Binging home Summer

Summer came home when she was just one day old and was welcomed by not only her brother, sister and Nanny- but her cousins Teya and Harper and her Aunt Steph, Aunt Tawny and Uncle Phil and Uncle Dave!!! It was a full house for about a week and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful family who love each other so much. Chloe, Teya and Ezra played so well together and were outside in the backyard for about 10 hours a day making mud pies, swimming in the tiny pool and just being cute little summer kids. We had big family dinners almost every night and mum cooked the most wonderful dinners night after night. Summer's first outing was going down the street to Il Torrito restaurant and it was a major success! The kids surprised us by being really good and Summer slept the entire time in her car seat. It was so nice to get to know Harper after watching her grow on Steph's blog. She had a cold though, so I was a little weary about getting to close as I am paranoid of summer getting sick. Mum sent Steph and I shopping to Forever 21 with $100 each and were instructed to only buy things for ourselves- not our babies. I had Summer and Steph had Harper and it made me wish that we lived closer so that we could do things together all the time. It's now back to being just us and Mum and the house feels very quiet, but i'm sure that will change the second Chloe and Ezra wake up tomorrow.

How it all went down....

Summer Evangeline Swierenga is 9 days old and she is pure HAPPINESS. I float around the house with her in my arms just staring at her and marvel over how perfect and tiny she is. Pretty soon I am going to have to start paying attention the my husband and kids - and my poor mum who has been taking over EVERYTHING from taking the kids to swimming lessons (yes she even gets in the water with Ezra!) to making breakfast lunch and dinner to laundry to watching and caring for Chloe and Ezra. Everything. I am SO lucky to have her!

SO, after 7 weeks of bedrest, this is how it all went down...

At 39 weeks, Summer was still hanging in there but I was ready to get on with it. So due to the doctor's assumption that Summer was going to be big and the fact that I was already dilated and effaced and having TONS of contractions, I went to the hospital on Thursday July 15th at night to be induced. The induction wasn't to be until the next morning, but the process was started by ripening the cervix at night for 12 hours. I was told that only 5 % of women actually go into labour from this 'initial' step, but guess what? I DID!!!! I was SOOOO happy, because I was really hoping to know what it felt like to go into labor without petocin. My contractions got painful at about 2 am and by about 6 am I was put into a labor and delivery room. I was about 4 cm at that point. At 8 am I was really uncomfortable with the contractions and I asked for the drug they give you before you ask for the epidural. It REALLY helped and it was nice to be out of pain. At about 9 am the nurse suggested I get the epidural because the anesthesiologist was super busy and might not be able to come when I was REALLY needing him. I figured I might as well go for it. It was AMAZING for me just like it had been with Chloe and Ezra. Pain taken away entirely and I just went in and out of a very peaceful sleep. I LOVE that I was born in the day of epidurals!!! Dr Kohn then broke my water and told me that he'd probably see me in the late afternoon to give birth. Anyway, not even 2 hours after getting the epidural and having been about 4 or 5 cm, I told the nurse that I has a lot of pressure but that I couldn't imagine that I was ready to give birth but could she check it out. Sure enough, I was 10 cm and ready to go!!! Bran and I couldn't believe it! We waited about 40 minutes for Dr Kohn to come and when he did, Bran and doc talked football while I updated my Facebook page announcing that I was about to have a baby. CRAZY that childbirth can be this relaxing and enjoyable! Well, Summer sure was ready to come because she came out after 2 easy pushes and almost no effort on my behalf. Of course, it was love at first sight and I held her immediately and smothered my precious baby with kisses and tears. The whole event was just so relaxing and peaceful and wonderful that I have to say that my really sucky pregnancy was worth it for what a wonderful birthing experience I had. I just might have to do it again! (don't worry family, it won't be for a long time. I'll give you plenty of time to recover from this pregnancy!).

Summer is here

Summer Evangeline Swierenga was born Friday July 16th 2010 at 11:54 am.She weighed 8lbs 7ozs and is 19" long.
Here are a few pictures until I can put my thoughts together!