It's a Girl!!

I can't believe it! We have a baby girl! Brynnli Linnea Evans made her big debut on Tuesday, September 23 at 3:29 pm. We feel so blessed and happy to have her here happy and healthy. Here's her birth story:

My hopes of going into labor on my own didn't happen, so I had to be induced. We had to be to the hospital at 6:30 in the morning. Once we arrived they got me into the room and all comfortable. 

About 9:00 I got started on pitocin to get my contractions started. The contractions were painful, but not that uncomfortable. I was the most nervous for the IV. My nurse, Lisa, put the IV in, but it was hurting my hand, so they had to have the anesthesiologist come in to put in another line while he was doing my epidural. About 10:00 I got the epidural and then we just waited. Tyler is really the best husband and tried to keep me entertained through the waiting game. We watched tv briefly and talked about random things. He also waited on me and got me lots of icees!  At this point, I was only dilated to maybe a 4, so we knew it would be a while. I look so happy because the two worst parts of the labor and delivery part (in my mind) were over: the IV and the epidural.

About noon Tyler decided to walk around and grab some lunch, and while he was gone another doctor came in to break my water. Then the nurse had me lay on my side for 30 minutes, then switch and lay on the other side for 30 minutes, which she said would help the baby to move down the birth canal. Well this helped tremendously because after an hour I was starting to feel like the baby was ready to come out. The nurse came to check on me and said that I was at a 10 and ready to push, so she went to call Dr. Burgett. Tyler and I were pretty excited at this point. It all started to become real. I couldn't wait to find out the gender and see and hold our baby for the first time.

As each nurse and doctor came in, we would have them guess the gender and wrote it down on the white board. There were three of us who thought it would be a boy (me included), and four people who thought it would be a girl (Tyler included). 

I started to feel the urge to push and I could tell the baby was so close. I really started to panic when we heard Dr. Burgett would still be another 45 minutes before he could get there to deliver. The anesthesiologist came back to give me more pain medicine which would help me not feel the urge to push. Finally Dr. Burgett arrived and it was go time! I pushed for the first round and then had to take a breather. The baby's head was partially out and Dr. Burgett said it had a lot of hair. I remember laughing in the middle of pushing because Dr. Burgett started styling the baby's hair and giving it a mow hawk. The next contraction started and I pushed as hard as I could. The baby came out and Dr. Burgett told the nurses not to look. He turned the baby around and asked us what it was. At 3:29 p.m. our adorable baby girl, Brynnli Linnea, was here!

I really can't explain in words what it was like when I found out it was a girl. It was so exhilarating to finally see our baby, and she was so cute, but to realize it was a girl was so surreal. I remember staring at her, and realizing, then I think I said, "It's a girl?" and started crying. I just looked at Tyler and we were both crying. It was really one of the best experiences I have ever had. This is the most unflattering picture of me, but it was the best moment when they put her on my chest and Tyler got to cut her umbilical cord.

The nurse took Brynnli to the other side of the room to check her vitals while Dr. Burgett finished taking care of me. I remember looking over at Tyler and asking him if "it" was okay. Dr. Burgett started laughing and said we could start calling "it" a "she." It was hard to break that habit after 9 months of saying, "it". :)

The pediatric nurse (who's name was ironically Bryn), said she was doing really well. Brynnli's official weight and length was 8 lbs, 6.5 oz and 20 inches long.

They got her all wrapped up and Tyler brought her back to me. I remember crying really hard, and Tyler asked me what was wrong, and all I could say was, "I'm just so happy!"

 I realized I couldn't hog her the whole time, so Tyler got to hold her. She already has Daddy wrapped around her finger!

 This was my nurse, Lisa. Seriously, the best nurse ever. She really made our experience the best of all of the three babies.

They took Brynnli to get her vitals and first bath, and I got settled into my recovery room. Tyler went with Brynnli and got her first pictures. 

 Obviously she did not love this part.

 She is so tiny, but in these pictures, she looks like quite the chunk!

After a few hours, Makayla and Caden got to finally meet their new sister. I have never seen anything so cute as when Makayla and Caden came in the room. They were so excited and screaming. 

 We told them they had a new baby sister, and they were both so excited! They had been to the store and picked out gifts for their new sibling.

 Caden was so excited to give his sister his gifts.

 And Makayla just wanted to touch and hold her.

This is our first picture as a family of five. This might be one of my favorite moments because we were finally all together.

 I still can't believe I have two girls!

We told people we wouldn't tell them the gender until they came to the hospital. It was so fun to see everyone's reaction when they found out it was a girl. We have such a supportive family and had so many visitors that night. 

Terry and Craig watched the kids for us, so they were there first. Brynnli and Grandpa Craig share the same birthday, so Craig was especially excited.

My  mom and dad came next. When they found out Brynnli was a girl, they said they had the feeling it was a girl all along. 

Aunt Tracy came to visit.

 And Darren and Meg came later that night.

 We tried to convince Darren he needed to have another baby and thought that making him hold her would do the trick... I don't think it worked.

 Doesn't she look beautiful?

Everyone left for the night and Brynnli and I had our first night together. She was up every hour or so and would only sleep if I was holding her. Let's just say that between Brynnli and the nurse checking on me every few hours, I didn't get much sleep. 

The next day Dr. Burgett came to check on me and he asked how I was doing. I told him jokingly that I was ready to go home and he said okay. He said I was doing fine, and it was an uncomplicated delivery, so pending the baby being discharged, I was free to go home. I was so excited. I called Tyler and told him all his plans had to change because we were going home that day. 

Tyler and the kids stopped by a while later and everyone couldn't wait to hold Brynnli again. Both kids are seriously so cute with her.

The kids were getting slightly restless in our small, confined hospital room, so we loaded them up with cookies and icees. That really helped their restlessness.

We had to wait until Brynnli was at least 24 hours old before they would release her, so Tyler and I had lunch together. Great Grandma and Grandpa Evans and Karen stopped by to visit.

We finally got the okay to go home. We got our cutie all loaded up in her car seat and headed home!

Once we got home Brynnli wanted to give Makayla and Caden their present. 

Caden got new legos

And Makayla got a new baby to take care of, just like Mommy's

Makayla was so cute with her new baby and wanted to hold her baby just like Mommy.

Tyler gave me a necklace that has Brynnli's birth stone in it to match the ones I have for the other kids. Now my necklace is complete!

Later that night we had more family visit at our house.

Kenzee and Brynnli are only 8 months apart. Kenzee wanted to touch Brynnli, but got scared when she started screaming. I think these two will be cute little friends when they get older.

Two proud dads!

In the days that followed, Brynnli has been spoiled with gifts from friends and family.

I don't think she has spent much time alone because someone always wants to hold her.

I am still in disbelief, even after a few days of her in our family, that we have a beautiful daughter! We feel so lucky and blessed to have her in our crazy family. I worried before she was born how she would fit into our family, but I have been amazed how quickly we fell in love with her. Now I seriously don't know what we did without her. Brynnli is the perfect baby and I am so glad our family is finally all together.