Maribelle Rebekka Bellamy: On the day you were born! September 9, 2011

On the day you were born....The happiest day of our lives!
Welcome our Princess Maribelle Rebekka Bellamy
September 9, 2011

Your Daddy and I had to wake up early this morning for me to call the hopsital to confirm that I should arrive around 6am for my induction. I called the hospital at 4:30am and sure enough, we were still on for a 6am arrival. In fact, I'm not sure we ever went to sleep last night. We laid in bed and took in our last night just the 2 of us. We talked about what we thought you were going to look like, how nervous we were about the induction (excited but just wanted things to go perfectly!), and what life would be like with you here. We really just couldn't grasp the fact that the day we had waited on for so long and anticipated for 9 months was FINALLY here! I made sure I had all your bags packed and ours too and before we finally went to sleep. I probably am the only person that will go to the hospital to have a baby with 7 bags! I think we finally fell asleep around 2:30 so we didn't get but a few hours of sleep before we were up!

After I called the hospital to confirm our time, I got my shower and got ready. I've had a lot of people tell me not to waste my time putting on makeup and fixing my hair, but I wanted to feel clean and look halfway decent for your arrival. And for those that know me really well, know I do not like to feel unclean! I got your Daddy up around 5:00 and he got ready. Cak and PawPaw got up around 5:30 to see us off.

We didn't talk the whole way to the hospital. I think we were both just taking in the last few moments together. Your Daddy dropped me off at the emergency room exit and I went in to start the paper work. When Daddy met up with me they were ready to take me to my room on the second floor.

When we got upstairs, the nurses were waiting on us! They immeditaely put me in a room, (the biggest on the hall!) and started the process! I had to give blood first, undress and they hooked me up to the monitors! In the process of hooking the monitors to my belly, they realized the machine wasn't working, so they made me change rooms.....bummer! We were put in a smaller room down the hall. Ginger was my nurse. She got the monitors hooked up and got me settled in bed. Next it was time for my IV. Ginger tried my IV twice on my right arm and was unsuccessful. The first time the IV didn't take and the second time she hit a valve. I was about to cry it hurt so bad. Your Daddy was watching her and got really weak and pale and about passed out on me! They had to make him go sit in the chair while another nurse came in to try the IV in my left arm. She got it on the first try. Thank goodness! The nurses thought it was so funny that your Daddy was a hunter and could skin deer, turkey, ducks, but couldn't watch me get an IV. I got worried at this point about him passing out when you were being born! The nurses told him that if he did that during the delivery, they would sit him in the corner and wouldn't worry with him until they were done with me! She got my bag of fluids started. By this time it was time for the nurses to change shifts. Your Daddy and I just sat in the room looking around and watching the monitor. Ginger had started my pitosin but I couldn't feel anything yet.

Around 8:00 the new nurse, Donna came in. She was friendly, but I really wanted Ginger back. I told myself that while I wanted you here quick, I would really like to wait until Ginger got back on shift at 7pm so she could be there when you were born! Dr. Nelson came in about 8:30 to see me! I am so excited that she is my doctor for the delivery. She is the one that saw me for the 2 years of us trying. I really like her. She came in and checked me. I was still 3 cm (same as my doctors appointment on Tuesday) and almost completely efface. She broke my water. That was a very interesting experience to say the least! I gushed, and gushed, and gushed.....she said she had never seen so much water before! It just kept coming. Before she broke my water, she felt my belly and said you'd be around 8-8 1/2 pounds but after my stomach went down from the fluid, she felt my stomach again and said you'd be around 7 1/2 pounds. I have to say, breaking my water was the WORST feeling ever! I had Nate or the nurse change the padding under me like every 10 minutes!

After my water was broke, it became a waiting game! They upped my pitosin around 9:30 I think. Still nothing! At around 10:30 Dr. Nelson came back to check me and I was only 3 1/2 cm. They wouldn't even consider me in active labor until I had progressed 1 cm from when I came in. So once I could make it to 4 cm, they would consider me in labor. While she was checking me she asked if I needed to use the "bathroom." I said, no...and she said, yes you do! Sooo, she ordered me an enima. At this point, I could feel contractions, but nothing bad, just a little minor pain. Cak and PawPaw arrived around 9:00 and your Nana and Papa arrived around 10:00. Everyone was in the room with me for a while, unless I was being checked. Around 11:00 your Aunt Meghan got there. We were all sitting around talking. Daddy, Papa, and PawPaw went to get lunch. Of course your Daddy was going to eat. It was good for him to get up and walk....he had WAY to much energy just sitting in the room waiting! He kept making fun of me because I was in the bed playing on the ipad and texting. I guess he thought I was going to be more up tight than I was but the texting and ipad kept me focused and preoccupied!

Around noon, my contractions started getting a little worse. By this time they had increased my pitosin again. They did this about every hour. I was beginning to have to bite my lip during contractions. At this point, I became a monitor watcher. Your monitor that monitored your heart beat kept falling off.....royally making me mad! I wanted to be able to see your heart beat at all times. A few of my contractions were topping off the charts. I remember at one point, all the parents were in the room and I had a really bad contraction where I had to close my eyes and grip the bed rail until it was gone. At that point, I think everyone knew they needed to leave because they started filing out of the room to go to the waiting room! Daddy and Aunt Meghan stayed in the room with me! Poor Aunt Meghan's feet were so swollen so she stayed to keep Daddy company and to prop her feet up! We had all the lights off in the room except the ones above my bed. It was so peaceful and quiet! I was still waiting on my enima to come! I kept asking when it would be here and the nurse kept telling me it was coming! I tried to take a few naps, but no success! The nurse checked me again around noon and I was 4 cm! FINALLY! So now, even though I had been having contractions, they considered me in active labor!

Around 1:30 the pain had gotten worse! My enima still hadn't arrived. I was having some pretty big and painful contractions and they were coming close together. My lower back was killing me too! I asked the nurse again for the enima because I couldn't get my epidural until it arrived and I didn't know how much more I could take without the epidural! FINALLY around 2:00 the enima came! Of course, that was not a pleasant experience! Daddy and Aunt Meghan were in the room with me when I got it. Didn't take long to work! When the nurse came with the enima, she also sent for my epidural. The epidural arrived around 2:30. When she checked me before the epidural I was around 4.5 to 5 cm and my pitosin had been increased again. I was so scared about getting the epidural! I think I was more scared about it than anything else dealing with the labor and delivery. I had heard horror stories about it, and I didn't like the thoughts of it. My anethesiologist was AMAZING! He was so polite and gentle and totally calmed my fears. They made everyone leave the room, including Daddy! Although I think they stood outside the door. Donna was in there with me and the anethesiologist. He walked me through each step. It was actually not as bad as I had imagined! Within 5 minutes I felt relief! No the only part that scared me was moving around in the bed and pulling the tube out! He assured me that wouldn't happen, but once I was completely numb, no worries with that! It took about 10 minutes until all the pain went away. Everyone was back in the room with me, grandparents and all. We all sat around talking. I was a happy woman at this point! I remember one time looking at your Daddy and saying I think I had quit having contractions. He just laughed and said, no, you're having them! They are off the chart. Sure enough they were and were close together. Dr. Nelson came by to check on me the afternoon. I was still at 5 cm. No progress so she had the pitosin increased again.

Paw Paw, Cak, Nana and Papa kept taking turns coming back to see me. Daddy would make an occassional run out to see everyone in the waiting room. Other than that we just sat in the dark and Daddy and Aunt Meghan and I spent the afternoon relaxing and talking. We spent the rest of the afternoon/evening this way until around 7, at shift change! Kelli came see us and so did your crazy cousin Jonathan! I didn't want very many visitors except select people back in the room with me. I am sure more people came during the day but they stopped at the waiting room. Your Daddy kept making fun of me because I was glued to texting and my ipad. I have to say though that they kept me focused and calm. I had something to occupy my mind!

At around 7:00 Dr. Nelson came in to check me again. She said I was around 6.5cm! Yay for progress! She also announced that she would be going home for a little bit to eat supper! I really wanted to hit her at this point....I was SOOO hungry, hadn't had anything since 8pm last night and she mentions food to me! I was so tired of ice chips it wasn't even funny! Dr. Nelson gave orders for me to have my pitocin increased! Usually they don't go over 20cc, which is what I was at, but she wanted to get this show on the road, so she increased to 22! And, away she went!

Thankfully Ginger was back on shift as my nurse for the night! I was so thankful! My day time nurse was okay, not my favorite, and I was so glad that you would hopefully come while Ginger was on shift!

Everyone went after Dr. Nelson left and grabbed some supper because we felt certain you'd make your debut before midnight!!

The delivery floor got busy at around 9:00! I think 3 babies were born before 10! One lady came in at 4cm and delievered before any of the rest of us! Ginger kept assuring me she would be back to check me but kept getting called to deliver more babies, so we kept waiting! I remember hitting my pain pump for my epidural one time thinking it was wearing off. When after 30 minutes that didn't help the pain, I called Ginger. When she came in around 10, I told her I was starting to feel lots of pain and pressure and that my epidural was wearing off and they needed to do something. She finally checked me and said...nope, not wearing off! You're 9cm and that's Maribelle starting to make her debut! Hello, was the epidural not supposed to keep me from feeling pain? She said that towards the end I would start feeling pressure. After that, she was out the door to deliver another baby and said she'd be back in 30 mintues to start pushing!!! Your Aunt Kati made it at 10pm, just in time for the delivery.

Nate went to tell our parents the update and came right back to the room. He and I spent our last few uneventful minutes just sitting quietly waiting! We were so excited we didn't know what to do!

Sure enough, at 10:30 Ginger came back in the room, checked me again and we started pushing! And let me just say....whew! I got really nauseated and kept feeling like I was going to be sick. Ginger told me that was normal. I HATE being nauseated so it made me even more determined for you to come out! Your Daddy was on one side holding my leg/foot and Ginger was on the other side holding my leg/foot. Several times she had to tell your Daddy to look the other way because he kept trying to get a glimpse of you and then he'd get sick! After about 30 minutes, Dr. Nelson came in and they got the rest of the room prepped. After a few pushes with Dr. Nelson in the room, she told me that I was pushing okay but if I didn't start pushing better, she was going to have to get the forceps. When she told me that, I thought to myself....like heck you will! The trouble was getting your head under my bone! After a few good pushes, you were through! At about 11:10, they asked your Daddy if he was going to cut the umbilical cord. He said he didn't think he could because he had gotten so weak from my IV. Dr. Nelson said you mean to tell me you can skin deer, etc but you can't cut the umbilical cord?

Your Daddy decided he could do it!

At 11:15, after one last good push, you were born!!! That was by far the happiest moment of mine and your Daddy's life! Dr. Nelson had you upside down cleaning you off and suckioning your nose and I remember saying, "why isn't she crying?" After a few good pats on your hiney, you let out the loudest scream! BEST SOUND WE HAVE EVER HEARD! Ginger and Jennifer laid you up on my belly to get your cleaned a little more! Then, they handed your Daddy the scissors and he cut the cord! Although I have to admit he was not looking completely at it because he thought he would be sick!

You were beautiful! We couldn't take our eyes off of you! Dr. Nelson went back to work on me and Jennifer took you over to get your foot prints and all your measurements. Your Daddy was snapping pictures like crazy! I was so tired I think I went into a fog for a little bit but I did know what was going on! Ginger left to go get me some ginger ale because she had promised me that right after you were born I could finally have something to drink! I could see Jennifer working on you to the side and I wanted her to hurry up so badly so I could hold you again. You were so good!

Once I was ready to go and you were too, they gave you back to me! You were so tiny! You weighed in at 7 pounds 8 ounces; 21.5 inches long! Your eyes were so blue looking up at us. You were so alert! We snuggled with you and just took in every first moment with you until about midnight. You would look at us and our hearts would melt! At midnight, Ginger came in and said that you were going to have to go to the nursery for your check up and shots so if our family wanted to see you now would be the time! (I should mention that since we were the last to deliver for the day, they all stood outside the door listening to your arrival.....which none of us knew until Ginger went out the door and ran into them!)

Everyone came in and were sooo happy to finally meet you! You just looked around at everybody and took it all in! I held you the whole time. We didn't let anyone else hold you tonight because your Daddy hadn't gotten to hold you yet. We took pictures with everyone and they brought us dinner and then went home to rest. Before everyone left, your Daddy gave me a present.   He bought me a sapphire necklace lined in little diamonds! One day, this will become yours! It is BEAUTIFUL!

Ginger came and took you to the nursery and your Daddy went to the car to get our bags. Jennifer went to get our new room ready for us! I spent the next little bit eating the best sub sandwich and fries ever!

It seemed like it took them FOREVER in the nursery! I couldn't wait for them to bring you back to me!

At around 1am, we were taken to our new room and you were brought back to us! I tried to nurse and you did okay for the first time. You fell asleep pretty quickly and I'm not sure what time your Daddy and I finally fell asleep. I think another favorite moment of the night was when we said our prayers before you officially fell asleep. And although I wanted you to sleep with me, you slept in the little bassinet beside the bed as close to me as possible. In fact, I think I held your finger most of the night! We couldn't sleep because we just wanted to take every piece of you and ever second in with you.

Insert side note here: I asked several times to take a shower when we got back to the room and noone would let me.....can we just say I felt disgusting! I love my showers!

You slept pretty good. You woke up about every 3 hours to eat.

Baby girl, you are most definitely the BEST gift that has ever been given to me and your Daddy!  Noone can ever explain the instant love for someone until you arrived! I mean, I love my family, I love your Daddy, I love my friends, but it's a different kind of love for YOU! There's nothing like seeing you for the first time, hearing your first cry! Our life makes so much more sense now that you are here. We can't wait to spend the rest of our lives loving on you and being your Mommy and Daddy!  We thank God for you, our princess, our miracle!  Our promise to you is to raise you to the best of our ability, to teach you to love the Lord, and to just be the best parents we can to you!

We love you to the moon and back! Welcome to our lives baby girl!

Mommy and Daddy

Few snapshots of the day: (A few are out of order!)