Just for the record…Part three

If you are here from the blog hop at Mama M's, this is a continued post…  If you care to read the others, you can click on the JustForTheRecord label at the bottom of this post to see the others.  Thanks for stopping by!   

Warning:  This is the birth story.  So there may  be some talk of bodily functions and stuff....just so you know...  And it’s a loooong post…  Enjoy!  :-)

So...we went home excited, nervous, and not knowing what to think.  We were going to be parents that very next day.  Wow.  Were we really ready for this?  It was a little too late to be thinking about that, but you can't help but wonder.  I mean, our whole life was about to change...forever.  We were about to be responsible for another human being.

[Me after epidural]

We went home and got everything ready.  Mr. Right had to work that night and I rode down with him and stayed with Randa Roo one last time.  I didn't get much sleep that night because I was so excited and scared all at once.  5AM came very quick...  I woke up, showered, put on my make up (yes, because I wanted to at least feel pretty when I was pushing something the size of a watermelon out of my hooha!  Ha!), and Randa Roo took me to the hospital to meet Mr. Right.  He got off at 6 AM and only had a few miles to drive to the hospital. 

[Mr. Right getting ready for pushing]

So, we checked in and got everything started.  They got my IV going and started pushing pitocin to get the contractions moving.  That all started at 7ish.  It wasn't long after that I felt what a "real" contraction felt like....wow!  OUCH!!  They hooked me up on the telemetry thingy so I could get up and walk around (if I wanted to).  I only walked a very short distance and came back!  Walking while contracting was not fun!  Anywho,  I had really bad gas pain for like a week leading up to today.  I mean, unbearable gas pain!!  So, along with my contractions, you can imagine how much pain I was in.  Especially with me not wanting to "let it out" because there was a nurse in the room with me at all times...  I mean, I had just met this woman...  I was a little uncomfortable "breaking wind" with a complete stranger in the room, not to mention, there was a nursing student in the room too!  I know I know, she deals with this all. the. time.  It's part of her job.  That doesn't make it any easier! 

[Sweet Pea minutes after being born…she doesn’t look happy! Haha!]

Anywho...  I needed to go #2, so Nurse Nancy (not real name) and Mr. Right helped me get to the bathroom.  I did my business and I was in so much pain that I couldn't even stand up to get off the toilet.  So, Mr. Right and Nurse Nancy are in the bathroom with me, and I'm shaking so bad because I was hurting like crazy!  Nurse Nancy knew I wanted to do a natural, no epidural labor.  But she asked me if I wanted it.  I said no.  And I even told Mr. Right months before that if I asked for an epidural during labor, to not let me get one.  I was hell bent on giving birth without the drugs!  But, as usual...nothing ever goes the way I plan... 

[Mommy and Daddy minutes after Sweet Pea’s birth…we were both exhausted!]

 

I was sitting there...on the toilet...shaking from the pain and I was saying, "I don't know if I want an epidural....No, I don't want one.....Mr. Right, should I get one???"  His answer was, "That's up to you!  Get it if you want it!"  When really, his answer should have been, "No, sweetie, you told me to not let you get one...under any circumstances."  And Nurse Nancy is sitting there saying, "Honey, I think you really want the epidural..."  So....before I knew it, I was saying, "Ok! Fine... I'll get the epidural!"  Nurse Nancy was out the door calling in the order for it before I could change my mind again!  CRAP!!!

[Proud Mommy and Daddy checking out our baby girl!]

 

The anesthesiologist was there in like 5 or 10 minutes.  I was REALLY scared of getting the epidural.  But it wasn't that bad.  It literally was just a little sting (nothing compared to the contractions and gas pain!  Ha!).  And let me tell you... It was like night and day difference!  I went from shaking, sweating, can't even think straight from the pain to...laughing, smiling, cracking jokes, and just so mellow....in less than 5 minutes!!!  It was great!!  The only downside was, I couldn't get out of the bed.  And I had to have a catheter put in.  It was AWFUL!!!  They asked me if I cared if they let the student put it in, and I said sure.  I mean, they gotta learn somehow.  (I'm okay with being the guinea pig sometimes because I know they are there to learn stuff..., but a student will NEVER....EVER put a catheter in me again!!!)  Now, I don't want to completely blame it on the student because the other nurse tried and she was having a hard time too.  I think I was swollen and it was just difficult getting it in, but still...  Anywho... Moving along... 

[Me and my baby girl]

 

Oh, how could I forget this part!!  I was so afraid that my mother was not going to be there for the birth!!!!!  She was scheduled to work that day, so when I called her the day before to let her know that I was being induced tomorrow, she tried to see if someone would swap with her.  Well...  Not one person would swap with her.  How screwed up is that?!  My mom is always willing to go in on her off time and cover a shift when someone calls in, or any other time she is needed.  And no one would SWAP days with her so she could be there for this!  I was pissed...I was irate!!!  So anywho...  She was scheduled to get off at 1:00 pm that day and the hospital I was at was over an hour away.  She went in to work that morning, and called every so often to check in with me.  She was even threatening to quit over this because she knew how bad I wanted her there.  But she stayed and we all just prayed that Sweet Pea would wait for her Nana. 

[Daddy and his baby girl]

Well...things were moving pretty quickly.  I was still 4 or 4 1/2 cm when I came in that morning and it seemed like it took no time to get to 10.  Dr. E came back periodically to check me and he said everything was progressing really well.  My mom called to check on me and said that she was leaving work early!  Someone had come in early to relieve her and she was on her way!!  YAY!  She drove like 90 mph the whole way.  She got there right before I started pushing...which was right before 2:00 pm (if I remember correctly...I'm not sure on the time of everything...I'm guestimating).  She even made time to get me something to hang on the door of my room since my sister never finished the painting she was making.....and still hasn't 9 and a half months later!!!!  Umm...sis....????  *Snap snap*  Sweet Pea is still waiting on her birth announcement painting!!!

[Sweet Pea’s first bath….not happy about it either!!]

So, I reached 10 cm and Nurse Nancy was like, "Alright, let's start pushing a little!"  I said, "Now?!  We're doing this now?!"  She said, "Yeah, it's time."  Well okay then!!!  We pushed a for a little while without Dr. E because I think he had an emergency c-section to do or something, I can't remember.  But he made it back in time to deliver Sweet Pea.

[Sweet Pea sleeping under the heat lamp after her bath]

 

They asked me if I wanted to use a mirror to watch, and I said yes.  I have never see a real birth.  They blur everything out on tv.  And I was in the room during 2 of my sister's deliveries, but I've never actually seen a baby be born.  So, I wanted to watch.  It was pretty cool! 

[Daddy giving his baby girl some love]

 

Dr. E came back and we got things rolling.  It seemed like every staff member was in my room, along with several nursing students.  All of us just waiting for Sweet Pea...  I pushed and pushed and pushed....and didn't really feel anything at all.  I couldn't really tell that I was pushing except for the fact that I could see my progress in the mirror.  It was no time, and Sweet Pea was here!!

[Wearing her onesie that we got from the doctor’s office the day we found out the sex]

She was born at 2:48 pm on Tuesday April 14, 2009.  She was 7 lbs 1 oz and 18 inches long (short, ha!).  She was just beautiful, and still is!!  We are very proud parents!!

[Bundled up, ready to go home!!!  It was a little chilly and windy the day we left the hospital]

And once again, I realize NOW that I don't have any pictures of Mr. Right's side of the family at the hospital, nor do I have a picture of my mom that day!!  AHHH!!!  Makes me so mad!!  I will do better next time I have a baby!!