So, I had a baby.
You always tend to remember your firsts.
First date.
First car.
First real job check.
This past week has been full of firsts.
And I don't think I'll ever forget them.
Last Tuesday, I made one of many tough first decisions. We were told that my body was being stubborn --- labor didn't appear to be anywhere close. We were given the option to wait it out for a couple days and I could be induced with a doctor I didn't know. Or we could schedule LC's birth with my favorite doctor.
Guess what I chose.
So, Tuesday night, Adam and I headed to the hospital to be induced. We had already told our close family so that they could make plans to be at the hospital the next day. I had no idea what to expect, so I had spent much of Tuesday doing weird stuff around the house (like organizing the cabinet on top of the microwave, cleaning the inside of the dishwasher - you know, normal stuff) to keep my mind busy. To say that I was nervous would be a terrible injustice to my nerves. We got into a room, met our nurse, and she told us what was going to happen. Then, THEN I got to strip down and don one of those glorious hospital gowns and climb into the bed. Cue another first - a stay in a hospital. Then the nurse started an IV for me - another first. It ended up being in my hand, so needless to say I didn't move my hand for a good 10 hours. It felt disgusting.
Anyway, they started some medicine and I was told to go to sleep.
Right.
First night in a hospital. First IV. First baby on the way.
Sleep.
Eventually, I did sleep. Hard. And before I knew it, it was July 1st and my doctor was sitting at the foot of my bed telling me how it would all go down. I nodded my head as they started my Pitocin. Now to wait.
And wait we did. We waited what seemed like forever.
Around noon, the doctor came in to break my water. Talk about a weird feeling. I still can't get over that! She said I had made some progression - maybe dilated to 5 cm - and that I should progress about 1 cm per hour. At that news, my spirits lifted. Soon, we would be holding our little girl. We'd get to see that little nose and squeeze her little feet.
The contractions came and went, but they were never anything I couldn't stand.
More Pitocin.
No more dilation.
More Pitocin.
No change.
By 5 pm, I was worn out. I was starving. And I was feeling pretty down.
That's when I did it.
I asked about my options.
Pain medication? Epidural? C-section?
My sweet nurse and husband encouraged me to stay strong.
But I knew something had to give.
After discussing it with the doctor, an epidural was ordered and suddenly all was right with the world! Oh epidural, how lovely you were!
After an hour, LC still hadn't made any progress.
The decision was made to wheel me back for a C-section.
As another first (surgery), I know I should have been scared. However, I knew that I had given it my best shot. Now I had to focus on what was best for baby.
I had not wanted to be induced.
I had not wanted an epidural.
I had not wanted a C-section.
But I kept reminding myself - Not my will, but yours.
The C-section was somewhat of a blur. I remember Adam holding my hand. More medicine delivered. Pulling and tugging. Crying. And then LC was on my chest. My first look at our daughter.
From what I was told, this part took a while. I was losing a lot of blood due to the high amount of Pitocin in my body. The epidural began to creep up too far. I got light headed and felt my heart rate dropping. They snatched LC off my chest and handed her to Adam. My sweet husband, though, handed LC to a nurse and stayed by my side as they pumped my violently shaking body full of more medicine, covered me warm blankets, and asked me this and that.
Before long, LC was back on my chest and we were off to our room.
Well, our room or Cloud 9.
We couldn't stop staring at her.
And we still can't.
First date.
First car.
First real job check.
This past week has been full of firsts.
And I don't think I'll ever forget them.
Last Tuesday, I made one of many tough first decisions. We were told that my body was being stubborn --- labor didn't appear to be anywhere close. We were given the option to wait it out for a couple days and I could be induced with a doctor I didn't know. Or we could schedule LC's birth with my favorite doctor.
Guess what I chose.
So, Tuesday night, Adam and I headed to the hospital to be induced. We had already told our close family so that they could make plans to be at the hospital the next day. I had no idea what to expect, so I had spent much of Tuesday doing weird stuff around the house (like organizing the cabinet on top of the microwave, cleaning the inside of the dishwasher - you know, normal stuff) to keep my mind busy. To say that I was nervous would be a terrible injustice to my nerves. We got into a room, met our nurse, and she told us what was going to happen. Then, THEN I got to strip down and don one of those glorious hospital gowns and climb into the bed. Cue another first - a stay in a hospital. Then the nurse started an IV for me - another first. It ended up being in my hand, so needless to say I didn't move my hand for a good 10 hours. It felt disgusting.
 |
| Last picture of my baby belly! |
 |
| What a wonderful hospital! |
Anyway, they started some medicine and I was told to go to sleep.
Right.
First night in a hospital. First IV. First baby on the way.
Sleep.
Eventually, I did sleep. Hard. And before I knew it, it was July 1st and my doctor was sitting at the foot of my bed telling me how it would all go down. I nodded my head as they started my Pitocin. Now to wait.
And wait we did. We waited what seemed like forever.
Around noon, the doctor came in to break my water. Talk about a weird feeling. I still can't get over that! She said I had made some progression - maybe dilated to 5 cm - and that I should progress about 1 cm per hour. At that news, my spirits lifted. Soon, we would be holding our little girl. We'd get to see that little nose and squeeze her little feet.
 |
| Hour 473820 of enduring contractions. |
The contractions came and went, but they were never anything I couldn't stand.
More Pitocin.
No more dilation.
More Pitocin.
No change.
By 5 pm, I was worn out. I was starving. And I was feeling pretty down.
That's when I did it.
I asked about my options.
Pain medication? Epidural? C-section?
My sweet nurse and husband encouraged me to stay strong.
But I knew something had to give.
After discussing it with the doctor, an epidural was ordered and suddenly all was right with the world! Oh epidural, how lovely you were!
After an hour, LC still hadn't made any progress.
The decision was made to wheel me back for a C-section.
As another first (surgery), I know I should have been scared. However, I knew that I had given it my best shot. Now I had to focus on what was best for baby.
I had not wanted to be induced.
I had not wanted an epidural.
I had not wanted a C-section.
But I kept reminding myself - Not my will, but yours.
The C-section was somewhat of a blur. I remember Adam holding my hand. More medicine delivered. Pulling and tugging. Crying. And then LC was on my chest. My first look at our daughter.
From what I was told, this part took a while. I was losing a lot of blood due to the high amount of Pitocin in my body. The epidural began to creep up too far. I got light headed and felt my heart rate dropping. They snatched LC off my chest and handed her to Adam. My sweet husband, though, handed LC to a nurse and stayed by my side as they pumped my violently shaking body full of more medicine, covered me warm blankets, and asked me this and that.
Before long, LC was back on my chest and we were off to our room.
Well, our room or Cloud 9.
We couldn't stop staring at her.
And we still can't.
 |
| My sweet family meeting LC for the first time. <3 |
 |
| Right before her first bath. |
 |
| This picture makes my heart flutter. I have to be sappy and say that AHill was born for this role. He is a natural and LC already adores him. He has been super dad and super husband for the past 5 days. His love and patience get me through my tough times of feeling like a failure. I can't do much around the house. I have trouble getting off the couch, out of the bed. My medicine makes me loopy AND sleepy. While he does everything, I rest. And he does it all with so much love. Sappiness over. |
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| My dinner date while Adam was taking care of our fur babes at home. |
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| That silky smooth head! Ahhh! |
So, while we were waiting out the contractions, we decided to make a little video. This is pre-epidural, so I can't blame it on drugs! :)
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