Introducing...Emma Katherine Crosley

Joe and I are so proud to announce the arrival of our daughter, Emma Katherine!! Emma was born Thursday, December 13, 2007 at 5:27pm. She weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and was 20 inches long. She is perfect in every way and Joe and I are completely in love with her and just in awe.

Here is the story of Emma's arrival. Early Wednesday morning ( December 12th), I woke up around 6 with some mild contractions...nothing new, I had been feeling this for the last couple weeks as my body was gearing up for the real thing as my doctor says. Well, these contractions got a little stronger but were still so far apart. I decided to let my work know I was just going to try to rest and see what happened that day. The contractions continued all day and into the night, but again never got stronger. Well, at 1am I woke up Joe as the contractions had started coming every 4-6 minutes for at least an hour...was this it? After a call to the doc and getting the OK, Joe and I headed to the hospital around 2am. We were admitted to triage where they checked me and saw that I was still 2cm dilated and about 80% effaced. They had me walk the halls for an hour and then check me again. While I was having stronger contractions and some other tell tale signs of true labor, I had only progressed to 2.5 cm dilated and still 80% effaced. We decided that we would head home and wait it out there. We arrived home around 4:30 am and we tried to get some sleep. By 5:30 am I was ripped from my sleep by intense contractions like I had never felt before. Hmm, these really hurt, I couldn't talk through them and even moaned through a few. Well, I started timing these beasts and by 7am they were steady at 3-5 minutes apart. Joe woke up on his own at this point as I was shifting around and moaning in pain and we decided this was definitely it...we were going to meet our baby today! We got back to the hospital a little after 8 am and again I was checked in and to triage we went. They checked me again and I was 5 cm dilated and 90% effaced! Needless to say, this earned me the golden admission ticket to the labor and delivery floor. We got settled in a room and I lasted about an hour and decided I was ready for an epidural. After all, I had been awake with very little sleep since very early the previous morning and would need as much energy as I could get to bring this little girl into the world. After the epidural I was able to get some much needed rest. 4 hours later, I told Joe something was different and I had ALOT ALOT of pressure and felt like I had to push! The nurse came in and low and behold, I was 10cm and fully effaced. It was time...time to start pushing! After pushing for an hour and a half, our baby was here. I did it! I gave life! How amazing! I was flooded with emotion. They placed baby Emma on my chest immediately after she was born. She grabbed my finger with her little hand and I began to cry. I couldn't get over how beautiful she was and how I finally was holding my baby girl. Joe was also in tears and was in awe of her. What a perfect gift from Heaven!

Here are a couple of pictures from Emma's birthday party:

Me checking out my little one:
My doctor and nurse with our new family:

Emma getting weighed:
We came home from the hospital today, and boy are we glad to home! We have shown Emma all around her new home, her room, and all her beautiful clothes. Emma was also welcomed by her cousin Elle, who is just 4 months old, Uncle Tom and Aunt Lisa. It has been a great evening at home so far. Emma is nursing well and we are settling into being new parents. It's all still a surreal feeling and we just find ourselves staring at her for hours. Here is a picture of me just staring at her. I was in tears...ah post partum hormones!

And here are just a few more shots for your enjoyment:

Grammy and Pop Pop:

Proud Grandma Eleanor:
Proud Mommy:

Happy Daddy:

Perfect Baby:

Thank you to all who have called, visited and sent their well wishes via myspace. We can't wait for you all to meet our sweet baby Emma.