Six years ago...

At 7:30 pm today my Isabella will be officially 6 years old.

What an exciting time this was for Nick and I. Nerve wrecking also.

I was 1 week over-due. My original due date was 12/12. My doctor and I decided to induce on the 19th. I had an UN-favorable cervix...which basically meant I was close up like Fort Knox. It was scheduled to begin around 7am. Here is Isabella's birth story. The day my life changed forever.

I got up at 5am to call the hospital to make sure they had room for me and then did...Yeah. I already had my bags packed and her bags packed to bring her home (weeks before).
We arrived at the hospital at 7am and they started cervadil so I was bed bound for several hours. Nick was hungry and my Best Friend Heather brought up some breakfast for her and him. I was very hungry also, but they insisted the ice chips would eventually fill me up...as they taunted me with their biscuits.
Nick got out the video camera and annoyed the heck out of us for a bit. He comes up with the craziest questions sometimes. Guests came in and out throughout the first few hours. Everyone eagerly anticipating the first girl grandchild. I was not opposed to having anyone come, all were welcome (I had no idea what was to come, especially not having experienced one single contraction my whole pregnancy).
The nurses came to check me and I was 1cm dilated, they gave me another cervadil...and there I lay for a few more hours. My parents came up, my sisters came up, my friend from GA drove down. I really had a plethora of people come to visit.
Heather braided my hair in piggy tails, we talked laughed, Nick videotaped, it was very relaxing.
At 11am they checked me again and I was a 2, so they decided to start the pitocin. I was on a slow drip to start out and it was no problem. Around 1:30 I started experiencing bad contractions. I had more company in the room, this time it was some I was not comfortable being in that much pain around. My friend Andrew and his brother (who flew in from Seattle and I did not know *that* well). I was trying so hard to still be polite through these contractions. I think they began to see I was uncomfortable and left. I asked for an epidural at this point, but it was still early. After about 2 hours of these contractions I asked to be checked again and I was a 4, so they said I could have an epidural. It is around 5pm when they get everything in and working properly with they epi and I am good to go for a while. They sent everyone home and said at best I would dilate 1cm per hour, so we were looking at about 11pm that night, and said I needed my rest. I had planned for Nick and Heather to be in the room during the pushing/birth. Heather wanted to go home and take a nap (cause she likes her sleep and had got up really early) and I was fine with that seeing how they just said it would be 11pm before I was complete. I tried to sleep, but i was so darn excited I could not close my eyes. Nick however had no problems.
My friend Linda who had drove down from GA was still there and she could not stay for too long. She kept me company. It was about 7pm and and Linda and Nick and I were all talking (Nick was pacing if I remember correctly) and I started to feel major pressure and was adamant that she was coming out at the very second. Nick pressed the call button and went out in the hall, while we were waiting for someone I had Linda (who had 2 children already) look to see if her head was already out. I was crazy! I started to have BAD back labor...I mean worst pain in my life. The contractions were back full force and I was in pain. The nurse came in and checked me and I was a 10 fully effaced and ready to push right then. She then told me that my epidural had fallen out and I could not have it fixed as I was ready to push. To top it off she said I also had to wait to push till the Doc got in there.
Nick took this opportunity to call my parents and his mom and of course Heather who was off in dream land.
The Doc came in and Linda was trying to leave and the Doc said...sorry this room is sterile and she is ready to push...you are stuck in here now. Linda was a good sport and grabbed a leg, and Nick grabbed the other leg. I was in an insurmountable amount of pain, I cannot even begin to describe it.
At 7:30 pm Isabella came FLYING out sunny side up. I had a 4Th degree tear as a result, but she was beautiful, and a healthy 7lbs 1 oz. The nurses spiked her hair with KY jelly cause she already had a curl in it. Nick was in awe of the moment, he adored her from the second she was born. That girl had some lungs on her too.
Our family arrived during my pushing and greeted her when she was taken to the nursery.
I had a long recovery. Nick was wonderful taking care of me. He really nursed me back to health.

That is it in a nutshell.