Getting Tess.

Well, it's been almost a month now, so I guess I better post about our new arrival!  Many of you have probably already seen these pictures on Facebook, but we thought you might like the story as well!

Tess was due to arrive on February first, and boy was I feeling like I was being punished those last few weeks!  I was just so uncomfortable.  I'd had contractions pretty regularly, but I was quite certain that Tess was NEVER coming out!

Saturday the 21st, we were enjoying a typical Saturday.  I had some pains in the morning, which didn't feel like contractions to me, but since they were regular I thought it might be the start of something.  I was disappointed of course when they stopped.  So we carried on with our grocery shopping, had some lunch and then headed to Media Markt to buy a new toy... Apple TV.  While we were there, I found the most amazing massage chair for sale and parked myself in it for about 20 minutes while Bas did some browsing with Luna.  I think it may have been this chair which put me over the edge!!!

We then went and met up with friends, Elisa and TJ, for a bit more shopping at the Adidas outlet.  I was really over it at this point, and spent most of the time parked on a chair while everyone else shopped!  We left Elisa and TJ with plans to see them the next night for dinner at an Indian restaurant... little did we know!

At home we started dinner, and so did the contractions.  This time I knew what was going on, but still wasn't convinced that they would last.  We called our friend Michelle who had volunteered to take Luna just to give her fair warning, and then settled in to try out our new toy, and ordered the movie Contagion from Apple TV.  By 7:00 we decided that the contractions might not go away, and that it might be best to go ahead and send Luna to sleep over while it was still early enough not to be too disruptive.  I'm so glad that we made that decision!

Tim came over and collected Luna, and she was sent off smiling and laughing, so excited about her sleepover with her great friend Jennie.  By this time my contractions were every 5 minutes, but since they advise that they need to be every 5 minutes for an hour we waited it out.  The fact that they had quickly escalated to 4 and 3 minutes apart didn't phase me, as I was more worried that we would get to the hospital and they would send us home!

So we finally left at 9:00, and arrived by 9:30.  They checked me straight away and told us that i was dilated to 4cm.  I was thrilled as it meant that they wouldn't be sending us home!  That's about when the picture below was taken... lovely, I know. :)

Then they took us to a second room to monitor me on the CTG for 20 minutes.  Since I had wanted to get in the bath the whole time I was at home, my main concern was getting into the bath to help soothe the contractions!  They told me I would have to wait until we got to the actual delivery room, but that the baby was coming very fast.  Since Luna took 12 hours, it didn't quite sink in for me what that meant! During the time they had me on the monitor my water broke, and then they asked me if I wanted to stay in that room or move to an actual delivery room.  I told them I didn't care quite frankly, but since they felt the beds were better in the other room, we moved.  During the move I was treated to a nice hard contraction in the middle of the hallway.  I decided the best way to deal with this predicament was to get down on all fours, with my nearly naked lower half proudly displayed for all to see, right in the middle of the hallway!  (Fortunately the ward wasn't too bust that time of night!)

The room they moved me into didn't have a bath, so I was a bit miffed that they hadn't listened to me, but the contractions were hard enough at this point that I didn't care much either. (I think they just put me in the first room available to get me out of the hallway!)  They told me again that she was coming quickly, but it still didn't sink in when they lowered the end of the bend and asked me to kneel forward.  (See above.)  This position had been working for my contractions, so I went with it.  Two contractions later, and the midwife checked me again and told me I could push with the next one... "What?" It was only shortly after 10:00, so it had only been 40 minutes or so since I was 4 cm!

"OK!  Whatever you say!"

I pushed and I could tell she was crowning, and so just one more push and her head was born! They told us she was smiling... :)  They told Bas he could take a look, but since I was practically biting his hand off he told them that he wasn't going to be allowed to!  And so with the next contraction, little Tess was born at exactly 10:24 p.m.!

So much for laboring in the bath!

Bas got to cut the cord...

Proud Papa...

Weighing in at 3500 grams!

Feeling very relieved, proud, and still shocked that it was all over!

First diaper change - already!!  (They don't give you much time to rest!)

Meaning of the phrase "bundle of joy."

A peek at Tess's first morning...

Bas hurried to pick up Luna so that she could come meet her new sister!

So proud and so excited!

First time holding her little sister!

Me and my girls!

Getting dressed to go home...

She got to wear the socks and hat I knit for her.

Topped her off with the blanket I made for her, too!

The front door was decorated when we got home...

It's like getting a present!

Let's unwrap it!

And flowers were waiting for me, too!

First change at home! 

The first couple days passed somewhat like this!

The day after we got home we went to the pediatrician (since we left the hospital a day early) and then the Hebamme (like a Doula, or midwife who checks on you at home after birth) came for her first visit.  She was really a blessing, especially when I came down with Mastitis the following week!

My mother came the very next day, and was able to be here for the next 3 weeks.  So we were very blessed with wonderful care!  Little Tess is pure joy, and likes to sleep all day, and almost all night!