Emma Jane

Is it just me or is she just perfect?

Mandy was able to crack a smile after the epidural kicked in.

Grandma and Grandpa Phair's 19th grandchild

Grandma and Grandpa Frazier's 1st grandchild

I think I already changed seven or so in the first 24 hours.

So yesterday, after Mandy got off work, we went straight to her appointment with Dr. Gordon. She hadn't shown any progress in the previous two weeks, but this checkup was different. She had dialated to a two plus, nearly a three. While he was there, Dr. Gordon asked if he could strip her membranes. After a moment of hesitation, Mandy said yes. It was a very uncomfortable experience for her, and she started feeling crampy immediately. We scheduled a follow up appointment for Thursday and planned to induce labor on Friday if it didn't come by then.

We ran some errands that afternoon and I went to an evening class I have at UVSC. Later that evening I gave Mandy a blessing and we made sure that all of our stuff was packed for the hospital.

We were all settled into bed around 11:30pm when the contractions started. At first Mandy wasn't sure if it was a contraction, but after a few minutes it became very apparent that they were. Right from the beginning, the contractions were very evenly timed. They were 4-6 minutes apart starting with the very first one.

After an hour of evenly spaced contractions, we went to the hospital. I enjoyed the drive over. I figured if there was ever a time I could get away with running stop signs and speeding, this would be it.

We got to the hospital at 1:00 am and they brought Mandy right in. There was no question that she was having real, heavy contractions. She had dialated to a four by that time. After what seemed like an eternity of answering questions and waiting, the anesthesiologist was able to give her an epidural at 2:30 am. It finally kicked in enough to let her rest by around 3:00am. The anesthesiologist is Mandy's new best friend.

Orem Community Hospital has some very nice features. For instance, you give birth in the same room that you stay in the whole time. It's even the same bed. They also have a couch that pulls out into a bed for the hubby. So while Mandy was doped up and able to rest a while I was also able to get some sleep on the bed. I would wake up when the nurse would come to check on Mandy and would hear as she progressed to a seven and then a nine.

Finally, by 6:30am Mandy was fully dialated. At 8:00am Dr. Gordon came and broke her water. At 8:32 am it was time to start pushing. Mandy did such a great job pushing as I held one of her legs. It was amazing to see a little patch of hair start to become visible.

At 9:00 am on the dot, Emma Jane was brought into this world. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life to watch her come out. She was and is so beautiful and perfect.

Emma was immediately placed on Mandy's (now smaller) stomach and wiped clean there. She was able to stay there for a few minutes until she was transferred to another table to get a quick checkup and get weighed and measured. She weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces and was 20 inches long. After she was given a clean bill of health, it was back to mommy's chest. Mandy had to get a few stitches, but as soon as Dr. Gordon was done with that, she was able to start breast feeding.

Although the contractions were nearly unbearable, the entire experience was very smooth, and much easier than we expected. "The labor was awesome," says Mandy.

We both can't stop saying how much we love her and how perfect she is. We feel so blessed to have her come into our lives.