And then there were three...

On July 26th, 2011 at 11:23 PM (23:23 military time!), Kyler and Jeanette welcomed Calista Elizabeth Rasmussen into the world. She was 8 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long.

Her coming was a long process, and I don't mean 9 months long. I mean I started having contractions every 6-8 minutes around 10 PM July 24th.
By noon the 25th, they were every 3-5 minutes and we decided to go to the hospital.
By 5:30 PM, the hospital had sent us back home, telling us to come back when the contractions hurt more.
By 1 AM the 26th, I decided they hurt more and we went back to the hospital... where they told us to go for a walk.
By 5 AM, the hospital was going to send us home again, just as soon as they had finished monitoring Calista's heart rate (which they had to wake her up to do).
However, by 5:30 AM, my water had broke, and by 6:30 it was confirmed and we were on our way to labor and delivery. Yay!
By 8 AM I had an epidural, though it didn't exactly last as long as would've been preferable.
By 3 PM, they decide to augment my labor with pictocin... and my epidural ran out while the anesthesiologists were in a c-section. I was having contractions every 1.5-2 minutes without any pain relief. It was fun. Kyler and I got to really practice my breathing, and discover that Kyler is a great support. Eventually I get the epidural back and it's all good.See? Pain management exists again, and life is pretty good!

By 8 PM, I am fully dilated and effaced, and the doctors decide it's time for me to push, which I do, with all the energy and effort I have... for 3.5 hours. During which my epidural runs out again, not that I have the strength to care; my entire focus is on pushing. Kyler said the longest sentence I utter in these 3.5 hours is "Even if I take a break, my body will just want to push."
By 10:30 PM, doctors are starting to offer options like vacuum and forceps. I desperately want to be done, but I look at Kyler and he says, with love and confidence in his eyes, "Just two more pushes. You can do it." Two pushes later, he says "Just one more! Try just one more!" And I do. And she's still not out. And I accuse Kyler of lying. But the doctors are now convinced I can do this, even though I'm doubting it more and more.
As I mentioned before, by 11: 23 PM, she is finally out. I am exhausted, more tired than I have ever been before in my life. I pushed with everything I had, all the physical and mental strength I could summon, and I had absolutely nothing left.
But I had my baby girl.
All goopy and cold, so the nurses covered us up with blankets.



Naked on the table to get measured. She's grimacing, annoyed by the camera interfering in her personal space.



We came home on July 28th, my actual due date.
We're getting ready to leave the hospital, and we are both dressed in our civvies.




At home, asleep in the bassinet.




And, of course...
Spending quality time with her daddy.

Our little baby girl is absolutely adorable, and I'll post more pictures soon.