Our sweet Meah!

On October 20th, 2012 at 2:51 AM we were able to welcome our sweet Meah Amy Orr into the world! We love her so much already! Logan had heard the name Meah on his mission. He taught a family with a girl named Meah, and loved the name ever since that. Amy is after my sister. She is so special to me and I have always thought of using her name with one of my kids. This first month and a half (almost two) has flown by and are loving our new life with her. We are adjusting pretty well, especially now with these long stretches of sleep at night that she has started to do! :)

My actual due date was October 24th, but I was so happy to have her come a few days early. Logan finished midterms on the 19th of October, and a few hours before he got home from his last test I began having some contractions. The timing really couldn't have been better! I was already 1 cm dilated from a few weeks before at my doctors appointment, and felt like my body was preparing quite nicely for the big day. I thought I would give the famous "Magic Drink" a try and see if it would do anything. The record out here in Saskatoon is pretty good, so I thought it wouldn't hurt. I took the first half of the drink around 12:30 pm on the 19th and began having the contractions around 2 pm, even though I was trying to convince myself they were nothing and to not get excited about anything. So as the day progressed they gradually got a little more painful, but nothing too crazy but I hadn't felt Meah move all day so I figured by 9 pm if I still was worried about her lack of movement and was still having regular contractions that we would just go in and I would get checked. So by the time 9 rolled around my contractions were about every 5 minutes apart, so I figured it would be good to go and see where things were at. Logan and I convinced ourselves that it really wasn't happening and that we would be coming back home that night.

So we got to the hospital and checked in and I got changed and they hooked me up to do a non-stress test to see how the baby was doing. After a while, it seemed she was still moving well and her heart rate was great and turned out I was still only 1 cm, so they said I should probably just head home because it would be more comfortable to labor at home. So, we tried not to act disappointed or surprised by that, but we couldn't help but be a little disappointed! I then stood up from the bed to get changed out of my gown and SPLOOSH..... my water broke! It was just how I always pictured it would be... like a big water balloon dropped on the floor. We seriously couldn't believe it! So the nurse came back in and said we wouldn't be going anywhere and I would be having this baby within 24 hours.... woohoo! We were sooo excited!

After that my contractions began to really intensify. The Labor and Delivery unit was CRAZY busy that night and they had no room for me there so I had to stick it out in Assessment. I was in SOO much pain, but I had no clue if I was 2 cm or 6 cm because I had nothing to compare it to. I had planned on getting an epidural, but because I was in Assessment I couldn't get one. I was so disappointed when the Nurse told me that. So after about an hour and forty five minutes I could not handle the pain anymore (thinking I would be at about 3 cm) so I asked Logan to go and get the nurse to give me some morphine or something. So she came into the room and said she would just check me and see where things were at first. She checked me and I was 9.5 cm and she told me it was GO time and to get ready to go and push this baby out!! I could not believe it, but was sooo happy to know that I had progressed that much in only an hour and half. So we quickly packed our things up and they wheeled me down to this ANCIENT room in Labor and Delivery. It was the room that they never use apparently unless they are so busy that they have to. I'm pretty sure the bed was about 50 years old. We got settled in our new room and I got in the shower, hoping to find relief. The doctor told me to just keep going natural since an epidural at this point would probably just slow things down. As disappointed as I was not to get an epidural, I decided it would be best to just go for it and do it on my own. I kept thinking of all the people in my life who had done it without anything... and they survived so I could too right? So I spent about forty five minutes in the shower. It was AMAZING. I just wanted to have the baby in there it was so great. But I began having the urge to push so I knew it was time to leave my little piece of heaven.

I began pushing at about 2:00 AM. Logan was so great through it all. He was soooo supportive and encouraging. I don't know how I could have done it without him. I think his neck was pretty sore after this all. Looking back now, I remember having him in quite a headlock a few times as I contracted. But he was a trooper and let me do whatever I wanted to him. I love him so much! My doctor was also amazing. She was so calm and encouraging as well. She wasn't my family doctor, but she was the one on call for the clinic that I go to, but I was sure happy to have her deliver our little Meah. I pushed for about 50 minutes (it felt longer than that though). As Meah came out the doctor had Logan announce.... IT'S A GIRL! That was such a fun and special moment and one that I will never forget. She was pretty quiet when she first came out but then began to let out a few cries. Looking back now, I'm not too surprised she was so calm, since she has been such a great baby. She weighed 8lbs 2 oz and measured 21". She was perfect! So Logan bounced back between Meah and I, while Meah got weighed, suctioned and assessed and while I was waiting to push my placenta out. It came out, then after we got to enjoy our little baby girl for a while. Luckily they didn't have to stitch me up at all, which I was very grateful for. After a little while the exhaustion hit me. I was SO tired!  After a few hours we headed up to the Maternity ward. It was a little strange heading up there has a patient this time! All the girls there were awesome, and they even saved me a private room with the busy night and all! I got my favorite co-worker as a nurse as well! She is one of the sweetest people I know. It was sure a treat to have her as my nurse. The first night with just our little family was wonderful, but tiring as well. I feel so blessed to have a happy and healthy little baby, as well to have such a wonderful husband who is so supportive and loving. I just love my life and couldn't be any happier! I was contemplating life the other day as I was nursing Meah (I have a lot of time to think now :) ) and I realized that everything that I had ever wanted is what I am living right now. I feel so blessed! Here are some pictures of the last two months!

39 weeks pregnant! This was the day before I went into labor. Looking and feeling a little swollen and tired! 

Just roaming the halls to make some of the contractions a little less brutal. As you can see I don't look as happy to be there as Logan does. :)

Here she is! This is one of my favorite pictures... fresh from heaven. She grabbed right on to Logan's finger. 

I love these two!

On our way up to the Maternity wing. 

First time meeting Grandpa B! 

First family picture!

On our way home. She looks so tiny in this picture now. 

My sister Tess took some newborn shots of her when Meah and I went back to Taber for a week as Logan needed to study for the DAT. Thanks Tessy!

I am soooo grateful we had both mom's come for a while! They saved our bacon!

Gramps meeting Meah!

Grammy and Meah!

My friend Tina has a sweet camera so she offered to take some family pictures for us. Thanks Tina!

 

And as far as it goes for who Miss Meah looks like... LOGAN! I love it! 

 

 Logan as a newborn. So cute!