Awesome job Ali! You did amazingly well. It's one heck of an experience, isn't it? And now you've done it, and next time will be even better.
Your birth story actually reminds me quite a bit of my own first birth. Except that I didn't have so much prelabour - I went from nothing to contractions every 5 minutes, and a baby 7 hours later. But the feelings in labour that you described sound really familiar.
Anyways, congratulations again on the birth of Ashlyn. All the best as you settle into life with baby.