Leah Grace Pulley

Our sweet Leah was born six days early on April 4, 2013 at 4:31 in the morning. She is my only baby to come early! I always love hearing about the birth story, so I'll share mine!

Wednesday, the 3rd, I woke up feeling energized and went on a nice long walk. Around 10 a.m. I had a contraction, but didn't think anything of it. I was going to take the kids to lunch and the zoo later that day, and thought it would be an uneventful day. All that morning and while at the zoo I had really random contractions. I still didn't think anything of it. I guess all that walking did something. From about 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. the contractions were about every 10-15 minutes apart. I even went to a friend's baby shower that night and everyone asked me if I was in labor. I still didn't think I was! The contractions weren't too strong and didn't seem to be getting much worse, so I took a Unisom at 10 and tried to get some rest. The key word...tried!

By 11 p.m. they were every 3-7 minutes apart. We called my mom just before midnight to come stay with the kids. Even as we were leaving for the hospital, I felt sure they were going to send me back home. However, that 20 minute drive to the hospital changed my mind. I had a few bad contractions that made me realize I was in labor. The hospital admitted me around 1 a.m., when the nurse checked and I was a 4+. I got my epidural at around 2:30 a.m. The super great nurse said my body was having enough contractions on my own that I didn't need to have pitocin. After checking me at 3:15 and being a 5+, the nurse said she'd be back in a few hours to check my progress and for me to get some sleep.

Steve instantly fell asleep and I listened to my relaxing music on my phone. Exactly a half hour later at 3:45 a.m., I felt the urge to push. The nurse came in, and sure enough I'd gone from a 5 to 10 in just 30 minutes. They called my doctor who was home sleeping, and he came into the hospital around 4:15. Once he got all set up, I only pushed for about seven minutes and Leah was born.

The moment they put her on my chest, I could tell she was so tiny. Both Tyler and Hannah were close to 8.5 pounds. Leah weighed 7 pounds even and was 21 inches long. Hearing her cry was the best sound in the world. A healthy baby is simply a miracle. I couldn't have asked for a smoother labor or delivery.

Since being home, Leah has been pretty calm and a good sleeper. She'll eat at night, and go back to sleep for about three hours. The kids have loved watching her and trying get her attention by showing her their toys and such! Tyler likes kissing her cheeks, and Hannah touches her face with her pointer finger! I am feeling pretty good, thanks to the help of family. I'm just trying to enjoy this time with a sweet little newborn!