Baby Love

Maya Grace Liddell....

arrived on Saturday, October 23rd at 5:53pm. She weighed 5 pounds, 14 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long! We are soooo in love! Who would have thought it would have taken me four weeks to FINALLY get a post up about our baby girl?! Oh - that's right, you all did!! Apparently the first four weeks (and then some) with a newborn are extremely emotional and tiring! Who knew? :) Wow- I have barely opened my laptop since we arrived home from the hospital!

Her Arrival ~

I don't really know how to make a long story short, but I'll try my best :) On Friday, October 22nd, I went to bed feeling rather "yucky." I woke up around midnight and realized the "yuckiness" had become mild contractions. This time it was the "real ones." I always wondered how I would know when the contractions were "real" and not just Braxton Hicks. Everyone assured me that you "just know" and boy, is that true. The pain of contractions is very real! Rob began timing my contractions and continued throughout the night. Early Saturday morning I finally made the phone call to the hospital when my contractions were about 3-5 minutes apart for a good hour and a half. I was really hoping they would tell me to come on in, but that was not so :( Instead, the nurse told me to give it another hour or so and then call back. By this time I was really beginning to feel the pain, as the contractions were getting closer together and more intense. We finally packed up the car and headed to the hospital around 6:30 am, desperately hoping they would not send us home. Much to my excitement, we arrived at the hospital and they determined that the contractions were, in fact, progressing labor. YAY! An added bonus was that my midwife also happened to be in labor and delivery that day! They admitted me, asked me a million questions, began my IV, and ordered my epidural. Before going into labor, I was undecided as to whether or not I would get an epidural. However, once labor began, it didn't take me long to determine that I absolutely wanted one! It was such a life-saver. I had been feeling pretty miserable {and crabby} and once the epidural was hooked up, I was finally able to relax and rest as labor progressed. How do women do it without?? I don't ever want to know ;) I progressed pretty steadily throughout the afternoon, pain-free I might add. Rob and I hung out around the room, watching tv and napping here and there. Around 5:15 my midwife came in to check me and I was complete and ready to push! I pushed for about 20 minutes and Maya was born. It was the most amazing experience I have ever had in my life. Rob was such a trooper! They immediately brought her to my chest and I was able to hold her skin-to-skin. I cried and couldn't believe how absolutely perfect she was. I couldn't get over her perfect fingers and toes, her beautiful eyes and little nose... I was just in awe, overwhelmed with love for this little girl I had just carried for 10 months. It truly is amazing! Here are a few pics from the first days... will update again soon about "life at home." More pics to come because God knows we already have hundreds of them ;)

Our new family of 3!