Kailyn Lindsey Gilmore

On Friday, February 3, 2012 Mommy started having some very mild, irregular contractions in the afternoon. Mommy and Daddy started timing them, but decided that they were just early labor contractions. Daddy was able to go to bed that night, but Mommy was a little paranoid that she would wake up in the middle of the night in full blown labor!! So she stayed up and made Kailyn's hairbow holder and diaper basket, which took until about 11pm, then she was so exhausted that she was finally able to go to bed and get some rest. At 2:30am, Mommy woke up to go pee- normal for the pregnant lady. Once she returned to bed, she noticed that the contractions had not resolved and they were then 5 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes apart. So she woke up Daddy and said that she was going to go ahead and get a shower and start getting some last minute things together. Mommy also called Gran Gran to go ahead and come over to the house to keep Big Brother, Caleb! Daddy finally stirred around and got up too and by the time they were both ready, Gran Gran had arrived to keep Caleb. So at about 5:30am, Mommy and Daddy got in the car and headed to the hospital, hoping to meet sweet Kailyn soon!

Mommy and Daddy about to enter the hospital:
(Mommy was 35 weeks 5days pregnant)



Once we were checked into the hospital, the nurse checked Mommy and said that she was now 4cm and still about 80% effaced. Mommy was excited to be making progress!! But, when the nurses called Mommy's doctor, she said that she wasn't sure if they should admit Mommy yet, so just to watch her for 2 more hours and recheck the progress. So what is the best thing to do to get labor going? WALK!! Mommy and Daddy walked laps around the OB floor for about an hour. Mommy's contractions continued, but luckily never got painful- just a little uncomfortable and tight belly/back. Once Mommy got back into the room and checked again, she was about 5cm...so the doctor decided that Mommy was definitely in labor and it was time to get admitted :) Then all of the "fun" started with needles- not Mommy's strongest point. The IV was horrible, by far the worst part of the whole experience. When asked when she wanted her epidural, Mommy said as soon as possible. The contractions were not bad at all, but Mommy was not interested in hanging out to see how bad they could get- bring on the drugs! Soon, Mommy was bent over Daddy's shoulder getting her epidural. After that, she was able to relax and not worry about anymore needles for a while. The nurse also added Pitocin to Mommy's IV, along with Penicillin (because Kailyn was so early, the doctor wanted Mommy to have the extra antibiotics).
Mommy after the epidural:

Contractions:

Excited Mommy and Daddy:


Soon, Aunt Kacie arrived, as she was Mommy's extra labor support and photographer/videographer for the birth. Mommy was so excited and relieved once she saw her best friend there. Yes, Mommy got a little emotional at this point, maybe because she was so worried about all of the needles and now they were finished. Then she was able to start thinking about how scared she was about giving birth again- the "what if's" that could happen, and also worried about Kailyn's size since she was going to be early. Daddy and Aunt Kacie quickly calmed Mommy down, and Aunt Kacie said the sweetest prayer that just lifted all of the stress off Mommy and we were able to just visit and enjoy the last few hours before Kailyn was born.
Mommy and Aunt Kacie:


Then came the mad rush of family members visiting! How lucky were they that it was a Saturday morning?! No one had to come in the middle of the night nor take off work to be there. We felt so blessed to have everyone there anticipating Kailyn's arrival with us. Mommy's labor room was full of excited energy :)
Pops and Nana:

The 3 Grandmother's chatted a little on the couch:

Big Brother was also ready to meet Kailyn:

The nurses moved Mommy around every so often into many different positions, trying to get Kailyn to keep moving down...this is the position that eventually broke her water...they called it The Throne, ha!


Everyone was visiting in Mommy's labor room when all of the sudden we heard a thud over the monitor- Kailyn had kicked and Mommy's water broke! After that, the nurses rushed in and sent everyone out. They didn't even have to check Mommy for progress...Mommy said she is right there- such a strange feeling. The doctor was called and the nurses began prepping for the birth while Mommy tried her best to relax and not push. Soon it was time- 3 contractions (6 pushes) later...our lives would never be the same. Our sweet, sweet little angel was born on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 12:53pm.

Kailyn came out crying, pink, and healthy :) What a wonderful feeling, such a blessing! She weighed 5lbs 6oz and was 18 inches long.


Mommy and Daddy fell instantly in love:

Daddy with his little princess...already has him wrapped around her little finger :)

Proud Aunt Kacie holding Kailyn for the first time:

Words cannot describe looking into this sweet face for the first time.

Or maybe a picture can show how Mommy felt afterwards: relieved, excited, overjoyed, emotional, and more love in her heart than she ever knew it could hold!