Troubles & Triumphs of a Growing Family: Bristol Marie Watkins makes her arrival!!

On Friday December 20th I came home from school hoping to go into labor since it was the last day school and winter break was starting. I starting having "cramps" around 6:00 but was thinking it was just gas so I ignored and didn't think much of it. I continued the evening as usual. I picked the boys up from their mothers and made dinner. The "cramps" continued and I started to think..well maybe they are something more but I still said nothing to anybody because I still wasn't sure. Carter came to spend the night with the boys and Carrie jokingly said to me, if you go into labor call me! I thought to myself that I just might have to! The "cramps" continued throughout the evening and when Derek got up to go to work I told him I thought they might be contractions. He went to work at 11 and I went to bed hoping to get some sleep, especially if labor was starting. I woke up from the "cramps" around 2am, still not convinced they were contractions I decided to try and time them and see if they were consistent...well low and behold they were! They were about 7 - 8 minutes apart and lasted about a minute each. So I called Derek and told him that I thought it was labor but that I was going to wait a while longer...so I laid in bed texting him back and forth for about an hour. I decided around 3:30 that I should probably get up and start packing a bag since the contractions were now 5 minutes apart. I slowly packed a bag and got a shower. I came out into the living room to lay in the recliner and try to relax a little. I dozed off between contractions once in a while but was awoken by strong contractions about 5:30 am. I called Derek and he came right home. I called my mom to come sit with the kids and we headed over to the hospital around 6:30 am.

They took me into an exam room and checked to see if I was dilating an to monitor the baby's heartbeat. They checked me and I was already 7 cm and the baby's heart rate was perfect! I was super excited that I was that far already and had done most of the laboring at home on my own! They asked if I wanted an epidural and I told them I wanted to hold off to see how fast I progressed. So in an hour I had them check me again and I was 10 cm! I told them I wanted to start pushing. At this point there was no turning back as far as pain medication went. I was excited to be doing it on my own but definitely had a few moments of complete panic that there was NO way this baby was coming out of me without something to help me! Derek, the nurses, and doctor were all very supportive in encouraging me to keep going and push through. An hour later at 8:52 am Bristol Marie was born! She weighed 8 pounds 7 ounces (same as Brooklyn) and was 21 inches long (one inch longer than Brooklyn). She had a full head of dark hair and a great set of lungs! She was perfect! This little girl once again showed me the true meaning of love and proved to me that my love could grow for even more children in my life.

Sucking her fingers <3

Making eye contact for the first time :)

Not happy to be out of momma's arms.

Bristol passed all of her tests with flying colors and was in perfect health. She did have to hang out in the warmer for a while because her body temperature kept dropping but once she got up to temp she was good to go! We had lots of visitors from family and friends that evening and the next day. Bristol's first visitors were Nana and big brother Zachary! The boys and Brooklyn all came that night to meet their little sister. The boys all took turns holding her and of course Brooklyn just wanted to run around the room like a crazy girl.

First feeding...the Christmas hat was knitted by a group of ladies that donates them to the hospital for all the new babies! How sweet!!

Daddy holding his new little girl for the first time.

Brooklyn meeting her little sister...she wasn't so sure what to do and just wanted to pull her hat off lol

Zachy holding Bristol for the first time

The boys with their new sister...Brooklyn was off running wild in the halls with Poppa

Dylan holding Bristol for the first time

We had a rough first night in the hospital. Poor Bristol was getting used to the outside world and was not a fan at all. She cried all night unless she was in my arms so it was a very restless night for both of us. The next day she passed her hearing test and all her blood work came back good so they let us go home! Daddy, Brooklyn, and Zach came to take us home! And of course I had to have both girls in matching outfits to leave the hospital :)