Kirra Elizabeth Cox Born March 1st

OK I am going to get this story down while miss Kirra Bear (what we call her) is sleeping. First let me forewarn for all you people that are not Labor and Delivery nurses this may have TMI for you as I know all my nurse friends want the "real" labor story, messy details and all.

Well it all started Sunday night Feb 26th when I woke up with some stronger than normal contractions. They eventually got so bad I woke Ted up from my moaning in pain. So I did as any LD nurse would tell a pt. wait until they got 5 min apart before going into hospital. They were every 15min and getting stronger but then around 6am they stopped completely. This went on for 2 more nights and some contractions throughout the day but not regular enough to go into hospital. They were so bad Monday night I thought forsure as I went to my Dr. appt Tuesday morning my Dr was going to send me right to the hospital because I would at least be 3-4cm since at my last appt I was already 1cm. So I go in still contracting he checks me and I am 2cm!! I could have died I was so mad. So he lets me decide if I want to go into the hospital that day and get induced or still wait it out. So TEd and I go home decide to wait it out. I have more contractions that day and all night (which means another night of no sleep) we call my mom and she decided to drive down since it seems I'm in early labor. Now my contractions not only are strong all day off and on they are all in my back making it feel like someone is tearing my back apart in 2 different directions. Ted and I call his sister Tami who had back labor really bad with her first baby and the baby was posterior making it a long hard labor and very hard to push out. So I confirm with her the pain I'm feeling in my back and yup we are pretty sure this baby is posterior. As you can tell I'm thrilled at the fact that this baby may be very hard to push out if she doesn't turn. So I try all the know tricks to try to get this baby to turn but the back pain is unbearable. We go into the hospital Wednesday night (the night my Dr is on-call) around 8 and check me and I am 4cm~!~ Finally I say its about time with all these contractions I have been having for 3 freaking days!!! So my DR. comes in at 9pm breaks my water (nice and clear- good!) get the oxytocin started and I'm about ready for my epidural now!! So I get my epidural at 9:30 have an awesome anesthetist (DR, Manson you are amazing) I didn't even feel it, the worst part was being curled up in fetal position feeling like a couldn't breath while he placed the epidural. Seriously I don't know why woman complain about the epidural it was a piece of cake compared to contractions. Also why woman want to go natural I will never understand!! Anyways now I'm comfy can't feel one pain but can still move my legs it was perfect. So since I have an amazing nurse Deb she also thinks this baby is posterior and decides to do all her pressure points to get the baby to rotate by putting me in hands and knees position and pushing on my hip while Ted pushing on the other hip squeezing them together during a contraction to get the baby to turn. We do this for an hour and then she checks me Im now 5cm at midnight. Then she checks me again at 12:30 since I had some blood show and I'm 6cm. Around 2am I'm resting and start to feel some pressure so Deb checks and I'm 9.5cm so she gives my half a top up and just lets the baby come down. Now this was a very busy night as my Dr was running from room to roomdelivering babies that they just wait to have me start pushing because he is not available yet. So at 5am Deb checks me again and Kirra's head is nice and low now and we get the ok to go ahead and start pushing. So at 5:20 I push for the first time and I seriously can't feel anything from the top up of medicine and I feel like I'm not even moving the baby. Deb tells me I am moving her well so we keep pushing. At 5:30 after about 4-5 sets of pushes Deb says STOP Kirra is now sitting right there and time to get Dr. Dr. Victory comes in and says "Wow there is a baby right there" I begin to push again like 3 times and Dr. coaches me to push only little bits to try to prevent me from tearing. Unfortunately I tore from her shoulders coming out. And then out she comes Kirra Elizabeth Cox born at 5:44am March 1st crying before she is even all out. They put her up on my tummy right away and I loose it. I have waiting for this little girl for so many years and now she is finally in my arms. I tell her I love her so much and then I turn to Ted. He is crying too at he sight of his little girl. Ted cuts the cord and they take her and weigh her at 6lbs 120z. She is so tiny I can't believe it. They giver her back to me and put her skin to skin. I loved every minute of the experience, it was perfect. Everything went so smooth and beautiful and I didn't watch the monitor like a hawk like I thought I would and her heart rate was perfect the entire time. I couldn't have asked for a better labor team my husband, mom and my Dr and nurses were all great. I'm so grateful for a healthy baby I love being with her even at 3am! She truly is a miracle and blessing in our lives. Thank you to everyone for your many prayers for our baby Kirra.

Many pictures to follow- sorry proud momma here.

My last picture pregnant right before we went to hospital if my face looks mad its because I have been in pain now for 3 days!
In hospital getting ready to go.

Deb trying to turn the baby with Teds help! Me pretending to be in pain even though I have my epidural at this point! Selling the picture. It was funny that the girl next door to me was going natural and when Ted heard hear scream the first couple of times he couldn't control his laughter he thought he was in the movies!!!
Right after she was born
First family picture
Daddy holding her for first time

My amazing labor team!

Leaving hospital family of 3~

We sent this pic to Daddy in class

Daddy playing with Kirra's big lips

Ready and Waiting........

Well I will be officially 39 weeks tomorrow and I am starting to feel like this little girl has made herself to comfy in there!! Ted jiggles my belly and tells her to come out. He says that we have to make it uncomfortable and hence the jiggling!!! I went to Dr this week and I am a whopping 1cm and still a little thick so he did a stretch and sweep (which was not fun) and it didn't make me cramp or contract at all, like I had hoped. We are all ready for her to make an appearance, the nursery is all put together, even have picture frames up but I am waiting for newborn photos to fill the frames. My mom brought down my rocking chair last weekend for the room and it is so comfortable I love it. Good thing to because I will probably be sleeping in it most nights. I can honestly say I never thought I would be one of the many pregnant woman I see daily in my job just wanting the baby out. I use to say why not keep them in longer you can get more sleep no crying etc but I totally understand them now!! I get on the treadmill and stair master everyday hoping to kick up some contractions which they do happen while I'm on the machine but as soon as I get off they stop!!! So frustrating. aaahh. So if any of you have good suggestions how to get labor going I am up for it. I see my Dr next week and lets hope there is some change!

38 weeks

3 weeks to go

Well I can't believe that I only have 3 weeks to go. This pregnancy has gone way to fast. I love feeling her moving around and stretch her legs and arms, I'm going to miss that part of being pregnant so much. I do have my moments of aaaahh feeling so uncomfortable but really overall it has been such a wonderful pregnancy and I waited for this for so long I cherish every minute. I can't wait to see what she looks like and if she will have hair, how big she is etc but I really am going to miss having her inside me and have that special bond. At my last Dr appt he said that since I am measuring a week ahead he thinks she is going to be tall like her daddy!!! He guessed she would be a high 7lbs or low 8lbs. I was not thrilled with this obviously and Ted was like why and I said because you don't have to try and push her out!!! Even though I know all the steps and stages of labor what to expect, the edpidurals and c-sections I can say I'm starting to get really nervous. Like am I going to be able to handle the contractions (believe me I am getting an epidural I just want to be at least 3 cm first) who knows if that will really happen. How is baby doing in labor, I will be watching the monitor like a hawk the entire time. I love/hate that I know too much!!! I hope I go into labor on my own but honestly the chances of that happening being my first baby are slim, but I do the stairmaster at the gym to try to get me contracting!! It works but the contractions don't last after I get off. Heres to hoping.

36 weeks
35 weeks

Baby Shower Mania

The following is picture overload of my baby showers. The first pictures were the ones my mom and sister in laws threw for me and then last ones are at my house that my church friends put together. This little girl has been very spoiled and she is not even here yet. The one at my moms house had a nursery rhyme theme. There was JAck and Jll lemonade and little miss muff-its sandwiches and mother goose devils eggs it was all very cute. They also served tea with the cupcakes my sister in-law made which were amazing (her cream cheese frosting is to die for) As part of the decorations we put baby pictures up on the fireplace mantle of Teds parents and himself and me and my parents. So people could see what this little girl might look like. Also my cute sister in-law Kelly made this Wishing tree idea where people could write well wishes for TEd, Me and the baby. I loved the rhyme she came up with to match it, I took a picture of it.

Preg Update: I'm 35 weeks now woohoo 5 to go. Everything is going well except for the fact that I'm not getting much sleep at night anymore. I have to lay all the way left or right and end up waking up several times to pee. The baby's room is almost all set up I have the crib and change table and all her clothes in place but still have to wash everything. I still have to clean/organize lots of cupboards and closets before I will feel that everything is ready for this baby to come. Oh and I still need to pack a hospital bag!!! Might want to do that soon I guess but I don't think this baby is going to come early, not with my mom and sisters history of labors.

Our Christmas Vacation

Well Christmas for the cox's started off with a nice quiet trip to the cottage to enjoy a little R&R before this baby comes. It was officially our last time at the cottage without kids. We went for walks with Roxy, read books, magazines and most importantly slept in every morning! Next we headed to my parents for Christmas with my family and had many family nights up late talking/eating way to much. I swear all scales are evil when you are pregnant around christmas. We did the traditional christmas reading of the birth of christ and had all the kids act it out. Boxing day we went skating downtown toronto which was a ton of fun. Yes I did go skating at 7.5 months after some much provided caution by my parents/husband and I had to explain that skating is like walking for me. I did not fall but I can say this now that everything was ok but it was a little harder skating when your center of gravity is changed by a big ball in your front side. For New Years we didn't do anything exciting except go off the the movies and came home to enjoy some bubbly with oranges for me. I can't seem to get enough oranges/grapefruits. Ted says this baby is going to come out looking like an orange. I was bad at taking pictures over christmas but we did get one documented photo of our last New Years as just us. I know, we debated going downtown dressing up nice and going to dinner but it was nice to just relax.

Pregnancy Update: I have gone off work because I had some bleeding and pretty strong cramping/braxton hick contractions. We don't want her coming too soon, better safe than sorry. So now I am starting to feel the nesting setting in and seeing everything in my house I want to de-clutter/organize before the baby comes. Ted calls it Stressting instead of nesting!! He is so supportive of this time in my pregnancy!!! haha Well sleeping is getting more difficult and the pregnancy insomnia usually sets in every day at 4am I wake up wide awake and can't go back to sleep for 2 hours. Ted seems to complain when I have a bad night because that means he is up more because he hears me getting up to pee and toss!!! I say oh I feel so sorry for you!!! I have been bad at taking preg pictures I only have one to show this week even though I'm actually 33 weeks now. I will post pictures of the baby shower I had while I was home later.

Skating in the city at out door rink.

All the boys on the their I-phones waiting to go eat lunch. How could we survive without our i-phones!!!

29 weeks
Ted enjoying reading by fire at the cottage for last time

I swear we aren't drinking alcohol even though I look drunk! This was our New Years celebration

Oranges at midnight on New Years I have to be pregnant!!!

Lately.....

Well lots has been going on since I last posted. I am now 27 weeks pregnant and still loving every minute of it. I can finally see this little girl move around from the outside of my belly now. She still likes to do her gymnastic moves at night when we are lying in bed. Its funny to see my belly move without me doing anything. She also like to lie on my left side and my belly is often lopsided. It was funny one morning Ted looks at it and asked why it was in his words "all messed up" Meaning the the right side was higher than the left! I have been having lots of braxton hick contractions and the first time I told Ted he said what the heck is a braxton what?? Needless to say my husband has been learning a lot in the last few weeks.

Teds parents came to visit for American thanksgiving and we went to visit his cousin for dinner in Michigan and then onto my parents house that weekend for my brothers little boy "Max" baby blessing. Where my sister informed me that I have that pregnant face now!!! translated as my face now looks fat and chubby!! Great!! Its really easy to keep your self-esteem high in my families house between my sister saying I look fat and my dad calling me tubby everywhere I go!!!
So its onto Christmas now. I will post pictures of our house decorated next.

25weeks
26 weeks

Boy or Girl???

Well to keep everyone updated we are having a little baby GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes at 15 weeks my dr scanned me and thought it was a boy but our official 20 week ultrasound showed girl! The lady said I think its a girl and I about died. I said ahhh what?? We thought it was a boy so she said well I will have another person just double check me. So she went to get another tech but by that point unfortunately the baby refused to open her legs back up. So instead of being left in the dark going back and forth the next day at work I had a Dr confirm and there she was bum up showing us all her "lack of bits". There was no denying it we had such a good a shot its really a GIRL!!! Ted will tell you I smiling from ear to ear with tears in my eyes. I had from the moment we got pregnant the maternal instinct that it was a girl. And now I get to go shopping for all that cute girly stuff!!!

I have been feeling the baby move for weeks now and I could feel her move all day everyday. Its a nice little way she tells me everyday she is there and growing stronger. I love the little kicks and punches she makes. It almost feels like someone is tickling me from inside. She goes crazy within minutes of me eating any sort of chocolate, just like a true girl. Her most active time is at night after we have eaten dinner and are relaxing. Ted can't quite feel her move from the outside yet and that is mostly because my placenta is on the anterior wall of my uterus so I can feel her move all over but the placenta is blocking him from feeling anything yet. But this little girl has already got her Daddy wrapped around her little finger.

Here are some recent belly shots.

23wks

19wks