She's Here!!

Alayna Elizabeth Holiday

October 14, 2010

8:19am
5 lbs 11 oz
19"Iddy-bitty, teeny-tiny, but healthy and strong! It was a very calm and relaxing environment, and she is perfect!
Details below...read if you want :)
Proud Big Sister SamanthaGrandma and her girlsFirst birthday cake and songWhat a great labor and delivery! I have never been one for inductions...I always assumed it was only for the convenience of doctors schedules...but I might be converted! Blake and I checked into the hospital at 10pm on Wednesday. I got hooked up to an IV, baby heart monitor and a contraction monitor. I was dilated 1cm and 50% effaced. At midnight they gave me a prostaglandin to help stimulate contractions. My water broke at 2am (at 3cm) and I had contractions until 4:30. Got an epidural and started pitocin at 5:30am. Blake and I continued sleeping until about 7:30am...that's when a bunch of nurses came in and started turning on lights and setting things up. We were kinda annoyed because we were expecting to sleep and wait things out. One of the nurses said I was at 10cm, my blood pressure had slightly dropped and the baby was ready to come....what?! Dr Cole was called and on her way, and the nurses said to go ahead and push. So, I did...or at least tried...epidurals are great, I couldn't feel a thing, including whether or not I was actually pushing. Apparently I was, so they had me stop and wait for the doctor. 3 pushes later, Alayna was born.

Ready or Not...

For those keeping up with this crazy pregnancy, we are going to be induced early! Our doctors have been closely monitoring the baby's growth (or lack thereof). She is growing, but dropping in percentile of growth...from the 30th, to the 17th and then fell to the 8th percentile. Once babies drop below the 10th, there is the question of whether they will survive better outside the womb than in. Our final week has been full of excitement and a little anxiety. We really were given no reason to worry, just get ready! We spent the day as a family at the Natural History Museum seeing the dinasurs...luckiily that didn;t remind Sammie of her favorite name for the baby...Dinah. We met up with Grandma, Pappa, Deesh and Melissa for dinner at Chuy's Mexican. Samantha got to spend the night at Grandma and Papas. Blake and I are checking into the hospital tonight at 10pm to begin the induction.

Here is the final beauty pose at 37 1/2 weeks.

To be continued...

Happy Birthday Samantha!

Sammie turned 4 this year. We had a fun day with friends at Inflatable Zone and Double Dave's Pizza. For dinner we had a family dinner at our house. We had a fish fry with all of Pappa's catch from his fishing trip. Sam got princess dress-up, shoes and a bracelet... a new bike... lots of clothes & shoes, a puzzle, baseball glove and dolls. Everyone got big hugs and kisses after she opened their present.

She sure loves being the center of attention!

Field Trip - Donut Shop

Sammie's New Room

We have finally ventured into the upstairs of our house. We have 2 rooms and a jack-n-jill bathroom that has become Sammie and the baby's rooms. Walking up stairs is exhausting!

Happy 90th Birthday!

Grandma Horst turned 90 this year and the majority of the family met in Las Vegas to celebrate.

Another Year of Joyschool

We started Samantha's second year of Joyschool this week. We lost one kiddo and added a Prince Levi. The girls just love him! They like to play princess and pretend to be sleeping and wait for Levi to come in and wake them up. No kissing...yet. I'll have to keep my eye on this bunch! Sammie, Lauren, Heather and Levi.