Tessa's birth story...

getting ready to leave for the hospital.
waiting for the nurse to come get us.

waiting for the surgery to start.

Tessa's first picture.

sucking out extra fluid.

weighing Tessa 8lbs 6oz

her first kiss from mommy.

my point of view in the recovery room.

me freezing in the recovery room.

Tessa's first bath.

waiting to see the Dr.

doesn't she look HUGE?!

finally getting to hold my baby after 6 long hours!

isn't she beautiful??

family picture (I wish Dublin was able to be there).

Daddy and daughter.

Tessa getting her footprints taken

(she is just way too cute!!)

daddy holding her feet.

Beautiful!!

Adorable!!

Grandma Challman and Tessa.

Finally going home!!!

Okay so I know it's been over a week and I'm just now getting around to blogging about Tessa but I'm a new mommy and I haven't had very much time to just sit around and blog.

On Monday January 11, 2010 we were scheduled to have our c-section at 7:30 am but we had to be there to check in at 5:30 am. Which meant that I had to wake up at 4:00 am to shower and get ready for the big day, Steve woke up 10 mins before we left. (It must be so hard to be a boy and be able to get ready in nanoseconds.) After getting to the hospital and checking in the waiting began, we sat and waited for what seemed like forever! Every time I saw someone come in I got so nervous that they were gonna take my spot in the O.R. and I was gonna have to sit and wait even longer, luckily that didn't happen. Gretchen, my nurse, came and got me around 6:30 and sent Steve to go get some breakfast (which I didn't want to hear since I couldn't eat or drink) and she got started on prepping me for surgery. I got into my sexy hospital gown and hooked up to all sorts of monitors and IV's while the anesthesiologist came to talk to me and have me sign my life away :)

After that the nurses wheeled me into the O.R. where I met all the Doctors and nurses and got my spinal and then I felt nothing, except my upper body was freezing so they gave me heated blankets so I'd stop shaking. After a few mins Steve came into the O.R. dressed in his scrubs and mask and we spent a few moments finalizing our guesses about how big see would be. Steve and I both guessed 8lbs 6oz but then he changed it because he didn't want the same guess as me, so I ended up being the only one who guessed it right! They started the c-section at 8:01 am and after a few mins of tugging and a little pressure I heard them announce she was here. It took her a few seconds to cry and when she finally did it was this little tiny whimper, she is definitely not a crier.

When they took her to the warming station all I could see was the back of her head and I was shocked that she had dark hair! After the nurses did a quick clean up they brought her to me so I could see her and give her a kiss, then Steve and her went into the recovery room to wait for me while the Dr. finished everything up. It wasn't very long before I was able to go to recovery and see my baby again, but when I got there she had nurses surrounding her and checking on her breathing, the nurse said she wasn't doing as well as she should be doing and they needed to check her out. I wasn't really worried about it until the NICU nurse came into talk to us and they put her in that little plastic box that you can only reach your arms into to touch them. It was really sad to see her in there so I sent Steve with her to make sure she was okay.

While they were in the nursery I got checked into my room and waited for my still unnamed baby girl to come see me. By this time my parents showed up and were waiting with me, it didn't take long before Steve came back and told us that they thought everything was fine, she was just having a hard time getting all the fluid out of her lungs and just had to wait on the pediatrician to release her from the nursery. Six hours after she was born she finally got to come in the room with us and by this time I knew that her name was going to be Tessa Emercyn Lea McClure.

After that everything was nice and easy, Tessa was a champ at learning to breastfeed and after two and a half days we were able to go home. Now we're busy trying to get our house back on schedule and I'm dreading next Monday when Steve goes back to work but for now we're just happy to have our whole family here and healthy.