Chase Daniel

This is a really long post....

The Kendalls are now a family of 5 (including Sadie, our dog) !  Well, we were about 2 and a half weeks ago :)  It was quite the process to get him here.  He really didn't want to come. 
With this pregnancy, I had decided to be induced for many reasons.  First, I now live in Heber City, but I work in Orem.  About a 25 minute commute.  I really didn't want to have to drive myself to the hospital or have to deliver down in Orem.  I also did not want to risk my water breaking while I was teaching.  And then I thought that If i could plan when to have him, it would make my sub-plan planning easier and take a bit of the unknown out of the equation.  I was already feeling anxious about not knowing when it was going to happen, and if I should keep working that I just wanted it all planned out. 
So we planned to have me induced on Wednesday, February 27th.  I decided to take that Monday and Tuesday off beforehand so I could have some time to make sure the house was ready and spend some time with Danny and Ashlynn.  My principal had no problem with it.  Well, the 27th came, we went to the hospital and started the pitocin. Up to this point, I was already dilated to a three, however I was really posterior (which meant my cervix was really far back)  So, they started the pit. and I had started having regular 3-5 min. contractions.  they then increased my pitocin by 2 ml. every half hour.  I had consistent regular contractions but they weren't any more painful than I had had on my own up to this point.  12;00 comes, Dr. checks me, no change! 2:30 comes...Dr. Checks, no change! 5:00 comes Dr. Checks and still NO CHANGE! He couldn't break my water because my cervix was still too far back that he wouldn't have been able to get the hook in.
I was feeling quite frustrated to this point as was Danny.  So do you know what they do to people who have contractions but don't dilate?? yep they send you home! Sooo we went home with no baby.  Had you ever heard of an induction not working? me neither.  But apparently it happens. No matter how much I wanted him to come, He wasn't budging.
Dr. told me I shouldn't go back to work because now that I've started the process I could go any time.  And another fear we were having is that I was in Labor for about 2 hours with Ashlynn.  I deliver fast.  So we decided I better stay close to the hospital.  Well...Thursday comes and goes with very little contractions.  then Friday comes and I go in to have my membranes stripped.  Saturday comes (my due date) no baby.  Sunday passes...Monday passes...Tuesday passes...Wednesday the 6th comes and I call the Dr. to go back in for another appt. so we can discuss my options again.  I told him I wanted to have the baby right away, but it was later in the afternoon so he didn't really seem like it was logical to start that process.  My Dr. doesn't work on Thursdays so he said we would try the induction again that Friday.  I was really bummed because both me and Danny had basically taken a week off from work that we didn't need to and I was getting super frustrated with the whole thing. 
So we went home and about 20 minutes later the Dr. office called and said there were scheduling problems and that I would be able to do my induction on Friday...So I could either push it to next Monday or come back in right away!! Hallelujah!! I was sooo happy.  I called my mom and she started to make her way up here to stay with Ashlynn, and we sent Ashlynn with Danny's Aunt till my mom got there and off to the hospital we went! yay!

We got to the hospital at about 4:30 and got everything set up and ready to go.  This time, my cervix was more forward and the Dr. was able to break my water first thing at 5:00 and the contractions started right away.  And they weren't pleasant at all! They came really hard and fast.  I was happy because I knew I would finally be having this baby, but then pretty miserable at the same time.  They barely even gave me any pitocin this time.  At about 7:00 I was done being in pain and got an epidural (which they had to do twice cause it didn't work the first time) then at 8:40 I was to a ten!! Dr. was paged to come back to the hospital.  I'm sure he was also a little happy that I went so quickly, so he wouldn't be out all night.  Then Chase was here at 9:26 pm. 
He was 8.2 lbs 19.5 inches long.  I couldn't believe how big he was.  Ashlynn was only 5.15 lbs and 18.5 inches long.  I decided that last looonnng week he was in there getting all fat and chunky. 
He did have jaundice (as did Ashlynn) but after about 5 days his levels went back down and we didn't have to do that lights. 

On my way to the hospital the first time.  I then grew even more over the next week.  But I never got a picture of it. 

This was at the first induction.  I don't look in pain enough to be having a baby.  :)

These next two pictures i thought were interesting.  I didn't notice it till later.  the first one is at my first induction that failed.  The blue line are how hard my contractions were.  The second picture is the one when I actually delivered.  Definite difference in how hard the contractions were.

He kind of has red hair..

So sweet!!

This is what the clock said right after I delivered

Ashlynns first time meeting her brother.