Tuesday, April 24th I went to my prenatal appointment and Robert was able to go with me since he had started vacation over the weekend. He hadn't been to the doctor's with me since my first prenatal back in November. My midwife checked me and said I was 2-3cm dilated but my cervix was still tucked toward my back.
So Robert and I got lunch and then went to Disneyland for a little bit. I actually was feeling pretty good, better than I had felt a couple weeks before when we had last taken the kids to Disneyland. I got to ride on the new Star Tours for the first time and we met a talker who knew numerous random facts in the Buzz lightyear line.
After we got home we were up that night talking and hanging out until about 2am. I was tired!
Wednesday, April 25th (my due date!) I woke up to a contraction around 5:20am. I went to the bathroom and then laid down and went back to sleep for about an hour. I woke Robert up at 6:30am and told him I was having contractions. He said we should call my mom but I told him I wanted to take a shower first and call her when I got out.
I got in the shower around 7am and had a ton of contractions while I was in there but the hot water on my back and leaning forward helped a lot. Robert was still sleeping when I got out and Domenic was right next to him totally out.
This is how the texts went with my mom
Me: Hey Moma. I'm having contractions. Just got out of the shower.
Mom: Ok. How close?
Me: Not sure I just sat down. I'm going to time them. Fairly close it seems.
Mom: Ok. Hard? When do you want me there?
Me: They kind of vary in how hard they are.
Mom: Yea. Sorry for the late night babe.
Me: Robert said you should probably come sooner than later. So whenever you're ready. :)
Mom: Ok be there soon!
Nathan walked in and got on the bed with Robert and Domenic. Robert told Nathan to stay close to Domenic so he would stay asleep.
My mom got to our house about 8:15am. Kiera had woke up while I was in the bathroom and started crying because she thought I had left already. Fortunately I hadn't and she gave me a big, gentle hug. Love my sweet girl!
I was having trouble walking but made it to the car.
Robert put our "In Labor" flag on his car and called the hospital on our way. They asked what baby number this was and after he answered "4" they said, "ok, see you soon". That made me laugh. I guess they figure you know you're in labor by number 4. {the In Labor flag flew off sometime during our drive}
We got to the hospital and parked in a good spot. I got out of the car and told Robert that I didn't think I could walk that far now, though I had told him to park there. So we got back in the car and he pulled in to the drop off and went inside to get a wheelchair. This was about 9am.
I didn't realize there were tiles all in the entry area of the hospital until he was rolling me over them. Oh man! I had him stop as I had another contraction in front of the gift shop. After that one was over I looked over to my side as the older gentleman in the waiting room was looking at me with a sympathetic expression.
We got to triage and they asked me if I could give them a urine sample. I said no. I got my clothes off, got the gown on, made it up onto the bed and laid down on my side for the nurse to check me. She said ok she's ready as she told the other triage nurse "she's fully open, plus 2 with a lip" (I think that was from my bladder).
They rolled my bed into the labor and delivery room right up to the bed I was suppose to lay on. The nurse was trying to lift/push me onto the other bed as she's telling Robert that I need to get on the other bed. I'm whispering "hold on" and Robert's telling her to hold on. After I finish with that contraction I crawl to the bed I'm "suppose" to be on. The nurse wants me to scoot down and put my legs up, I asked her, "can I push now?" She said, no that she'd prefer the Doctor was there first so I told her if I lay down the baby will come out. She replied "ok".
I was watching the nurses get everything ready and together, hearing them say, "we need a provider in here!" Finally a female doctor walked in (it had only been a few minutes but seemed like a while) who was suppose to be working triage but was pulled in to delivery my baby. She introduced herself to me, which I still keep forgetting her name, fortunately it's on my paperwork. She had me push, then she used a catheter really quickly (she warned me seconds before) which burned and then broke my water. She was very calm and I focused on the instructions she was giving me while holding on to Robert's hand and feeling his body inches away from my right side.
I hear, "It's a Boy!" as they laid him on my chest. Our little BOY was born and barely cried and he was just perfect! Robert said he looked at the time and it was more like 9:25 but his official birth time is 9:28am. :) I remember saying right after, "I'm thirsty!".
Right after they weighed and measured him
7 pounds 10 ounces 20 1/2 inches
He's just perfect!
Robert leaned in and gave me a kiss, asked if I was ok and then said he needed to sit down because he thought maybe he forgot to breathe and was feeling light headed. As the doctor is giving me stitches for my second degree tear (she said from everything happening so quickly) about 2-3 nurses head over to help Robert with ice packs and fanning. I guess one of the nurses used smelling salt on him which is what pushed him over the edge as he asked for the trash can to throw up. The Doctor asked if that was pretty normal for him and I kind of laughed and said, "no, this is the first time". Consensus was everything happened so quickly and the adrenaline was pumping that caused the queasies. I'm sure it was a funny sight as I'm getting stitched and asking "you ok Babe?"
They gave me a shot of pitocin after the placenta was delivered and then less than an hour later the nurse gave me another shot of pitocin because she said I was still bleeding more than I should have been. We actually got to stay in that room for a while before being wheeled up to the recovery room. They gave me an IV after I had the baby and every time [I'm in the hospital] I tell them my veins are better in my arm than my hands, but no, they insist on trying to get one in my hand. The nurse tried in my left hand, then she tried in my right hand, then she asked the other nurse who got a smaller needle and I reiterated that my arm was a better choice, so she tried there and got it on the first try. I was given a second bag of fluids while I was in recovery.
My midwife who I had seen me throughout my whole pregnancy came in and said she was sorry she missed my delivery, she was delivering another baby at the time. {Oh and the other Doctor was doing a c-section for twins}. She also wanted to know how much he weighed because she was thinking I was going to have a 6 pound baby. I had been measuring small my whole 3rd trimester which is normal for me but she sent me for an ultrasound at 35 weeks and was concerned every week after she measured me. She even wanted me to have a milkshake every day. Which I did for about a week until my body rebelled and didn't like anything I ate and got it out of my system quickly.
We checked in about 9am Wednesday morning and checked out at 12pm Thursday. Some of you already know that I was really desiring to have a home birth with a midwife but that was not God's plan for us this time. I was very sad about this and was actually dreading driving to the hospital (tears on numerous occasions). But He TOTALLY blessed me and took great care of me throughout the whole hospital stay. I had some great nurses who respected me. I had midwives deliver my other 3 kids so this was the first Doctor delivery that I had and she was awesome. God knew exactly what I needed and when I needed it. I am in awe of His grace and compassion toward me. He is an awesome God!
In the afternoon on the 25th we pulled out the list of names that we had made. There were about 5 names and I told Robert to pick his favorite 3. He said he only liked 2 and so I told him I only liked 1 out of those 2. Our 3rd little man was given the name Blake (dark; dark hair) Levi (honorable son) and his brother's and sister adore him.
2 weeks old
Happened so fast! Congrats!! Love the story!
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