Birth Announcement & Newborn Pictures

Alice's First Few Days

Alice is greatly loved from her older siblings, the first few days she was always held by someone and it was always a fight to see who got to hold her. Luckily it isn't as bad now but I still have to share my newborn cuddle time with the kids. Elizabeth has had a few meltdowns because her world has changed and we've had to say "no" a lot the last few days, she wants to be the mother and helper and she doesn't quite grasp that Alice can't be held like her dolls but we are slowly learning. 

Alice Evelyn Clark- Birth Story

 

Alice Evelyn Clark

August, 7th 2019

8.6 Lbs & 20.5 inches

Alice is here and we just love her! The kids are excited that their baby sister is here, and the way Elizabeth says "baby Alice" is too adorable. 

I like to write down the birth stories because it's amazing how quickly you forget and it's always fun to go back and read about them. Poor Thomas, I think he's the only one that I didn't write down, I was too busy finishing school I guess.

I've always say I'm not a fan to being induced, but I decided to get induced again this time because of timing and schedule. Both the kids and Dustin start school next week and I wanted to get used to our new normal before adding to the craziness, also my mother in law is in town to help out. 

I was 39 weeks the Monday before I had Alice and at my doctor's appointment on Tuesday I was dilated at 3cm and was 75% effaced which surprised the doctor and I since I was nothing the week before. So that made me excited and made me ALMOST want to wait and not get induced to see what would happen, but I decided to induce anyway. Dustin picked his mom at the airport really late Tuesday night and didn't come home sometime after midnight. I went to bed hoping to get some sleep before the big day, but once Dustin came home I couldn't sleep between the heartburn, Alice moving like crazy, and having lots a cramps and some good contractions.We got up left for the hospital at 5am to get things going. I let Dustin sleep at this time because I knew I wouldn't be able to with everything and we could trade off later when I could sleep. They started giving me pitocin around 7:20 the contractions started coming fast and hard and every few minutes, then they gave me the epidural, which probably worked too well, because I had one arm numbed and half of my face. I was also getting sick because my blood pressure was getting low but they fixed that pretty quick.  At 9:20 they broke my water and I was dilated at 4 and 80% efface, so I figured it was going to take a while before it was time, I did tell the nurse that I feel like about time I hit 5cm I go fast.  She put a peanut shape ball between my legs to help with dilation, then a little before 10 she checked my progress and I was a 10cm and 100% effaced. By 10am I was wanting to push but my doctor wasn't there, he was at the other hospital with another delivery and was heading our way. So I had to wait thirty minutes before I could start pushing. So 10:30 I start pushing and no sign of the baby coming, in the past it went a lot quicker and I was getting discouraged that no progress was made. Alice was so far on my left side that she was coming at an angle so when I was pushing she basically was just hitting wall versus going through the opening, after pushing and not that much progress I was getting discouraged and the lack of sleep hit me hard, but I kept pushing, the doctor said he probably missed the window since I had to wait for him and Alice moved out of prime location,  so after 15 minutes he used a little vacuum to adjust her, and I pushed a few times, then she came out. Like Elizabeth she cried and cried and cried, it took a while to finally calm her down. 

The first night was a little rough since she was having a hard time burping and she seemed uncomfortable so I was up most of the night with her. I did send her to the nursery to see if maybe they could get her to sleep and comfortable and they came back pretty quick and said she was fussy and only rocking her calmed her down, and I was like "yeah that's why I sent her, I needed some sleep" ha ha but I was happy to take care of her after my little nap, it just made me laugh that they didn't want to deal with her. But when I finally got her to burp some pretty good burps she slept pretty good and I got some sleep between every body at the hospital coming in to bother me. I'm not a fan of hospitals, obviously. 

Anyway she is here and she's been doing great once she figured how to burp, she's been sleeping a lot and it's hard to wake her up for feedings sometimes but she's starting to eat like a champ. We just love her and so glad that she's finally here.