Baby Sister has arrived!

During the night I woke up way too many times. When Russ left for work around 5 am I was up again and told him I had a long night. Went back to sleep and woke up just after 6 am. I usually just wake up when the boys all get up, but decided to just get something to eat because I was just feeling weird. I sat down with my bowl of cereal, noticed the time 6:49 am and felt a contraction. Ok, nothing big I think, I’ve been having little contractions for a while now. Another contraction comes, I look at the clock, 6:54 am, now I start to keep track of when they are coming. Every 4 or 5 minutes I’d have another contraction. Russ’ parents are in town, they were staying with Ben & Trina. I decided since the boys were not up yet I’d call to see if they could come over. Then I sent Russ a text just giving him a heads up that I was having regular contractions and his parents were coming over. He text back to remind me how long of a drive he has so did I want him to come home. Text him back 10 minutes later that maybe he should just come home. I took a shower while waiting for Russ’ parents to get there, hoping to relieve some of the pressure…no luck. Rick & April got there as the boys were waking up and I was in more pain. Since they were there I pretty much went to my room to breathe through the contractions without the boys watching and asking tons of questions. Russ hit traffic trying to get home, so his drive took 45 minutes. (Way too long!) We live in Lehi. My doctor only delivers in Provo and Payson. Our insurance is better in Payson. Payson is about 40 miles away from Lehi, Provo 20 miles. In the back of my mind I always thought that if we needed to we could just go to Provo since it was closer. Russ finally gets home, I slowly make my way to his Jeep, trying to time it so I can get in when there is no contraction. I climb up the little foot ledge and have to ask Russ to push me in the rest of the way. By the way, I am getting super hot, so once we got driving in Russ’ Jeep, with no doors on, it was actually so nice to have all that wind blowing on me. Mind you, I look awesome….hair now wind dried, I’m hanging on to the handle thingie over the door frame tight as I can, Russ trying not to hit all the pot holes in the road. At one point I tell Russ to just go to Provo, a few minutes later I said, no I could make it to Payson. When we were almost to Provo Russ says if we are going to Payson that he needs to stop and get gas. Are you kidding me! Decision made, we’re going to Provo. We get to the hospital, Russ starts driving the wrong way in, I saw a parking spot kind of close so I say go there. We can’t park there, there is another spot at the end of the row so I say just take that one. When we parked I told Russ I needed a wheelchair, he starts walking in….I yell at him to run! He runs. Now he is taking too long, I try to get out of the Jeep. When he gets there I’m leaning on the Jeep. He ended up going in the wrong door to physical therapy or something. Him and this older woman come with the wheel chair and get me inside. Finally get to Labor and Delivery, I’m not registered at this hospital yet…remember, I was going to Payson. Get me to a room; the nurse was so awesome, asking me all the registration questions. Someone gets my IV going, they’re trying to get ahold of my doctor, I say yes I want an epidural. The anesthesiologist gets there pretty quick and gets my epidural going. As soon as he was done my doctor walks in, he just got out of doing a surgery. Oh, when I got there I was dilated to a 7. The doctor checks me and the baby is turned face up. He says that is what stopped me from having her sooner. He breaks my water then turns the baby. My epidural is just kicking in so I can still feel everything, but I can breathe. They tell me I’m ready and to push. (With Owen I pushed for over an hour, so I keep thinking I still have a long time to go.) I pushed about 4 times, they tell me to look, and out comes my baby girl! I couldn't believe it all happened so fast! The doctor lifts her up and says that he thinks she weighs 8 lbs. 8 oz. then gives her to the nurse. I tell Russ to go take pictures. (Russ was awesome through it all, letting me crush his hand when I needed something to squeeze and so positive.)

They put her on the scale and all the nurses and Russ and I say how much we think she’ll weigh. She was 8 lbs. 8 oz. just like my doctor thought, and 19 inches long. I couldn’t believe how big she was! My belly really didn’t seem that big, she defiantly took up all the space she could! Then I got to hold her….AMAZING!

I fell in love with that girl right away. We named her Grace Metta Wheeler. I like to say that with our boys we needed a little Grace to our family. Metta is Russ’ mom’s mom and she is wonderful, love her too. So Miss Grace came right on her due date just like she was supposed to I guess. It is always nice for the reminder that Heavenly Father hears my prayers and knows my desires as well. The boys all love her and love to hold her.

Right now she is mostly called baby sister. I think we are all excited for this new adventure in our family.