3 Men and a Little Lady!: A Girl is Born!

Yes, it's official. We are no longer just a family of little boys. There are little pink outfits in the laundry basket now and pink blankets strewn about the house. Aubrynne Kate finally decided to make her appearance on October 5 and 3:28am. She weighed 7 pounds exactly, and was 19 and 3/4 inches long (for those of you that originally heard 21 inches, the nurses at the hospital measured wrong!). In the typical fashion of any female preparing for her debut she was more than satisfied to keep her audience waiting! After 9 weeks of bed rest to keep her in, she then refused to come out. Now, honestly, I can't complain because she was born at 38 weeks and 5 days, so I was still more than a week out from my due date. However, all 3 of her brothers made their appearances at 37 weeks or sooner, so by MY standards, she was late! haha

The important thing is that she and I are both healthy and doing well. We did have a bit of a scare with my delivery. When I did go into labor it happened very fast and by the time we got to the hospital I was already at 8 cm. Then my doctor became concerned because my blood pressure began to climb and climb---despite the epidural (I demanded) which normally can cause blood pressure to drop very low. Normal blood pressure readings should be around 120/80. When mine reached 180/120 my doctor insisted on magnesium to prevent seizures and blood pressure medicine. I had to continue to be on the mag for the following 24 hours and was not allowed out of bed at all for the first 16 hours following her delivery. But, my blood pressure dropped into normal ranges shortly after the birth and we are both fine! Aubrynne took to nursing within (literally) 3 seconds and is really beginning to fill out. I've been suffering from a spinal headache for the last week and a half, but that finally seems to be getting a little better. The headache is caused by spinal fluid leaking from the puncture wound created in the dura when a spinal is done. I've always had a regular epidural with the boys and never had a headache afterward, but because I was laboring so quickly I had a spinal (because it works faster) and there is much greater risk for a headache with those. The headache has been kind of miserable, but if I could go back and do it again I would still have the drugs!! LOL

Here's our little lady! :)

Just a few minutes old.

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"Daddy! Don't take my picture when I'm on the SCALE!"

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"Seriously. It's a little cold. Could I get some clothes?!"

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"This hat is not exactly the fashion statement I had in mind!!"

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"Okay, I don't care about my clothes anymore. I'm too tired."

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Big brothers give her the seal of approval (well, 2 of them did. The other one took a little time to warm up!)