The PRINCESS has Arrived! ♥

Hear ye, Hear ye...

  the
Princess has arrived!


Kenley Nicole Hodges
{{KNH}}

born on Thursday, February the eleventh 
two thousand and ten
at 10:40 A.M.

weighing 7 lbs.
&
19 and 1/2 inches long

Cramps, Cravings, & Contractions.... Oh My!

the hours leading up to

Miss Priss coming into this world...

On Wednesday (2-10-2010)

(which I wanted to be her birthday b/c I LOVED that date)

I had an appointment to see my Doctor,

and while waiting I started to have cramps, but didn't really think anything of it.

Nonna, my Mom,
was with me for this appointment

and I mentioned it to her, & she immediately said

OH MY GOSH, 

you are in labor I bet!"

I mentioned this to my doctor, but he did not agree with Nonna.

as we left the doctor's, we decided to go & get lunch.

I was craving a burger so we went to the 'Ale House'... 

(a favorite of mine)

It suddenly hit me, I WAS definitely in the early stages of labor!

it went from having minor cramps straight to contractions!

But these were tolerable contractions!

So we ordered... and as I ate my oh so yummy burger... 

(which I had to stop through having contractions to take bites)

I know that our waiter thought I was weird for doing so!

But I didn't want to make a huge scene, (besides taking pictures)

b/c they weren't strong contractions (at that time)

 As we left there, we decided to go shopping... 

(can't stop me from shopping- even with having contractions)

there were still a few things on my list to get my little Princess

& 

I knew it would be HOURS before she would actually come,

since this was the 'early early labor' stage I was going through- 

that's what I was taught in my lamaze class!

So Nonna & I went to our favorite store in the world (ROSS)

the saying "shopped till I dropped" has never been so fitting before,

because that's basically what happened...

my tolerable little contractions quickly turned into BIG ones, 

lasting longer and oh so painful!

Nonna had picked up a few things for Miss Priss, so I left her to wait in line and went out to the car

and oh my goodness...

was that the most painful wait for Nonna ever!

I knew that I wanted to stay at home and wait a long time before going to the hospital...

so after taking a warm bath, which helped a little...

 then blow drying & straightening my hair

AND even painting my nails...

BUT then I realized

I couldn't wait any longer...

they were coming faster and longer... 

& 

I didn't want to have my little Princess at home!

so at around 11 we made it to the hospital,

went through the ER room

& 

my procrastinating self forgot to do the easy sign in

so I had to sit (through contractions) and fill out all the paperwork!

But it wasn't that bad, it help take my mind off of the pain!

When I finished, they offered a wheel chair for me,

which I declined.... I was going to walk it!

& 

plus I was told before-hand that walking helps speed up the labor

and I wanted ALL the help I could get at this point!

I got into the OH SO stylish gown...
and then
 I got the belly band put on my belly to monitor Kenley's heart rate

which drove me CRAZY... b/c it made me itch & was not at all comfortable!

While waiting in my pre-delivery room...
room of waiting to see if you make enough progress to get upgraded to your delivery room....
with nothing to do but wait
I posed for a couple of pictures for "my paparazzi" ... Nonna!

I'm showing off my bracelet 

that was made for me by the first little Princess,

my niece Kendyl!

She made this for me, in GATOR colors, for my birthday one year!

 I wore it for Good Luck!

so after an hour of all the testing to determine...
they decided I didn't progress enough within that hour-
and wanted to send me on my way
BUT
that wasn't going to happen-
Miss Priss had other plans!
within minutes of the nurse saying they were sending me home,
I started having BAD,
long contractions back to back...
&
I knew I wasn't going anywhere!

at this point I KNEW I wanted the epidural!
and went ahead and told them so,
&
told them I wanted the wheel chair this time to take me to my room!

It was another 40-60 minutes or so before I got the epidural...
when the guy walked in, who I like to refer to as my BFF,
I was beyond happy!
And once again I had to sign paperwork,
I don't think I've ever signed something so quickly in my life!
And then I had to sit through while he explained it all to me,
&
he told me I could not move, for if I did I could become paralyzed!
Which  totally scared me, b/c remind you I am having contractions back to back at this point,
and every time I have one, I have to hold onto something... which causes me to move!
So I make him go in between them.... and then...
it was HEAVEN!
The pain was no more... my feet, legs, and everything from my belly down was numb!
(I HIGHLY recommend getting the epidural)
I waited until I was at 5 ...
(because that's what my lamaze teacher told me to do, that it was better to wait until 5 cm)
I got to lay and relax and even fit in a little nap!
and even took some pictures, or well Nonna did....

posing with my nurses!

I quickly noticed that I began to have feeling again in my left leg- but didn't really say anything...
and then I began to have feeling all over!
My  BFF former BFF forgot to tell me that I had to keep pressing a little button to keep it going!
It happened to stop working when I was SO very close to becoming fully dilated!
So I was given a choice to go off it completely or to keep it going...
I chose to go off of it-
b/c I was already no longer numb and starting to have feeling pretty much everywhere again!
(& also b/c I didn't want to be told when to push- I wanted to be able to feel when I needed to)
So in my case- it worked out perfectly!
AND then the moment came!
My nurse told me I had made it, I was fully dilated!
OH MY GOSH, my little Princess is going to be here!
So she told me to push...
I wasn't thinking that anything was really going to happen...
I thought we were just "practicing" since the DR wasn't even in there...
and then next thing I know my nurse is telling me that she sees some hair on my baby girl
&
I don't know why, but I just lost it at that point... tears could not stop falling from my eyes...
and then Nonna started in on it too!
I think it was b/c I knew she was really on her way
&
I was moments away from finally seeing her and holding her!
AND
then I knew I was really about to meet my Princess when more nurses entered the room
&
then they kept paging the DR.
and then I was told to NOT push
(which was the hardest thing to not do)
Finally my DR came into the room and with a few more pushes,
my Miss Priss was here!


 I can't type any words that would express what I felt at that moment...
seeing her and hearing that little voice of hers all for the first time!
just so so amazing!!!

But my little Princess took after me immediately, 
something I wish she wouldn't have...
She came into this world just as I had,
with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck
So after cleaning her and weighing her
they had to go take her to the nursery
just to make sure everything was as it should be
So 2 hours later... she was returned back to me!
AND
it was the BEST thing in this world!

I didn't get any sleep that night...
I just spent it staring at her
and listening to her breathe...
(which I checked to make sure she was like every 2 minutes!)
&
by saying a little prayer...
  praising God that He not only kept me safe that day, but also my baby girl!
and thanking Him for giving me the best little gift of my life!
although I wish the "delivering" of the gift would have been a bit different! :)
(like maybe by a stork)