Plus one is here

Finally, I am taking the time to update my blog and let everyone hear about our sweet little Morgan.  Who knew that one tiny little girl could take so much of my time?!

On October 19th I woke up at 1 a.m. feeling very uncomfortable.  At 2:45 I had my first contraction, though I didn't even trust that it was really starting.  I let Nate sleep in and handled my first contractions downstairs with Mama and Boog.  For those who don't know, Boog is my crazy dog, and when I had a contraction, he would sit next to me and let me pet him.  How cute is he!

At 8:00 that morning Nate and I headed over to the hospital.  I was so worried that they would send me home, but when they checked me I was 3.5cm.  Yea, progress at last.  Contractions continued pretty consistently and I was handling them well.  Around 1 p.m. the doctor checked me again and I was at 6 cm, so it was time to break my water.  I was nervous for this part, but it didn't hurt at all.  However, the contractions after that were crazy!  I had to lay flat on my back so they could monitor the baby's heart rate better.  It was dropping sometimes during contractions.  So when the contraction started I couldn't move around or do anything to help me through it, and they were coming about every 2 minutes.  Finally, I was able to sit up and move again, but my whole body was tensed up and my thoughts of having a non-medicated childbirth were drifting away fast.  After about an hour and fifteen minutes I asked the nurse for the epidural.  They actually had to do it twice, but oh, such relief!

Well, the afternoon went by quickly after that (and almost painlessly!).  When the doctor came in again we were hoping I had made it to an 8, and to our surprise, I was a 10 and ready to push.  I started pushing at about 5:30, and almost 3 hours later, I watched little Morgan's head come into the world.  That's right, I had a mirror and watched her birth!

I know everyone says your life changes in an instant, but you really have to experience it to understand that concept.  There are no words to explain the spiritual life-changing experience of bringing a new spirit into the world and giving that spirit a body.  I feel so blessed and loved by my Heavenly Father that He would allow me to help with that process, that He has entrusted me with this beautiful little spirit daughter of His.

Morgan Elizabeth Powell, October 19th at 8:19 pm

6 lbs 14 oz; 18.5 inches long



Please keep our angel in your prayers.   She failed her hearing screening in her right ear at the hospital so we had to take her to an audiologist this past week, where she failed again!  Hopefully, she just has fluid in there, but we have to take her to test it again this week.  I'll keep you updated.

due dates

So October 15th came and went and no contractions, no baby yet.  Now we're at 40 weeks and 1 day.  The good news is I feel pretty good, just anxious.  Well, we'll have a baby by October 22nd at least, that's my induction date.  But let's pray that I don't reach that!

39 weeks plus

It is amazing to look at my pregnancy countdown and see 5 days left!  I actually feel pretty good these days, now that the back pain is gone, heart burn is dying down, and nausea is almost non-existent.  So I think yesterday I became mentally ready to have this baby.  Most of the time I've just felt scared!  And I think considering how low she is now, she's ready to be here!  Good luck to her, putting up with Nate and I for life, not to mention our extended families!  I definitely get uncomfortable though.  Tonight as I was trying to do some exercises, it felt very awkward to do leg lifts and I basically had to lift my leg to the side instead!  Haha

I do NOT like to be in pictures, so the fact that I'm about to post pictures of myself looking like a beached whale, really means I love family and friends who are far away and want to see me looking WAY pregnant.

Here goes.

Boog is usually very close to me these days, my little guardian!

Jars don't belong on toes

Recently my wonderful friend Kristina and I were able to go get much needed pedicures.  Not that my feet were that awful, even though I can't reach them anymore, but mostly, I just needed to relax!  A week and a half later my toe nails still looked pretty cute.  Here's a picture of a mostly-still-decent pedicure.

Add to this picture one person who is generally clumsy and accident prone, add the fact that she's 39 weeks pregnant, and give her a jar of peanut butter.

= OUCH!  Let me just say, when your toe is bleeding all over the kitchen floor, and you can no longer comfortably reach that toe, it's a really good thing that mama is in the next room!

Short update

38 weeks today!  1 cm dilated, 80% effaced, so some progress at least.  And she's moved enough to not be killing my sciatic nerve anymore (knock on wood!).  The doctor said today that he thinks 10 days early is perfect, let's cross our fingers.