Ivy Caroline

I'm way over due for a blog post. So I had a baby. :) I was induced and had a short (4 hr) but painful delivery. I wanted to have a natural birth with no epidural but caved in at the end. By the time it kicked in I was ready to push. In my defense they made me get an epidural because I was having a VBAC. They told me I didn't have to get any drugs but the syringe was right next to my face with the drugs all ready to go. At one point they told me I was dialated to a 5 but only 10 minutes later I felt like I had to push. At that point I totally lost my ability to deal with the pain. I felt like my bones were being crushed with each contraction and I made Chuck get the doctor. They gave me the epidural and checked me again. This time I was at an 8. By the time the epidural kicked in I was ready to push. Ivy came after only 3 contractions and 9 pushes. Much better than the 1 1/2 hours of pushing I did with Jack. She came out with a perfectly round little head and what looked like huge monster feet. This labor was a wonderful experience. I was very focused on what I had to do and didn't interact much with anyone else in the room. Although i was so grateful to my husband and family for being there. I thought a lot about Lucy and I believe she was there to welcome Ivy into the world. The veil felt thin like it did when Lucy died.

Ivy came one day after the spring equinox. We wanted to give her a name that signified life. Ivy seemed to fit her perfectly. Caroline came from 2 very special women. My sister Carlie, her real name is Caroline and the woman she was named after, Caroline Partridge. Caroline Partridge was the sister of our great great great grandmother Eliza. I think names are important and I wanted to honor these special women.