Evie Lyn McDowell

 So here we were at Banner Gateway in Gilbert. I was scheduled for induction at 9:00 pm January 22 Sunday evening. I hadn't planned on being induced, but with my mother and sister's history of c-sections, the doctor wanted to deliver the baby before the baby got too big. I can honestly say Sunday was the longest day of my life, I spent the day resting and packing for the hospital. The nurse was trying to get me to put the robe on, but we had to take a picture because its the largest i've ever been in my life!

 At about 11:30-ish is when I was all hooked up and the Pitocin had started. I guess I should let you know now, that we didn't take very many pictures because we pretty much slept through the night until the next morning when the doctor came to brake my water. Lets be honest, I could handle the minor cramp like contractions brought on by the pitocin, but once the doctor broke my water, the very next contraction was absolutely painful. I was only at a 5. They arent kidding when they say you can't talk or barely breathe during hard contractions. Needless to say, after the second "major" contraction, I pushed the nurse button and summoned the anesthesiologist. The Epidural was a pretty scary experience, but once it kicked in, I could feel... nothing! Around 11 am January 23, my mother came to see how I was doing, and the oddest thing happened. I could feel the contractions. I was confused because everyone said the epidural was amazing they could sleep! I couldn't, I met the maximum dose for the epidural and wasn't aloud any more. I told the nurse over and over again that it wasn't pressure I was feeling, it was pain! So she topped it off with something else, I don't even know what it was called. Then I finally started pushing at 1:30 and didn't stop till 3:33 when little Evie Lyn was born!!!!!!!

P.s. I thought I could go all natural and not get an epidural but.... that was a joke!

 Once she was born the nurse gave her to me, and when I looked her her face, her eyes were wide awake and blinking and looking around, like the most alert newborn i've ever seen. Then she brought up her little wrist and started sucking on it. I think that moment when Casey left to tell the family (who had been waiting for several hours) that Evie was born, and all the nurses were gone, and it was just me and Evie, it  was the coolest/best experience in my life and I always reflect back to the moment because it was that cool.

I was utterly disappointed when they weighed her and she was only 6lbs 13oz. I swore there was at least and 8 pounder in there. Now about her head, because I had been pushing for 2 hrs, she was a little swollen, Casey saw her and said he was concerned because he didn't know it was normal for babies to have mishapen heads at first. Luckily within a few hours the swelling had gone down.

 Casey loves her so much and is the best dad ever! He has 3 months paid leave from his work and i'm loving it. I'm sure he wants to shoot himself, but it sure has been a blessing in my life! The night before we left the hospital, I had to take a discharge class about pospartum healing, taking care of the baby etc, while I was gone for 45 min, it gave Casey a chance to bond with Evie, When I walked in I saw Casey looking down at Evie the cutest grin on his face.

After 7 hrs, (from the time I started pushing) the family was aloud to come and see the new baby. They brought pretty flowers and hugs and loved meeting Evie. 

 Here she is all cleaned up. I think it was around 4 am the day we were going to leave the hospital the we finally agreed on Evie Lyn McDowell for her name. From the begining I loved that name and had called  her as such, but Casey was adverse to it and so for the first 2 days of her life she was referred to as baby girl by the nurses! We had a few alternate names that just didn't fit her when we saw her. Once we got to know her personality a little but, it was plain and clear that she was little Evie. There has already been confusion with her name from the nurses and doctors and neighbors. They all want to call her "eeevee" which is fine its pretty much the same thing, but her name is said Evie, rhyming with "heavy" which we realize the mean kids in school might call her heavy Evie.

 Here is her very first friend Lincoln, who belongs to my very best friends Colleen, he is just 3 weeks older than Evie. If things work out for them in 21 years, this picture will definately be in their wedding video.

 When we got home from the hospital my wonderful mom and Kaylee were waiting at my home with groceries so that we didn't have to worry about that kind of stuff for a while. My mother also came every morning for a week and made me green drink for breakdast and salads and cleaned and cooked and held Evie and did laundry. It was the best thing ever. I was in a lot of pain that didn't go away till about 3 days ago, so it was nice to have someone there to help. We watched several seasons of the office and laughed our heads off. Evie got her first rubby down by grandma and once her umbilical cord fell off, she got her first bath. She loved it!

 This is what we wake up to every morning.... kind of.... Evie likes to be held A LOT so its hard to get sleep. I will forever remember this picture because it was the first morning after she had slept 4 hrs. strait! we have yet to do so again:)

This was Evie the day of her 2 1/2 week appt. She now weighed 7lbs 9 oz and is more spunky and fun every day. We certainly love her alot and can't help but take tons of pictures on our phones that all look exactly the same:) Its funny how conversations change, I can't remeber what Casey and I used to talk about before Evie was born.