Madeleine Elizabeth Patricia Tesar
Born July 24, 2018 at 11:31 a.m.
6 lbs. 13 oz.
19 inches long
Full head of hair. 10 fingers. 10 toes. Absolutely perfect.
Your Birthday Story (in a nut shell): Wow. You're here!! We are so happy to welcome you to this world and to our family. I am so thankful and feeling incredibly blessed with how you arrived in the world. While the front end was a lot harder than the labor I experienced with your brother, once you got here it was a breeze.
I started experiencing contractions on Monday morning and by the end of the work day, I was having contractions every five minutes, lasting one minute for over one hour. I stayed late to finish up some work and told your dad we should probably head to the hospital once I got home. We packed up the car, called our friends Joe and Amy to arrange pick up for brother and headed to the hospital.
Once we got to the hospital, we got checked in at triage. I was only one centimeter. We decided to stay for two hours and see if we progressed. Aunt Amy picked up Theo and took him home. We hung out for a couple hours and around 9 p.m. I got checked again and I was only two centimeters. We got sent home and were told to come back if things progressed. In the mean time, Grandma Kiki and PePa arrived at home to take care of brother. On the car ride home (YES, car rides get things moving!), heavier contractions started coming more often. We got home and labored for a little while before deciding we should head back to the hospital. We got checked back in and hung out for another two hours. Things slowed down a bit and we got set home again. Have you ever felt a contraction? Well, they hurt. a lot. Once we got home for the last time, things really took off. I spent time laboring on the couch. Poor Kiki came down and didn't know what to do. We finally decided it was time to go back to the hospital.
Our amazing nurse Laura was with us every step of the way. I got measured and I was a strong four-five centimeters. YAY!! I was able to get checked in. It took 2 hours before I could get an epidural. By that point, I was eight cm and I'm pretty sure my water was starting to break. But I was able to get it and I immediately felt relief. I was able to sleep through the next two contractions and when I woke up we were ready to go. Dr. Lamen was the incredible doctor who delivered you. I was able to labor down for a little bit while we waited for her to finish up with another patient, and once we started pushing you were out in 15 minutes.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - the BEST moments of my life have been seeing your father meet you and your brother for the first time. The immediate love and joy I have seen in his eyes is something I'll never forget. I'm usually so out of it (you know - GIVING BIRTH), it's lovely to experience the immediate connection and love through his eyes. Once I got settled, we were able to just cuddle and gawk at how absolutely beautiful and perfect you are.
You had lots of special visitors at the hospital, including your grandma Kiki and PePa. They along with all your grandparents love you SO much!
Meeting Brother: Teddy was a little shy when meeting you for the first time. It was an overwhelming experience, coming to the hospital but he did great. He liked to ask "Where is Baby Sister" but he stayed pretty far away the first time he saw you. The next day, he was a little more excited and more interested in seeing you. While I'd say he was more excited about the chocolate pudding from the cafeteria, I just know he's going to LOVE you. I hope you two build a strong, protective, loving friendship that will last forever.
Your Name: Madeleine Elizabeth Patricia Tesar - It's a long one but a good one. Your dad picked the spelling of your name. It's french and means "elevated, great, magnificent." Elizabeth comes from my great- grandmothers on both sides (as well as my name :o). Patricia is after your grandma, Tim's mom. Sweetheart, I wish with all my heart you could have met her. She was an amazing woman. She died a few days after we found out we were pregnant with you. I was so happy we were able to tell her about you. I truly believe she is your guardian angel. She was with me this entire pregnancy and birth. While we miss her everyday, I'm glad you can carry a little bit of her with you through your name.
#TesarPartyof4: We're a few weeks in and your dad and I look at each other daily and say, "We're doing it - we are definitely doing this parenting thing." We can't wait to see our family grow - thank you for being the perfect addition. We love you!
Welcome to the world baby girl - We can't wait to see how you conquer it!
