...After I had my water broken and was monitored for a moment, I got back up to go for a walk outside, but THERE WAS NO LEAVING! the contractions started coming strong and quick. This was at 12:30. The next few hours are a bit of a blur as I struggled through the pain. My nurse noticed I seemed to be tensing and fighting against the contractions instead of "working with them" and suggested I think of a phrase to repeat over and over with each contraction and to help me stay more relaxed. My contraction phrase became "The Lord is my Strength" and it helped a lot!
During those first hours of active labor I used Justin A LOT. I would hang around his neck as we sort of "danced" around the room, rotating my hips as Terri suggested (she was feeling as though El was still a bit sunny side up as she had been for the last several weeks). I remember moaning A LOT and not really opening my eyes much, there was just a feeling of a complete invasion of my body taking over - I didn't know how to control it.
I was in and out of the jacuzzi tub quite a bit which seemed to help. Justin would time my contractions, letting me know when I should be about at the peak of each one. He was so great and encouraging. Terri had me put on leg up on the end of the bed and try to lunge into the bed with each contraction to get Eli to rotate - yeah, that didn't last long. My legs were trembling and it was all I could do to stand up. I held onto the bar at the end of the bed and squatted down which seemed to ease my back pain a bit.
At a point when I felt I just could not go on - when was this going to end? Terri checked me - an 8. I started crying AGAIN. I couldn't believe I wasn't fully dialated. How much longer would it take? I felt so defeated. Terri suggested the jacuzzi again and to turn on my side, positioning the jets in a way that might speed up the process. I got in and remember kind of falling in and out of sleep in between contractions. I don't know how to explain it. Before going through it I would read other people describing moments like those and would be dumbfounded about how that could happen, but it did. I don't know how long I stayed like that, when all of sudden I knew I was pushing.
I jolted awake and told Justin I was pushing. I guess the nurse and Terri had left the room because Justin ran to grab the nurse and she's telling me to stop so they can get me to the bed. Ha!!!! Stop? I was not doing this on purpose!!! I made it to the bed as all the intensity increased by crazy amounts. I know I was screaming and just feeling so out of control when Terri looked at me and said, "Stop screaming! It's not helping! Focus on bearing down - put your energy here"...(touching me where she wanted me to focus on pushing). That totally helped me refocus and do what she said.
It seemed like only moments later when they told me to look down and I saw you, El. Big and plump and covered in white. They laid you on my stomach and rubbed you as you screamed and screamed and screamed! I remember kissing your sweet round mouth. That was the first thing I noticed - your beautifully shaped mouth and lips that were tightened into a little O and your little turned up nose.
We had requested that we have you for a full hour or so before they took you to be weighed or given eye treatment or anything. We missed having those moments with Addison and wanted to make sure we had them with you. You were born at 4:30 pm - 4 hours of active labor and 10 minutes of pushing. You weighed 8lbs. 6oz and was 20 1/2 in. long. We started calling family and were just laughing because we could barely hear them - you had some lungs!!! (you still do!) We actually let the nurses take you and do their thing because all you did was scream and we couldn't talk to anyone :) What a way to give us a glimpse into your personality!!
Eliana = Our God has Answered
Abigail = Joy of her Father
We pray for you that as you grow into a woman, you will grow with the knowledge and confidence of one who is listened to and loved by not just her earthly father but the One who gives us all Good Things.
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