Audrey Elise Hanchett-part one

She's here! Old news, I know. Motherhood has for sure kept me on my toes. I can't believe she is ALREADY three weeks old and has a cute tummy.

So I'll start from the beginning-the waiting part.



Two weeks before Audrey's due date (May 7th), I developed a rash ALL OVER my body...yeah-ichy! It went from just my feet to my whole body and so when I saw my gyno about it, she diagnosed it PUPPS-a rash that pregnant women develop towards the end of the pregnancy that's uncomfortable and doesn't go away until the baby is born. So we decided that May 5th, I would be induced.

Tuesday, May 5th, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
Lyle and I got our bags packed and headed to the hospital. We got all the paperwork filled out, changed and then hooked up to the machines. I thought for sure that I was going in at least as a 3 but they unhappily informed us that I was a 1. So they started me on the gel. Four hours later and many cramps and contractions later, I was STILL a 1. After that point, they started me on the pitocin at about 2a.m. They told me that it was going to be a while and to nap so Lyle passed out and i just stared at the ceiling and waited for the time to pass.

At about 10 a.m., I was FINALLY at a 3.5 and the dr. came in to break my water and claimed that after that point, Audrey would arrive soon so I decided to get the epidural-which did not hurt. About the same time, I began to itch really bad from my rash AND the epidural so they gave me a Benedryl to help. That was the first and only sleep I got-three hours. In between, I woke up and my legs weren't there, I couldn't keep my eyes open and I could hardly breath so I began to freak out so they gave me oxygen (plus her heart rate was dropping off and on) and I passed out again.

Three hours later, I was awake and still on the pitocin. I slowly progressed. At one point (because it was so slow going)I had hit my limit for pitocin and was only at about a 6. They then decided to not continue (with the dr.s permission) and to give my body an hour with no drugs and then start again from the beginning to see if it would jump start the process.

I was miserable even if I couldn't feel my legs or the contractions!

After I was back on the pitocin, Audrey decided to be even more difficult (she just did not want to come unless it was on her terms) and hated when I laid on my back. So every thirty minutes, the nurses would have to come in and flip me onto my opposite side so that Audrey was happy. That was also miserable because I couldn't help...I couldn't even move my hip.

After 25.5 hours of waiting, I had finally hit a 10 and fully effaced and began the pushing. I had my cheer team there(Unplanned, our Aunt and cousins were there visiting and ended up helping through the delivery-Brenda holding my hand and feeding me ice chips, Jess catching my vomit and Rach cheering from the sofa (Lyle was holding my leg)) and thankfully it only took 30 minutes of pushing...at that point I wanted a c-section because the epidural had worn off and I felt all the pain! I would push and push and push and then take a break and her head would sink back in. I didn't think she would ever come out!

BUT, after 26 hours, 30 hours without food, Audrey Elise Hanchett was born on 5/5 at 22:22 (10:22 p.m.). Lyle decided that we are going to have to celebrate her birthdays with pinatas and mexican food. :) She was the most beautiful thing I had seen when they laid her on my chest! I was finally a mommy!