the labor and delivery story...

well i'm starting this, we'll see if i can complete it before breigh and caitlyn or dustin wake up. so we'll just get to the point here then.

we arrived at the hospital at seven on wednesday morning. i had gotten a little sleep the night before, every time i was up so was dustin. so it made for a long night of sleep. after getting through all of the registration rigaramole they hooked me up to the monitors. i was actually having some contractions on my own. nothing major or too serious though. at eight or a little after my dr came in to 'induce' me. they used a tablet instead of the gel, i've had previously. the tablet was supposed to take awhile to get started, but should've gotten things moving in a few hours. well a few hours passed. and really nothing much changed. i could feel the contractions more, but it was really nothing at all. at eleven twenty my dr broke my water. usually things get started for me then.

USUALLY. but nothing really much changed. except for the fact i was now leaking amniotic fluid all over the place. i seriously have never had that much. ever. i didn't even want to get out of bed because it was so gross. i wet the sheets terribly. and every time i moved, or laughed, pretty much breathed out came some more! so the contractions got a tiny teeny bit worse. but nothing major. my dr. checked me again around three and i was only three cm close to four. she asked me to walk around awhile to see if that would help. i dreaded walking, but my option after walking was pitocion. so i tried to walk to get it going. the only thing walking did was leave a trail of fluid all over the hospital. well really it wasn't THAT bad right away, until i leaked through those fancy disposable underwear and thick diaper pads they give you. it was gross but i needed shaun to help me 'wipe down' after our walk. he did it. a little. but was so grossed out about it he couldn't do it anymore. which made me laugh so hard and leak so much!! i got into bed and waited for my dr. to come and check me at four. nothing really changed by four. i was closer to four cm dialated and that was it. so we started the pitocion. that got my contractions started more and more intense. which i had been waiting for ALL DAY! i was actually happy to be in some 'real' pain!! the baby would be coming soon!!

around 540ish i asked for some nubain to help take the 'edge' off of the contractions. it helped me to rest a little between the contractions. that is always nice. 'rest' during labor. sounds kind of funny. but that's what i call it. by 630 i was ready for another dose of nubain, but also was feeling some pressure, but not 'the' pressure. so the nurse checked me and i wasn't quite there. so we did another dose of nubain. by 640 my dr had come in to check on me again, she checked me and nothing had changed. but i kept feeling 'that' pressure, but nothing was different. she said she'd come back in a bit, or the nurses would call her when something changed. well she pretty much walked around the curtain and out the door and things changed. she had me try to push a little to see if we were 'ready' and we were. so we set up for delivery. the nubain made me a bit drowsy so the nurses were really nice for the first push to get my legs back. i only pushed a few times and little dustin was out. shaun cut the cord too! i was so excited when he decided to cut it. he wouldn't tell me all day what he was going to do. so i was happy to see he decided to in fact cut it. i always tear up and cry when they set the baby on my tummy. and that's what happened again. it is so amazing to me to be holding this baby that god was working on the past nine months.

dustin is so perfect, of course i'm so biased. he's been a super good baby since getting home. he only gets up twice a night to eat. nursing is a bit painful right now though. we found out yesterday that, like caitlyn, he is a bit tongue tied. so it makes latching on harder. he is pretty much gumming me with his bottom gum. but the pain wears off quickly as we keep nursing. i have to get an appt made with an ent to 'snip' his tongue. then nursing will go much better i'm sure. i just keep on keeping on, because that's what us mommies do. his billirubin levels are borderline for jaundice, so we're getting his levels checked again tomorrow. hopefully he doesn't need the blanket thingy, but if he does, it's really not too big of a deal anyways.

the girls love him. and the older two want to hold him all the time. which is fun too see. caitlyn also enjoys checking him out. but speaking of caitlyn and breigh, they're awake. at least i got my story in. i'll post a picture or two before i leave you...but first i gotta go get my girlies!!

Dustin Russell Popp born at 7:10 pm Wednesday October 22, 2008.

8 pounds 7 ounces and 21 inches long

our attempt at all four kiddos...it'll be weird to not be able to say girlies anymore

i may be one proud mommy of four, but this is a really proud daddy of four!

all bundled up in his 'halo sleep sack swaddler' I LOVE THAT THING!! enjoying a rest in his bouncy seat.

i have almost survived my first day alone with all four of these guys too. it's about four thirty and shaun should be home in the next two hours. now a lot can happen in two hours i know, but i'm prasing god for answered prayer over today. i was so anxious over today. being the first day home alone by myself with all four babies. but i did it. my mom stopped over for awhile, which was super nice, i got to take a shower!! breigh and caitlyn also both slept for three and a half hours. so it was a good day. now each day isn't going to be this 'easy' but god kept it easy for me today. and that's okay. tomorrow we have dance. it'll be a test to see if i can get up and get showered before the four of them all decide to get up. shaun's mom is coming with me so that'll be super nice too. i will have help at dance and all the stuff after. we're getting dustin's blood taken and going to the chiro after that.

through all of this i know and continue to believe that our god is such a good god. he is faithful every day, and his mercy is new every morning. and it is only by god's grace i can get through any of this. thanks my faithful blog friends for your prayers and comments. i LOVE all the support from 'strangers' who really are anything but strange. so thanks to all of you! those of you who comment and don't know that i appreciate it ALL!