Meet McKel, Our Gift from God

Muchas gracias to my daddy-o for posting the first McKel pics on our blog for us :)

Wow, what a whirlwind week it has been.  I have lots of blogging to do.  I don't want to leave anything out when I write about this very important time in our life... bringing a new little angel in to the world.

As I was looking through the pictures from McKel's birth to post on the blog, I was just in awe at the miracle of childbirth.  I truly don't know how someone who has kids can not believe in miracles and not see God's love for his children by giving us these precious gifts.  I am overwhelmed by how much love I feel for my little family of four now :)  Wow, I can't believe that.  We have two kids now!  Crazy.

In case you're wondering how we finally decided on a name... I will tell the story.  I told Jesse that we each had to come up with 5 names and we'd put them on flashcards.  I decided that when baby girl Yarger #2 was born, we would just hold up the cards next to her and see which name fit her the best.  This seemed like the only reasonable solution to our name dilemma.  The problem still remained that I didn't really like any of the names he'd chosen, and Jesse likewise about mine.  Actually if we're being honest to say he strongly disliked my girl names is an understatement.  He was worried our girl would be tramatized by them :(  but I can assure you, they were good ones.  Anyway, I called Jesse in the middle of the night prior to the day she was born.  I begged him to let us use one of my names.  After probably the worst argument of our entire married life, we both were still unable to come to an agreement.  I hung up the phone and called my mom crying, telling her that we'd never be able to come up with a name we both liked.  She remembered that Jesse had previously stated that he liked the name McKel, even though it wasn't on his list.  My friend Nichole has a little girl named Mykell (different spelling, same name) that Avril often plays with, which is where Jesse got the idea for a name.  I told my mom that I did like it... I just wasn't sure it was "the one."  I called Jesse back and we talked it over.  The more we talked, the more the name grew on both of us and we both hung up the phone feeling much relief, because we'd decided on a name!!!  Finally!  So I did a little googling and found out that McKel is a feminine form of Michael, and it means, "Gift from God."  I was sold.  We found our perfect name, for our perfect little girl.  She is definitely a gift from God.

Okay, now for...McKel's Birth Story

Jesse says this will be kind of boring compared to last time.  In other words, a much smoother labor and delivery.  Yay!
A brief synopsis of Avril's delivery, to compare:  Awoken in night by gush of lots and lots of blood (determined to be rupturing of placenta), lots and lots more blood, problems with epidural... did not work!!!  Ow times a million.  Medicine in epidural went in my bloodstream, causing me to go completely crazy and black out.  More drugs, more deliriousness.  Episiotomy.  Avril suctioned out with vacuum.  Avril came out not breathing... meconium.aspiration (she swallowed her poop). Yikes.  What a nightmare delivery!

Back to McKel's birth story:
So I made it to my due date (December 9th) with no baby.  I was getting increasingly impatient every minute that passed with no baby, and no sign of baby.  I had been dilated 1-2 cm since my 36 week appointment, and 70% effaced with no changes.  Week 40 hit and we had a doctor's appointment on that day.  I anxiously awaited to hear what the doctor had to say.  I was so uncomfortable, so tired of being pregnant, and so ready to meet our little girl.  When the doctor checked me and reported that I was 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced, for the 4th week in a row, I was soooo disappointed.  I figured she must be wrong, that can't be.  I hadn't been having contractions really, which was also disappointing.
The doctor told us that she wouldn't let me go more than a week past my due date, so we should set up an appointment for me to be induced.  This was on Thursday, the 9th.  Jesse had finals the following week.  With much apprehension, we went ahead and scheduled for me to be induced the very next day, Friday.  This was best for everyone's schedules, especially with Jesse's finals coming up.  I was freaking out.  So soon!  I so had wanted to let McKel come when she was ready.  I just thought she would be ready sooner!
The doc said that since it was my second time giving birth, and because I was being induced, this would be a much quicker process than the first time around (with Av labor lasted approx 12 hours, 5 am- 5 pm).  She said on average it takes about 4-6 hours for baby to come.  Since I was to come in at 7:30 am, she figured baby would be here by noon or so the next day.  Wow!  So fast!
Well, this wasn't the case.  McKel wanted to take her time getting here.  She just loved being in Mommy and didn't want to come out!
We arrived at the hospital promptly at our scheduled time of 7:30 am.  I was pretty nervous that this would be an Avril delivery repeat, so I was absolutely terrified.  The nurse came in to put the IV in my arm.  Vein collapsed.  Different vein- same problem.  Hmmm, lets try a new nurse... she went to find her nurse friend.  A couple more vein collapses and they decide to try my hand.  Success, finally!  In the meantime, all the rupturing of veins made me nauseous and pass out... I'm pretty sure.  Jesse says I fainted so I guess I did.  All I know is it was awful and it freakin hurt.  I was sure at this point that it was starting out badly and so the whole delivery would be just as bad as the last time.  The good news is... I was wrong!  I can honestly say the IV ordeal was the worst part of my whole labor :)
When the contractions started getting too intense I called for the anesthesiologist.  This is the part I was dreading the most.  What if the epidural didn't work again?  I told the anesthesiologist my horror story from my previous delivery and he promised to do his best to make sure that didn't happen again.  He did an amazing job.  He told me that for future reference, I should make sure to tell the anesthesiologist that my epidural space is about 3 cells deep.... microscopic.  He said he had to barely put the needle in- less than half as far as he usually did, or else he would have hit the bloodstream.  Wow.  Good to know.  Then I panicked because I figured since it was barely in, it was going to fall out!  He then stated that he shouldn't have told me that, and reassured me that it would not budge because he says nobody would get their Christmas bonuses that year due to the obscene amount of tape he was using to keep that sucker in there.  Phew.  Too bad for Jesse, who works at that hospital- no Xmas bonus for us, and its all my fault!  Well, the epidural was FANTASTIC!  I couldn't even feel the contractions anymore.  Now I knew what other moms were talking about when they said that epidurals make the world soooo much better.  Oh yes indeed :)
Now my biggest complaint was my hunger pain.  McKel was taking her sweet time to make a grand entrance in to the world.  All I could think about was how famished I was.  Sure, I was excited to see my new baby girl... but in close second was my excitement for finally getting to eat a meal.  The dum dum suckers and popsicles just weren't able to satisfy me and I hadn't had any food since some cereal at 5 am that morning.  I was beginning to worry that my stomach would eat the baby before she had a chance to make her appearance.
Progress was slow... hours and hours passed and still no sign of McKel.  Finally I started to feel the urge to push all of a sudden.  I was worried she was going to pop right out before the Doc got there.  Again, my worries were all for naught.  I believe the Doc got there around 5 pm.  I pushed and I pushed and I pushed... no McKel.  I was exhausted.  Oh yeah, and hungry still.  5:30 rolled around... 5:45... she was still just chillin inside me.  The Doc said it was like she was stuck behind my pubic bone and she suggested that we suction her our with the vacuum thingy.  Ok... it worked on Avril so I guess we'd try it on McKel as well.  That did it.  She popped right out with the help of the vacuum thingy.  What a relief!  And what a huge baby!!
Just minutes before McKel arrived, the Doc was saying that she didn't think this baby would be as big as my first.  That was her prediction.  As soon as McKel came out, the Doc said, boy was I wrong!  What a big baby!  Atta girl, McKel!  Way to prove everyone wrong and come out all big and healthy :)
Hooray!  McKel was born at 5:52 pm on 12/10/10.  She weighed 8 lb. 15 oz. and was 21 in. long.  She is our bundle of joy and we love her to pieces :)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so maybe I shouldn't have bothered typing all that, and I just could've posted these pics:

We'll start out with the view from my room.  Not bad to look at for 11 hours of labor.

This is what the men got to do while I was in labor.  Jesse comes up with some pretty creative sleeping positions.  He worked a grave at the hospital the night before, so I guess he has a good excuse for sleeping.

I was a wee bit cold.

Ok, ok, I think I'll take that epidural now.

They want to put WHAT in my spine?

Thank goodness for moms who make it all better.

Lots and lots of tape.  Gotta keep those drugs coming.

OK, I'm ready to push that baby out!

McKel makes her entrance in to the world. Yep, her lungs are working well.

Our perfectly healthy big, beautiful baby girl, McKel Gayle Yarger.

I'm so in love with her.

McKel with the proud parents.

Our precious little newborn angel.  We love you McKel.

McKel is an excellent sleeper.  It was hard to capture a pic with her beautiful eyes open.

Look at how many people love little McKel already.  She had a lot of visitors who couldn't wait to meet her.

...And while they were all falling in love with McKel, Mommy was falling in love with her food.  Mmmm...that was the best hospital meal I've ever had.  Maybe that's why they won't let you eat anything the whole time... so you think the hospital has the most delicious food ever!

What handsome Yarger men :)

Dada and Uncle Chubbs with little McKel :)

Now a grandpa of two precious little girls!

Once Mommy was in her own room, Avril was able to come visit.  She was soooo happy to see Mommy... and Mommy missed her too.  Avril was pretty confused about why Mommy had to stay in the bed though.  She was concerned that her Mommy was hurt.  What a sweetheart.

Avril loves giving her baby sister kisses.  She can even say her name perfectly already.

I love this photo.  McKel and Avril- sisters!  Aren't they so adorable?

Grandma Gayle with baby McKel Gayle.

Look at those tiny little footprints!  Mommy noticed a typo on this:  *These footprints cannont be used as a form of identification for your baby.  Just thought that was funny- they can't, really?

I had to modify this a little.

And finally... McKel gets to go home!  Here she is in her very first car ride!!

Avril was excited to finally have some company in the back seat with her.

Our sweet McKel.