Introducing Julip Pearl

So much has changed since my last post. I took my 36 week picture at my baby shower and hit 37 weeks the following Wednesday. That day consisted of trying to finish nursery projects, organizing our house after the carpet installation moved EVERYTHING around, and making returns with Matt my chauffeur because I couldn't drive. At dinner that night I mentioned to Matt how strange I had been feeling all day, but we brushed it off as a long day in the summer, while being 37 weeks pregnant.

The couple of nights before I had not been sleeping well and would stay up until 2, but that night I forced myself to go to bed around 10. I woke up at 1 am with some cramping and woke Matt up to tell him it felt very similar to a contraction, but when another didn't come for a long time I told him it probably wasn't and to go to sleep. Of course my mind was racing with "what if's" so I began googling and diagnosed myself with pre-labor contractions that can last weeks. 

The next day I would definitely need to pack my hospital bag and get the most important stuff done; just in case. Well those thoughts started to change when the pains continued to keep me awake.  I took the advice of the internet, at 3 am, and tried distracting myself by windexing the glass of a picture frame I had painted for the nursery that day. I could barely stand or walk, and after 5 minutes I gave up and slowly moved myself to the bedroom to tell Matt something was wrong.

"Matt, I was windexing and I can barely stand", was about how I said it. 

"Why were you windexing at 3 am!?"

He continued to brush me off and told me it was way too early and even if it was labor it would be a long time until I had the baby. He realized, at 4 am, that we may need to start timing the contractions, but they were 10 minutes apart and were only lasting 30-40 seconds. That is not what the books say is "go time". By 4:15 they had gotten stronger and closer, though they were still short, we decided we should figure out what needed to be in a hospital bag. I think we had only gotten the cameras, chargers, chapstick, and hard candies {I have weird priorities} packed before we decided we needed to call my parents to watch Abram so we could leave.

At 5 am I could no longer stand it and knew we needed to leave NOW. We left with my parents close by and pulled out of the neighborhood; tires screeching. Ya, I got the movie moment I had been wanting. I kept thinking that they would tell me I am a wimp and send me home. Matt pulled up to the hospital, grabbed a wheelchair and wheeled me to the waiting room to be taken up. By the time I got to labor and delivery they could see it in my eyes that the baby was coming and quickly moved my name from a "monitoring" room to a "delivery" room. 

I fell onto the bed where they started hooking everything up like a slightly panicked, well oiled machine; then told me I was 9 cm and the only thing holding back the baby was that my water hadn't broken. They called my doctor and told me not to push. Then they asked me a billion questions while I screamed, breathed, and demanded drugs that I could no longer get. I professed that I no longer wanted a movie moment, and may have cursed my daughter for going against my plans... jokingly {maybe}. I have a feeling she will always be the leader in her life. 

At 5:30 am my super doc ran into the room, threw on his gloves and hat, and I began to push. Julip made her debut 20 days early, on July 31st, at 5:46 am; after 10 minutes of pushing. We all breathed a huge sigh of relief when it was over. My doctor thanked me for letting him put on his hat and apologized for asking the nurse if he had time to take a shower before driving to the hospital. Apparently I was almost that woman who delivers in her car.

Julip was perfect. She weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and was 19 inches long. She scored a 9 on her APGAR {like her brother} even though she was almost 3 weeks early. I guess she wanted a July birthday like her parents.

She has dark brown hair that covers her head, forehead, and has some on her shoulders. She looks much more Persian than Abram did. She has dark eyes that are a greyish-brown we think. Her chin is pointier than Abram's and her face is heart-shaped. She has our heart lips, but they are not as pronounced as her brothers were. She has some pretty little eye lashes, my ears, a nose that looks Persian, and a long, skinny body. Her legs are long and thin, much like her feet. She constantly sticks out her tongue and sucks on her hands.

Her going home outfit Aunt Kiki picked out since it was still on my "to do" list

We are now one week in and her brother is in love; sometimes a little too in love. He always wants to know where she is and rubs her head, gives her kisses, wants to put on her hat, and tries to give her the pacifier...after he has stuck it in his ear. She loves to sleep during the day and party at night, and eats like a champ. When I had Abram I had finished the nursery by 34 weeks and packed my bags by 36; then we waited and waited. This time around I was much more relaxed about time and was caught completely off guard...I promise to post the nursery as soon as it is finished. Keep us in your prayers that she has a better tummy than her brother, and you can throw in a prayer for her to sleep long stretches at night ;). 

xo,
Nikki