I only thought that I was emotional before!

I never knew that I could have so many good emotions running through my mind! I am so happy now. My family is complete and pretty soon my whole life will be complete. This is one of the best weeks that I have ever had.

It started off wonderfully with the birth of our final little princess, Jessica Grace. I was so nervous that I didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't even think straight. I had everything packed for the hospital by the time Steve got home from work... So I thought. On the way to the hospital I realized that I had forgotten the orders for my induction! Of all the things for me to forget to pack! Well, I thought I would save time by calling the doctor's office and have them fax it over to the hospital. Yeah right. I waited for over an hour and they never faxed them. I wasn't upset with them though. It wasn't their fault that I didn't have my orders. So, Steve goes to the house and returns within 20 minutes. I turn them into admitting and off to L&D we go. We get back there and the chastise me for being late! LOL I tell them that I had been up front for the past hour and a half and they understand after that. Well, then they tell me that I am going to have to wait until they get a delivery room available and cleaned up because they were full! It wasn't until just after 2 that I was in my delivery room and hooked up to the IV for pitocin. Labor started pretty quick and the contractions got strong really fast. When I was at 3 cm the nurse went ahead and set me me up for the epidural in hopes that it would relax me enough to relax my cervix, too. Which it did. Right after the epidural I was at 4. At about 6 p.m. she came in to check me again and I was about a 5 1/2 to 6. She really wanted me to deliver on her shift, so she decided that my water would "spontaneously" break while she was checking me. I was laughing so hard because it was like the flood gates opened and it wouldn't stop! She was like "It's coming... It's still coming..." LOL After my water "broke" I was at a 7. My epidural was starting to wear off so they gave me a little more medicine and asked me to start laying on one side for 15 minutes and then switch. They said that this would hopefully "trick" my body and make me dilate more. By shift change at 8 p.m. I was still at a 7 and I had to say goodbye to the day nurse. Which was fine with me, I LOVE the night nurse, Melissa. She is absolutely wonderful! I can't remember if they upped my pitocin then or not but at 9 p.m. I was at 9 1/2 but my cervix still had a thick "lip", that is what Melissa said. The pressure was UNBELIEVABLE!!! It wasn't really pain, but it was extremely uncomfortable. Thank god I had my dad and Steve there to coach me through it. My dad was sitting in front of me when I was on my right side telling me to breath when the contractions were at their peaks, resting his hand on mine while I was grasping the railing, and rubbing the back of my head. Steve was behind me reassuring me that it would all be over soon, rubbing my back and telling me that it wouldn't be long before we had our beautiful angel in our arms. He was right. By 9:30 I had to push. The pressure was unbearable. They called for the nurse and she called Dr.Spooner. He was there within 5 minutes and we started pushing. My Mawmaw and Steve were in the room with me while everyone waited just outside the door. Dr.Spooner put on his gloves and looks at Steve like what are you doing? He asks, "well, are you going to deliver this one? If so, you need to put on your gloves." So, again, Steve got to deliver our little girl. Three or four sets of pushes and she was out at 9:43 p.m. She is so amazing. Weighing in at 6 lbs 7 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. She has beautiful red hair and looks just like me. You can see just a little bit of Steve, but mainly me. She is so tiny! I bawled like a baby after I had her. Sometimes I just can't take my eyes off of her.

The second thing that I am so happy about is Steve. He has passed his paramedic class and will soon be starting his clinicals. We won't get to see him much, but it will all be worth it when he gets that red patch. I am so proud of him. Finally things are looking up for us.

Tiffany really loves Jessica. She is so excited every single day to help me out and to hold her. The other kids are excited, too. Just not as much as Tiffany. I'm so happy that she isn't jealous. Johnathan doesn't exactly know what to think sometimes, but he is getting used to her being around.

And the final thing that has me beaming ear to ear will probably sound silly to all of you, but my breast milk came in last night. In full force! I have never had that happen before and was starting to think that I wouldn't get even a little in like before. I was able to breastfeed Jessica once in the hospital, but after that it was like nothing would come out. I tried to feed her at the house, but she was getting frustrated like she wasn't getting anything out. I tried massaging them, but nothing. So when I was sitting there watching tv last night I didn't expect my boobs to suddenly start hurting. I felt them and they were engorged! So, now I am both breastfeeding and formula feeding. I am so excited. Now I can be happy about being able to breastfeed and happy that I am not going to leave Steve out of the experience of bonding with Jessica while he feeds her formula.

I have never been so happy. I honestly feel like I have kicked PPD right out of my head. I also feel like myself. During the whole pregnancy I felt like something was off. I finally figured out what it was when Steve and I were in bed the other night. My sex drive. I feel sexy again. Even though I do not have my body back yet, I truely feel sexy.

Now, if my pregnancy brain will just finally go away I will be myself completely again!

So many emotions!

So, tomorrow is the day. At this time tomorrow I will be in labor for my third and final time. Adding our last little bundle of joy to the Pearce clan. I have so many thoughts running through my mind that sleep is a far away dream. I am so excited that I will finally get to meet her and that I will no longer be pregnant, but I am so nervous to see what happens when I get home. I have no idea how Tiffany is going to react having a new baby around. I'm worried about the stress of a new baby. It is a very stressful time and it can take a toll on anyone. I just want things to be ok and for me to be able to cope with everything. The excitement overrides everything else though. I can't wait. I am so ready to get it all over with! I will post soon, to let everyone know how it's going.