a little catch up - it's a long one

Inspired by my mommy peers, I realized that it's only fair to Magnolia to start blogging about her/our life. Wanna hear it? Here it go...

I'm a bit behind - 16 weeks behind to be exact. At nearly 4 months, Magnolia is holding her head up pretty well and turning it from side to side - very curious about her surroundings, responding to Jordan's and my voice and smiling at just about anyone who will sweet talk her and smile back. It's been an amazing and, at times, extremely difficult journey. I've never worked so hard for anything but it's easy with daily reminders of the awesomeness of being a mother. Every day brings a stronger, smarter, happier, BIGGER Magnolia.

This is how it all started... well.. not from conception.... I'm pretty that's understood... so I'll start with our birth story.

February 13th, 2008, I went to Babies R' Us with Suzanne, a girl that I'd met in our childbirth class. (One of my favorite people on earth to this day.)
Suzanne is a full month ahead in her pregnancy and looks like she swallowed a Volkswagen (read - ENORMOUS). Throughout the day together I made several (bad) jokes about getting away from her before her water broke because I was too tired to take her to the hospital. The (bad) jokes continued all the way to her house where I told her I was exhausted and crampy and wanted to go home before she went into labor (the jokes continue). I waved goodbye, got in my car and drove home.

At around 3:45pm, I pulled into my garage. I was calling my sister and I hear and feel a loud POP! in my lower abdomen. It was like no feeling I'd had in my pregnancy thus far but with my due date still 5 weeks away I was alarmed but not freaking out. I described the feeling I'd just had to my sister and casually said, "I wonder if that's what it feels like when your water breaks". My sister, a mother of two, assured me that there would be no doubt when my water broke because there would be water...lots of water.
Since there was none I was still concerned but figured she knew what she was talking about. So I start undressing to get in the comfiest clothes possible and as I drop my pants I realize they're not the only thing running down my legs. The panicking begins. I start breathing heavily and can barely muster up the words to my sister that there is definitely WATER now. She very calmly says, "Call Jordan and tell him to come home then call your doctor". I am hysterical at this point - Magnolia can't be ready to come out!
I call Jordan and attempt to tell him, through the hysteria, the entire story that I've told so far in this blog.. he is seriously confused and thinks I've been in a car accident until I finally say, "my water broke. come home."

At this point I have no idea what to do with myself and sit down and cry for about a minute and pray that God will protect my tiny baby girl. I call my doctor and they confirm that I am in labor and to come to the hospital immediately since I am a high risk labor being 5 weeks early. I begin to pack my hospital bag (*note* pack your bag early next time - you just never know). Jordan later laughed at the contents of the bag which consisted of about 4 bras, 5 or 6 tank tops, and an extensive selection of make-up brushes for the make-up that I never wore while in the hospital.

The hospital admits me and immediately scares the crap out of me by telling me that I'll be on bedrest and need to have both mine and Magnolia's heartrates strictly monitored. Bedrest means that all of the coping mechanisms that I learned in childbirth class are void. I just have to lay there and take it. They said "breathe!" and I said, "I'M TRYING!" This is why I ended up with my epidural at only 4 centimeters. I had pretty bad back labor and was relieved when the pain began to disappear and I was able to catch my breath. The epidural has a downside too though. You feel paralyzed. I couldn't move or feel my legs. I couldn't shift positions or even realize that my hand was resting on that lump of flesh formerly known as my left leg.

After multiple uncomfortable checks throughout the next 10.5 hours they finally confirm that I am at 10 centimeters and call my OB to come deliver baby Mags. The hospital employees POURED into the delivery room (4 for me and 4 from NICU for my tiny peanut baby).
I can honestly say that I felt no pain while pushing her out. They said, "PUSH!" and I did as I was told - completely spaced out. After just a couple wicked pushes she popped out and they wisked her away to make sure she was ok. It was about this time that my doctor found out that the shape of my uterus is heart shaped which basically meant that she ran out of room which explained the early arrival.

Magnolia Elizabeth Anderson was born at 3:43am at 5 lbs 1 oz and 18 inches. AMAZINGLY and by the GRACE OF GOD, she was in the NICU for less than 2 hours.

The first few days and weeks of her life were hard. Very hard. They sent her home with us at 4lbs 8oz. Scary. Talk about sleepless nights. So I fed her...and fed her... and fed her... by 2 months she'd almost doubled her weight. Now, at 16 weeks I estimate her to be around 13lbs.

So that's my story.

By the way, Suzanne delivered Kairi Candy Spears 8 days later at 9lbs 14oz. I told you she was big. Magnolia has almost caught up to Kairi already. Ha. Big girl.