Clara Evelyn Pond

Our sweet baby girl is here (as of two months ago)! I really had such an easy pregnancy with no complications...right up until the very end anyway. When I went to the doctor for my 36 week check-up, my blood pressure was a little elevated, but we chalked it up to not eating well over the holidays. My doctor said we'd keep an eye on it, but that it wasn't a big concern. Same at my 37 week appointment. However, when I went in for my 38 week appointment, it was crazy high. My doctor asked me if we were ready and if I'd be mad if he said we were having a baby that day. I'd had a feeling my entire pregnancy that this baby was going to come early, so it wasn't a huge shock. I was sitting there going over all the things I'd planned to do that week (clean my house, do laundry, install the car seat, finish putting together the nursery, plus I was going to go get groceries on my way home.) But my only concern was getting baby here safely, and keeping myself safe as well. My doctor had me to go the hospital for some lab work and to be put on the monitors for a while before he decided for sure he was going to induce me, but I left the office knowing that there was a 99% chance I'd have a baby very soon. I was kind of bummed because I really didn't want to go the induction route again, but since it was what was best for baby I willingly accepted it. I got in my car and texted Jeff at work, letting him know that he should probably get ready to leave work, Then I called my mom who was watching Jackson to see if she'd need the car seat at all that day. She didn't, so I headed to the hospital. I felt weird checking into labor and delivery by myself because I'd pictured having Jeff right there with me when we went to have a baby, but he was still trying to finish up a few things at work and get the paperwork for his FMLA. Then he wanted to go home and change into something more comfortable...and I needed him to get my bag, and take a few things to my mom's for Jackson. In hindsight, I probably could have gone to get my bag and take the things to Jackson so I could have at least said goodbye instead of abandoning him. Plus, I should have eaten lunch. A bowl of Cheerios eaten at 8:00 in the morning don't carry a person very far...especially when they're in labor. But I was obviously not thinking clearly.

My labor wasn't awful, as good as it can go with no pain meds anyway. That was my choice, and given the option, that's the route I'll probably go again. They started pitocin around noon. Things were progressing, but I wasn't feeling anything beyond mild discomfort until my doctor came and broke my water around 6. Around 9:30 the nurse checked me and said that I was fully dilated so she called my doctor...but when he got there I was really only about a 6. After that I was not a happy camper and felt quite a bit of pain, but I think it was more psychological because I'd thought that we were ready to have a baby and still had so long to go. However, it only took me another hour to be fully dilated for real. My doctor came in and three pushes later Clara Evelyn Pond was born at 10:47 PM on January 10. She weighed 5 lbs. 15 oz. and was 19 inches long. My first thought was how incredibly tiny she was. She is such a sweetheart and we love her so much. She is such a good baby, sleeping 5-6 hours straight most nights. She is a great nurser. She is so happy. She loves to be cuddled, and absolutely loathes her car seat. Jackson adores her and always asks to "carry sister." It did take him a while to warm up to her, but once he did he thinks she is the greatest. He looks for her first thing every morning and smothers her with kisses. He loves to do tummy time with her.

Clara was two months old last Friday. I took her for her check up yesterday and the doctor said that she is perfect. She now weighs 10 lbs. 6 oz and is 22.5 inches long. (In comparison, she was born 15 days earlier than Jackson (10 days early vs. 5 days late) and at his 2 month check up he weighed 10 lbs. 4 oz. and was 24.5 inches long) I love her chubby cheeks and fat rolls on her legs. I never got to enjoy the baby rolls with Jackson because he was so long and skinny. We had her blessed on March 5. It was nice to have all of the family here to celebrate Clara with us.

We feel so blessed to have this sweet baby in our family. Her name, Clara Evelyn, came from two great grandmothers, Jeff's Dad's mom whose middle name was Clara and my mom's mom whose middle name was Evelyn, though that was what everyone knew her by. It is special to have part of both of our families honored in her name. Though she'll never know her great-grandmothers in this life, she will always carry that bit of heritage with her.