The Winters' World: Little SISTER is here!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Little SISTER is here!

Tuesday was a big day for our family! I know the title gives it away, but I want to tell her birth story here :-)

Our last family of four picture:

39 weeks!

Brett and I arrived at the hospital around 10 for the noon procedure. The night before I did not sleep well at all...anxious for one, but the baby had seriously felt like he or she had been doing gymnastics for several hours and it felt like the baby was trying to break my water!

I would know why soon enough...but I was worried we weren't going to make it to noon!

Both doctors, the nurses, and anesthesiologist were awesome! I was so anxious (and tired) so it was a surreal, out of body experience. It seemed to have taken forever, but only 22 minutes, for them to deliver the baby...and for them to tell us if we had a son or daughter.

With the OR sheet in front of me, I listened to the play by play. Brett stayed with me most of the time (he said he didn't want to see my insides, and he wanted Dr. Merideth to spill the beans so we could be together at that moment).

I heard her say, "Baby has a big head." Right then I thought my it's-a-girl feeling had been wrong.

I felt them get the baby out, she then said, "it's a....." I know at that time she turned the baby over to check out the gender, and then completed the sentence, "GIRL!"

The entire OR erupted (they knew our story...two boys at home, this would be our last baby, and that we didn't know gender). They we're excited because they said they don't get to experience that too often. So fun!! It was one if the best moments of my life!

Elise Faye was born at 12:22 p.m!

They then brought her around to see me, I could not get over how much she looked like her brothers. And her cry, so sweet (and girly)! You never ever forget meeting your child for the first time. Amazing!

They then cleaned her up, weighed her and did some quick tests while they finished up with me. Brett asked for another thumbs up picture. So happy to have her here safely!

She weighed 8 lbs., 10 oz., and measured 19 inches (a shorty compared to her brothers :-)

The umbilical cord had been wrapped around her neck TWO times, something that would have really affected delivery if we had gone into labor on our own (which I had done with Jakeston and Blake). God was watching over us!

I have a picture of Blake at this point, and they look related that's for sure!

After a couple of minutes, they handed her over to Brett since they were still working on me.

Proud parents!!

Since I couldn't nurse right away, they gave her to Brett...they had some great bonding time. He's already wrapped around her tiny finger!

She was crying some, Brett brought her over to me. I kissed her cheek and started whispering to her

And she settled down. So in love!

She has the longest fingers and toes, like Jameston did when he was born

They were almost done with my procedures, so Brett was able to let her suck on his index finger to tie her over until I could feed her.

After about 20 minutes of further operation, they whisked us off to our room

And Brett then brought the boys in (alongwith my our parents) to find out they now have a little sister! Jw was concerned about mommy because I had been throwing up some :-(

To have them in there to find out (and some of our closest family, too), gosh...those were the sweetest moments I hope to never forget!

Then everyone left was I could feed her for the first time

The nurse determined that her tongue was "tied," which inhibited our first day of feedings. But the pediatrician clipped it Wednesday morning and we haven't looked back!