Saturday the 27th, we got to the hospital around 9am. It took a couple hours to get admitted, and around 11am they started the pitocin. I'd never been induced, so I was really worried about it. I didn't sleep much the night before. I couldn't stop thinking of Jacki's horror story of being induced!! But it turned out ok. The bad thing about being induced is that you can't eat anything the whole time. They told me not to eat anything that morning, and then I was restricted to a liquid diet while at the hospital. It was ok until they gave me some Tylenol for my headache. 5 minutes later I was throwing up everything...popsicles, jello, water....ewww. Just thinking about it makes me want to gag!! You'd think throwing up grape popsicles and strawberry jello wouldn't be so bad, but it was yucky!! I was glad to have a great nurse that held the bag for me and wiped the puke off my face! :) She even got me a toothbrush after! Anyway, my doctor told me that she would give me an epidural as soon as I was in pain since it was my third baby. They induced me around 11, and by 4pm I was starting to feel it. Around 5 I got my epidural.....HEAVEN!!! I've gotten an epidural with all my kids, and I wouldn't change it! This time was a little different because it numbed the left side of my body, but I could still feel quite a bit on my right side. So I had to sit all crooked, propped up on my left side to hopefully help it numb my right. When I got my epidural I was still only dilated to a 4. The doctor estimated that it would probably take another 6-7 hours, and that I should get comfortable. Around 7pm it really started hurting, especially on the side that wasn't numb! I was crying and asking them to please up the epidural. They thought I was just being a big baby, but around 8 I told them I felt like I needed to push. They checked me and I was dilated to a 10. Two pushes later, at 8:27pm, our beautiful Allison Elizabeth Van Ginkel was born! She weighed 7lbs 5.1oz and was 20 inches long. She had a full head of dark hair, just like her brother and sister had.
Aunt Jappy and Uncle Kent were nice enough to let the kids sleep at their house while we were at the hospital. Jonathan and Emily were so excited to have a little sister! Jonathan couldn't get enough! Emily was a little hesitant, but for being a two year old with a new little sister that steals all the attention, she did amazingly well!
We are so happy to have baby Allie in our home! She is such a sweet and fun little baby! I'm not sure why we don't have any pictures of Daddy with Allie!?? He was there, I promise!!! Anyway, stay tuned for more updates!!
