Lynden Kristine

After weeks of anticipation and preparation our beautiful little angel has graced this world with breathtaking presence. I've finally gotten a moment between taking millions and millions of pictures and spending hour after hour staring at my absolutely perfect daughter to write her birthing story. For as short as my labor was this a pretty long story. I just want to remember every detail. :)

We had a long few weeks after my doctor put me on bed rest for preterm labor the end of April.We were told that even after being put on bed rest and taking the medication to stop my contractions, our little girl would most likely be born early. There was still a small chance that she would be born on or after her due date, but that chances were very very slim. So for the past 5 weeks we were looking for signs everywhere to let us know if this was the moment that our little girl was on her way out to meet us. We went into the hospital 3 different times during those weeks thinking "this might be it", only to be sent home with no baby. But this last visit was totally different.

I went in for my Dr.'s appointment on Tuesday May 22, and she checked my cervix; I was still 3 cm dilated and about 90% effaced. She knew I had been waiting around for so long for this little girl to come so she stripped my membranes while I was there in hopes that this might start something. Because I was already so dilated and effaced she said I just needed to get regular contractions and then come in. She gave me some labor-inducing homework and let me know that if was going to work that it should within 48 hours, if not she'd see me next Tuesday. I went home and did all the things she told me to do and started having contractions. They were coming every 3 minutes but weren't very strong so I decided to try and go to sleep and see what happened. I woke up Wednesday morning and the contractions were gone. Dan and I then went and walked about a mile around the lake by our house. Still no regular contractions, so I sent Dan off to work.

Friday rolls around and still no baby, so I decided it was time for a new mind set. I had been waiting and waiting thinking this baby is coming anytime for weeks, and that was not working for me. Plus most first time moms usually go after their due date anyway. So I decided that as long as I had this little girl by June 3rd (4 days after my due date) I would be just fine, so I gave up hopes for early labor.

Saturday morning we woke up and Dan decided he was going to paint our guest (well I guess it will be Lynden's) bathroom. So he starts working on that. I helped him do a little taping and then I did some cleaning around the house. Around 5:00 Dan decided to go do the second coat of paint. I pulled up Grey's Anatomy (my guilty pleasure during my whole bed rest) on Netflix and started a new episode.

At 5:23pm I get hit with my first contraction. I knew right away this was very different than any other contraction I had ever had. I was doubled over on the floor moaning, and Dan could hear me from up in the bathroom. At first he thought it was part of Grey's and then realized there was no other noise - just a lot of moaning. I was in so much pain I couldn't even call up to him. He walked over to the landing (still holding the paint roller) and I see him out of the corner of my eye. I told him it hurt so bad. He came down and rubbed my back for a second and then told me to time contractions and went back up to keep painting. 3 minutes later the next one hits. He comes down and realizes this might actually be it and so he goes up and tries to finish the wall he was working on, and I lay back down to try and finish my show. 3 min later the next one comes even harder. I end up doubled over on the floor again and this time start crying, and he comes running down. I told him we were going to hospital NOW. I called my Dr. and let her know I was headed to hospital.

We grabbed all of our stuff and ran out the door. The contractions were coming on much harder and started getting a little closer, about every 2 1/2 minutes. Dan drove like a mad man to the hospital as I am crying and screaming and telling him to slow down, (with each contraction he drove faster and faster). We finally make it to the hospital (we live about 40 minutes away), and Dan runs to grab a wheel chair (a little old man helped him - really sweet of him) and wheels me in. It's about 6:30 now and I am finally laying in the hospital bed having contractions about every 2 minutes. The nurse checks me and I am 6 cm dilated and 100% effaced. I let them know I was more than ready for my epidural.

Since I had just gotten there they needed to do a few things first, fill out a medical history form, run a blood test, and hook me up to an IV. One of the nurses there talked me through how to get through a contraction without turning into a crazy woman. At 7:30 I was having contractions coming every minute, and the most amazing person walks through the door - my anesthesiologist - and gives me my epidural. 

I lay there happy as can be because I am finally no longer in pain, and at 7:45 my water breaks. A little after 8:00 they decide to check and see where I am. My nurse, who by the way is the most amazing nurse at Hoag, Lauren, checks me and lets me know that I am complete - that is, 10 cm dilated. She said they would let me labor down a little bit before I started pushing and then call my Doctor when it seems like the baby might be coming.

At this point I am just in shock. Only 3 hours ago I was laying on my couch watching tv and now I am about to have a baby!! At 9:15pm my nurse asks if I want to try and start pushing and see if our little girl is ready to come out. I pushed a couple times, and she said it was time to call my Doctor to come over. (She was about 15 min from hospital). I push through about 5 more contractions and Lauren tells me I need to stop, close my legs and roll on my side. This little girl was about to come out, and my Doctor had just pulled in the parking lot.

My doctor, (Dr. Rhonda Flora- BEST OB EVER) walks in at about 9:30pm and sets up her stuff. She tells me to give a big push. Out comes my little girl's head! She cleared out her mouth & throat and told me to push one more time, BIG push and Lynden is born at 9:40pm. They lay her on my chest and Dan cuts the cord.

I still cannot even begin to describe the emotions that I had at that moment. Everything about her was completely perfect. She had these big chunky cheeks and beautiful eyes and a kiss on her lips! She also had a little mark between her eyes on her forehead, they let me know this is normal and they call it an angel kiss. I looked at her and told her that it was a Jesus kiss. Jesus loved her so much he had to give her a little kiss before he sent her down to us.

The whole experience was incredibly amazing. We are so completely head over heels for our little girl. I cannot look at her enough, hold her enough, or kiss her enough. She is so perfect in every single way, and I just feel so blessed that Heavenly Father has trusted me with such a beautiful little spirit.

Right before my epidural trying to breath through a contraction.

Dan & I

Of course my BFF, Amanda, was there to cheer me on!

Proud Daddy with his little girl!

Mommy & her angel.

Getting her hearing test done. She looked so cute like a little DJ. She passed!

Our new little family!

Our sweet little Lyndie Lou! We Love you!

Getting ready to go home!

Welcome Home Lynden!!

My awesome friend Tifany came over and decorated before we got home.