Mia Rae Ann Hamilton has arrived!!

About an hour after I posted the last update on the blog last Saturday, my water broke! When we got to the hospital, they had to evaluate me for about 2 hours before we even got into a room.

Since I tested positive for the Group Strep B virus, I needed Penicillin for 4 hours before I delivered Mia, to block the Strep B from passing on to her. Well, I found out the hard way that apparently I'm allergic to Penicillin. I started itching all over, turned bright red, and I was very hot. I didn't think it was that big of a deal until I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. For those of you that have seen the movie, Hitch, I looked a little like Will Smith when he had his allergic reaction. :) It wasn't pretty.

I came back out and showed the nurse all of my bumps and rash. She went to get Benadryl to put in my IV. They just got it started when the reaction got worse. All of a sudden I was having trouble breathing, I couldn't talk, and I couldn't move. I just kept trying to say that I felt like I was going to pass out. I was getting pretty scared. At that moment, the nurses started moving and in rushed the anesthesiologist. He didn't waste any time and stabbed the epinephrine in my arm. Besides the contractions, that was the worst pain of the day. Once they gave me the Epipen, my heart starting racing and I felt very weird for awhile. After a little while, everything was back to normal, and they figured out another antibiotic that I could take.  Fortunately, I had no reaction to it.

So, the moral of the story is, just because you don't think you're allergic to Penicillin, doesn't mean you aren't.:) I would recommend having the doctor test a patch of skin first before administering the drug completely. It will save you from a lot of discomfort and thinking you might not make it.

No contractions yet........

 

We started Pitocin to get the contractions to come on stronger.......boy did they ever!!

 

Before the epidural......

After the epidural......( I figured I'm going to get an epidural eventually, so why continue through all this pain. I had nothing to prove. :) I labored without it for about 2 hours,(not all that long I know) so I was ready for some relief. I don't know how women go all the way to 10 centimeters without one. All of YOU are amazing!

After I got the epidural with Josiah, I went from 4 to I0 cm in about an hour, so I had a feeling it would go quickly with Mia, as well.  Dr. Morgan got here at 11:45pm and checked me to find out that I was about 5 cm. She told me to get some sleep, as was she, and she'd come back in a couple of hours and check me again. About 15 minutes had passed since she left and I definitely felt like it was ready to push, but didn't actually think that I could possibly be to a 10 in only 15 minutes. Dr. Morgan came back in, and I was in fact at a 10.  So, it was time to push. I pushed Mia out in about 4 contractions, which was approximately 15 minutes.  As she was coming through the birth canal, her heart rate was decelerating, so we had to get her out quickly. The cord was also around her neck. On the last contraction, I had to continue to push to get her out, even though the contraction was over. She needed to get out quickly because of her decelerating heart rate. I got to help pull her out, which was amazing!  When Mia came out she was blue and in shock from the quick delivery. She wasn't crying, so Dr. Morgan had to quickly cut her cord. More nurses rushed in and they took her to the warmer and started giving her oxygen and stimulating her. After what seemed like an eternity, but probably more like 3 minutes, she started crying and they eventually brought her over to me. This was the moment that I had been waiting 10 months for. It was amazing to hold her and finally have her in my arms!

 

Maco doesn't ever want to put her down.

Grandma & Grandpa Cusack

Mia Rae Ann Hamilton

February 24, 2008 @ 12:33am

7 pounds, 6 ounces & 20 inches

Auntie Katie couldn't wait for Mia to be born!

Auntie Kelly made it through the delivery, but it was close.  :) I think it was a good thing that she watched it through the lens of a camera.

 

Uncle Cole is a natural!

Great-Grandpa Kaady & Grandma Marna

Grandma Marna loves changing Mia's diapers. Currently, Mia's not the biggest fan of getting her diaper changed. Hopefully that will change.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Mia. So far, it's one of the few pictures with her eyes open.

Daddy and Mia love to take naps together. I think Maco is actually sleeping in MY hospital bed. He had a rough and exhausting delivery. :)

Monday, February 25, 2008: We're on our way home with our baby girl.  We thought we were going to have to stay until Tuesday because of the Group Strep B, but since Mia was doing so well, they let us go home Monday. We were very thankful and excited to take Mia home.

I brought about 4 "coming home" outfits to the hospital with me because I couldn't decide, and I just didn't know which outfit would look best.:) Unfortunately, all of the outfits that I brought were 0-3 months, which were huge. Fortunately, our friends, Kendra and Jeanna Suhr, brought her a cute newborn sweat suit outfit. So, she wore that, even though it was a little big. I didn't ever think she'd be small enough to fit into newborn clothes.

She looks so little in the car seat! She loved the car ride home. No crying at all!!

 

We're thrilled to be leaving the hospital.

First day home: Mia and Daddy watching one of his favorite shows, Wild N Out!

Sleeping again......Babies sure do sleep a lot. Daddies, too! :)

Mia's first outing: We went back to the hospital for a 2 day checkup on Wednesday to make sure that Mia and I were doing well. This was her little outfit that I picked out for her first outing. Thanks to her little friend, Siri, for letting her borrow it. I know it seems that she has a lot of clothes, and you're thinking that she wouldn't ever need to borrow anything. But we only have a few newborn outfits. :) It sure has been a lot of fun dressing her, and you can probably tell that I'm kind of obsessed with the headbands. I didn't ever think I would like them, but they're just so cute. :)

Mia's first smile......I know it's not a real smile, but it's still cute.

Mia loves to sleep in the Boppy. What a great invention!

Daddy sure does think she's beautiful!

Maco and I both love to hold Mia this way.

MIa's first birthday party: We took Mia to her little friend, Cohen's, 1st birthday party on Saturday. I had to dress her up in a dress and of course I couldn't forget the headband.

 

Mia's first bath at 3 days old: She cried throughout a lot of it, but she liked having her hair washed.

 

First family photo outside of the hospital: Mia is one week old. She went to her first family dinner, so she had to dress up for the special occasion, even though Mommy and Daddy didn't.:)

Auntie Katie & Mia wore matching outfits today.

Uncle Quinn got to meet Mia for the first time today.

Our precious daughter, Mia!

We've been enjoying parenthood and have been learning a lot in the past week. We feel truly blessed with our sweet gift from God. We are so grateful for everyone's support and prayers. Thank you. We're excited to see what God has planned for Mia. Please feel free to come and visit if you'd like. Mia and I would love company now that Maco's back at work. :) We love you all!