The Deardurff Family: July 29, 2012 HAPPY BIRTHDAY Giada

On Friday, July 27 Brian and I went to my cousin's wedding reception. I was feeling good and had a few contractions while at the reception. My family kept trying to get me on the dance floor to dance Miss Giada out. The contractions faded out as we got settled back at home.

On Saturday, July 28 Brian and I decided to spend a few hours in the pool. We went to my Mom and Charlie's house and spent a few hours soaking up the sun in the pool. Then we went to my Dad and Tammy's to get some fresh vegetables from the garden for dinner. We visited for a while then came home, cooked, and ate dinner. I again started having some contractions they were regular enough that we started timing them and they were on average about 15 minutes apart. About 11:00pm we decided to go to bed and that if this was the real deal the contractions would wake me up.

3:00am Sunday, July 29 I woke up to harder contractions. I got up and walked around the house a little bit. I couldn't stay in bed because they were very uncomfortable and I knew if this was the real deal walking would help things pick up a bit. They continued for about 2-3 hours when I decided I needed to take a shower and shave my legs because this was most likely D-day (delivery day). By 8:00am they were growing increasingly intense, were about 7-8 minutes apart, and had increased from lasting 30 seconds to now 60 seconds. Brian was still asleep at the his point. I didn't want to wake him up until I knew we were headed to the hospital. I called the doctor, left a message with the answering service, and waited for a call back. She called me back, asked me what was going on, and said, "Okay, well head on in to the hospital and we'll check you out." Brian woke up as I was on the phone. He said, "What's up?" And I said, "We're going to the hospital!" He said, with big, wide eyes, "Can I take a shower first?" So he jumped in the shower and I grabbed a few more last minute things for our hospital bag. We both loved on Wrigley and told him we were likely going to bring his sister home the next time we saw him.

The pain intensified on our ride to the hospital and Brian did not like seeing me in pain and not being able to do anything about it. We got checked into the hospital about 9 or 9:30. They hooked me up to the monitors and said I was about the same as what I was at my doctor's appointment the Wed. prior (2cm and 80%). Our triage nurse, Nikki Motz, was INCREDIBLE. Her children go to my school and she was wonderful to us. At 11:30 I was pretty much 100%, but still at 2cm. She suggested we walk for a bit around the inside of the hospital. We walked for an hour, stopping with each contraction to sway hips and try to breath through them. At 12:35 were back in our triage room in A LOT of pain. They wouldn't admit me until I made some change, but also weren't sending me home because they knew I was in labor. At this point I was thinking, how can I be in this much pain and it not being doing anything?!? Nikki gave me a shot of pain meds to try to take the edge off but it did nothing! FINALLY, at about 2:30 Nikki checked me and said, "You're about 3-4cm!" We were so relieved because I was absolutely miserable. Nikki called ahead and ordered my epidural to be waiting on me when I got to my labor and delivery room. She got my IV in right away, had the bag of fluid wide open to get me hydrated, and drew my blood quickly for lab work. Once I got to 3-4cm the contractions got even worse and were 1 minute apart. I had zero relief in between. Somehow I got in a wheelchair and we headed to our labor and delivery room. They said I had to get at least 1 bag of fluid and the results of my blood work back before I could get my epidural. Brian started calling our parents to let them know to head to the hospital and while he was on the phone with my step-mom Tammy I was literally screaming in the background. The nurses gave me some pain meds through my IV to help before I got the epidural. At the point I was 5-6cm. FINALLY, about 3:30 or 4:00 Dr. Miller arrived with my epidural. That man is AMAZING! He was quick and I got instant relief. I could still feel and move my legs, but the pain was gone. It went from feeling like 1,000 knives were stabbing me and twisting inside me to someone patting my belly. After the epidural things were GREAT! I could relax and carry on a conversation. By 7:00 I was fully dilated and ready to push. Brian had one leg and our nurse had the other. We started pushing. Brian was amazed that it was just me, him, and one nurse. He finally said, so the doctor really only comes in right at the end? Our nurse laughed and said, "Yes, I'll call for them when we get close." At 8:40pm Miss Giada Mae Deardurff was born! Brian cut the cord and she was put directly onto my chest. She stayed there while the doctor finished up and then had her first feeding before being weighed and measured. She was 7 pounds 7 ounces and 20 inches long. She had all 10 fingers and 10 toes and was healthy! God blessed up beyond our understanding; she is perfect!

We had Mamaw, Papaw, Nana, Auntie Crystal, Uncle Drew, and Great Uncle Mike that got to meet Giada the night she was born. We had many more visitors over the next 2 days. We came home Tuesday afternoon and had visitors off and on. Grandma Debbie came in town on Friday to spend the weekend.

Giada had a bit of jaundice and had to be on a lamp Wed.-Sun. Today she is one week old and is back up to her birth weight. She is such a good baby. We are so in love.