Introducing Baby Shaelyn!!

It's a good thing that I posted about Easter when I did, because two days after that post, Shaelyn was born!!

So here's the birth story:

On Tuesday, we got new carpet installed in our bedrooms and our basement, which means we now have a family room down there!! Yay! It also meant that until Tuesday night, all our furniture from the bedrooms and all the detritus from the basement construction was shoved into any available space--the living room, garage, and basement storage rooms were all full to bursting.  So I couldn't access any of the things I needed to pack my hospital bag.  I had a few items packed in advance, but not many, and I was feeling increasingly anxious about not having it packed.  But I kept telling myself that as soon as the carpet was in and the furniture was all back to its usual place then I'd be able to pack it.  So on Wednesday I made a list of everything I wanted to pack, but in all the hustle and bustle of putting my house back together, I didn't get around to actually packing it. 

Wednesday was an extremely busy day, I was working diligently all day reorganizing my house, and I was probably about halfway done at the end of the day.  In the evening, I went visiting teaching, then stayed up late preparing my preschool lesson for the next day.  Finally, at around 2 AM, I was just finishing my preparations, and stood up to go to bed, and...my water broke. I woke up Rob, who had been sleeping for a few hours, and with a towel between my legs, started gathering things and putting them in the hospital bag.  Rob called Marla, who was thankfully already awake.  She came and took the girls to her house, where they stayed while we were in the hospital.  They were all very excited for the new baby. 

We called the hospital, got in the car, and drove to Evanston.  I was having a few contractions, but not many, and they weren't too painful yet by the time we arrived.  We got settled in at the hospital, and not too long afterwards, I got an epidural.  My contractions were not yet unbearable, but with my last baby, the labor progressed so fast that I didn't have enough time for the epidural to take full effect.  Wanting to avoid that, I got one a little early this time, and it worked REALLY well.  Almost too well--I couldn't feel anything. So, we waited, and eventually they gave me some pitocin because I was dilating but not contracting a whole lot, so they wanted to move things along. At around 9 AM, my nurse came in to check me.  My labor and delivery nurse was a girl named Robin Stocks that Rob and I knew from high school, and it was nice to see her again and get to catch up with her.  Anyway, she said I was almost fully dilated, and to let her know if I felt like the baby had dropped or felt like I needed to push.  She said she'd come back and check me in another hour.  The second she walked out of the room, I felt the baby drop.  Rob went and got the nurse, who called the doctor in.  It was a very quick delivery: in two pushes, Shaelyn was here! 

Welcome to the world, Shaelyn!

She was born at 9:22 AM on April 12th, and the nurses informed me that she had just missed being born on Friday the 13th.  She wasn't due until April 28th, so she was 16 days early!  She weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz. at birth, and was 19 inches long.  She is so little!! I have never had a baby that small before, she is so petite and delicate.  She has perfect tiny little pixie-like features, dark hair, and powerful lungs! She was yelling the second she came out, and peed right away too.  Well, at least we know all the plumbing is working right, eh?

Coming home!! Look how that carseat drowns her! Thanks again to my friend Cassi for the cute carseat.

 We stayed overnight and came home the next day.  Marla brought Claire and Evie home to meet their new baby sister! Hallie was at school and got to meet her a few hours later. 

Evie running to see baby sister for the first time.

And Claire rushing right behind her!

Wonderful Aunt Marla! Thank you so much again, we can't tell you how grateful we are!

Evie grabbed her baby too.

Welcome home, baby Shaelyn!

Some more pictures from her first 2 weeks of life:

Big sisters!

Daddy with his tiny little princess!

Biggest sister Hallie with littlest sister Shaelyn.

Roses from my parents. Lovely!  Rob also bought me a bouquet of bright yellow and blue daisies which were beautiful and happy, but I didn't take a picture of them while they were alive.

Lilies from Rob's parents.  They brought them to us in the hospital, and they smelled SO good, it was nice to have them right next to my bed. 

Grandma Kelly and Papa Henderson came and visited on Saturday after the baby was born.

Tim and Tamera and Baby William came the same day we got home from the hospital and got to see the one-day-old Shaelyn.

Look how huge William is compared to Shaelyn!

Baby blues!

And that's just the beginning, folks! I'm sure there will be many more pictures to come!

We love you so much, Shaelyn! We are so happy to have you in our family.  You are so sweet and precious and perfect.  We thank our Heavenly Father for the marvelous miracle you are!!