She's Here -- Our Birth Story!

Almost 5 weeks later, I'm back and ready to catch up!

Saturday, April 24th, 2:20 pm, 7 pounds 6 ounces, 21 1/4 inches: Happy Birthday Olivia!

That Friday night Kyle and I watched the second Twilight movie and ordered Pei Wei -- a typical Friday night in the Lugg household. I looked at him at dinner and told him to consider the thought that tonight might be our last night "alone" in the house. He really thought she was going to wait until her induction Sunday night, but humored me anyways. As easy as it is for me to say this now, I really had a feeling that she was going to come either Friday night or Saturday.

Sure enough I woke up at about 5:30 am Saturday (the day after her due date) with some pains that I hadn't had before. I had been having contractions on and off for weeks, but nothing that felt like this. Something had to have been happening before seeing as I was 4 centimeters dilated that Monday before she was born! Anyway, I was pretty sure this was it, though, because the pains were beginning to wrap around into my back. At 6:00am, I woke up Kyle and told him I was 90% sure it was time. I said 90% because lets just say this wasn't the first time I woke up Kyle to tell him I thought I was in labor. Its true what people say, though, that when you know -- you know.

He leapt out of bed and to his feet about as quickly as you could ask. He was remarkably lucid, too, for being jolted out of bed. My first instinct then was not to call the Dr. yet, but to jump in the shower. All I knew at that moment was that I wasn't going anywhere until I got a shower. Granted, it ended up being a quick one, but a shower nonetheless.

After the shower I called the Dr. and waited...and waited...and waited. After two phone calls in 30 minutes, no return phone call, and contractions that were 5 minutes apart, we got in the car and headed for Riverside about 7am.

By the time we got to Triage, I was starting to feel the contractions pretty good. No kidding because I was almost 5 centimeters at that point. After all the standard pokes and prods, we were admitted and in our Labor and Delivery room by around 8:30am. The much anticipated epidural came by about 9:30am and I was sitting much more comfortably by then.

Once we got all settled and the nurse did her thing, she told us that it was a good time for us to rest not knowing what was ahead of us. A nap sounded pretty good, even after a "full" nights sleep. Kyle brought the recliner over next the bed and we both got comfy. As the nurse left the room she told me to be sure to call her if I, at any point, felt the need to push. No sooner did Kyle and I both settle into our napping positions when I got the urge to push, go figure.

By 11:16am, the nurse was ready and in position to help me push. The next 3 hours, yes I said 3 hours (and 4 minutes, but who's counting), there was lots of pushing, pushing, and more pushing. Then at 2:20pm, Olivia Claire was born into this world.

That moment will be forever burned into my head. We are completely head over heels in love with our little girl. She is precious in every way and we couldn't feel more blessed.