Gabby's birth story: Part III

Have you ever been told that it would only be 15 minutes before your table was ready and it turns out to be closer to 45 minutes to an hour? Yeah, that's what happened to me once I was "complete." Just substitute doctor for table.

Because of a scheduled c-section, I was forced to wait before being allowed to push. Rob's hands took to the brunt of my frustration and pain as I squeezed with every contraction. Finally, the doctors arrived. They told me to try a practice push before they called my OB over from the clinic. Two seconds into my practice push they dialed up Dr. Carlson. Not knowing the urgency, she later told me she lolly-gagged over (good thing she waited until after Gabby was out to relay that news). Once she arrived and I was allowed to push, things happened fairly fast. I could definitely feel the pain more this time and it took slightly longer, but after only 15-20 minutes, Gabby Grace entered the world, SCREAMING AND CRYING!

Allow me to pause momentarily and recall that when Faith Janna was born, we didn't know what to expect. She came out with the cord wrapped around her neck AND body, tightly. They basically unwound her and whisked her away and we thought that's how it was supposed to be. Once she pinked up, we got to hold her and so did our family members who'd been standing by in the waiting room.

But with Gabby, things were so much different and, in a word, better. They placed her on my chest right away and cleaned her up right there. Rob even got to cut the cord this time. She opened her pretty little peepers and just stared up at me. I asked if I should try to breastfeed and the nurse said that I didn't need to right away. I know there are different schools of thought on this, but I was relieved to not be pressured into nursing so soon. I just got to hold and enjoy my baby, Rob's and my beautiful creation, and just "be" from 9:43 when she was born for two whole hours. No family was standing by in the waiting room, so there was no rush at all. I love my family and am so grateful they later came to visit, but that two hours was absolutely glorious.

We took a picture with Gabby and I could've cared less how terrible I looked. After less than 5 hours of sleep the previous two nights and giving birth, I was just happy my baby girl was here with us. Hopefully you can see the joy in my face that I felt in my heart!

I did feel bad that Rob didn't get to hold her during that time, but after she peed on me because the nurses forgot to put a diaper on her after they weighed her (7 pounds, 8 ounces) I don't think he minded.

Besides, he was too busy calling and texting everyone. And crying. That's right, every time my husband would go to tell a family member our daughter's name, he would get choked up and couldn't get the words "Gabrielle Grace" out of his mouth.  It was so sweet. We had a difficult time coming to an agreement on a name, but Gabrielle/Gabby was one of the originals that we kept coming back to. I was completely sold on it, but Rob was a little hesitant -- naming a child is a big job. But seeing him so smitten by a little girl and her beautiful name on the day of her birth solidified that we made the right choice.

After I hogged her, I passed her off to Rob who cradled his second born in his arms. She was perfectly content against her daddy's chest while mom scarfed down her traditional helping of post-partum pancakes and the visitors started to roll in.

Later, Miss Gabby was given her first bath. That sentence makes it sound like a present but it was far from it. She let us know her lungs were working at full capacity but calmed down quickly afterwards.

I don't like to brag -- oh, who I am kidding, when it comes to my children, I absolutely do, but the nurses were all saying what a great baby she was in just the little time they'd spent with her. We couldn't agree more. She was finally here and all was right with the world. Welcome, Gabrielle Grace, to the family.