Some more pictures of our lovely Laela

Thanks so much to everyone for their sweet comments, calls and emails. Having a new baby in your home really brings out a lot of great emotions and one of the biggest I have felt is the love from our family and friends. I have always felt that Brad and I are really blessed with great friends who really care and love us and we both have unbelievable families too. Thanks for all your love and support and also your prayers. As Brad mentioned, the prayers worked. Having a baby is a miracle in and of itself but it is also a miracle that I have been able to have three healthy babies without complications and I know that is because of our Heavenly Father's hand. I feel so blessed.
The girls have been really sweet with Laela. They really love her. This transition has been a lot easier then it was bringing Alex home. Actually it has been the easiest of all of them so far. I like this three year gap. Not that it has been perfect. We have had our share of meltdowns and attention wanting but overall it has been good. It helps that Laela has been really easy so far. She sleeps most of the time and has slept well at night which has helped with my recovery. I pray that lasts!
Now here is what you all really want...pictures.

This is in the hospital on getting ready to take her home.
What proud big sisters.

They were really excited to introduce her to her room.

They want to hold her any chance they get. It is kind of hard when they both have runny noses and coughs but I guess it is just going to make Laela tough. I couldn't imagine not letting them get to know their little sis.

She loves the guitar already. I love that Brad can play for his girls. I am sure that Brad playing to them will always be one of their favorite things.

She loves to curl up into a little ball.

This is my favorite picture. Brad sure is smitten by this one. It is a good thing I have to nurse her otherwise I am not sure I would get to hold her much.

And now the birthing story...
This was the hardest labor of the three for sure! For some reason I had it in my mind that each one would just get easier which was kind of the case with Ayden and Alex except that pushing was a little harder with Alex just because she was bigger and slightly turned. This one was harder in every way except that the whole thing only took 6 hours instead of 12 and 8. We got to the hospital at 6 am and was dilated to a 1 1/2. After a bunch of blood work the pitocin was hooked up at 7 and at about 7:10 my doctor came in and broke my water. Contractions started but were not bad enough to breath through until around 9 when I was dilated to a 3. They were hurting but I was still smiling in between. By 10:30 and 4 cm dilated I was really feeling it and no longer smiling. I had back labor with both ayden and alex but this back labor was different and unbearable. I labored at a 4 for 1 1/2 hours. Things got excruciating around 12:00 when transition began and the contractions got longer and stronger with less then a minute in between. The back labor was terrible and I didn't know how much more I could handle. My nurse told me that it was so horrible because Laela was posterior (which was kind of discussed the whole time) so we did a number of labor positions that are supposed to help correct it. It didn't do anything but cause more pain. She checked me at 12:15 and I was dilated to a 7. At 12:35 I was an 8. My doctor was called and when he got their 10 minutes later I was no longer progressing and my nurse said I was at a worse 8 then 10 minutes previously (whatever that means). Afraid all progress was going to stop my doctor decided to turn her and get her out. This is where it got really bad. Lets just say I felt like I was being torn apart. By the time he was finished turning her he said I could push and get her out. In both my other labors I got the "urge to push" which I now know helps make pushing not so bad because you are relieving that urge. I didn't get an urge this time so pushing was a lot harder and more painful then previous labors. I understand why people don't like the pushing part now. I didn't really get it before. Luckily it only took 2 or 3 contractions to get her out at 1:08 pm. The relief I felt as they handed her to me was amazing. It is so unbelievable how fast the pain stops and the adrenaline kicks in and the joy of holding your healthy baby takes over. It is the one part of labor that makes me want to do it again. Even though it was painful looking back I can see that it could have been worse. It could have ended in a c-section after all of that which would have been bad for me and I would have had to be completely under. We are lucky her heart rate didn't drop during it and that she turned and stayed and that she didn't go into distress. I am so grateful for Brad and what a great birthing partner he is. I know it isn't easy for him to see me in so much pain. The screaming was certainly not at a minimum this time. Brad stayed so calm and supportive. I even told him he had bad breath at one point as he tried to kiss me on the head. Poor guy (but I don't think we can be held accountable for what we say during transition, right?). I couldn't imagine going through it without him. Thanks babe, I love you.

(by the way I would never know all these times and numbers except that Brad took detailed notes of everything that went on. Some I am glad about but others not so much like the fact that I told the lab guy that he sucked at drawing blood)