Happy Birthday Olivia!!

Today is Olivia's 3rd Birthday. I am going to tell her birth story--sorry if this is too boring for some of you but it is VERY important to me and since this is my blog and my journal I will do whatever I want!! (0;

Olivia was kind of a surprise pregnancy. I knew that I wanted another baby but Matt just wasn't convinced that we were supposed to have another one. SURPRISE!! My pregnancy was going REALLY great!! I was beginning to think that the high blood pressure/toxemia was going to pass me up this pregnancy. I only gained 12lbs. my entire pregnancy and other than the first 3 months I felt GREAT. When I went in for my 34 week check up all of my hopes and dreams for a "normal" pregnancy and delivery were crushed. My blood pressure was 195/98 and my Dr. put me on bed rest. I went home and cried for about 2 hours--I was devistated! The next day I got this headache that I couldn't get rid of. My Dr. was really worried about it so he would call and check on me every night. It ended up lasting for 2 weeks--good times. He had me go to LDS Hospital for a stress test but he wanted me in the Labor/Delivery area so that I had my own nurse. She had me pee in a cup, get into a gown and get in the bed. I was waiting for her to come back and hook me up to the monitors and all of the sudden she comes in with an IV. I told her that she was in the wrong room because I was just here for observation. She replies, "Sorry. There is protein in your urine which means that you have contracted Toxemia and you Dr. said just to start labor". What the? I was only 36 weeks!! Oh well-Dr's orders right?!

They got me all hooked up to the IV's and baby monitors and we were on our way. This was 11:00 a.m. I had to be given magnesium so that I wouldn't have a stroke or seizure as well as pitocin. However, the magnesium stops labor so it is a long process--oh yeah--and it makes you really SICK. The nurse kept coming in a checking me and I just couldn't seem to get past a 3. The attending came in a broke my water hoping to speed things up....no such luck. I still had the massive headache and I was just done. My family and my friends kept calling for updates but I had no good news. Finally at about 10:40 p.m. I knew that things were progressing because I started throwing-up (sorry again about throwing-up in your ear Kristen). I called the nurse because it came out of nowhere and I puked ALL OVER the floor. Good times. She came back and mopped it up (how embarrassing) when she finished she came back and checked me--I was at a 7. YEAH!! Finally some progress!! She left again (by this time it was 11:30p.m.) and I started to feel pressure and I wanted to push. I called her back to my room and she checked me and I was at a 10 and the baby's head was RIGHT there. They were trying to get a hold of my Dr. but couldn't seem to. His wife finally called and he was in the hospital with serious dehydration. They quickly called one of his associates Dr. Jones and she was there in record time, gowned up and ready to go. I pushed once and Olivia was born at 12:04 a.m.

She was BEAUTIFUL!! She had dark, dark hair and she looked JUST like her brother and sister. She weighed 6lbs. 8oz. and was 19-1/2 inches long. They gave her to me right then while the Dr. finished up (no gory details). Seriously--the Dr. was only there for 10 minutes tops. She said that I was the easiest delivery she has ever had. I didn't have to have any stitches and I felt great!! They took her and cleaned her off, gave her shots and tested her coloring. I got her back and was able to nurse her. She took right to it and nursed for about 45 minutes on each side. Matt then took her to give her a bath and they took me to my room. I would have LOVED to go home that afternoon but when you have Toxemia you have to stay on the magnesium for 24 hours after delivery because there is still a chance for stroke or seizure. Blah!!

I did as I was told and when I was able to get rid of the IV I was bound and determined to get out of bed myself. I had an older lady for my nurse and she just laughed and told me to go ahead and try. I got up and fell back onto the bed--I was SUPER dizzy!! So, yet again I needed help to get to the bathroom and couldn't go home yet. I started to feel better that day and once I could get up on my own they discharged me. I was SO glad!!

Olivia is such a WONDERFUL daughter. She is, for sure, a handful but I wouldn't have her any other way. She makes us laugh (and cry sometimes) and she is a mini-diva taking after her big sister. Our family wouldn't be complete without her. I LOVE YOU OLIVIA!! Happy Birthday!!

*P.S.--this should have posted at 9:30 this morning but thanks again to my buddies at Qwest for dropping my internet just as I finished typing the post. They are getting an irate call from me today!!