Kara Mae: the day she was born

Right after Kirsten was born (while we were still in the hospital) we wrote out the story of her birth, and I just realized we never did the same for Kara yet :(  Things are a little crazier/busier with the 2nd one.

Here is the birth story of our darling Kara Mae.

At 3:30am Monday morning  (Feb 26th) two days before my official due date, my water broke. I wasn't even sure that was what happened at first (because apparently it is pretty rare for your water to break before labor unlike what we see on TV) so I was skeptical. I decided to see if I was going to start having contractions before rushing to the hospital. I knew if I went they would want to start inducing labor, and I wanted labor to go as naturally as possible.  Well, by 8:00am nothing was happening so I called the hospital to see what I should do. They of course told me that since my water broke I needed to get there right away.

Our neighbors got Kirsten and took her to preschool and offered to keep her until my parents got into town. Who Kirsten would stay with when I was at the hospital and how she would handle it really worried me. I am so thankful we have such awesome neighbors, so I knew Kirsten was in good hands.

We got to the hospital around 9:30am. Dr. O'nan said she was okay with waiting a few hours to see if labor would start on its own before starting pitocin. By 12:30 nothing was happening so we had to start inducing labor. I was a little scared of inducing because it can increase the chance of c-section, and other medical intervention, but since my water had broke we couldn't wait. The hours kept passing and they kept uping the pitocin but still nothing. Daddy went to pick up Kirsten and bring her to the hospital so I could see her before she went to bed. She hung out with us there for an hour or so and ate some chick-fil-a. She was such a good girl all day and kept telling everyone that her mommy went to get the baby out of her belly! I kissed her goodnight and told her she would come back in the morning with Nana and Papa to see baby sister.

Finally around 7pm my contractions were becoming stronger and regular. By 8:30 they were really painful (i remember what time it was because I was trying to watch the Bachelor :) I knew we were finally getting closer. With Kirsten I went into labor naturally so I didn't experience pitocin contractions, but I  found out everyone is right when they say contractions are much more severe when induced. Those last couple hours were ROUGH!!! I am so glad I stuck it out though! Being able to feel everything happen was awesome and empowering!

By about 10:40 I told Jack to get the Doctor, I felt it was time to push. One of the nurses checked me and said I wasn't quite to 10cm yet, and to try to make it through one more contraction first. Ahh! So I did but the pressure was so intense, my body was going to get her out whether I pushed along or not! Dr. O'nan came in then and said if I felt it was time, then let's do this! She didn't make me wait to get the bed set up or anything. I LOVED that she trusted me and my body! I pushed through 3 contractions and at 10:57pm February 28th Kara Mae Defreitas was born :) She was 8lbs 10ounces and 21 inches, almost the exact same size as her sister!

While I definitely became attached to my little girl while I was pregnant, I still wondered how it would be possible to love another child with as much love as I had for Kirsten. As soon as I had Kara and she was placed in my arms I was totally and completely in LOVE! The love a mom has for her children is an amazing kind of love only God could have crafted, and now for me it was a love times two!!!