She’s Here!!!!

This is rather boring, but I want my daughter to know all about her arrival especially when she is a rebellious teenager.  I need her to know that she did not float down from heaven on a stork….well it seems she did “float” down from heaven but not on a stork.  

Well the story of how Reese got here falls between Thanksgiving Dinner and Arkansas/LSU Kickoff.  We have impeccable timing!  I had been feeling some pretty STRONG contractions for the past week and half, typically happening throughout the night.  So this past Monday night we were up counting some pretty strong and consistent contractions.  I called my dr and she wanted me to start over counting.  Two contractions later it stopped.  I worked Tuesday but felt achy and tired so I left at 2.  Slept and rested Tuesday night then went to the doctor to an already scheduled appointment (Greg and John Parker took me) Wednesday morning.  Knowing I was probably already dilated to 10 because of the horrible aches and pains of the week…we took bags and I made contact with my epidural man (thanks J) to prepare for the potential delivery of #2.  Well that plan was shot out the window when I was only dilated to a 1 again for week #2. Urgh all that work and no change AND the nurse told me they were probably just strong Braxton hicks.  Umm, don’t think so.  I’ve given birth before.  Those are the labor pains that Eve handed down.  I knew something wasn’t right.  But we headed back home (it was a tearful departure) and I cleaned, packed, and organized everything because I knew she is coming soon.  Wednesday night I got hit with stronger contractions again and we debated going to hospital. After LOTS of prayer and thought it was decided to wait until they were closer together.  Then they stopped from 6:30 am until 11 ish.  We ate Thanksgiving Dinner at my parents and left right after lunch.  I knew it was time when I was eating my food curled up on the couch.  I was not going to give up my meal no matter what.  I was looking forward to this holiday!  Jill and Greg took my to the hospital after we called Dr. Woolard and got the go ahead.  We arrived around 2 where they proceeded to tell me that I was only a 1!  At that point I was a little worried.  I did not feel right at all but was not progressing.  She hadn’t even dropped like she should have.  To make a LONG and gruesome story short.  They let me “sit” after a delightful nurse sent me into labor and I progressed QUICKLY.  I progressed sooo fast that I kept sending Greg to ask for my epidural (which my person was tied up in some life saving surgery…at that point I was feeling pretty selfish and didn’t care) I finally got it around a 6 and it only went down half of my body.  What?  That only happens on the videos they force you to watch…you know that part where they list potential side effects.  I had one…and it sucked!  MY BODY HURT.  It just felt sooo weird to have strong pain (a 6 going on 7 pain) radiating down one side of my body.  SO they came back and had to re do the epidural.  It finally worked and slowed me down.  This all happened by midnight.  By 4:00 I knew it was time to push and by 4:30 I was pushing and she was here at 4:46!  I labored for what seemed like 12 days and only pushed for a matter of minutes.  During this entire pregnancy I prayed for easy delivery and that is what God gave me.  Praise GOD!  I would not trade those hard days for what happened in the end.  Especially that arrival of our sweet Reese.
We got home Sunday afternoon!  Since we have been home John Parker has bonded with his new sister and Greg and I have been readjusting to a 2 1/2 year old!  The newborn eats, sleeps, poops.  The two year old plays, runs, screams, demands, laughs, hugs, doesn’t sleep, eats, and poops.  Ahhh sigh.  We are LOVING life right now.
Here are some pics from the past few days….
The tree that I worked hard to get up before the birth of Reese!

A few pictures taken at Thanksgiving before we left for the hospital.  The random pic of Grandpa Deardorff eating is the only “adult” pic I got.  Usually we do the typical women/men/kid/family pics but this year we cut out a little early and I did not have a desire to take pics.

The last photo of our little family of three!  Nice shot of the the pregnant chick…but I wanted to keep this photo since it’s our last picture together before Reese came along (literally hours later).  The hardest part for Greg and I was leaving John Parker that afternoon.  We felt so guilty that his world was about to be rocked.  We knew it was a good change but we both cried knowing that he wouldn’t understand that just yet.  He didn’t want us to leave either but Caroline informed him that where we were going was for adults only.  Such a big girl!  Luckily we have such a great family that has helped us to take care of him for the past few crazy days.




The hospital pics….
First two are I have to put on here…again not the most glamorous shots but things I want to always remember.  First one is of me and Reese with Dr. Woolard who is a complete rock star!  I LOVE my doctor.  The second pic is one I will always remember…this is me holding my daughter minutes after she was born and surrounded by my mom and sister.  We were all talking and laughing at how bad Jill and Greg did during this delivery (they got me through JP’s I got THEM through this one).  I will always hold this image in my heart!  I love those two women!


LOTS of pics from our 4 day stay in the hospital…..

Greg watching that tragic Hogs game with his daughter on Friday.  Luckily the birth of our child overshadowed how bad it really was.  You can sense Reese’s frustration in these pictures.



Deliveries and Visitors…I didn’t get pics of everyone that came….I was really bad about that but here are a few of family.  The fruit duck was so cute I had to get a pic.  This is from the Mills Family.  It was the BEST fruit ever!  We devoured this in minutes!   I told Marissa it was our tailgate food for the game.

This picture makes me laugh because Pa was posing by Reese and Ma and he was trying to sit on the arm and missed it completely because we were talking so he just slowly wedged himself in the floor.  We laughed so hard he could barely get up!


John Parker’s first visit.  Mom and dad brought him up on Saturday afternoon.  Ma and Pa were there to witness the “first encounter.”  John Parker did sooo good.  He was proud to be Reese’s big brother.  Every nurse he encountered on the floor ooh and ahhed over him becoming a big brother.  I think it went to his head. 

Posing with his balloon that Reese went to the gift shop and purchased for him.

Unfortunately he though this was the most entertaining thing in the room…all the big brother gifts we purchased just for his excitement and he liked the rolling stool.  Little blurry but he’s spinning.




And this is the balloon that John Parker picked out at the gift shop…

We are getting settled!  Greg has taken a few days off so it has been sooo nice to just all be together in the house, especially when it has turned winter and is snowing outside.  I am so thankful for my healthy and happy little family!