When 4 Became 5!

She is finally here! We welcomed our daughter, Sariah Kate, Friday, February 10, 2012! Happy Birthday sweet baby girl!

All about her birth! 

I had my 38 week check up Thursday morning and there wasn't much progress from the week before.  I was still dilated to 3 cm and 60% effaced. I was a bit disappointed because all week long I was having contractions. My doctor took her measurements and predicted that her weight was around 8 lbs 2 oz. He was a bit concerned that if I went to my due date that she would be a big baby for me to deliver. So we decided to set a date for induction on February 15. I was a bit bummed out because I really wanted to go into labor on my own and to have her naturally.

When I got home, I had a huge desire to get the house all cleaned and to finish up some of my projects. That night, lo and behold, I started having contractions at 11:00 pm. They were coming every 5 to 7 minutes apart. They weren't too uncomfortable so I was able to lie down and get a decent nights sleep only waking a few times. I woke up around 6:30 am to some fairly strong contractions which were coming every 2 to 3 minutes. Mark was getting ready for work when I told him that I thought that I was in labor. I was having to really breath through each contraction which led me to believe that it was the real thing. I tried calling my doctor to see if he wanted me to come in and get monitored but I couldn't get a hold of him til around 9:00 am. So in the meantime, we finished packing our hospital bags, got Vanessa off to school and called Mark's parents to come and pick up Owen. We loved that we weren't rushed and that we could get everything ready before we left to the hospital.

38 Weeks and in labor. We took this picture right before heading to the hospital.

We headed to the hospital and got all checked in by 10:00 am. The nurse hooked me up to the monitors and checked me. I was dilated to 4 cm. My contractions were getting stronger but coming farther apart. I was hoping that they wouldn't send me home due to the distance of my contractions. After being on the monitor for about an hour my contractions started to pick up pace and strength. The nurse called my doctor to let him know that I was in labor.  Yeah! I was so excited to know that we were going to have our baby! My doctor came to check on me around 12:15 pm. I was dilated to a 6 and progressing well.  He also was able to break my water to get things progressing faster.  The nurse around this time asked if me if I wanted an epidural. I told her no and she was a bit skeptical and tried talking me out of it. When she left the room I talked to Mark and told him that I knew I could do this. I asked him for a blessing for strength to be able to get through the labor and delivery. Getting the blessing really helped me and gave me the courage to finish it without medication.

After breaking my water and getting some patosin, my contractions really started to come on hard. Around 1:00 pm, I told Mark that I was feeling the need to push. The nurse came in to give me some medicine to take the edge off of the pain and checked me. I was dilated 8 cm and totally effaced. She left to go call the doctor to get him over for delivery. Well just after she left, I had a huge contraction and I told Mark to get the nurse quick because she was coming! My body just took over and I started to push. The nurse came in and told me to try and not push! In my mind, I thought, "Are you crazy! I can't stop!" That was the most painful part was trying to stop myself from not pushing! Another huge contraction came and there was no way I could stop pushing! I could feel that her head was starting to crown when my doctor finally came in the room. He got dressed just in time to deliver our baby girl!

Sariah Kate was born at 1:33 pm! I was able to hold her right after she arrived. She was perfect in every way. She cried for a second but then stopped when I held her. The first thing I noticed was her chubby cheeks and all her dark hair. She was beautiful! She weighed in at 7 lbs 12 oz and was 20 inches long. After getting cleaned up, we were able to hold our new baby girl! From the moment I saw her, my heart grew to make a spot for her. We were so glad to finally have her in our arms and to know that she was healthy and that everything went well.

 

 

After the delivery, the nurse told me that I did an amazing job and that the delivery couldn't have gone any smoother. She was very impressed with how I handled it. The delivery was amazing and perfect in every way! I would definitely have another baby naturally! It was by far my best experience. I was able to move around and not rely on others to help me walk or lift my legs. I wasn't in very much pain at all. I didn't tear or need and episiodomy which really helped with the pain and recovery.

I was moved to my recovery room while Mark was able to give Sariah her first bath. She didn't like getting wet again but sure loved her head being washed. Mark picked out the cute purple bow to put in her hair. 
After she was all cleaned up she was brought back to my room where we got to spend time loving and snuggling our baby girl. I love watching Mark with her. It just melts my heart to see the sweet expression on his face when he looks at her.  Sariah is such a sweet baby. She hardly cries and just sleeps a lot right now. She makes these little grunts and squeaks which are so darn cute! She is a pro at eating. As soon as she was born she latched right on. She looks quite a bit like Vanessa when she was born. Vanessa had more hair but their facial features are very similar. 
 

We were able to have some visitors come and see us while in the hospital. Grandpa and Grandma Sorensen, Arianne, Kimberly, Laura, Vanessa, and Owen. Vanessa and Owen were a bit scared when they saw me hooked up to the IV machine and lying in a weird bed. It took them a few minutes to warm up to Sariah especially Owen. When he first saw her, he stuck his fingers in his nose and said "She smells funny." We all thought that was hilarious! Vanessa got to hold her and she was pretty excited about that!

We had a relaxing night there at the hospital. I opted to let Sariah sleep in the nursery so I could get some sleep and recover from the day. They brought her back in the morning and we had fun holding her and loving her.

We are so happy that Sariah's arrival was safe and that she is a healthy and happy baby. I couldn't have asked for a better third baby! We love her so much and are so excited that she is a part of our family now. We are excited to be able to watch her grow and progress.