Welcome to the World, Baby Lucy

Lucy Jane Crepeau, showing the world that she's a diva since day one. Her arrival may have been no picnic, but she's well worth the wait.

Lucy's original due date was December 20th. My mom came out a few days before, hoping to be there at the hospital with me. Days came and went. No progress. We walked for hours. We ate spicy food. We nested like you wouldn't believe. Nada. Zilch. Nothing. Zip. In fact, Lucy waited so long that my mom actually went home before she arrived. 

I originally told Phil that I would flip a lid if I was still pregnant on my birthday. Spoiler alert: 

Me: Approximately 41,000 Weeks Pregnant

I turned 28 and was more enormous than I ever hope to be again. (If you look closely in the picture, you can see my elephant feet). Then the 26th came and went too. No baby. Luckily the 27th was my scheduled induction date, but I've never had a longer day. They didn't get me into the hospital until 7:00 PM. I was about ready to go postal (maybe I did, Phil will have to confirm).

Let's just say that the nurse who called and told us that they had a bed for me may as well be in my will. I will forever love her. 

We showed up late at the hospital, with absolutely no plans for how things would go. I was just happy to finally have a light at the end of my swollen, bloated, pregnant tunnel. 

The Happiest Patient in the UWMC

My birth plan: Get this freaking toddler-sized baby (I may have thought she weighed like 11 pounds) out of me. 

Let's just say that it was a good thing I didn't have a firm plan. I had to be induced, so that brought all sorts of problems. Things started smoothly enough, I was progressing nicely. However, the ease didn't last long. My epidural stopped working (which means I had to get two more), and after hours of pain and labor, Lucy's heart rate and blood pressure kept dropping with each contraction. 

Nurses were in and out of our room. They'd flip me over, help me relax, leave, and then come back minutes later to do it all over again. I was especially nervous when we had about 10 members of the care team (nurses, attending physicians, residents, etc.) all run into the room at once. Obviously something wasn't right. 

The residents came back and said that they were recommending a C-section. Lucy's heart rate and pulse were dropping with each contraction. Although she'd be safe if I wanted to go the traditional route, there was no guarantee that she would even come out. 

At that point, I'd been in labor for about 16 hours. I shed plenty of nervous tears and told Phil that I was so anxious about everything. He reassured me that everything would be alright. I'd never been happier that he decided to pursue a career in medicine. He was such a great bridge between the doctors and me. I was more than scared (and more than done), so I told the doctors that I just wanted my baby. With a snap of the fingers, they prepped the OR and wheeled me in. 

The hospital staff were amazing! The anesthesiologist sat by my head, Phil on the other side, and the curtain went up. After they checked to make sure everything was numb, they went for it. (Obviously I'm a pansy and too squeamish to share the details). Minutes later, I heard the most beautiful baby cry. At first I was hesitant about seeing her before they had her all cleaned up. I don't do blood or bodily fluids very well. But as soon as I heard that cry, I had to meet my little girl. They held her up over the curtain and I lost it. My baby was finally here!!

Making Her Dramatic Debut

I told Phil to go be with our baby, and he snapped a bunch of pictures and helped the nurses clean her off. She was a solid 8 pounds 6 ounces, nice and chunky after an extra week in utero.

The Goose Herself

I could hardly wait to meet her for the first time. It was a feeling that I can't describe. She was already so full of life, and felt so familiar to me. I knew that she was going to be one of my greatest joys. 

Never Been Happier

Gerald Massey described my beautiful angel so well:  

"a sweet, new blossom of Humanity,

Fresh fallen from God's own home, 

to flower on earth."

She's here. She's beautiful. And most importantly, she's ours. We are so blessed.