Happy Birthday, Olivia!

I've been trying to put up this post for 10 days now. I guess I've been a little busier than I had planned! Here's the story of Olivia's birthday!

Dave and I showed up at the hospital at 7am for my induction. In keeping with Abby's birth, I had another meltdown and cried in the parking lot before we walked in. When the nurse led us to our birthing room, imagine our surprise when it was the same room Abby was born in! We've renamed it the DeLeon Birthing Suite. Here's me around 7:30 am as we're starting the day.......

After 3 IV attempts, we got pitocin and antibiotics started around 8:30. My water broke around 12:30, and contractions were pretty regular, but it took forever to start dilating. At 8pm I was only 4cm. Which made Dave and Dr. Brown happy, because then they didn't have to miss Monday Night Football (priorities, people!). At 10pm, I told Dave to get the nurse because my epidural wasn't working any more and I was really hurting with every contraction. The nurse decided to check me before calling the anesthesiologist, and I was a 10-- the pain was Olivia ready to be born!! They called Dr. Brown in, and he and Dave watched the final minutes of the game while the nurses were setting up. I was seriously concerned the game was going to go into overtime and I was never going to be able to have this baby, but luckily the Saints kicked a last minute field goal and I got to start pushing. Three contractions and 9 pushes later, she was here!!

Olivia Ann was born at 11:03pm on 9/20. She shares her birthday with my nephew, Michael. By the way...this was my nurse when she was finally born. The 4th one I'd had that day. Way to take your time, child!!

8 pounds, 6 ounces, and 21 inches long. A full 2 pounds bigger and 2 inches longer than Abby!! It's amazing what 2 extra weeks of growing will get you!!

Abby had been a trooper all day, but finally Dad took her home around 9, so this new family picture isn't quite complete.

Although, to be entirely fair, Dad let Abby stay up until 1am...she was still up when Mom got home after Olivia was born. Such a pushover, that Papa.

The doting grandmothers, who stuck it out all day......

And finally, later that night, after her first bath. The nurses fancied her hair up into a beautiful little mohawk!

It has been an incredibly crazy, busy, and overwhelming 12 days. But I love our family of four. More pictures coming soon...or whenever I can get both kids to nap at the same time.