Kennedy Shea is born!

Kenna's birth story...I was due on March 19th. We spent the evening of the 14th out to eat with our friends Sam & Heather. We went to an Irish Pub type restaurant, they had really great fries as appetizers, and the rest of the food wasn't that great. My particular meal was fine, fish & chips. All through dinner and the evening I was having very light contractions, and likely more than 10 mins apart, although I wasn't keeping track at all. They were not painful, just slight tightening of the tummy, and they were pretty sporadic. We headed home around 10pm and went to bed around 11. Around 3:30 I woke up with contractions. I walked around the livingroom etc, and they didn't seem to be going away, so I began keeping track. In birthing class, they drill it into your head that first time moms always go to the hospital too soon, and it's false labour initially etc. Since I was a few days early, I thought for sure it was just false labour and was trying the suggested 'tricks' to make it go away. It seemed to be getting a little more painful, so I hopped in the shower. They didn't go away, so I paced some more, and the contractions slowly got closer to 5 mins apart. Once they hit 5 mins, things got a little more painful, so I woke up Brian to tell him I think I am in labour. He muttered something about false labour, told me to wake him when it was time, and went back to sleep. Lol. I didn't mind really, I hadn't woken him up until that point, because I myself thought it might be false labour and I knew he had to work and didn't need to be up all night doing nothing.

I was pretty sure things were happening though, so I started to pack and get everything in the car, got all my papers from birthing class packed (like I needed them at that point!) I was pacing the house and having some pretty strong contractions, around 4:30. It had only been an hour, felt like an eternity...I was walking towards the bathroom and a VERY painful contraction hit me, and caused me to instantly throw up all over the place. And another right away. More barf. So gross. I was never warned extreme sudden pain can do that to you. Now I know. Irish fish & chips are not a good thing to eat before going into labour, I learned. Well, this all happened right outside the bedroom door, so Brian bounced out of bed, yelling at me to get in the bathroom. He was awake now! He graciously took the towels from me and cleaned the mess, and then called the midwife. She said to meet us there at 5:30. As soon as he got off the phone, it was about 4:45, and I was ready to go! He was puttering around the house, I'm like COME ON! He said "there is no one there, we have to wait until 5:30", I said, "it's a hospital SOMEBODY is there!", but there was no persuading him. We finally got in the car at 5:20 and headed out. The midwifery center is only 2 miles from our house. We got in the car and pulled out, then he pulled up beside his truck and started to get out of the car..."What are you doing?", "I need to get my watch" he says. "WE DON'T NEED IT NOW!" I half yelled. "Just go!".

The contractions were so painful, and I was thinking...great, this is going to get worse and worse...I'm likely only 3cm or so...I don't know if I can handle this! Again, they drill it into your head that first time labour is long and hard...be prepared for 12 hours...so I was prepared for 12 hours, and wondering how I could do it! We arrived at the hospital and much to my joy, I was 8cm. 8cm? Wow, that's almost done. This is a breeze! They hooked up my IV (group B strep negative), and I was allowed to chill out in the hot tub for awhile. The water felt amazing! It cuts the pain in half, I think almost literally. It's so great. So then, when they determined it was time to push I got up on the bed for the delivery. I pushed for about an hour or so (she was posterior), and there she was! A beautiful little girl with a cone head! Brian cut the cord, even though he had said before hand that he didn't want to:-) He didn't really have a choice, the midwife just kinda made him do it:-)

Kennedy Shea was born at 7:51am, (hospital time...she was actually born at 7:45, trust me, I was watching that clock!, but by the time they got all organized and looked up at the clock, they declared it to be 7:51...whatever:-). She was 7lbs 12oz and 19.5inches long. We were instantly in love! Brian had gone to the car to get the camera (oops!) about 10 mins before she was born, and called our friends Josh & Mel while he was out there. They arrived at the midwifery center 'waiting room' in time to hear a little baby's first cry. After they did all those first checks on baby in my room, they took her off to the nursery for shots, bloodwork, hearing tests, etc. Brian went with the baby (couldn't bear to leave her, totally glad he went), and I was glad to have Mel there for company, as they were gone a long time! Likely around an hour, but it felt like longer to me, I just wanted to see her again! So all in all, a very short labour...less than 5 hours from beginning to end. I was very glad I was able to put up with it all at home. Also very glad the pain didn't get any worse, as I was expecting it to!

A beautiful girl. Wrapped in her snuggli blanket with stay-put velco tabs (love it!), from Sharla Cotton.


Tons of black hair!

Right after birth, getting her "tagged" and weighed and all that. They did have to give her a couple puffs of oxygen right after birth, as her colour wasn't quite right. She pinked up right away.

Big cone head!

Proud Daddy's first picture with his baby girl. She stole our hearts from the very first second!