So, a little background history...
My due date for little Olive was January 10th, but after two days of contractions that were about 15-20 minutes apart I was hoping for a much earlier delivery. My wish was granted when I woke up at 3:30 in the morning on New Year's Day in early. Oddly enough, my first thoughts upon realizing that these contractions were the REAL thing were, "Well, Jason will be mad that we missed the tax write off!" and then "and since I missed the tax write off I didn't even get first New Year's baby!"
I got up and started some laundry and did a few little things around the house that I knew wouldn't get done for a LONG time if I didn't do them then. :-)
About 5am the contractions were starting to become distracting and a bit painful. I woke Jason up and told him that he could continue sleeping but that I wanted to let him know that today was going to be the day. About 6am I called my mother and gave her the same news. By 7:00 my contractions were 7 minutes apart and lasting for about 30-45 seconds each. Time to call the midwife. I rang her up and was a little upset to learn that the midwife on call was the midwife I had never met. No time to worry though.... by the time Jason and I got things in the car, which was only about 30 minutes, my contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart, and PAINFUL. I was starting to get scared about delivering in a vehicle on the side of a country road! When we arrived at the hospital about 8:00 I was relieved. Even if it was too late for the epideral I just KNEW I was going to need I was glad to be where there was medical care.
It was determined that I was definitly in active labor and fully effaced, but that I was only about 5 centimeters. I set my mind on a long and painful labor and told Jason that I didn't think I'd be able to pull off an epideral free delivery like I had wanted. I had forgotten how much those contractions hurt!!!!
Around 10:30am we were informed that there had not yet been named a "new year's baby" in the area and how did I feel about them breaking my bag of waters to get things moving? I was thrilled! My water was broken and I discussed pain options with the midwife. I opted to go the same route I had gone with Zander in efforts to try again to not get the epideral. I got a dose of stadol, which is a painkiller given through IV. I could still feel the contractions (strongly) but it did help my state of mind and helped get me through it. I was able to joke around and even sleep in between the contractions. The last few centimeters moved by quickly, and I didn't even yell or curse at Jason!!! (yay.) After about 6 pushes Olive made her grand entrance into the world.
The stats:
Name: Amalie Jo Reller
When: Thursday, January 1, 2009 @ 11:35am -- We weren't the first area baby. That award was given to a family out of Mercy Hospital in Ohio, and we missed the first Northern Kentucky baby by EIGHT minutes!!!
Weight: 6 pounds, 6.4 ounces. YAY for little babies!!!
Length: 20 inches
I've learned that Jason was right in one sense about her name... it has been a game of correcting people and spelling it lots! I think people think they're hearing us incorrectly, and they keep thinking we're saying "Emily." I also know that I was right about her name... It means the world to me that she's going to be able to carry a Yates name after my Grandmother and the Reller name. This little girl is going to make GREAT strides in this world and I'm so proud to call her Amalie and I hope my grandmother is looking down proud and happy as well. We gave her the middle name Jo (Jason's idea) so that our options for nicknames are plentiful. My grandmother was called, Millie and Molly, and we can even add "AJ" to the nickname list if she decides that Amalie is not her thing.
Anyway, the thing you all actually came here for: Pictures!
Proud Dad, Mom, and Big Brother
Proud Papa.
Open Eyes. Moments after birth.
