I had a doctors appointment at 9:30 Thursday, December 11th.  I was already scheduled for induction the next monday, the 15th.  That morning I was running around trying to get ready and get Mia ready to go to Mother's Day out.  I dropped Mia off and told them I would be back after my appt to get Mia because she had a cough and although she wasn't contagious, I didn't want her to wake up the other kids during nap time.  I got to my appt and was sitting in the waiting room and I started feeling a few cramps, but I honestly didn't think anything of them.  While I was waiting in the room for the doctor, the cramps got a little stronger, but I just thought I had to go to the bathroom ;-). 

When he checked me, he said I was almost 4cm and I wouldn't make it until Sunday night (when I was to go in to be induced), so I'm running through to do lists in my head of what I need to get done in the next day or two, and also freaking out a little because this means I'm actually going to go into labor, ha.  Todd was suppose to work that weekend so he was going to go see if someone could work his weekend.

I get dressed and me and Todd open the door to leave the room and his nurse said he wanted me to get hooked up to the monitor for a little bit because he was pretty sure I was having a contraction when he checked me.  He said if I was having contractions, he would go ahead and put me in that night.  Again, my head is racing thinking ill need to call my mom when I leave to get her to come keep Mia, no big deal.  I get hooked up to the monitor and Todd was making me laugh so the lines were going crazy and it was so loud ;-). After that little episode, we were watching the lines and trying to decide which line was monitoring contractions, then I began to pay attention to when I was feeling a cramp and could see it coincide with the monitor.  We start to discuss our plans for Mia and getting our bags for that night.  The nurse came in and said oh my, those contractions and then went to get the doctor.  He came in and said your having a baby today!  He said, those contractions are as strong as pitocin contractions, they're every 2 minutes, you're in labor, you'll have this baby by 5 today (it was 11:30 then).  He said I'll get your papers ready, you're heading upstairs.  I think me and Todd were just both so stunned!  A flood of emotions took over:  I was happy, nervous, excited, scared, surprised, a little confused, and flustered all at the same time! I asked if I at least had time to go home and grab my bags.  He said as long as I didn't take too long, so off we headed in a mad dash to get bags and contact family.  Todd headed to get Mia and we called Howard to come watch Mia until my parents got there.  I threw stuff together and put everything in the car, got Mia's lunch ready and laid out her outfits and pajamas.  The contractions were definitely getting stronger, so I was ready to head back to the hospital as soon as Todd got home with Mia.  

We got to the hospital around 12, and everything was set up and ready to go around 1.  I was at 5cm when i got there.  They started some pitocin just to move things along a bit. I went ahead and got the epidural as soon as the bag of fluids went through because I sure didn't want to feel the crazy pain!  Well, he tapped into spinal fluid when he was doing my epidural, so I could only get a low dose of the epidural, which was fine until near the end!  The doctor broke my water around 3 and I was at 7cm.  I started feeling the contractions on my right side, exactly where I felt them with Mia.  It was really weird.  The nurse checked me and I was 8cm.  As soon as she left, I started feeling a good bit of pressure, so I called her back in and I was 9cm.  She left and I immediately felt intense pressure!  I could actually feel the baby's head coming down! Todd called her back because at this point I cannot talk and am clinching the bed rails.  She had gone into another room right quick, so another nurse came in, but my nurse came in right behind her.  She checked me and I was ready.  Then they were discussing who was going to catch the baby if the doctor didn't make it (my doctor's office is in the hospital, so that's how close I was).  The pressure, y'all, THE PRESSURE, it was insane!  I didn't really feel much when I was pushing Mia out, but I felt everything with Reese!  Thankfully, my doctor made it just in time!.  After the first push, the other nurse said dang, she is pushing and my doctor said "yeah, she's a no nonsense pusher," yeah, the baby had to come out!!! I pushed twice (less than 4 minutes) and Reese was out.  Wow, immediate relief!!! As they laid sweet baby Reese on my chest, all fears of how will I love this child as much completely left!  The love I had for this child was just as intense!  I just thanked god in that moment for this precious blessing! I was so overwhelmed with thankfulness for 2 healthy girls!  

Reese had really low sugar when they checked her, so we had to supplement with formula after every nursing for a few days.  Her sugar finally got above 50 later the next day, after many pokes on her poor bruised feet. 

Mia was the first one to meet her little sister.  She could have cared less!  She kept ignoring her, ha.  

Our family just feels complete with Reese, of course I would love more children but I'm just really content with our family of 4 right now :-). 
They told me I might get a spinal headache because of the mishap on the epidural.  I had a little bit of pressure saturday morning, but didn't think that's what it was.  Sunday evening, it started getting worse so I decided to wait until monday to get it checked since Reese had an appt to get her jaundice levels checked at the hospital anyway.  Monday morning, I woke up and it was awful!  The pressure in my head was insane.  I laid down and it went away, but as I set up, it came rushing back.  We got reese checked out and then went and checked into a room to get a blood patch done.  My veins didn't want to give up any blood, so they had to get an iv needle to get blood to put in my back.  Thank goodness for that patch, because it worked!  I wasn't able to move around a whole lot or lift anything for 2 days afterwards, so I am very thankful for Todd doing so much and for my mom being able to come help for a few days!  I definitely didn't want the patch to come loose and have that headache again, so I was really still!
Reese, you are loved more than you know!  I hope you always feel the love your mommy, daddy, and big sister have for you!  God gave us such a perfect gift and we are so blessed that he chose you for our family!