In the life of the Suchers: September 2010

After a long (LONG) summer we finally moved to Puyallup Washington on August 5th (a little less than a month until my due date!) Jeff found us a great place on a fun street that has five members on it and a lot of kids. We were really really blessed to move here one of the girls that I first met here is SO nice and has introduced us to most of the street and at least half of the ward (ok, not that many people in the ward because it is HUGE...I am talking two primaries and four councilors in the Relief Society and two secretaries!) She is great and so knowing that she was down the street if I went into labor I at least knew ONE person to help!

Our doctor in Denver said she would induce us because I have really short labors. SO, I just assumed that the doctors here would do the same, but that was not the case. I met with two doctors and they both had said that was not a good enough reason to induce (I get not inducing for silly things but I was really worried that I would deliver along side the road because our hospital was in downtown Tacoma) and the second appointment I had found out I tested positive for group B strep which could be dangerous for the baby if I wasn't on antibiotics for a least four hours before I delivered (with my last pregnancy I was only in labor for three hours!) so at that point I REALLY thought they would induce be but the doctor wasn't concerned. Honestly I don't think she knew much about it because I asked her a few times what would happen to the baby if I didn't get any medicine and she said not to worry the pediatrician would take care of it. Nice. Anyway a week before I was due I met with another doctor and had brought Jeff along and we told her our concerns and thank goodness she was sympathetic and said she would induce us that Sunday (it was Thursday when we met with her.)

SO, I called my mom and told her the plans and she went out and bought a ticket and we picked her up on Saturday. It was so nice to know that I wouldn't need to call a neighbor I barely knew! (My sweet sister in law lives up north about and hour away and would come pick up my girls so they wouldn't be with neighbors all day long!)

We went in Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m. and got checked in and then we just hung out in our room until about 9:00 a.m. when they FINALLY hooked me up to the antibiotics. Two hours later they started the pitocin and gave me a balloon catheter to dilate my cervix quicker - not pleasant....at all... About thirty minutes after that I started feeling some painful contractions so I figured I may as well get my epidural, why sit through anything more uncomfortable if I don't have to. :) It. Was. Great. The anesthesiologist was so nice and talked us through everything (and more) he, the nurse, Jeff and I just talked and hung out for a while, it was nice to not feel so rushed and just enjoy the experience. With Morgan and Whitney everything was so fast so it was a good change.

Nothing really happened until about 4 p.m. I was starting to get worried because I had never just waited like that during labor and I started getting concerned that I was going to be in labor for days and maybe we shouldn't have gotten induced but then they came in and broke my water and I went from a 4 (I think) to a 10 in and hour and a half. I was just sitting there watching a show with Jeff and all of the sudden I felt her just slide into the birth canal (if that was even possible) I told my nurse I was ready and she checked me, sure enough I was ready. She called the doctor and the doctor wanted the nurse to have me do a practice push, so I pushed and she told me to stop and that the doctor needed to come now. SO, the doctor took her sweet time getting there (not new, we spent a lot of time waiting for this lady). She took her time getting ready (seriously she was slow, I am not exaggerating!) Finally she was ready, meanwhile I am trying as hard as I can not to push. She sat down and said push...I pushed and Nicole was here! One push, it was crazy!

She was here a perfectly healthy baby girl! Jeff was still holding out hope for a boy, the first thing he said before anyone said anything was "it's a GIRL!" Don't get me wrong Jeff loves our girls, but I am sure it would be nice for him to not be so out numbered!

Everything has gone so well (knock on wood), she eats great, she has slept better than my other two, and the girls have been great big sisters. I was nervous especially that Whitney would struggle with it but she has been a peach, I think maybe Morgan has had a harder time, she loves Nicole but I think she is struggling with not having all her friends here and the 'social life' we had in Denver. We will figure out something to keep her occupied though.

My mom was here Saturday until the following Sunday and my sister came the Thursday until Tuesday the week she was born. It was SO fun to have them both here. I was spoiled rotten. I got naps and didn't have to cook and they played with the girls. It was great, I could get used to that! While they were here we took a quick trip to Portland to see my Grandma and Aunt and Uncle. I don't know if it was a great idea to take a newborn on a road trip, but my sister hadn't seen her in years and we thought it was a good idea at the time. :)