~Britney Rae Mitchell~
b. 7/29/15
W: 8lbs 9oz
H: 22 in
T: 1:38pm
I am writing this blog more as a way for me to remember exactly how this day went, but feel free to read along :)
This pregnancy was SO different from the boys... I was diagnosed at week 28 with placenta previa. This is where the placenta attaches to the uterine wall near the cervix (aka exit). This poses many risks such as internal bleeding, risk of the placenta being delivered before the baby meaning the baby doesn't receive any nutrients, and an overall difficult delivery. SO... to prepare myself, the doctors planned a C-Section at 37 weeks (3 weeks early). While I had vaginal deliveries that both were very smooth, I had come to grips with the C-section and the fact that our baby girl would be here 3 weeks earlier than she should be.
We went about our business... traveled to VA for a 2 week vacation including the beach from weeks 34-36 weeks and got back and the doc said the placenta had moved far enough away to go through with a natural delivery at the standard 40 weeks. I was deflated... here I was prepared for the C-section and the early delivery and now you're telling me I need to wait 3 MORE weeks in the dead heat of the summer?! CRAZY! So I came back to reality and realized it would probably be better this way anyways....
Fast forward 2 weeks, I was induced at 39 weeks (I couldn't hold out ANY longer). B3's head was down and everything looked like it was a go. We checked in at 10pm on the 28th and started some light drugs to bring on labor. I started laboring on my own at that point but no progression. Around 3am they added more drugs to bring on the contractions and my labor would STILL not progress. Around 10am the doctor broke my water to see if that would speed things along. STILL nothing...this little girl was already showing her stubbornness :) They brought in the ultrasound machine to see what was going on and turns out she was NOT head down and was transverse. Additionally, when they broke my water there was blood in the sac. These items along with the fact that my labor was not progressing lead to an ultimate decision of a C-Section. NOW... I was freaking out... I would have preferred MUCH more to be prepared to the surgery than for it to be an emergency as it ended up. They quickly drugged me up and sent me and D back to the OR. We had a successful C-Section and little Britney was here! It was so weird to have Dustin be the main person with her after her birth as the boys were with me the minute after they were born. Dustin had already given her her first bottle, watched her first bath and all the while I was knocked out in the OR getting put back together like a bad game of operation :)
After 3 days in the hospital we were sent home and haven't looked back since. This little girl is by FAR the easiest....does that mean the opposite for later in life?? She is already sleeping 7 hour stretches at 8 weeks and simply cries when she wants something. The boys LOVE her so so much and just want to kiss her and take care of her all the time. It is truly the most beautiful thing to see them love her so much.
Here are a few pictures from her big debut!
On our way to the hospital YIKES!!
Our nurses name was Brittany... coincidence??? I think not!
Lets ROCK N' ROLL!
Such a big girl!! I just remember the doctors saying during surgery "she just keeps coming out" ha! She was bigger than BOTH of her brothers :)
I was SO drugged up...that first day was really a blur. Hindsight, I wish I could have actually labored naturally...it is such an easier recovery!
Just LOOK at these guys...adoring her from the start! I think Brody was scared to be in the hospital room at first, but the nurses gave him a hospital bracelet that said "Big Brother" and he literally kept it on until it fell off. What a special connection these three will have, not only having a baby sister, but all being so close in age. These times are DEFINITELY not all sunshine and rainbows with them all so little, but they have each others backs already...I can just tell :)
Dearest Britney,
I hope one day you will look back on these photos and read this story and realize just how loved you are. You may have surprised us with your timing, but by no means were you ever a "surprise". I pray that you grow up as a child of God and know that you are always enough in His eyes. You have two big brothers who will ALWAYS look after you and 2 parents who love you more than life itself. I look back at this pregnancy and you coming into this world and there are tears of joy in my eyes. Tears that you are my last, tears that you are my first girl, tears that you make our heart just SO full it feels like it could burst. Little one YOU have already made an amazing impression on quite a few people ;) Remember that you are always our little girl! Love you as long as there are stars in the sky!
XOXO Mommy & Daddy
