Remembering...One Year Ago Today

I just wanted to take a little bit of time and remember the day Eliza was born. So, if you all have heard this story, feel free to skip over this blog post. I remember being 38 weeks pregnant and thinking, "Oh my! I am going to be pregnant FOREVER!" I hadn't had a very easy pregnancy and I was just ready to be done. Plus, I felt like a whale. I had Eliza on a Monday, but I started having contractions on that Saturday before while my parents, Megan (Duzy) Tanner and I were walking around Park City. For those of you who are not familiar with downtown Park City, the streets are very steep to walk up. Anyways, my contractions continued throughout that night and calmed down on Sunday during the day. They started getting worse and worse as Sunday night into Monday morning went on. I truly felt like I was going to die! At about 5:30am, I went up to my mom and dad's room and begged to go to the hospital. The pain was too much. I was either labor or something was very wrong. I had my money on the labor idea. (A little background on my situation: John and I were still married and he was doing a rotation down in California. I was living at my parents' house and working.) My mom and I headed to the hospital at about 6:30am. I waited to call John so he could head up here until I knew they were going to keep me. The nurse checked me, and sure enough, I was dialated 4cm. HOORAY!! I did not want to be sent home. I called John right away and he got on a plane. Thank goodness there was an anesthesiologist on the Labor & Delivery floor at American Fork Hospital because, let me tell you, I was SO VERY done with the ouchy contractions. Ugh! Even if I could get pregnant right now, I wouldn't because I still remember what the pregnancy and contractions feel like. I got my epidural about 20 minutes after I got to the hospital and then I was in HEAVEN! I was totally relaxed! I had the most amazing nurse who even came in and gave me a back massage. What an angel! I loved being in labor. I had nothing to do, I wasn't hurting and everyone was around me making sure everything was ok. John's family came to visit, my family was there. My sweet brother came in and out all day to check on me. All in all, it was fabulous! Except for the fact that I was hungry! When John got there the doctor uped my Pitocin so that I would progress faster. OH! And another thing that was so fun about being in labor, I had a cathder!!! Anyone who knows me knows that I have a bladder the size of a pea and being pregnant made it so very much worse, so being free of having to get up and go to the restroom every 5 minutes (thats NOT and exaggeration) was absolutly wonderful! OK! So, John got there and then they broke my water. Unfortunatly at that point, my epidural slowly started to wear off and I could feel the pressure to push. I was so sad to feel anything at all. So the nurse had me practice pushing. At one point they brought out a mirror so I could see the baby's head. YUCK! That was not a pretty picture. I quickly ordered the mirror away. I pushed for about an hour and a half which is apparently normal for first time deliveries. How come other women who have their first babies push only 3 times and the baby is out? I don't get it! Needless to say, the pushing made me really tired. I loved my doctor though. Dr. Andrea Smith with Legacy OB/GYN. Anyone in the Utah County area who needs a good baby doctor, SHE is one of a kind. I loved her! Anyways, as I pushed I got really excited to see my baby. I was curious to see if she was really a girl and if she really had as much hair as the ultrasound techs had said. At 7:59pm on June 25th, 2007, Eliza Capua was born with a FULL head of dark hair with a smooshed in nose weighing 5 pounds 14 ounces and was 18 inches long. I could not believe how tiny she was. I honestly could have sworn I was pushing out a 9 pound baby. She was so sweet though and I could not believe that she was actually here. Its amazing! When I held my new little baby girl, I felt so much love for her. I never knew I could love someone I had just barely met, but that moment, I felt like I might just explode with love. I also knew that she was the light of my life. It was just such a wonderful feeling. There was such a spirit of calmness and peace in that room through all of the caos. What a fabulous moment! (P.S. Pardon my double chin in this picture; the picture was taken at a bad angle )
I adore being Eliza's mommy! This past year has been the best one of my life dispite all of the yuck that went one. I just focused on Eliza as my "Number 1" and we got through it. She has the sweetest little spirit. She is so stubborn yet so funny! I can't help but laugh in adoration when she throws her little fits. I love having to chase her aroung the house. And, don't tell her this, but I love when she wakes up at night. I live to have those tender little moments with her when there's no one else around and I'm the one she wants and needs. I love how in the mornings she sees me and wants to love me. Eliza is...the only way I can explain it is "love." She has shown me what pure love is. She has taught me how to be unselfish. She's schooled me in so many other subjects as well that I can't remember right now, but all I know is that she is the light of my life. She was the day she was born and she is even more so today on her first birthday. I love my little Eliza!

**Please excuse my mushy, sentimental walk down memory lane. I just felt it was appropriate to remember.