Penny Elise

Penny Elise Himmer

Born May 25, 2012

9 lbs 6 oz

I was induced at 41 weeks (since going into labor naturally did not seem likely to happen anytime soon).  On Thursday night, May 24th I was admitted into the hospital where I was given pills to try and get my body to dilate.  Friday morning I was given piton to induce labor and all day we waited for something to happen. By that evening I was only dilated to a 3. 

I spent most of the day trying to get some sleep and Andrew spent a good portion of the day responding to the texts and calls of excited friends and family to let them know that absolutely nothing was going on.  The doctors and nurses kept assuring me that things would progress.  I was surprisingly calm about the whole thing and had gone into the hospital assuming that progress would be slow.  Still, it was discouraging to watch the day slip away and I started accepting that Penny would be not be born that day.

A little after 11pm our doctor changed tactics and decided that a c-section would be necessary.  Penny entered the world minutes before midnight.  I only got to see her for a few seconds before she disappeared with Andrew and a nurse and then for a few minutes while I was getting put back together.  Waiting 2 hours to hold her was worse than the surgery itself!

Andrew stayed with Penny for most of that time.  The picture above is my favorite picture of Penny and her dad.

My parents and sisters had left the hospital Friday night thinking Penny would not come that night.  They rushed back to the hospital just in time to watch me getting wheeled into the operating room.  Penny is the first grandchild on my side of the family and everyone is quite excited about it!  My family ADORES babies.  If you want a chance to hold Penny with them around you better be prepared to fight for it. Penny doesn't get set down for a second when she is at Grandma and Grandpa's house!

Our little Penny is such a good baby!  We just adore her :)

Andrew and I are both loving our new role as parents!