audrey is here (long, birth story)

last sunday, the 10th, i started having small gushes of very watery discharge. it crossed my mind that it might've been amniotic fluid, but i was at least slightly in denial... i had a licensing exam on thursday that had already been paid for ($500) and i was to be a bridesmaid in VA on saturday. since i was over a week overdue with henry, i didn't expect this to be a problem.

i had planned to ask the midwife to check the fluid on wednesday morning at my appointment, but alas, at 3 am wednesday morning, my water officially broke. contractions started around 5 am, but we waited until henry's school opened to drop him off at 7:30 and then went to the hospital.

they confirmed my water had broken, and i was contracting every 4 minutes, but they weren't really painful. since my water had been leaking for a few days, they decided to start pitocin around noon to get things moving more quickly. i couldn't get checked b/c of ruptured membranes, but i don't think i was really dilated.

got the epi at 2:30 and got checked: 3-4 cm. boo. started feeling pressure around 4:25, but was only dilated to a 6, so that was disappointing. my parents were in my room at 4:54, when i told them to get out and call the nurse and midwife. i pushed for 3 contractions and less than 8 minutes, and audrey elizabeth was born at 5:02 pm on june 13th. she was 6 lbs. 8 oz. and 19.25 inches long, born at 37 weeks 3 days. she has a full head of dark hair and is the most beautiful baby.

recovery has been a piece of cake compared to the first time, and i was actually able to be in the wedding on saturday, including standing in heels for 30 minutes for the ceremony.

unfortunately, if you were around when henry was born, you might remember that he had to get readmitted to the hospital for jaundice when he was 5 days old. deja vu, happened again, but this time, it was only for 1 night.

audrey is nursing better than henry ever did and peeing and pooping a ton. she's still a sleepy newborn though, so i can't wait to see what she'll be like.