Introducing Our Baby Girl...

Aliyah Nicole Guerra

She's finally here and she came on her own, perfect little timing!
GOD IS SO FAITHFUL!

As many of you know, I was scheduled to be induced last Friday, October 2nd. We were scheduled to go in to the hospital early that morning. They were going to examine me to see whether or not a c-section would be required (based on her weight - I suppose they were planning on doing an ultrasound to determine that?) Either way, I was having the baby that day, whether by induction or c-section. I felt good knowing that she was finally going to be here, but I was quite nervous and unsettled about the idea of either of those scenerios. We just continued to trust and believe in the Lord's perfect timing (and way) for our princess to come into this world!

Birth Story

We received the call from the Doctor's office on Wednesday morning about coming in on Friday. So we finally could plan! Yay! I planned out in my head all the things I needed to get done on Thursday in preparation for being away from the house for a few days, and especially in preparation for bringing Aliyah home. Honestly I can say, for the first time in a month, I went to bed Wednesday night totally unprepared for a "mid-night labor surprise". It didn't even cross my mind, because in my mind, FRIDAY was the day!

Aliyah had different plans! We enjoyed a lovely Wednesday, finally knowing that by the end of the week our baby would be here with us. We even decided to go out for a nice dinner with my parents that evening. We came home, played some games (a new game my dad brought called Bananagrams - so fun!), watched some TV, then went to bed.

1:15am - Woke up because I felt very funny. Was that my water that just broke?! I ran to the bathroom, and it continued. Hmmm... I was like, "Seriously?! There's no way this is happening!" I went back to the bed and woke Beto up.

Me: "Babe, I think my water just broke!!"

Him: "How do you know???"

Me: "I'm not 100%, but I just KNOW!"

Him: "Let me see!" (half asleep)

Me: "What?! Are you crazy? It already happened!" (ha ha)

Him: "Well, just come back to bed for a while, and we'll see."

Me: "Uh, seriously? You think that's a good idea?? I thought we're supposed to go to the hospital if my water breaks!"

Him: "Yeah, just come back to bed."

Me: "Uh, ok." (so dumb)

1:45am - We decided to wait and see if contractions would start. Sure enough they did, and they were coming about 10 mins apart.

Me: "Babe, I really think we need to go to the hospital."

Him: "Maybe you should ask your mom?"
Me: "Good idea."

Me: "MOM!!"

Mom: "Yes?!?!?!?!" (Her dream coming true - I FINALLY wake her up in the night to tell her the news she's been waiting for since the day she arrived!) :)

Me: "I think my water just broke!"

Dad: "Ooooh! Here we go!"

Me: "Well, I'm not positive, but I think that's what it was."

Mom: "Then let's go, NOW!"

1:50am - We start scrambling to put our things together, brush our teeth, check my lists (which btw, was Beto's job...and the list got looked at, but totally not checked! All that prep-work of mine, for nothing! Ha!), etc..etc..

1:55am - Contractions are BACK TO BACK. NO RELIEF!!!

2:30am - We arrive to the hospital and the nurses slowwwwwwlllllllyyyy check us in! By this time I was so bent over in pain, Beto had to fill out all the papers as I paced back and forth in the empty waiting room.

Nurse at reception: "A nurse will be with you shortly hunny."

Me: "Ok, thanks." (Wishing they could move AND TALK quicker!)

Nurse: "Is this your first sweetie?"

Me: "Yes."

Nurse: "Ok, well this will all take a while. The nurse will come to get you in a little bit."

2:55ish, maybe 3am? - FINALLY, the nurse comes to get us from the waiting room. They take us to triage to get started. I changed into my gown, then the nurse (who btw, was SO nice!) took me over to a bed, asked me questions and did a quick examination. She checked for dilation, I was 3 cm.

4:00am - I got moved to my labor and delivery room (which was so new and beautiful! it had just opened 2 weeks earlier!) By this time, contractions were so unbearable! I was in so much pain that I was vomiting!! They decided to check me for dilation, as they so verrrryyyy slowly and calmly told me that the anesthesiologist would come soon to relieve me of my pain.

I was 7 cm. They seemed shocked, and quickly started moving things along! (In my head: "Finally, they decide to believe me! I really am in a huge amount of pain, BECAUSE THINGS ARE MOVING ALONG VERYYYY FAST!" I knew I wasn't crazy!) :)

Nurse (Kisha): "Wow! Is this your first?!"
Me: "YES ALREADY!" (Seemed like I answered that question a lot that morning).
Nurse: "Wow, it NEVER goes this quick for first-timers!"

Thankfully, the worst of it only lasted about 15 minutes, because by 4:15ish, I was given the epidural.

4:15am - EPIDURAL, A GIFT FROM THE LORD.

4:30am - Nurse decided to check me again.........10 cm!

4:35am - It was time to have this baby! Beto grabbed one leg, Kisha grabbed the other, and I started pushing. Kisha, our nurse, was great!!! She coached me so well, and actually made it quite simple of a task. That is....for the first 30 minutes. By the 30th minute, I was thinking, "Seriously?! This isn't over yet??" I told her I couldn't do it anymore (by the end, I was starting to feel some pain and major discomfort again. I can't even imagine how bad it would've been without the epidural!!) She quickly corrected me and said, "Yes you can. Push through the pain! You got this. Your baby is almost out." I took her words, "Push through the pain," and just said them over and over again in my head (that is, in between my other thoughts, like "Lord please keep my baby safe," or "Lord, please help me not to tear," Ha! Or, "Aw man, everyone's sleeping right now!" Or, "Can't wait to tell my friends about how badly this hurts on a scale from 1-10." Ha ha! ANYWAY, "Push through the pain! Push through the pain!" I tried my very best to concentrate and remember that she was almost here!!! Phew, and I did it!

5:22am - Our princess was born!! :):):):) (I have a pic of her, RIGHT when she was born, but don't want to startle anyone...so I won't post it!) :)

5:23am - I was suddenly a mother! Beto started snapping pictures like crazy, as he followed Aliyah and the nurse to the other side of the room to get her all cleaned up, weighed, etc.

Me in my head: "What in the WORLD just happened?!" LOL!

I went to bed that Wednesday night with thoughts flooding my mind about Friday morning and meeting my baby girl... Six hours later, Aliyah was already in my arms. God is so good. His way, and His timing is always best. We're so amazed at how He continually blesses us!

She was born Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 5:22am. She weighed 6lb 3 oz and was 20.5 in long. She was long and skinny! But so very, very beautiful...

We stayed at the hospital for 2 nights before coming home on Saturday, mid-day.

It's been such a joy to be at home with her! She has been so awesome! Truly, truly, such a pleasant baby! I don't know what we have done to deserve such ease in all of this. Honestly, a picture perfect, easy pregnancy... an incredibly fast and easy labor... and now to have brought home such a wonderfully easy baby! (So far at least!) :) God is good, that's all I know. We're so very blessed.

All my thoughts probably seem very jumbled. But I wanted to get all of this in writing, before I forget it all!

Thank you all for your love, prayers and support over the past few weeks! Now all the fun begins! I can't wait to keep sharing my blog with you guys! It'll be so much more fun, and definitely cuter, with Aliyah's little face gracing all the pictures and topics! :) Love you all!

Here are a few more to enjoy.... :)

At home with our baby girl...

a BIG yawn!!

my first nap in my crib :) i'm a little burrito!

quality time with Daddy...

i'm so cute...my mommy can't stop taking pictures of me!!