7.31.2007

A First for Mommy and Daddy


Anna is a little over 4 weeks old, and Eric and I decided it was time to go on a date! Grammy came up to watch Anna while we went to Benihana's. It was so awesome to sit down to dinner together (although we ended up talking mostly about the baby!)

Anna is getting bigger everyday (and her hair is getting longer as well!) Today she began smiling, first at Grammy and then I received the honor! It is so fun to see her little personality emerging each day. I love her so much... I can't even remember life before Anna.

7.26.2007

BAD HAIR DAY?


Check out all this hair! Some days it is tame, some days (like today) it is WILD!

7.13.2007

The Birth


I had my first contraction at 3am on Saturday morning, June 30. I waited awhile to wake Eric up, because at first I wasn't sure if it was the real thing! By 8 in the morning, my contractions were coming steadily every 10 minutes or so. When my mom arrived at noon, not much had changed. I decided that we should get out and keep busy, hoping the activity would speed up my contractions. Eric, my mom, and I drove to the Aquarium of the Pacific. When we arrived, it was about 2pm, and I had been having steady contractions for 11 hours! We walked around the aquarium for about an hour, with little change. Then, around 3pm, I had a doozy of a contraction! Whoa! For nearly another hour, I had a strong, long, and very painful contraction about every 8-10 minutes as we continued to walk around the aquarium... although now that last hour is very much a blurr. After a few horrendous contractions, we decided it was time to leave, but at that point I was in so much pain, that we had to have the security guards drive us to our car in their little golfcart. All I remember is pain, pain, pain and then a golf cart!

When we arrived back at our apartment, I curled up on the floor in a quilt, trying desperately to relax during each contraction. After a few hours, I was having painful, long contractions every 5 minutes, so we decided to head to the hospital. After being examined by a nurse, it was determined that I was only dilated to 3, and I had to go home! We were told to come back when my contractions were every 3 minutes for 2 hours. I was so upset, that by the time we got home, my contractions had already sped up, and for the next few hours I endured the most agonizing pain of my life!!! By the time we went back to the hospital around 10:30 pm, I was barely coherent. I decided I could no longer tolerate the pain and was told the anesthesiologist would come and give me an epidural. THREE HOURS LATER I finally got the epidural. The moments that immediately followed the epidural were some of the best moments of my life! As much as I was hoping to give birth without drugs, I had endured 22 hours of contractions and had "experienced" enough labor! The epidural was a blessing from heaven!


After receiving the epidural at 1:30 am on Sunday, July 1 I laid in bed for 7 more hours, with no change. When the doctor came in around 8, he broke my water. Two hours later, I was still not fully dilated and was given a small amount of Pitocin. By 11 am I was fully dilated and ready to push. After 2 1/2 hours of pushing, Anna was born at 1:25pm on Sunday, July 1. It was the happiest moment of my life to date.




A picture with the midwife, Tom, who delivered Anna.
Eric and Anna cuddle in the hospital bed.


Her first bath, 1 hour old!

7.03.2007

Our Baby Girl

Anna Grace Tharaldson
Born July 1, 2007
1:25 pm
7 pounds, 15 ounces