contractions. By the time we got to the hospital they were 5 minutes apart but since I was only 2 cm dilated they started me on a pitocin drip to help labor progress. which is no fun because they make the contractions more intense and painful (as if they were not bad enough on their own!) Dennis was a good coach except for the fact that he actually asked if I wanted more kids while I was in the middle of a contraction-who does that?! So after about 7 hours from onset of labor I could hold out no longer and got the epidural- wow those things are nice! I think I may have told the anesthesiologist that I loved him. So life was great for a few hours until the epidural stopped working! So for 2 hours I had painful contractions and Dennis and my best friend Jessi took turns holding my hand. Apparently I am pretty strong when in pain and nearly broke both of their hands! Finally they took out the epidural and placed a new one. Such relief! Then at some point I started running a fever and Evie's heart was beating a little too fast because of the fever, so they gave me some antibiotics to ward off a possible infection. At about 5 am the doctor came and checked me and told me I was 6 cm dilated. By 10:30 am I was still 6 cm and still running a fever. By 11:30 am, no change so it was decided that I would need a c-section. I was a little upset after being in labor all night to have to go for a c-section but at that point I was tired and just wanted it to be over, so I did what any woman would- I sucked it up and then put on my makeup. I figured since no pushing would be involved and I would not be getting all sweaty and gross I might as well look cute in the pictures! At about 12:30 pm they took me to the OR and at 12:49 pm Evelyn Grace Pape came into the world. Daddy and Mommy were both in tears as they placed our little girl in Daddy's arms for the first time. It was a great moment! She was healthy and adorable. A few days after her birth she did develop jaundice and had to spend a day in the NICU to get IV fluids and be under the bili lights, but she was able to come home with us at discharge. We were adjusting to life at home with Evie when I came down with a stomach virus that caused me to become dehydrated. My doctor sent me to the ER where I spent an evening getting IV fluids. Daddy was great as he took care of Evie, the house the animals and me! I am now feeling much better. We have adjusted to the lack of sleep and are enjoying life with our little girl.