its a girl!

i am so happy to announce we welcomed our beautiful daughter, Lillian Virginia Watson, into the world on january 22nd at 7:54pm. she was a perfect 7lbs 12 ounces and 20 inches long with a head full of reddish-blond hair!

as you can tell by my lovely hat and hank's mask, lillian entered this world via c-section. it all happened so fast...here is how it went down.

friday we had an unsuccessful external version at the hospital, went home and woke up the next day ready to wait a week until our scheduled c-section monday january 31st. we decided to go to the 1pm vanderbilt basketball game against st. marys, so got ready and headed out the door. around noon, we were sitting at lunch and i began to realize i think i was having some contractions. i mentioned to my mom and she and i started to track there consistency and duration. we walked over to the game and were there for the majority of it when we realized- i was in labor. they were coming every 3-5 minutes and lasting about 30 seconds to a minute. the gained in strength over the course of the game, so we left and started walking to the car. we called our midwives and they recommended going home and sitting in the tub, drinking lots of fluids and monitoring the contractions. so, after a quick (ok, one hour stop) at the car wash (i know, i am crazy- but the car was a MESS and this baby was coming!!), we went home and i sat in the tub.

after about 40 minutes i really felt like something was happening, so we called the midwives back and they sent me to the hospital to get checked out. we packed everything in the car and headed to vanderbilt hospital. they wisked me right into a room where our midwife, soheyl, came right in and measured me. to my dismay and surprise, i was only at 4.5 cm dilated. not really any different then a few days before. so, she said she felt like the best thing for us to do was to go home and relax. she thought they were just the result of the external version and thus, false labor contractions. we decided to stay at the hospital for an hour, she would monitor my contractions and we would go from there.

my contractions continued, and even seemed to get stronger, but they weren't very consistent or getting closer together. so when soheyl came back in after an hour, we discussed going home. she asked me if i wanted to be measured one more time just to make sure and i said YES! i really felt in my gut that these contractions were for real. and, mother instinct was right- i was almost 6 cm! i had dilated 1.5-2cm in an hour :)

from there, i have to admit, it was SUCH a blur. it was now 6pm and almost immediately we went from going home to having a c-section at 7pm! doctors and nurses rushed into the room, i swear there had to be 40 people coming and going...it was a whirlwind and all i kept thinking was holy shit, we are having this baby right now. i am sure i was being read really important rights, being told about lots of risks and things i should have been paying attention to, but i couldn't. i was in a bit of shock. i think hank was too. we were elated but also nervous. a c-section was never our plan, so we were trying to remember all the things we wanted to request from the doctors and nurses while i was being poked, prodded and IV-ed. it was a scene.

i was taken to the OR to get my epidural, hank was given his scrubs and by 7:54pm, lillian was here! we told them we wanted a big announcement since we didn't know the sex. all the doctors were so excited we didn't know and they did a great job. i couldn't believe it when they said- its a girl! i started sobbing and laughing and a huge emotional wave came over me- i was a MOM! oh, and then they brought hank to see her, we heard her cry and he got to bring her over to me. such an amazing moment. i got to kiss her and rub her with my cheek. the midwife moved as much of my smock as she could so lillian and i could have some skin to skin bonding. it was magical. i am tearing up remembering it.

then they had to take her to the nursery. hank went with her and i sadly had to stay behind while they sewed me back up. i have to say, that was the worst part. i was alone in the OR, completely numb and incapacitated. i was also really nauseous through the whole procedure and after everyone left, it only got worse. i was also beyond exhausted, so kept going in and out of consciousness. i think it was about 45 minutes later they finally had me all put back together and bandaged and started to move me out of the OR and into my room.

the rest of the night is really blurry. i am sure it was a mix of the drugs and pure exhaustion, but i know i cried when i saw lillian again. hank and i just stared at each other in disbelief and amazement at what we had created and brought into the world. the pictures from that evening help me remember some, but i know i just really wanted to get some sleep.

red head :) she has turned much blonder now, but she came out a red head!
in recovery room.

getting ready to nurse for the first time.

after a very successful nursing, our first family photo. :)

to prevent this post from being too long, i will wrap things up. pictures speak more then words anyway :)

in summary, she is amazing. she nurses beautifully, sleeps like an angel and loves to cuddle. i can tell she knows me, recognizes my voice and is nurtured by me. that makes me feel whole. i truly feel complete. all my thoughts during pregnancy are realities. my unbelievable husband is a father, and an incredible one at that. i am so full. full of love, full of happiness and just plain full. this is exactly where i am supposed to be.

we are home now, the dogs are doing great. i will post more soon...right now, time to be with lillian :)

xo