Alyssa Jane is here!!!

Wow, talk about an amazing birthday present. Alyssa Jane was born on July 3, 2009 at 4:30am. She weighed 7lb 8oz and is 18"long. She is so perfect, words don't even describe how much in love with her we already are!!!

Well I went back to the dr. on Thursday morning at 11:30am and my blood pressure was still high. It was checked 2 times and was still a concern, so Dr. Alverez decided to have me go ahead and go to eastside to be monitored by Dr. Brownlee and Dr. Torke and then we would decided what to do. So with much anticipation JV and I headed to eastside about 1:00pm.


After I got situated the Dr.s came in told us the situation. They felt that my blood pressure was high and was enough to be concerned but they also believed that it was possible that it might not be a problem and I may still go into labor on my own. We were concerned with my blood pressure spiking while at home and me not knowing it and harming the baby so we decided to stay and go ahead and be induced.
They started all my IV's and started the Pitocin around 3:30pm. I was having contractions when I got there on my own so the drs. felt that i was favorable to be induced without having a C sec. so that was good news. I was 1 1/2 cm and 80% when I got there and started the process.

They came in and increased the pitocin by 2 points about every 15 mins and by 8:00pm I was at the max. I was having contractions but I was dealing with them fine at that point. The dr. came back in around 9:00pm and checked me again and I was at 3 cm and 100% effaced. She decided to break my water at that point to speed things along and man did it. My contractions totally changed and they were so painful. It was something I had never felt before. Most people compare it to a really bad period cramp but since I never really had a problem with that, this was news to me. I think I made it about 20 mins before I asked for the epidural so they started my fluids and in about an hour I had the epidural. That was a long hour! the epidural was great, kinda scary getting it but it was nice to know there was relief in sight!!

We all tried to get some sleep at that point (paige and JV stayed in the room with me the whole time, and there were several people who came and hung out for a while and some that stayed in the waiting room the whole night, dispite the uncomfortable chairs!)

Around 2:00am I started feeling alot of the contraction pain and called the nurse. so they gave me another dose of the epidural to stop that. At 3:30am Dr. Torke came back in and checked me again and I was at 10cm and ready to push. I was so out of it b/c I was asleep I wasn't really sure what was going on. I pushed 3 times and she decided to turn down my epidural by 1/2 so I could feel when to push and we would try again in 30 min.

she came back around 4:10 and I pushed for 20mins and Alyssa was here! I have to say that people who push for 2 hours are my hero's b/c I'm not sure I could of done it, that was a lot of hard work!!!

When they pulled her out, they immediately turned her toward JV and let him look to she "what" she was. It took him a sec. and he shouted, "its a girl!!" they laid her on my check and I got to see her for the first time. As "cheese" as she was she was perfect. I started crying when I saw her, I was just so amazed that she was here, and that she was a she!!!!

They took her and cleaned her up. She scored and 8 and a 9 on her first Apgar test so she was doing great. She didn't cry much she was just looking around at everyone and everything. As they were cleaning her up, I looked at jv and said, "she looks like an Alyssa" and he agreed. We were both pretty shocked that she was a girl. We had a boy in our minds for a while. But it was an amazing surprise and we couldn't be happier! Now that she is here I couldn't imagine it any other way.


So over all my labor was about 14 hours, so not to bad for the first time. JV asked me which was worse the 14 hours of labor or the last 2 weeks of pregnancy, and I would have to say the last 2 weeks of pregnancy. Labor was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done, but def. has the best reward. People talk about this instant love that you have for your kids when you have them and thats something that I never understood until 2 days ago. JV and I were instantly in Love, thats the best way to put it.

Our hospital stay was short, but good. They discharged me at 9:15am on Sat. the 4th and the ped. discharged Alyssa around 2:00pm. All of her test came back good and the ped. used the words "she seems perfect" so we are so blessed to have a healthy beautiful little girl.


We are taking her to the ped. tomorrow at Kaiser to have her first check up. Her belly ruben score was a 7 and they would like to see her at a 6 so they are going to check that.

She is eating like a champ. The breastfeeding thing isn't going so well but we are still trying. She is eating formula now and we are trying to breast feed in between. Shes having problems latching on and she gets frustrated and so do I so we are going to try pumping to get things going and see how that works!!!

Last night was pretty good. JV took her about 12:30pm so I could go to bed and sleep. I woke up around 3:45am and he was laying on the couch with her on his stomach and they were both sleeping like a rock. I took her and she slept with me till about 5:15am then JV took her again out into the living room. I woke up at 8:15am and they were snoozing again together, it was so precious. Then I took her and JV went to bed. She is sleeping right now in the bassinet and doing just fine. She is eating about an ounce of formula about ever 2 hours and burping just like her daddy!! hehe!! JV is an amazing dad already. He has been changing poopy diapers like a champ. He quite possible could get a job at Moe's also, b/c he has the burrito wrap down. Alyssa loves to be swaddled.

Over all Alyssa has been very very good. She was pretty fussy yesterday with all the people poking her and moving her everywhere but she settled down when we got home. Today she has slept a lot even with all the visitors but over all I think she is a very happy baby!!!

Kaiser sent a nurse by here this morning to check on me and Alyssa. I guess that’s what they do when they send you home so quick but both of us are doing good. My bp was good and everything is healing nicely!! Alyssa weighed 7lbs 5oz today and it was 7lbs and 4oz yesterday so she is doing good!!!

Well I think thats all the big things for now, We will update again soon. I can def. say this was the greatest birthday ever! I could never of asked for a better present!!! I want to say thank you for all your thoughts and prayers though out this journey. They are def. still needed as we open this new chapter but we are loving every min. of it!!!