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hey everyone! - birth story - LONG
wow, feels like i've been gone for a LONG time...but i'm loving being a mommy!
i know that TJ and Stellar kept everyone very informed about my birthstory, so i'll try to stick to details that may have gone un-announced 
my water broke thursday around 9pm as i was grocery shopping for the fundraiser i had on friday. obviously i didn't make it to that!
i got home a little before 10pm and told tj my water broke. we were so unprepared - hadn't packed our bag and TJ even had dinner set and on the table! we ate then packed our bag and headed to the hospital and they admitted us.
friday morning at 6am they started the pitocin...i was 2cm. my family was there and TJ's was on their way...we played games and hung out, i didn't have any real labor pains though i was technically in labor.
friday night at 8pm, the nurse came to me and TJ and said that we either had to have a c section to get the baby out within 24 hours of my water breaking otherwise my baby would have to go to the NICU for at least 3 days and as many as 10 days because there is risk of infection at that point.
i was so upset and really didn't want a c section...but i also REALLY wanted to breast feed and was afraid that if i didn't get my baby right away, i would never get my milk to come in. the doctor recommended waiting and not having the c section, so we decided to keep on "pushing". saturday morning i was at 4 cm, and they thought things would start moving...they gave me the epideral and we waited. 6 hours later, i was still at 4cm, so they told me they had to do the c section.
i hated the C....i hated the operating room, being strapped down and not able to know what was going on. but it was over really quickly...when TJ told me "its a josephine!!" i lost it, i was bawling, i couldn't believe it! i had convinced myself it was a boy.
they showed me Josie for a second and then she was off to the NICU. that was so sad too...i couldn't see her for at least 24 hours (i'm still not sure why that was). TJ and everyone else could see her (2 at at time) and they brought pictures but i was dying to see her.
finally i got to see her and she had been bottle feeding and using a pacifier so breast feeding didn't start well, but i think we are close to being completely BF now! still a work in progress though.
the nurses in the NICU were phenomenal. it takes a special kind of person to work in there with those little babies, and the whole place was cheering when Josie was discharged on Tuesday.
i'm so in love! she is amazing, i could just sit and stare at her for hours. TJ has been a huge, supportive help, especially with respect to the BF. i probably would have just given in and used the bottle, especially for those middle of the night screaming fits, but we stuck with it and we are both doing great now.
thanks for all the thoughts, prayers and kind words. you girls are amazing! i felt like you were all there with me!
Re: hey everyone! - birth story - LONG
Sorry it didn't work out quite the way you planned but in the end she's happy and healthy so that's what's really important.
Josie is absolutely beautiful and you guys are going to be fantastic parents!
Jen we missed you! And thank TJ for putting up with all of us creepers stalking his page
Josie is beautiful! Now take down that ticker and put up a pic of the little munchkin!!
Ahaha we were all watching and waiting when Stellar announced you were in labor, even my DH was asking if you had her yet
Oh Jen! I am so so so happy for you!
Enjoy your baby girl, even with crying fits and everything! She will change so fast!
Glad to hear BFing is going well. Kudos to TJ for sticking by you and helping you out!
Josie is beautiful! I love her name!
The pic of you smiling up at Josie from the operating room is awesome. just freaking awesome!
Can't wait to see more pics of her and please please please let us know if there is anything we can do for you! Sleep when you can and it's okay to cry!
Awwwww, Jen! So glad to hear from you and hear your birth story. What an amazing past week that you have had, and TJ did a great job letting us know updates on facebook. He became friends with all of the girls here...so hilarious!!!
Just wanted to wish you all the best, get some rest, TLC, maybe start drinking caffeine again or wine soon enough, and lots of kisses and hugs to your beautiful little girl. I was totally wrong about her, being a boy - dang it!!!! But she's just perfect!
I'm crying reading this. I know exactly how you felt. I knew Dex was on the way to the NICU after birth too and it was hard to not be with him for those three days. I am so happy that Bfing is going great for you. It's not easy for most mommies not to mention dealing with the NICU fiasco. Soooo happy that it's going well and that mommihood is awesome!
Keep the pictures coming! She's gorgeous!
Congrats Jen! Love the name...that was my grandmother's name! Sorry about the c-section...after 24 hours of labor, I had one too. Not the ideal thing, but as long as everyone's healthy...glad BFing is going well for you!
When Josie's older, she and Camy must have a playdate!
Camryn Grace ~ July 6th, 2009 ~ 7lbs 9oz, 20.5"
Brayden Richard Drew ~ December 20, 2010~7lbs 9oz, 20"
Congratulations! I know it had to be a crazy couple of day! I happy to hear you and the baby are doing good!
excuse me, but... OMGGGGGGGGGG!!!!! JEN, YOU'RE A MOM!!!!
craziness! josie is so adorable. i'm sorry your delivery didn't go as planned.
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My managers new little granddaughter got stuck in nicu for 10 days on antibiotics for that same reason.. she wasn't born till after 24 hours after the water broke. This was just a week or two before you went into labor. I never knew that till then!
If you ever find out why you weren't able to see her for 24 hours and other people were, please do tell! I'm super curious about that!
I always knew you had a good husband but when you were in labor, I KNEW you had a PHENOMENAL husband. He's so funny, supportive, and genuine. His updates were awesome. I was at the dentist on Saturday morning and in between treatments I kept checking my FB and saw that you had Josie. I told my dentist and her assistant all about you and what you had been going through. When it came out that I had actually never met you, they were stunned. Some people will never understand the relationship we have here.
Congrats again, Jen. I know you are an amazing mommy. I'm so happy for you!