Early Christmas present

She is here, she is here!  I was a bit surprised that she came so early but so happy to meet our little daughter on Friday the 16th of December.  I think its awesome she came on a even numbered day, everyone in our family has even numbered birthdays!  Kind of funny huh?  Anyway many people always ask "How did it go?" and this is our answer:

4:45 a.m. Garrett came into our room and said, " I just want to snuggle." As he buried himself between Brad and myself.  Oh buddy how much I love you but I can't sleep with you at 9 months pregnant with out getting hurt.  So Brad coxed him back to his bedroom and came back a few minutes and mumbled to get some more sleep.  I tried to relax but our daughter decided this was the perfect time to start moving around, and around.  So much that it made it hard to sleep.  I wondered what she was doing in there??  I rolled from one side to the other trying to get her to stop.  Brad put his hand on my belly and went, "wow that is crazy you weren't kidding about her moving." She started to slow down and at 5:30 Brady came in to our room and said that Garrett had woke him up.  Great (dripping with sarcasm) we thought our day is starting early.  We got him back to bed, and I just wanted to sleep for about 40 more mins.  Then I started to notice Braxton hicks contractions.  I had 3 or 4 by 6:00 and I rolled over and told Brad that I was having some tightening but it wasn't real contractions they didn't hurt but they seemed rhythmic.  Then they started to come faster, at 6:10 I told him we should time them they came, it was every 3 mins. and by 6:30 they started to cramp up.  Oh boy this is it I thought its like my children knew that she was coming before we did, they have some kind of intuition I didn't know about.  We started moving really fast and making plans for that morning.  Brad would take Brady to school and then take Garrett to a neighbors house, while I stayed home to see how fast they were.  With in 30 mins. that all changed they were coming on fast and hard and I wasn't sure if I would make it another hour while he did all of these things so he ran Garrett over to a neighbor we took Brady to school and was heading to the hospital by 7:30.  We got checked in and when she checked me at 8:00 I was dilated to a 7 and they wondered if we'd have time for any drugs at all because they needed to get the IV in and blood drawn and sent to the lab.  Then the real fun began when the nurse couldn't get the IV in my right arm.  She tried 3 different times while my contractions were 3 mins apart.  No fun.  Then a different nurse tried on the other arm and got it on the second try.  They kept apologizing for having to stick me 5 times and having my arms all dotted with blood.  She told me she could give me a drug to take the edge off while they hydrated me and got my blood down to the lab.  I don't what they gave me but I'm weak when it comes to drugs.  I only need a little to make me high or sleepy.  Which I started to feel both, I could feel the pain but was totally out of it between them.  I thought well if this is all I get I could make it but I'm going to totally not remember giving birth!  Then all of the sudden when I was dilated to an 8 and with the drugs my contractions slowed down to 5 mins. apart.  Oh no I just wanted it to be over and done, I was hoping for a fast labor what was going on?  At 9:00 they said I could have an epidural since she wasn't coming as fast, which I took them up on and was glad because she didn't come till 12:55 and her head was sideways!  I kept wondering why isnt' she coming??  We are right there, lets do this.  The doctor said, "Well all of your kids have come a different way every time.  Brady was face up, Garrett face down (fast one yet love him for it!) and she came looking to the right face sideways.  So 7 hours of labor and we had a baby girl!  She was 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 20 and 1/2 inches long.  The most surprising thing about her is that she has hair! 

 Our boys didn't have hair when they were born just a peach fuzz but she actually has a bit more than that.  Her eyes are dark blue which I'm thinking will stay blue. 

 After they wrapped her up and she became wide awake and just looked at us, didn't make much of a sound, but just looked at us wondering what was going on and where the heck she was now.  The next big task was what to name her, the nurses asked what is her name and we looked at each other and I said, "That's a great question we don't know we have been struggling with it." 

Brad wanted to name her right after but I just didn't know, there was urgency in his voice when we were talking about it, he said it didn't feel complete till we had something to call her.  He told me the three he liked the best where Audrey Elizabeth, Jillian Paige, and Lauren Paige, but after watching me push her out he said I could make the final call.  I told him I don't do emotional blackmail and that we both needed to like the name.  After talking and talking we went with Jillian Paige, it kind of came out of no where, we hadn't talked about that name until 2 weeks ago when he told me he wasn't sure of any of the names we picked up to that point. 
He took one look at her and fell in love with her, he kept saying I think she is sooo cute.  Oh boy he is already a hooked, she has him around her tiny little finger. 

He went and got the boys and brought them to the hospital to be introduced to their little sister.  They were very excited! 

They wanted to hold her so much Garrett kept saying "All by myself."  We were very nervous about that but they did so good and were very soft with her. 

Sweet eh?  Love that he is going to be so good with her, he already wants to burp her and help with her all of the time.  He tells me "mom I got it, its OK." and will try to be a mom to her.  Garrett loves her but I caught him trying to put her hat over her eyes so we have to keep our eyes on him when he's around her.

We are so happy to have this little present home with us this Christmas season.  I was so sure she'd come after but honestly I am glad that she came this early so that we can come home and be home for a week before the big day I need to rest a bit and get my feet under me.  I am also so grateful for so many friends and family that have been helping me.  My parents drove out the very next day.  So that they could be here to help.  And they are staying through Christmas till my sister has her baby.  Yup she is due any moment with her little girl and my parents are going to drive to see her as well.  They get best grandparents of they year awards! 

More of their visit to come, but look at Jillian checking my mom out on their first encounter.  She is strong this little one.

That's right little girl you hold your head up all by your self, impressive huh?  More to come but now to rest and to sleep.