Best. Day. Ever.

Our beautiful, perfect daughter was born at 10:30 PM, weighing 6 lbs., 13 oz., and 18 1/2 inches on St. Patrick's Day 2010 (3/17/2010). It has been a pretty busy day and half with visitors coming in and out to celebrate Ava Madelyn's arrival so I haven't been able to update my post.

I am officially a mommy! So far it has been amazing and a feeling I can't even describe or ever thought I could feel. I cannot stop staring at my little glow worm. I've only had a couple hours of sleep in the past two days but I think I am running on mommy adrenaline and pure elation.

We were admitted to the hospital around 10:30 in the morning and the doctor said we would have her by 8 o'clock. He broke my water around 2:30pm to try and speed things up and eventually was given some pitocin. I was 9 cm dilated by 8:30 pm and it was time to push before long.

I am happy to say I didn't feel any pain throughout the 12 hours of labor because of this wonderful thing called the epidural. I swear those who choose not to get it are crazy. It did make me completely numb but it was worth it not to feel the pain that I have seen women endure on all the TLC shows I had been watching while i was on bedrest.

The minute Ava came out I was instantly overcome with emotion. I couldn't even speak, it was just the most wonderful feeling knowing she was finally here! I just started crying. I wanted to say something but I couldn't even get anything out. She was amazing after she was out and swaddled. She was just so curious, looking around stary eyed at her new world.

She's been a perfect baby so far and has only cried a few times when she gets unswaddled or briefly when we change her diaper. I'm hoping this behavior follows us home tomorrow.

Here's a couple of pictures of our new addition to the Cruzan Family.