Our Best Christmas Present Ever

Yes, I know that this is LONG overdue...well, at least a week anyway. I've sat down several times this week to write this post, but was always interrupted by something. So, most of you already know what our best Christmas present ever is...but for those of you who don't...last Friday night, December 5, at 8:13 Kayden Grace Elliott made her entrance into the world and deeper into the hearts of her mom, dad, grandparents and rest of her family.

It was a pretty eventful day for me. I had to be induced because I had gestational diabetes and the doctors didn't want me to go past my due date. So, we went to the hospital on Thursday night to begin my induction. Friday morning I had begun to progress a bit with labor so they started pitocin at 7:30 that morning. The contractions started coming and although they were uncomfortable, they weren't unbareable. I was able to breathe through them. They were coming about every 3-5 minutes at first. Every now and then the nurse would come in and up the dosage of pitocin and then contractions would come closer together. I was able to go through them still without the use of an epidural. That was my plan to labor without an epidural. Everyone thought I was trying to be brave or be a martyr, but it didn't have anything to do with that. I just didn't want to have to get another shot. I had also heard some horror stories about epidurals from other people I knew who now have back problems that they blame on the epidural. Not knowing how it would effect me, I was afraid of the epidural.

I was doing well until about 4:00. The contractions were getting worse. Kevin was doing well trying to help me relax, but I had gotten to the point where I couldn't relax anymore because the contractions were coming closer together and were more intense. I also didn't know how much longer I was going to have to go through all this. I finally asked for the epidural. After I got the epidural, the doctor came in and checked me and I had not progressed one bit since 7:30 that morning. I wanted to cry. I had gone through all that, and for nothing. I didn't understand what was going on. She said that she was going to let me relax under the epidural and see if relaxing my body would give my uterus the energy that it needed to do what it needed to do.

Well, no luck. An hour and a half later, I was still not progressed, so it was decided that I would have to have a c-section. So, at 6:30 we decided to do the c-section and an hour later I was in the OR. 45 minutes later, my sweet baby girl was born and I got to hear her cry for the first time. I had given birth to a 9 lb 9 oz 21 3/4" long baby girl! After the doctor finished my c-section, the doctor came around and looked at me and said, "There is no way you would have given birth to her without a c-section."

This week my mom has stayed with us. She was a big help and taught us a lot about the practical side of being parents. She has also spoiled Kayden already. AND...we have been teasing her about being Kayden's personal poparrazi. If you're on facebook, check out ALL the pictures of her. :)

Now, a week later, I am so totally in love with this little girl. Kevin and I are praying daily that the 2 of us can raise her to love and fear the Lord. We pray that the Lord will work in her heart and that she will come to know him at an early age. We pray for our family and friends who surround her and who love on her that they will be the influences on her that she will learn from them about the love of the Lord and how to treat others.

And yes, I will be one of those moms who will constantly be blogging about the cute things that she does and post all kinds of pictures. :)

Enjoy! Here are a some of pictures of her.

30 minutes after she was born, she found her fingers right away.

She loves sleeping on Daddy or Mommy's chest.

Going home day! This is the same outfit that I wore home when I was born.