My little beauty!

Ezralee is here!!!

2:30 am Surprise!  "I think my water is breaking," I tell Doug calmly.  He doesn't move.  "Hey hun, will you get that pad in the nightstand." "Do what?  Get what?  What do you need?" he responds.  He assists, I head to the bathroom.  He starts to get back in bed.  "Oh no, no, no...we need to go to the hospital," I tell him.  He replies, "Are you sure?" "Uh, yeah."

Then I proceed to give him a to-do list:  1.  Call my mom and tell her to change her flight.  2.  Call Shauna and tell her we're headed to the hospital.  (Shauna is a neighbor, church friend I meet a few weeks ago.  Though we don't know each other well, she kindly offered to be "on call" if I were to go into labor in the night...that morning we quickly bonded as she helped me pack my bag to go).

4 am Getting set up at Valley Hospital...nurse checks to make sure my water did break

Some contractions, more mild when standing, more intense when lying down.

12pm Dr. Meltzer checks me, I'm between a 4-5 dialation, 60% effaced.  He ruptures the water sac even more.  Bunch more expells along with remnants of several old blood clots.

Contractions regulate and intensify.

My amazing husband's flowers are delivered to offer encouragement.  I think the card read, "I love you Big Mama" or something like that...Talon would call me 'big mama' all the time (in an endearing way).

2pm My mom comes waltzing in the room right when the nurse anesthetist is about to give me an epidural.  We delight in her arrival...big suitcase and all.

3-5:15pm dialate from a 6-10.  Nurse says Dr. Meltzer will be here at 5:30...so we patiently wait since the heavenly epidural let me.

5:44pm Dr. Meltzer says lets give it a practice push.

5:47pm She's here!!!  They lay her on my chest, Doug cuts cord, and we snuggle and celebrate for a good hour or so.

Attempt nursing...crazy painful...lots of tears and even a swear word exits my mouth...if you know me, that's a rarity.  Wanted to kick out the nurse that said, "if it's so painful, then why do you do it."  I forcefully reply, "because it's worth it!"

I try to convince Doug he should go home and get a good nights rest as he has surgery in the morning and I wouldn't want a dentist extracting my wisdom teeth on 2 nights of little sleep.  So he does...disappointed he'll miss changing the first poopy diaper...it's a tradition.

10pm Nurse finally bathes her and we get ready to endure the night.  Mom, me, and my daughter have a little slumber (minimal on the slumbering part for myself) party.

Big Thanks to Aunt Corrie and Uncle Lar for watching our boys at their house so I didn't have to worry if they were in good hands or not.

Next day Doug visits us before he heads to work.

I take a bunch of newborn pictures of her as we had two big windows in our room.  I used the flowers from Doug.  Then made a birth announcement and posted it on Facebook- received the most likes ever over 150 and 75 comments...see you are loved and adored by so many people already Miss Ezralee.



6pm We get to go home.  Corrie and Lar bring boys home and we ALL celebrate their new baby sister.

What a joyous occasion!!!