Baby Savannah Louise

Well, I guess it's about time I updated this blog!!

Announcing Savannah Louise Haddock

1 day old

2 days old

1 week old

2 weeks old

Savannah Louise was born on Wednesday, June 17 at 1:41 P.M. She weighed 8lbs 10 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long!! I had an ultrasound done 13 days previously and they estimated her being 6lb 13 oz at that time. So they assumed by her scheduled induction which was going to be on June 19th that she would be about 1 lb more than that estimation. So it was a surprise to my doctor when she weighed as much as she did! I was just grateful Savannah didn't wait to be induced....she wanted to come out on her terms!! And, sorry Ashley (my sister) she didn't want to share your birthday (the 19th) with you....a true Gemini!!! ha ha!!

The Labor!

I always have trouble figuring out when I am in true labor. I have Braxton Hicks contractions through most of my pregnancy and they get more intense as the due date approaches. Well, this was no exception. The night before she was born, a group of us went out to ice cream to bid farewell to Sharolyn Lindsay and Tori Osorio whose husbands had just finished their graduate programs at U.F. During the course of the gathering, I had some pretty intense contractions and passed them off as "Braxton Hicks".....little did I know that in a short 4 hours that I would be having pretty severe back labor!! Talk about my back being on FIRE! So around 2:00 A.M. I was trying to sleep in between these contractions and Jim would apply counter presser to my lower back during the contractions.....I was still in denial that I was about to have a baby. The contractions began to get stronger and so I told Jim that I was going to take a long hot shower to see if the contractions simply went away or stayed. I felt much relief with the hot water on my low back, but the contractions did not "go away." So then I decided that if I was in labor, I needed to get ready....by getting ready I mean, I was going to blow dry, straighten my hair, and put on make-up in between contractions! And that is what I did!

We called our friend Jeanne around 5:00 A.M. to come and watch our other children while we went to the hospital. Kailey was already at GG and Grandpa's, spending the night with her cousin, Isaiah who was visiting from Utah.

We arrived around 6:30 A.M. and we went to the triage room to have my contractions monitored....let me just say, that is so uncomfortable because the last thing I wanted to do was to lay down during intense back labor!!! And then for the nurse to say that I was only 2-3 centimeters...I mean come on...dilate for goodness sake!!! According to the monitor, I wasn't having really strong contractions.....so I said, "Can that thing measure back labor....because this is really painful"....(I never had back labor like this before!) The nurse thought I might be sent home because my labor didn't show up like it should on the monitor......So at 8:30 A.M. Yes, that is two long hours on that triage bed!!!! The nurse checked me again and I was dilated to almost a four...A new nurse adjusted the belt monitor on my stomach and my contractions finally showed up!!!! The belt thingy was in the wrong place.....the contractions now were registered as high as those peaks can get.....I told the nurse that the contractions had been the same this whole time.......And yes, they admitted me!!!! There was no way I was going home anyway!

The Delivery

We then go to the labor/delivery room and once again....having to lay down in an uncomfortable bed...no fun!! Oh yeah, I forgot....I had a fever when I arrived at the hospital so they hooked me up to an I-V so I wouldn't get dehydrated. Around 10:30 A.M. I decided to have an epidural....I had debated this issue back and forth....but decided that I have been through enough emotional pain over this last year that I didn't need to bring on anymore physical pain if that could be helped!!! (And, I have had four epidurals previously...and what can I say...Heaven!) The epidural at this hospital was different than my previous ones. It was only for 4 hours and was a low dose because I could move my legs and could actually feel some pain during the contractions. At 1:25 p.m. ish I told my nurse (who actually was my prenatal yoga instructor) that the epidural wasn't working anymore and I needed some more meds!! She said, let me check you and see what's going on. She checked me and said, "It's time to have this baby" I knew it too... I felt the need to push! My doctor was called down from her office, she put on her scrubs, and I started pushing at 1:30 p.m.! ELEVEN minutes later, Savannah Louise Haddock was born!! (So much for that epidural...just kidding...it did lessen the pain...but, I understand now that it is much more comfortable during the pushing through the contraction than just feeling the contraction! So glad that I kind of had the best of both worlds!) Oh, funny thing...well, not really that funny during the moment...but funny now...One of Savannah's shoulders was caught and so my nurse (Joanna) jumped up on the table and helped push Savannah out!! Jim said it reminded him of that movie with Jim Carey...Ace Ventura! Literally, my nurses behind was in my face as she was pushing hard on my stomach! I am glad we can have some comic relief when we talk about Savannah's birth!

Savannah was beautiful! However, she reminded us of that 'Benjamin Buttons" movie because her hands and feet were so wrinkly!!! She looked like one over cooked baby.....so scaly!! ha ha ....I am sure she will appreciate some day the way I described her!! She is so sweet and cute....a perfect little gift.

2 Weeks later

So here we are 2 weeks later. She is not so wrinkly anymore...her skin is still peeling, but not as much. Her head is perfectly round now. She is pretty perfect...except for the little bit of Jaundice she is still trying to poop out! haha... I have recovered from my lovely round of Mastitis! (I was so sick...last Wednesday night I had a fever of 104 and severe chills, I thought I was going to die!....my doctor called me in a prescription and I am feeling pretty good now!....missed out on going with Jim and the kids to his Jacksonville 10th ward reunion...which also happened to fall on June 27th (our 12th anniversary)...so Savannah and I just hung out in silence....with my big bowl of ice cream...it wasn't that bad of an anniversary....hahhahaha.

So maybe one of these days we will make up that anniversary.

Anyway, things are going well. We have been blessed with friends and family that have helped us in so many ways.

Evan really did send an angel down to us. We love Savannah so much, but it doesn't lessen the love we miss from our sweet little Evan. The thing that has been the hardest is feeling happy and sad all at the same time. Don't get me wrong...we are super happy and feel so blessed, but I have had my moments of sadness during these two weeks for the loss of Evan. I miss him so much, but I can feel his love through Savannah.