Harper is Here!!!

As most of you have probably heard, our little girl is here!!! These last months of anticipation finally drew to a close last Tuesday, May 25. Although things did not go quite as planned, we could not be more thrilled with the outcome!
So, to fill you in, we went to the doctor last Tuesday for our routine 39 week appointment. I felt great and everything looked good, just a little bummed that it was looking like we were going to go past our June 1st due date. My doctor noticed on the labs that my blood pressure was 120/104 which she soon chalked up to a mistake since it was so bizarre and I felt fine. We scheduled everything for next week and on our way out the door she decided to check my blood pressure again to make sure that it was indeed a lab error. After taking it 3 times and getting a different, wild reading each time, she sent us down to get admitted to have them watch me for awhile. After getting to our room and set up, my blood pressure would not stabilize and my doctor came down and said we need to go ahead and have this baby because it seemed I was in early preeclampsia. So around 10:00 am they induced labor, but said get comfortable because it will probably be a long day. Here is Nick and I shortly after the news that we were getting to met our sweet girl today!
So several hours in I start getting really uncomfortable since contractions were coming really hard and fast due to all the medications and procedures done to induce labor. I decided to go ahead and get my epidural. The anesthesiologist came and afterward I felt a little better. Here I am, still waiting:)
The pain returned not long after the epidural, and the anesthesiologist returned to try to redose the medication going into the epidural 3 times over the next few hours before stating he had no idea why this was not working. By about 6:00 Tuesday night I was so uncomfortable and we were so exhausted (yes, Nick did his fair share of work too:)), they decided to try to take out the first epidural and restart to see if it would work. This one was also unsuccessful and we were forced to plan for a natural, unmedicated childbirth. I was terrified! Thankfully, Nick was there and an unbelievable support person and at 8:48 pm we welcomed the most beautiful little girl into our family!

HARPER LYNN BRADSHAW
born 8:48 pm om May 25, 2010 weighing 7lbs 9oz and 19.5 inches long

The minute we met our sweet girl, the long, exhausting day was forgotten and an unexplainable love filled its place. This really was the most amazing experience either of us has ever been a part of, and feel so blessed that God would allow us to be a part of another one of his perfect creations.
The Bradshaw's and my mom were able to be there and meet her for the first time not long after we did. Unfortunately, my Dad had left Saturday to go to Sudan to help Samaritan's Purse with a crisis in which some of their employees had been kidnapped. We wish he could have been there, but he got to meet her on skype in the hospital the next day. Here are the proud grandparents!

We remained in the hospital until Thursday afternoon where we were flooded with love from friends and family coming to meet Harper. We have been home since adjusting to life and loving every minute of it! Here we are getting ready to leave the hospital.
Everyone told me that there is no way to prepare for the joy of motherhood. I usually took this as sarcasm because it was from sore, swollen, sleep deprived women:) But now I see there truly is no way to explain such a deep unconditional love you can feel for this new little being other than a gift from God and a demonstration of his love for us.
Thanks so much for checking on us! I will try to be more consistent and keep you updated as we settle in to life as a family of 3 (oops...5! I'm already leaving out Abby and Jovi:))!

Love,
Nick, Rachel, and Harper