Today was supposed to be your due date but you did end up making your debut a day early!!! I'm so happy that you are here. You are the most beautiful baby in the whole wide world. Absolutely perfect!! I can't even begin to describe the feelings I have for you. Now, so we never forget, here is your birth story.
All day Tuesday at work I was having a lot of cramping and contractions and they wouldn't go away with water or anything. I didn't think too much of it though. I went home, ate dinner with Daddy and then all of a sudden I was exhausted. I went to bed at 9. I remember looking at the clock at 9:15 because I was having a contraction and I was going to see when the next one came. Instead, I fell asleep. I was awoken around 11 with another contraction. It hurt, but not too bad so I fell back asleep. About 1ish I was awoken to another. I got up and used the bathroom and let the dogs out and had another. I decided to stay on the couch for a while and try timing them. It was wishful thinking that they meant anything but I liked timing them anyway. After having them for about an hour I was starting to fall asleep so I went back to bed. The contractions continued throughout the night and were getting more and more painful. I would just breathe (apparently heavily) through them. Daddy got up and went to work but questioned whether or not he should stay home with me. I told him go ahead, it was no big deal because the contractions were coming so irregularly. I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn't. I had already known that I would be calling into work as I had a job interview at Gouverneur School. I was really hoping the contractions would slow down or go away so I could go to my interview. That didn't happen. I took two hot showers to try and ease the pain in my back that was coming with contractions. It worked a little. I also tried rocking back and forth and bouncing a little on my yoga ball. Finally it was time to go to the interview. I got there and the principal was the main interviewer. When he called me the week before I told him I was pregnant and due on Friday and he said that was okay and that he used to be an EMT and had delivered a baby before. He jokingly said that he could interview me in between contractions to distract me. Well, little did he know that that really would be the case. I got to the interview, still having contractions and I had noticed they were getting more and more frequent. I went in gave it my best. I was interviewed by Mr. Dickson along with 5 other teachers who were females. In the middle of the interview one of the teachers asked when I was due and I told her Friday, which then lead the principal to ask "Are you having Braxton Hicks or contractions?" So I said "I'm not really sure." So he goes "Well I've been watching you and timing them and they're about 7 minutes apart, I think you're in labor." So I tried to brush it off and continue with the interview, but when he noticed them coming about 6 minutes apart he wrapped things up. They were all so worried about me driving home and this and that. They told me I had won the competition for the day. Early before it was my turn apparently a man had come in with a broken foot shoved into a shoe for the interview and he was in a lot of pain and they though that he was the winner, until I came in.
So after I was escorted to my car, I was instructed to call my Dr. So I did and they told me to come right in to get checked out. I called Daddy to come home from work and he did. He was nervous I could tell. Like instead of being in a super hurry he took a shower and then proceeded to shave his face. Oh well I was in no hurry. I thought that this was just false labor and they'd send me home. We got to the Drs office about 2:15 and I was seen by Dr. Eugene since Dr. Dodard was on vacation. He checked me and I was 2-3 cm dilated. He tried stretching me to a 3 and stripped my membranes. He told us that he would probably see us in the next few hours and that we should go home and eat, walk and relax. So thats what we did. I couldn't sleep, I was too anxious and contractions were down to 5 minutes apart. At around 8:30 Daddy starting getting nervous since my contractions were about 4 minutes apart. We were supposed to call when they were anywhere from 3-5 mins apart. I was just in denial I think about it being real so I was procrastinating calling. Finally about 9 I called and they told me to go in. We got to the hospital about 10pm on Wednesday night. I was hooked up to monitors to monitor my contractions and your heartrate. She checked my cervix and I was still only at a 3, but she said I was contacting a lot. (I could have told her that!) The nurse had me drink some juice and lay on my side to get your heart rate to accelerate to make sure you didn't lose oxygen during contractions. It worked. At 10:50 she told us to go walk the halls for an hour and come back and she'd recheck me. We walked for about 40 minutes and then I needed to lay down. I was starting to get dizzy and feeling like I was going to pass out when I had contractions. We laid down and the nurse didn't come back in until about 12:30am. She checked me and I was about a 3-4. That's it?! By then the contractions were really hurting. I was falling asleep in between them and waking up in excruciating pain. Grandma and Grandpa decided to come in around 1am I think it was. Then a nurse came in and asked me if I wanted anything for pain. I told her yes although my plan was to go all natural. I couldn't do it anymore and I needed some sleep. They offered me an epidural or some IV drugs that would take the edge off. I went with the IV drugs. As soon as they injected them man did I feel them. I started feeling really fuzzy and was in and out of it. Dr Eugene came in and broke my water and some lab guy came in and took blood work in case I wanted the epidural at some point. This is where everything gets really blurry. I know I was talking in my sleep and not making any sense at all. I'm pretty sure I did sleep for at least an hour without too much pain. At some point the nurse asked me if I wanted pitocin to speed up the contractions....Uhhh no thanks. I was in enough pain and I've heard how the pitocin will stack contractions and I didn't want that. I'm not sure if she checked me then or not. But when she did some back in a check me I was at 8 cm. She said I would dilate more if I just breathed through contractions and tried to relax. (Yeah, okay) I wanted the epidural now, but she said it was too late. She also made me get up out of bed and told me to walk around the room and when I had a contraction to squat down as far as possible to get your head in the perfect position since they knew delivery would be soon. After doing that a couple of times I started feeling like I was going to throw up from the pain and being out of bed. I tried sitting in a chair but I can't remember why I got up and into the bed. She checked me again and by now it was about 6:30 I think and she apparently told Grandma that your head was right there and I was just about all the way dilated. They said to give the nurse a call when I felt like I needed to poop. Well by then the contractions hardly hurt anymore, it was more the pressure of you being so low. I wanted to you out. At about 7:30 the nurse checked me again because I told her I felt like I needed to poop. I wasn't sure if that was what I really was feeling but I knew that when you get that feeling that its time to push. So she checked me and said I was just about at 10cm but there was a little bit of cervix still there that needed to dilate. She told me if I pushed it would cause it to swell and then it would be harder to get him out. After a little while Dr. Eugene came in and stretched me to a 10. We were ready to get you out. Daddy had every intention of staying up by my head while you were being delivered, but that didn't happen. The Dr had him get right down and hold one of my legs while grandma held the other. Aunt Erin stayed up by my head and was texting Grandpa who was out in the waiting room. The Dr said to me "You need to show some energy if you want this baby out." Once he said that, it was on. I went from being this crazy groggy drugged zombie to all of a sudden fully alive and functionable. I started pushing at about 8:10am. I was told to give 3 pushes for every contraction, but all of a sudden my contractions slowed down. They gave me some pitocin to get them going again. I started pushing. Sometimes even giving 4 pushes for each contraction. Dad was counting to 10 and cheering me on. The Dr said he could see your head and grandma started crying and her and daddy both were rooting for me to push you out. Finally, our came your head and the rest of you slid right out. You were born at 8:40am after only about a 1/2 hour of pushing. Aunt Erin said you were a boy. The Dr flopped you up on my chest and we were all checking you out. You were purple and a little slimy, but you were ours and just absolutely perfect. Daddy cut your cord and Grandma started taking lots of pictures. We tried to get you to nurse but you were too busy starting life. They weighed you and you tipped the scales at a whopping 7 pounds and 13 ounces. They wrapped you all up and put a hat on you and you got passed around the room to everyone. Great Gma even came to see you first thing! Grandpa was so excited to see you and hold you. Finally a boy for him. He's such a proud grandpa. He took all sorts of pictures on his phone so he could show you off.
After everyone left the room and they took you to the nursery it was time for me to get up. And it hurt. And I felt really dizzy. I rode in a wheelchair down to the postpartum room. They said you would be in the nursery for about 2 hours. As much as I wanted to see you again, I needed to sleep. I hadn't slept in 2 nights. Daddy and I both got an hour nap in before they brought you back. We each held you and then daddy went to get us some lunch. After lunch I tried to nurse you again. No luck. You were too tired. So instead we all took a 2 hour nap. Afterwards we were all feeling pretty good. You of course, stayed sleepy. Daddy and I both took showers and then it was time for visitors! Aunt Erin came and brought me some very pretty flowers and you some boy clothes! We tried to nurse again with the help of a nurse, but again, you were sleepy. She told me to just keep you there so you became familiar with my scent and that you would eventually get the hang of it. Then came nana and papa. They passed you around for a little bit and then Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Lindsey came to visit. You got passed around so much and your picture was being taken left and right. Poor thing, you got blinded by all the flashes probably. Finally, everyone left and daddy went and got us some dinner. You all of a sudden became wide awake. So we tried nursing again and tada! You latched right now. And ever since, you've been nursing like a champ. You were quite fussy last night when it came time for daddy and I to go to sleep. But a nurse came and took you to the nursery for your hearing screening. When you got back we nursed again and we both fell asleep until about 2:15. We were up from then until 3 nursing and I changed you. That meconium poop of yours is quite icky and definately tarry like it was described to be! Then we went to sleep again and woke up at about 5:45 to nurse again. And I've been up ever since. You fell back asleep around 7:40, right before Grandma came to visit before work! While she was here visiting, the peditrician came to visit and check you out. You finally got measured. You are 21" long and perfect in everyway. He did mention that you looked to be a little bit jaundiced. They took you off to the nursery to get circumcised and to test you for jaundice. While you were gone I got myself showered and even put on a real nightgown. I was over the hospital gown! They brought you back just in time. They said you didn't even cry during the circumcision!! Your biliruben levels were high so a lab tech came in to draw blood to be sent out for a more accurate reading. You slept while she took you blood. You're such a strong lil fella! You've been sleeping ever since.
So far Grandma came to visit before work. Great Gma came and visited for a little while. Then Jenn came and brought you some outfits. And then Aunt Sheila & Uncle Todd came to meet you! And it's not just me, we all think you are perfect.
Daddy left this morning to go home to the dogs and do some stuff there. He also had to go to town and do some banking. He's on his way back now. He's just at Wal*Mart buying you some pants since we have lots of onesies and no pants!
Well my little man, you are ready to eat, so we will give it a try!
I love you tons!
Love,
Mommy
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