* Introducing Alanna Nicole Brack *

Alanna Nicole Brack was born @ 9PM 2/26/11 via c-section.

Her stats:
- Weight @ birth: 8lbs 12oz
- Weight @ discharge: 7lbs 15oz
- Length: 20 inches

The day started at 4:30 AM after only 3 hours of intermittent sleep. All of the sudden I was extremely emotional and ended up crying. I knew this was exactly what was going to happen and I was right. I was admitted at 7 AM on Saturday February 26, 2011 at St. John's Hospital. By 7:30 AM I was hooked up to IVs and Pitocin was administered. The dosage was upped a number of times in the course of the day. By 10 AM the doctor had my water broken. That was the worst moment of the entire birth process! It hurt really bad and felt like a piece of skin was being pinched. I received my epidural around 1 PM. That was not a bad experience at all and everything went fine with it. I was supplied with additional oxygen because the baby's heartrate kept dropping every now and then. By 2 PM I was about 5-6cm dilated and 100% effaced. By 8 PM my dose was upped a few times for the epidural and I was dilated to 8cm and stuck there for hours with my cervix swelling up. My contractions never got severe enough or closer than about 2-3 minutes apart. The doctor was concerned and informed me that we could not wait much longer and needed to get me prepped for a C-section. I knew this was a risk and initially wished it would never come to it. Now I no longer had an option and was excited just to move on with the process. In a sense I was kind of relieved knowing that I did not have to deal with the pushing process and possible consequeces of that. The medication made me shiver uncontrollably and VERY sleepy. I fortunately did not need general anesthesia and Josh was able to be there with me and capture the experience on video! The manupilation of my body by the doctor's hands in order to get the baby out was EXTREMELY uncomfortable, but everything went pretty quickly. I informed Josh that I wanted the baby's name to be Alanna just like he had wanted it to be and he was very happy about that. My first reaction to my little one was she looked really strange and it was surreal that she was our flesh and blood. All I wanted to do was sleep. lol

I stayed in the hospital for four days total and every day it became

easier for me move around. We had many wonderful visitors. Thank you to everyone who came out to see Alanna and all the thoughts and prayers! All-in-all I am very pleased with the entire process and care I received at the hospital. I of course still look super pregnant and am VERY swollen from the fluids administered during that time. I can't wait until everything is healed and I can resume a "normal" life physically. I hope that it will not be too hard to lose the excess weight. Other than dealing with the recovery of my c-section, I am full of energy and happy thoughts:)Josh is staying home with me for a little while and has just been amazing. I could not ask for a better husband. I love you honey!

He helps me in every way I need him and we love our family time with our little one. Alanna has been such a joy from day one.

She hasn't been fussy and only cries when her bottom half is exposed during diaper changes and when she doesn't receive milk quick enough. I now understand and would love to stay at home if it were financially possible. She had her eyes open right after she was born and able to hold up her head for 30 seconds when she was two days old!

She has dark hair and looked exactly like me when I was born.

She definitely has her daddy's hands and feet. The jury is still out on what eye color she will have. Josh's mother says that he had the same exact color as Alanna when he was born... She is not even a week old and already full of personality when awake. We are all just in awe:)

Josh and I are incredibly blessed. God has answered all our prayers.