And then there were 4

3:11 am.

July 19, 2010.

I woke up and and had to go to the bathroom (nothing new there). After laying back down I had a contraction (nothing new there, either). Hmmm...it hurt a little more than usual. Layed there some more, had another, and another in what seemed like a pretty short amount of time. I turned on the light and tried not to get my hopes up. I was so ready to meet this baby. Even though I was still 3 days from my due date I felt almost 3 weeks overdue since Olive was born early.

I started timing the contractions. They were 3-4 minutes apart and lasting a consistent 54 seconds each time. Maybe this was something! I timed for an hour and the consistency continued.

At 5:25 am I woke Sam up, told him I was pretty sure it was time. I still wasn't positive - this is what happens to a woman who has contractions constantly starting at 20 weeks! I was hoping for some concrete evidence that this was it - water breaking would have been nice!

Sam showered, I called my OB to fill her in. She said I should come in soon, since things could happen quickly. Called my parents at about 6 am. Sam and I packed up our bags and got organized. My parents arrived by 6:30 and we left for the hospital. I was now pretty sure this was it, the contractions were increasing in intensity and the car ride was pretty uncomfortable.

There is major construction at our hospital and after arriving we wandered a bit trying to find labor and delivery. We stopped for one final preggo shot before heading in:

That is a big belly.

Finally found our way in and filled out some paperwork, talked with the nurse, etc. I have no clue what time it was at this point. At the initial check I was only 2-3 cm dilated but I knew that wasn't indicative of much since I was the same when I went into labor with Olive and she came quickly.

Contractions increased in intensity quickly from this point on and I lost track of people and time. I was focused on getting through them.

I got pain relief sometime around 9:00 I would guess. Then my OB came in and checked me. I was 4 cm. She had a resident with her (it was her very first day and the poor girl was clueless!). So my OB was educating her a bit on how everything worked and what to do. They stayed quite a while, I think I was the only one in labor at the time. She checked me again before leaving the room at 9:45 am and I was a 6. She said she thought it'd be a couple hours and that we'd have a baby by noon. She left and not 5 minutes later I knew it was time to push, the pressure was so intense. I called the nurse and she came back, called my OB back and I was 10 cm and ready to go!

I pushed for about 30 minutes. All was very calm and low key. No bright lights, no panic, no yelling about pushing. Everyone just let me take charge and let them know when I felt like pushing. Everyone was so supportive.

And then...

There she was, suddenly in our world.

10:33 am.

Sam was crying. He doesn't cry. Neither of us cry much, really. I, especially, seem to have some block to crying at my own big events. I cry easily at other people's weddings, or watching television shows about babies being born. But during my own big experiences? I often don't cry.

But seeing Sam see his daughter, and taking that in together.

Wow.

She was here. Mae had arrived and made us parents again. We made her. And she was here.

Mae was checked over under the warmer to make sure her breathing was OK after finding meconium in the amniotic fluid. She was fine. She was whisked over to us very quickly. Our second sweet girl, looking much like her sister did as a newborn. She opened her eyes and drank us in.

Love. In love. All of us.

And then my girl walked in the door, not 10 minutes after her sister's birth. I saw her peek around the curtain.

Pink dress.

Pigtails.

Miss O.

She walked over shyly and Sam picked her up.

I saw her see her sister for the first time.

I saw them meet.

These girls. My girls. They'll have one another for a lifetime.

And I saw them meet.

This is a gift.

There will be hard days for us all. 2 is a challenge, a readjustment. A new way of life.

But the benefits to us all are many.

They have one another.

Sisters.

Siblings.

Friends.

Something I can't imagine living without.

We have one another.

Children.

Daughters.

A family.

This is a gift.

They are our gift.

Welcome to the world, sweet baby Mae.