Many of you know that I was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday the 25th of November at 9:00 p.m. to be induced into labor. Well we got there and spent the night. And the next morning my Doctor Dixie Rassmussen came in and checked on me and said that i was going to be transfered into the labor room she told me that i could be in labor for two days and to not get to anxious. So i didn't, i was just trying to be patient!! They transfered me into the other room and started me on pitosin, every hour or so they would up the dosage so that i would contract stronger. Around 4 on the 26th my contractions were getting very strong so i asked for the epidural. it seemed like it to him forever to get there but finally he gave me the epidural and I was so much more relaxed... however it slowed the process down quite a bit. Well the pitosin was still at a pretty high stage and they found out that Tessa wasn't responding well. Every time I would contract her heart rate would slow down, thus making it very likely that they would have to do a c-section. But first they wanted to take me off the pitosin to see how Tessa would respond to my contractions. So i was on my own, well me and the epidural. I slept a little through the night until i heard the mommy across the hall having her baby and i couldn't help but listen to her and all that was going on there.I was dilating one every three hours or so. It was a long night but i was progressing. And Tessa was doing much better without the pitosin. Finally around 6:00 in the morning Dixie came in and informed me i was at a 9 and we could start pushing soon. She also told me that i could be pushing for an hour or i could be pushing for 3 hours. I was stunned but what can you do. Tessa was defiantly the captain at this point. So 8:30 came on Thanksgiving morning and Dixie, Nurse Lori, Devin, my mom and I were ready to sail under the direction of captain Tessa. It wasn't exactly smooth sailing... after an hour or two my epidural had worn off so that i could know when to push and i could feel what exactly was going on. " Okay Elle," Dixie said at 11:00, "i'm going to let you push till 11:30 and then if we are still in this same stage i'm going to have to help you out a little more". I was ready i was all about getting her out and determined to do so. By this time Tessa had been in the birth canal for 3 hours and we needed to get that little one here. Dixie ordered the epidural aging and i began to push AGAIN only this time I was not going to stop until that baby was out. And i didn't... with the help of the episiotomy, the epidural was being injected at the exact same time so it was almost like i didn't feel the episiotomy. SHE FINALLY CAME FLYING OUT!!! 8 pounds and 20 1/2 inches long. What a neat experience. I have never felt so relieved, happy, exhausted, loved, in love, proud, frustrated, annoyed, scared all in one and in a days time in my entire life I had been in labor for the longest amount of time Dixie explained and i was pushing for the longest amount of time also. 32 hours all together so I was so happy to finally have that baby that everyone has been waiting so long to get. She is the most beautiful thing i have ever seen or imagined and i am so grateful to all the people who helped me get her here. Thanks for all the prayers and all the visitors who were concerned. We are so happy to finally be home and we are so grateful for our happy healthy baby! Tessa Ray Woolsey!!* Here are some pictures of her beautiful face. We just love her!
