Today I Have Four Little Girls.

Actually, I've had four girls for about a week now!

(first picture!)

 

May I introduce our newest little miss ~ Tate

(she was bigger than I thought she would be!  she would have been big like elle if she had gone full term!)

 

She was born in the 19th and weighed the same as Britt at birth.  That would be 7 lbs 11 oz.  19.5 inches (though the follow up doctor visit said she is actually 20.75 inches).

(sweet pea)

 

She's a little sweetie and has got all of us wrapped around her little finger.

 (Tony brought the older girls to visit the next morning.  hair brushing is not a priority.  :P)

I was induced on the 18th because of high blood pressure, even though I was only 38 weeks along.  They started with a cervix softener (that didn't really work) and then started me on pitocin the next day.  It was a long-ish labor, but was mostly pain free.  The more painful contractions didn't happen until my water broke (on its own).  At that point I asked for an epidural (an added measure to control my blood pressure, as well as pain).  It was a funny epidural that allowed me to feel my contractions at a low level and when the time came, the urge to push.  But my legs were completely numb.

 (love this face)

Pushing was the easy part.  The nurse had turned off the pitocin at that point and my body stopped contracting.  But I still pushed Tate out in under 5 minutes! 

 (several days later and at home.  four sisters!)

She was born at 6:49pm.  Just a little bit less than 12 hours after the pitocin (and hence, my labor) began that morning.  I was so relieved to see her!  I had prayed the whole time that my body would progress because it REALLY didn't want to go into labor!  

My blood pressure is good now.  Tate is good too.  The girls are making a great adjustment.  Elle is, of course, the one having the harder time with it, but I know she'll be fine in about a week.  They all are so happy to have a new sister and Ash can't get enough cuddle time with her.  Britt informed me that Tate is "MY baby, not yours or daddy's.  And Elle is Ash's baby.  So this one is MINE."  

I'm grateful for Tony who stepped in and took over everything, when we got home, so I could hang out in my room with the baby for days on end!  The three older girls were thrilled to have so much daddy time. 

I'm doing well.  Not healing as quickly as I have in the past.  But I suppose that's to be expected of a body that has birthed 4 children in under 7 years!  And now I have my Summer baby.  To go with my Spring, Winter and Fall babies.  :)  One for each season!  And I love that they were all born in even years.  2008, 2010, 2012, and now 2014.  Do I feel accomplished?  Yes, I do.  :)