Welcome to the world baby girl!

Gwen had a LOT of friends and family waiting to greet her as she made her dramatic entrance into the world! I snapped a lot of pics...or someone did...once we got all settled in my room. Hopefully the pics below can sum it all up...although I know I am missing some of the fam :)

Gigi & Great Grandma

Grandaddy & Carol

Proud big sis...who can't get enough!

Fam of FIVE!

Our pal Joey Fusz!

                                   

Aunt Marsie

Nonna

Pops

Uncle Shelly & Les

Proud Godfather/Uncle Shelly

VanDovers

Proud Dad & big sis

Proud big sis & bro

Trish

Grandpa

Gwen was very happy to meet everyone...finally!  Next post will be our newest little princess at home :)

Gwen Elizabeth...

Well it has been QUITE a while!  Can't believe the summer is coming to an end and I'm back from maternity leave. Time really does fly!  I was checking out my blogging friends recent posts and realized I have not posted since Gwen was 2 weeks old!!  She is now a whopping 12.5 weeks old, so I thought I better back track and fill you in on her arrival :)

Saturday June 2, 2012 started out like any old day. I woke up, ate, fed the kids, got everyone dress, and we headed out early to the Tillis Park 5K. Of course I was just cheering, but Dan was running with the big G's in the stroller. So I dropped them off and headed to the gas station to get my morning soda.

While driving there, I got a very sharp pain in my stomach. I tried to ignore it thinking it would go away, but by the time Dan crossed the finish line I was in full fledged tears. Dan's cousin Ben is an Internist, and was running with Dan, and insisted we go straight to St. Johns. We checked in around 10am and by this point I was in full on labor. They tried to stop my contractions being that I was only 36 weeks 4 days. After multiple shots, IV bags, pills, etc., my doc called at 3pm and asked if I was ready to have a baby today!  So we scheduled the c-section for 5pm and everyone scrambled to get prepared! Since we were scheduled for the 19th, I was NOT prepared at all! No camera, no video camera...I was freaking out!  Luckily I did have a camera in my diaper bag...phew!

So they wheeled me down to surgery a little before 5pm and just as they were about to introduce to our new baby...my camera died in the operating room!! Luckily we had a GREAT nurse who automatically started snapping pics with her iPhone!  At 5:14pm we met our sweet baby girl, Gwen Elizabeth, weighing in at 6 lbs. 8 oz. and PERFECTLY healthy (thank goodness!!)!

Her siblings were obsessed right from the beginning!!

And of course, so was this guy...

Gwen had LOTs of visitors awaiting her arrival that evening. I have so many pics, that is a whole other post! But, after a long, painful, nerve wracking day...we were VERY happy to welcome Gwen into our crazy family!!