So I
finally am trying to get back to our blog. I'm not the best at keeping up with a "so-called journal" but I do enjoy reading others and once I do complete a blog entry I enjoy reading our family's accomplishments. So this is one of my goals: to stay up-to-date with this...(crossing fingers).
Reina
Suvi Guinn is the newest addition to our family. She was born on January 8
th, 2009 at 6:07 pm weighting 9 lb. 1 oz. Yes, a VERY big girl! I knew when I would be going into labor since I was to be induced on Thursday, January 8
th. The night before (Wednesday) I was at the gym doing a "light" workout on the
elliptical. An older gentlemen was impressed to see me there so late in my pregnancy...I let him know I was going to have a baby tomorrow! Following my shower that Wednesday evening after the gym, my husband Paul and I went to clean an office building that we take care of twice a week (once during the weekend and on Wednesday night...which it was the day before I was going to have a baby). That night I of course did not sleep much with thoughts of: "This is the last night it is just Paul and me." "Next time I sleep in this bed there is going to be a baby sleeping between us." "Uh oh, I have been anticipating this for 9 months and now it is here and I am not ready." "Yeah, I am ready to be a mommy, but oh the pain tomorrow...what if I can't take it?" "Is it possible that I am weaker than other women and will pass out?" "That's impossible, you went to the gym and cleaned the night before you delivered...
hmmmm, maybe not the best idea!" "
Woohoo! It's finally here!" "What's she going to look like?" Okay, so you get the point! Fear; excitement; all tangled into my thoughts.
They were going to call me sometime that morning when they had an "opening" for me to come. Usually when it comes to doctors and appointments everything runs late so I expected a call NO earlier than 10am. Much to my surprise they called at 7:20am. They question, "Is this Aliisa?" With a surprisingly restful 5 hours of sleep I responded, "Yes". They ask, "Are you ready to have a baby today?" What kind of a question is that? I felt like I was at a Bed and Breakfast and they were calling my room asking if I would like an omelet or scrambled eggs. So I respond with an embarrassed red face, "Sure." So of course they want me to quickly hop in the car and already be there before I even have gotten off the phone with them. My husband Paul lovingly makes me an omelet (hmmm....I just realized the reality of my breakfast order). I quickly put my hair in a bun, knowing that I won't want ANY distractions later today and dash a little blush and lip gloss on my face. (I've been told by "What Not to Wear" that the quickest way to look fresh is a little blush.)
We arrive at the hospital around 8:15 with all the necessities in tow...to discover those "necessities" that they tell you to bring were never used. They brought us (Paul and me) to a nice, big, room where you deliver and sleep all in one. We actually had a great view of the secluded trees and shrubs in the center of the hospital courtyard. I didn't get hooked up to the
Petocin (which speeds up contractions) until 9:30. I was already dilated to 3-31/2 for the last 3 weeks and had been having minor contractions for a while now...but nothing painful whatsoever. The
Petocin didn't really do anything so my doctor came in to break my water. Dr. Virgin came in a little after 11am
in between delivering another lady at a different hospital. I couldn't believe how easy she just came in, put a long tube in me (it looked like one of those
squeezy things you use to suck the juice out of a turkey), and suddenly I began to leak. At this point I began to feel like I was a turkey who was done and ready to be carved. My hours of baking were up ( 9 months), my turkey timer had official popped (belly button), and the stuffing was beginning to leak (water broke). Once my water broke, that's when I actually started feeling contractions. The first hour of contractions felt like bad gas or diarrhea pain. The second hour I really started to have major contractions and had to change positions so they made a warm bath for me. Paul helped out a lot during those contractions by pressing my hips together during the minute long contractions. The only thing that kept me from the horrible pain was the idea that the pain was somehow "lessened" with squeezing my hips together. The "
minute"
between contractions of course seemed to last only a few seconds compared to the "
minute" long contractions. After the second hour of real contractions in the tub I had to change positions because the pain was getting to be too much. My nurse kept asking what my pain level was. Earlier I had told her I would get an epidural when it was at an 8. At this point I wanted to say 8 but still forced myself to stick with it a little longer (since an epidural tends to delay dilation) so I said 6. The third hour of contractions was leaning over the bed on a medicine ball and realizing what an overcoming amount of pain the body goes through to deliver. At the end of this third hour I finally said it was time for an epidural. My pain was
definitely a firm 8. Relief. Immediate relief with the epidural. Wow, why didn't I do this earlier? Now I can't feel a thing and I can actually fall asleep. I attempted to sleep for an hour or so. My mom and sister
Sanni arrived at this time after the epidural was completed when all was peaceful. At this time Paul finally got to leave and get something to eat while I rested. After three hours of the epidural I began pushing a little after 5pm. My doctor was not there yet and I was afraid I would deliver before she got there. But luckily she got there the last 10 minutes of my delivery. I pushed for 53 minutes. Pushing made me VERY sleepy so
in between each set of pushes I had to breath through an oxygen mask. It was my only relief. If I did not have that oxygen mask I think I would have passed out. My eyelids were drooping and the only thing keeping me from going to sleep was the oxygen mask and bites of jello
in between pushing. My mom ordered that I get to eat. She was right, I would have passed out without the energy from the jello. Because of the epidural I could feel the contractions but couldn't really feel if I was actually pushing. So they brought a mirror that showed the crown of the baby. That mirror really helped me and gave me the effort to really push and know that my pushing was actually accomplishing something. Soon after the mirror arrived I was able to push until out popped Reina with her big, round, cheeks and big eyes.
Everything with the labor and delivery went great! The nurses kept commenting at how easy of a patient I was. I surprisingly handled the pain much better than I expected. No screaming, no crying; just moaning.
Reina was born with chubby little cheeks and eyes wide open taking in this new world. We like to think that the veil wasn't completely closed and that she was welcomed with angels at her side comforting her with this new life. Reina just kept looking and looking at her mommy those first minutes of being born. I think she was told that I would be her mommy and would be taking care of her. Apparently after she was born when they brought her to me I said "This is my baby? I have a baby? I have a baby!"
And now she is here and with us. We are blessed to have such a healthy and wonderful little girl. She is our little miracle and blessing and hope that she will always feel blessed to have us as her parents. My favorite thing in the whole world now is laying in bed with daddy and baby Reina sleeping between us.
Look at that dress! I was so happy that the design worked out perfect for Reina's blessing dress. I wanted just a hint of pink throughout the dress; antique-like that can never get "out-dated". It came out perfect! Grandma Guinn has such great sewing skills! Although she did say that this was more difficult to make than her daughter's wedding dress. We're grateful for all the effort and it's something that will always be special for our girls. 
