January 9, 2006: Journal Entry by Alicia
This journal was given to me as a Christmas gift from Scott on the Christmas morning that Brielle was born. He gave it to me so that I could write all about Brielle's birth. I hope I can do that without covering these pages with tears. It was a very special day.
After Scott and I got married we decided we would live one more year in Boston and then move somewhere that we could start our family. So, when we moved ourselves to utah in the summer of 2004 it was time to have a baby. Getting pregnant didn't happen as easily as we expected though. We went through nine long, frustrating months without being able to get pregnant. We wanted a baby so bad and were getting more and more scared that maybe we wouldn't be able to.
Finally, my family decided to have a family fast for us. It was just a few days later that we took a pregnancy test . . . and it was positive! I couldn't believe it! I went to the doctor to know for sure. Dr. Thackeray (our O.B.) did a vaginal ultrasound and showed me a dark spot where a baby was already growing. It was the most exciting and amazing moment. I bawled all the way back to work.
So, my pregnany was a good one. Not too many discomforts. I didn't get sick in the beginning, but was pretty tired. Toward the end my ankles . . . actually, everything was swollen. This gave me bad carpal tunnel in my hands. I also had really bad heart burn. I actually really enjoyed being pregnant. It was exciting and made me feel special. I loved feeling Brielle move around inside of me. She was not super active, but she always positioned herself so awkwardly. She would put herself right up under my ribs and stick her bum (we think) out.
I kind of always suspected that Brielle would come early because my mom and sisters had their first kids early. I kept telling everyone that I just wanted her to wait until January and away from the holidays. Her due date was January 17. I never thought she would come on Christmas. Now that she did though, I love it. What a very special day it was.
On Christmas Eve Scott and I decided to go out for the day. Christmas shopping was done and it was a warmish, sunny day. So we went and walked around the Gateway mall. It was fun. We ate $1 tacos and tried all the massage devices at Brookstone. I felt great. I never felt a contraction and the baby was still way up high in her usual position. That evening we went to dinner at Fred and Rama's house. Uncle Kim, Brian, Rachel and us all celebrated Christmas Eve together. Brian played the bag pipes, we played pictionary, danced to "Must Be Santa" and acted out the Christmas story as Scott read from the big family Bible. After we left we went to the Halfords for the traditional Christmas Eve fajitas. I didn't feel good (upset stomach) and didn't want to go, but it was important to Scott. We got home late, but still stayed up to open one present each. We sat in front of our tree and each opened new Christmas p.j.s. Poor Scott had to buy me three pair because neither of us knew what size I would be.
We finally went to bed at midnight. At 3:45am I woke up because I had to switch sides that I was sleeping on. I switched to lay on my right side and as I did I felt a weird "pop". I then felt a lot of water coming out. I thought, "Am I peeing my pants?" So I got out of bed quickly and went to the bathroom (trickling the whole way). I got to the toilet and so much water came out. I called to Scott, "Scott I think my water broke." I was still sitting on the toilet and he was up, dressed, shoes on, keys in hand, pacing. Scott gave me a blessing and then we headed to Cottonwood Hospital. I should say too, that while I was sitting there beginning to realize what was happening and what this meant, I got nervous. I looked up at Scott and said, "I'm scared. I don't feel ready for this." It was going to happen no matter what though, so we went to the hospital. We got there at about 4am and I was still leaking water all over my pajamas. We went up to the desk and I told the nurses that my water broke. She took us into a big and very nice delivery room. I was given a gown, put into the bed and hooked up to monitors. Then it all became very real to me. There was a monitor for the baby's heart beat and one for the strength of the contractions. I just kept watching those. They gave me a lot of comfort to see that all was going well. I hadn't dilated though so they put pitocin into my IV. I just laid there and waited. I wanted to feel what a contraction felt like so I held off on the epidural, but just for a little while. As soon as it was uncomfortable the nurse came and gave me an epidural. It was wonderful! I didn't feel anything after that. Scott went home to shower and change. He also came back with our Christmas presents. One of my gifts was this journal. He wanted me to be able to write all about Brielle. I gave him a U of U baseball cap. He put it on right away so that would be the first thing the baby saw when she came out.
At some point later the nurse came in and said my temperature had gone up a lot quite quickly and I was still only dilated to a one. She was afraid of infection She said if I didn't progress by noon (2 hours away) they would take the baby C-Section. Scott and I looked at each other so sad and worried. We said a prayer together. Scott was even able to go take the sacrament being offered at the hospital. Only about 30 minutes later a nurse came in and checked me again. She said, "I don't feel a cervix." Scott and I both asked "What does that mean?" She said that I was fully dilated plus one and I was ready to push. She called a doctor away from his Christmas lunch and he came to deliver our baby. They had me start pushing a little after 12pm and Brielle was born at 12:56pm. I wore an oxygen mask for more air. The nurse held one knee and Scott held the other and counted. And I just pushed. I watched Brielle come out in a mirror. It was amazing. She came out and they immediately put her up on my chest. She looked so weird, but I cried with excitement and happiness. I was so happy to finally see her and meet her. They took her away to weigh her, etc. and to fix me up. When they brought her back to me we had her try to nurse. She did alright I guess. Nothing as good as she does now. They told me so much and I tried so hard to remember it all. Scott and I just looked at each other and our baby girl and cried. We were so excited and loved her so much already.
On the morning we left the hospital my family arrived from California. I was very happy to have them there.
This journal was given to me as a Christmas gift from Scott on the Christmas morning that Brielle was born. He gave it to me so that I could write all about Brielle's birth. I hope I can do that without covering these pages with tears. It was a very special day.
After Scott and I got married we decided we would live one more year in Boston and then move somewhere that we could start our family. So, when we moved ourselves to utah in the summer of 2004 it was time to have a baby. Getting pregnant didn't happen as easily as we expected though. We went through nine long, frustrating months without being able to get pregnant. We wanted a baby so bad and were getting more and more scared that maybe we wouldn't be able to.
Finally, my family decided to have a family fast for us. It was just a few days later that we took a pregnancy test . . . and it was positive! I couldn't believe it! I went to the doctor to know for sure. Dr. Thackeray (our O.B.) did a vaginal ultrasound and showed me a dark spot where a baby was already growing. It was the most exciting and amazing moment. I bawled all the way back to work.
So, my pregnany was a good one. Not too many discomforts. I didn't get sick in the beginning, but was pretty tired. Toward the end my ankles . . . actually, everything was swollen. This gave me bad carpal tunnel in my hands. I also had really bad heart burn. I actually really enjoyed being pregnant. It was exciting and made me feel special. I loved feeling Brielle move around inside of me. She was not super active, but she always positioned herself so awkwardly. She would put herself right up under my ribs and stick her bum (we think) out.
I kind of always suspected that Brielle would come early because my mom and sisters had their first kids early. I kept telling everyone that I just wanted her to wait until January and away from the holidays. Her due date was January 17. I never thought she would come on Christmas. Now that she did though, I love it. What a very special day it was.
On Christmas Eve Scott and I decided to go out for the day. Christmas shopping was done and it was a warmish, sunny day. So we went and walked around the Gateway mall. It was fun. We ate $1 tacos and tried all the massage devices at Brookstone. I felt great. I never felt a contraction and the baby was still way up high in her usual position. That evening we went to dinner at Fred and Rama's house. Uncle Kim, Brian, Rachel and us all celebrated Christmas Eve together. Brian played the bag pipes, we played pictionary, danced to "Must Be Santa" and acted out the Christmas story as Scott read from the big family Bible. After we left we went to the Halfords for the traditional Christmas Eve fajitas. I didn't feel good (upset stomach) and didn't want to go, but it was important to Scott. We got home late, but still stayed up to open one present each. We sat in front of our tree and each opened new Christmas p.j.s. Poor Scott had to buy me three pair because neither of us knew what size I would be.
We finally went to bed at midnight. At 3:45am I woke up because I had to switch sides that I was sleeping on. I switched to lay on my right side and as I did I felt a weird "pop". I then felt a lot of water coming out. I thought, "Am I peeing my pants?" So I got out of bed quickly and went to the bathroom (trickling the whole way). I got to the toilet and so much water came out. I called to Scott, "Scott I think my water broke." I was still sitting on the toilet and he was up, dressed, shoes on, keys in hand, pacing. Scott gave me a blessing and then we headed to Cottonwood Hospital. I should say too, that while I was sitting there beginning to realize what was happening and what this meant, I got nervous. I looked up at Scott and said, "I'm scared. I don't feel ready for this." It was going to happen no matter what though, so we went to the hospital. We got there at about 4am and I was still leaking water all over my pajamas. We went up to the desk and I told the nurses that my water broke. She took us into a big and very nice delivery room. I was given a gown, put into the bed and hooked up to monitors. Then it all became very real to me. There was a monitor for the baby's heart beat and one for the strength of the contractions. I just kept watching those. They gave me a lot of comfort to see that all was going well. I hadn't dilated though so they put pitocin into my IV. I just laid there and waited. I wanted to feel what a contraction felt like so I held off on the epidural, but just for a little while. As soon as it was uncomfortable the nurse came and gave me an epidural. It was wonderful! I didn't feel anything after that. Scott went home to shower and change. He also came back with our Christmas presents. One of my gifts was this journal. He wanted me to be able to write all about Brielle. I gave him a U of U baseball cap. He put it on right away so that would be the first thing the baby saw when she came out.
At some point later the nurse came in and said my temperature had gone up a lot quite quickly and I was still only dilated to a one. She was afraid of infection She said if I didn't progress by noon (2 hours away) they would take the baby C-Section. Scott and I looked at each other so sad and worried. We said a prayer together. Scott was even able to go take the sacrament being offered at the hospital. Only about 30 minutes later a nurse came in and checked me again. She said, "I don't feel a cervix." Scott and I both asked "What does that mean?" She said that I was fully dilated plus one and I was ready to push. She called a doctor away from his Christmas lunch and he came to deliver our baby. They had me start pushing a little after 12pm and Brielle was born at 12:56pm. I wore an oxygen mask for more air. The nurse held one knee and Scott held the other and counted. And I just pushed. I watched Brielle come out in a mirror. It was amazing. She came out and they immediately put her up on my chest. She looked so weird, but I cried with excitement and happiness. I was so happy to finally see her and meet her. They took her away to weigh her, etc. and to fix me up. When they brought her back to me we had her try to nurse. She did alright I guess. Nothing as good as she does now. They told me so much and I tried so hard to remember it all. Scott and I just looked at each other and our baby girl and cried. We were so excited and loved her so much already.
On the morning we left the hospital my family arrived from California. I was very happy to have them there.
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