Contractions started a little before 5 am on the 26th. I was soooo happy that I had made it thru Christmas! I got right up and kept myself busy. I did the dishes, cleaned up the presents, took out all the garbage and separated the recycling from all the Christmas mayhem the day before. I got all the toys organized, started laundry. By the time everyone else was up I convinced them to bring in the Christmas boxes and we had the tree down and Christmas decorations put away. After all was clean and vaccumed we headed to Wal-Mart after lunch to walk around and get my contractions closer together. They had been at 10 min apart all day. We bought some after Christmas clearance things and after 2 hours of walking around and contractions staying the same, but still painful we headed to Kortni's house to hang out. My brother Kalan had decided to hang out and not leave back to Seattle to see if he could be here to meet baby Penelope before he took off. We got to Kortni's after 3:00 and the kids played and decided to go out in the snow. I sat on the couch and took tags off new clothes and separated bows from wrapping paper. Contractions were about 8 min apart, but a lot more painful than I was used to. Stephen kept asking me if I wanted to drive to Spokane. I didn't really want to deliver there anyways because my Dr that I had been seeing was on vacation and I hadn't even met who was to deliver me anyways, so it was no different than delivering in Moses Lake except that I got to be closer to home. After a really big, hard contraction while sitting at Kortni's kitchen table, I decided we better get this show on the road and get to the hospital. Kalan jumped in the van with us and we left the kids at Kortni's playing in the snow. I had some intense contractions on the way to the hospital and I just KNEW that there was no way that they could send me home!
Stephen dropped Kalan and I at the door and while checking in the ER I made a joke about my two baby daddies as I was standing there with Stephen and Kalan. The receptionist wasn't sure whether to laugh or not. I thought I could walk up, but after another intense contraction they practically flew me up in a wheel chair. I got into the room and the nurse threw a gown on the bed and told me to get dressed. Kalan helped me get my boots off and then I threw him out of the room, which he was thankful for. This was at about 5:18 PM. Nurse Kim checked me and I was at a 7 and she told me that I wasn't getting an epidural and I said that I figured. Contractions were really intense and I was shaking when the gal was putting in my IV and I really wanted ice. Dr King who was on call arrived a little bit later and checked me at a 9 and said that I could push pretty soon. I wanted to push now. I refused drugs again and tried to tough it out. Contractions were INSANE! Stephen had been trying to text my friend, Alicia Taylor who was going to take pictures for us since we had gotten to the hosipital but had not heard from her yet and in between contractions I kept asking about her. He texted Kortni and told her that if she wanted to be there then she's better hurry. It was all happening so quickly but at the same time the contractions seemed to last forever! Dr King was quite humorus and non chalant if thats the right word. Stephen said it best when he said that the whole 30 monutes felt like an episode of Seinfeld. When the nurse had checked me the first time she said that she could feel my water ready to pop, but it still hadn't broke, so Dr King did it and he said it was tough to do and after that I was soooo ready to push. But he said that I had to wait and I DID NOT WANT to t wait anymore! Kortni came flying in and 3-4 pushes later with me moaning and screaming and apologizing in between and wanting to keep my legs straight for some reason and kicking my leg out at Nurse Kim, who was very quick and moved before I kicked her and I apologized profusely for the next few hours, but after all that Baby Penelope joined us at 5:53PM. The intensity of it all is what gets me. One minute you have this thought that you are seriously not going to survive this. Like "I am going to die" is a very reasonable thought that the time, and then BAM! She's out and I'm happy and I want ice and I wanna hold her and will "someone please grab a camera?" and I'm back to normal. :) She didn't cry right away but she was looking great! Apgar Score of a 9 out of 9, perfect!
8 lbs 3 oz. I could definitely tell that she was bigger than Paisley when I was pushing.
WE are so excited to have this wonderful little angel with us! A wonderful gift the day after Christmas! and a very Happy New Year to the Stephen Ashton family!
We stayed in the hospital for 2 days. Due to my Lupus and how it wold affect Penelope, the crap in her stomach that kept spitting up, or the fact that I delivered after 5:00 we are not really sure... :) Stephen stayed with me the first night and the kids were with Kortni. Paisley was very brave and had no trouble what so ever and Beck slept with his Aunt Kortni with his arms tight around her neck wanting his mom. It took me until right before we left to sign the papers for Penelope's birth certificate and her middle name. I had wanted "Sky" for a long time, but then Stephen threw out "K." I wanted her named after me and Sky was a nickname I had when I was little with the S and the K from my name Sara Korbi. And my mom says that she wanted to name me Sky, because I was like a free spirit I guess. :) Stephen said that he liked the initial just K, but that it was up to me. Kalan said to add the "e" because it was cooler, so Penelope Skye Ashton is what I finally filled out the form with and I like it!
Dr Lindberg was gone and Dr Bond was on call, so he saw Penny and I may just decided on him being her Dr. I LOVE Dr Lindberg as well, but there's just something about Dr Bond, he's a great guy! Penny also saw him for her first Dr appt that was on Friday.
The day after she was born Stephen went and got the kids and stayed home with them. He took them to the movies, twice! and they had some Daddy time. I didn't sleep much in the hospital and was pretty wiped out by the time I got home. Penelope burps a lot and eats for a few minutes then gets suoer fussy because she needs to burp and we go thru this for about an hour until she's satified. I held her then entire time unless I was in the bathroom. :)
"Having a sister is like having a best friend that you can't get rid of."
Beck just loves his sister. Always ready with kisses and wanting to hold her.
I was up and ready to go home on Day 3 (Wednesday, she was born on Monday night) by 9 am, but Dr King had a bunch of surgeries and I wasn't able to see him to be released until 1:00. Stephen brought the kids back about 12:30 to get me and we changed Penelope into her "take home outfit," and snapped some more photos.
Penelope in her "take home outfit," on Day 3
Our three little angels, Paisley 3 yrs, Beck, 5 yrs, and Penelope 3 days
And she's finally home!
Penny with her Christmas jammies on that she didn't get to wear because she missed her first Christmas by one day, much to my happiness!
Penelope's first bath at home on Day 4 after we had been to the High School to help with AIM Gymnastics' performance at the Boys BBall halftime show. Sbeck performed his break dancing and we had friends Josh and Alicia and their family over for pizza and wii games. But in between all that Penny got to scream thru her bath...
She was not a happy camper until she was cuddled up in her pink kitty towel!
