** Sorry if this is WORD-Y-- I just want it for my journal sake ;)
It was the week of June 11th. I was 38 weeks pregnant, nesting like no ones business and feeling large and in charge ;)
Ryan had golf camp near my in-laws house that week so my sweet mother in law had taken my boys for a few days to stay at her house and to have "Mimi camp".
So basically the kids were in heaven with Ryan's golf camp in the morning and crafts and all things BOY in the afternoon with her! ( she's SO good with them! )
The timing of it was perfect to have a few days with just Aaron ( like a really belated babymoon at 38 weeks pregnant haha! ) and time for me to get everything ready - baby wise.
I forgot what it felt like to run errands with no kids. I felt like superwoman getting everything done every day!
My parents and youngest sister were set to fly into Houston, Thursday night June 14th.
I was set to be induced on Sunday ( Father's day ) June 17th ( a week BEFORE my due date ) if she hadn't come by then.
Why INDUCED??
#1. I had come a couple weeks early with both my boys and they were both 8 pound babies so she just agreed to induce me a week early ha!
#2. so my parents could kind of plan when to fly to Houston ( a 3 hour plane ride away makes things harder to plan around! )
#3. I have ended up going on pitocin each time I delivered so she knew my body reacted ok to it etc. plus I was already dilated etc! I really LOVE my doctor - so anyways! Moving on!
On Wednesday June 13th I went in for a 9 am- 38 week doctor check up.
I was dilated to a 3 and felt good!
Being that I was "kidless" I decided to go get my nails done and went to lunch with a friend and then went to go walk the mall.
( because unless you go on a walk at 6:30 am outside - it's TOO hot to walk outside in the middle of the day! )
My mom was constantly calling me all day checking in to see if I still felt ok.
With my past pregnancies if I get "checked" at my appointments and then go walking it usually makes things start to happen IF my body is ready to go into labor..
While I was walking the mall by myself I noticed I was starting to have contractions about 10 minutes apart. They were painless and decently consistent but then I would go 15 minutes without one and think "it's just in my head" they are probably just little false braxton hicks.
By 2 pm they were down to like 8-9 minutes apart and I called my mom for the millionth time that day telling her they were starting to be more consistent but it was probably nothing and that they didn't hurt at all...... yet!
Although she knows me and knew by that phone call that something could be happening so within 30 minutes of talking to her my dad had booked them on the next flight out of Utah.
They were set to leave at 8 pm and get in at midnight that night.
I called my mother in law and had Aaron go pick up the kids a day early just in case I went into labor in the middle of the night because my sister would be here with them.
I was up most of the night not being able to sleep and addicted to my contraction app haha!
They were 6-7 minutes apart and feeling a lot more "TIGHT".
I woke my mom up at 6:15 am ( my poor mom got maybe 4 hours of sleep with flying in at midnight ) and we went out to go walking.
I'm telling you - the secret to going into labor is to walk your baby out! haha! It's worked everytime!
We were only about 2 miles into our walk and BOOOM I felt like I peed my pants.
OOPS!
My dad was running on the path and looping us ( speedy Gonzales ) and asked how I was feeling ( by this point I was border line waddling like a penguin haha! )
And I yelled out "I think my water broke"!
It wasn't a lot of water though! My water broke before I had Ryan and was A LOT more water, so I was still in denial that I was actually in full on labor haha! I mostly just didn't want to end up at the hospital and be sent home - so I HAD to be sure!
I got home and was going to explain to Aaron that MAYBE it wasn't my water, and maybe it's in my head and Aaron was like "NOPE, BABE WE ARE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL!"
Sure enough as I was showering and getting set to leave contractions were coming harder and harder and actually "hurting"!
Last bump picture outside the hospital with my cute parents! ^^ SO happy they were here for the whole thing!!
I got to the hospital and checked in and was dilated to a 5.
The nurse looked at me and said Baby girl was COMING!
I can't even describe that moment to you!
Call me crazy but I LOVE going into labor!
I love the adrenaline of it all it and seeing my sweet husband holding my hand while I get hooked up to IV's and pumping me up to push a baby out! AHH i love it.
Like if we are working out together and he's getting all fired up to finish those final reps! ha!
He's the #1 best cheerleader ever.
( and then of course we get all tear-y eyed looking at each other thinking "yes, our family is growing and we are going to love this sweet baby with every piece of our hearts" ) -- The whole thing is just an emotional high! BEST feeling ever.
SOOO This labor was a little different... a few scary moments where I passed out a few times after getting the epidural and they think the cause of it was dehydration? I just remember kind of blacking out and then waking up to being on oxygen and to every nurse on the floor and the doctor in my room telling me to wake back up.
Aaron said it was the most stressful and awful moment of his life haha! Poor thing!
I was just SO grateful the baby's heartbeat didn't change when my blood pressure kept bottoming out.
They turned off the epidural for a while until I was stable and then were able to eventually turn it back on. Thank goodness my parents were able to change their flight and Aaron and my dad were able to give me a priesthood blessing that I'm convinced got my body through the rest of labor and brought a healthy beautiful baby girl here safely! ( I get tear-y eyed just thinking of it )
At 2 PM on Thursday I got a little pitocin to make the whole process go a little faster and once I hit an 8 everything went at lightning speed! One little push and she popped right out!
4:13 PM Thursday June 14th --That newborn first cry just melts my heart!
Our little ELENA MARIE POWELL
10 days early and 7 pounds 2 ounces / 19.5 inches long of pure perfection! ^^
My smallest baby - insert happy dance!
( We pronounce it "El-lay-na" )
Why Elena?
So I am one who loves a story behind a name although my boys first names have no meaning other than the fact that I liked the name haha! so #FAIL. I guess i just like to hear other people's stories.
When I was in high school I LOVED the movie Mask of Zorro.
( well I still do, one of the greatest of all time! )
In the movie Catherine Zeta-Jones's name is Elena and I just thought she was the prettiest thing ever.
I wrote in my high school journal that I'm going to name my first daughter Elena Marie.
( Marie is my middle name after my sweet grandma )
I met Aaron and told him about my name and he fell in love with it and even though we threw out other names Elena trumped all on his list.
Plus she's 1/4 Spanish and he says it fits her latina blood perfectly! ;)
Powell party of FIVE!? ^^
Little boys meeting her for the first time was the sweetest thing.
They are going to be so protective of her!
Never left my side ^^ BEST Daddy ever. We found out on night two that we both fit in the hospital bed so we took lots of naps just like this ^^ It was so sweet to have one on one time with our little girl while our amazing parents took care of kids and everything else.
Aaron and I joked that even the bathroom is connected to the hospital bedroom so he really was never out of sight the whole 48 hours at the hospital and it was the best.
2 pairs of happy happy grandparents ^^
My parents and in-laws were the best help through it all.
Probably the most loved baby girl on the planet.
So proud and blessed to be your mom sweet baby girl.
Can't wait to now have a girlfriend at every baseball game with me ;)
