Here it is. The eve of my baby's 1st birthday. I cannot believe how quickly time flies. I used to think that people were just being sentimental when they said "enjoy it, cause they grow up so fast!", boy, is it so true! I have been doing a lot of reminiscing the past few days, thinking about last year at this time when D and I were getting so excited to meet our little boy! I never posted R's birth story and I want to do so now!
It was February 12th one year ago...
I woke up when D's alarm went off at 6:30 am. I remember feeling a few little cramps off and on and so I decided I would just go ahead and get up instead of laying there uncomfortable! Before D headed off to work we took the last of my pregnancy pictures, of me holding a watermelon. Good thing we did too, because we wouldn't have had the time to later!
I puttered around the house, took a shower, and got dressed for my OB appointment at 1230. It was my 39th week check up, R's due date was February 17th. I had about 3 or 4 crampy feelings before my appointment. I only thought they were Braxton Hicks because I remember thinking "oh these must be BH!" because I never felt them my whole pregnancy. When we got to the OB I was 1cm dilated and my OB said he touched R's head! I asked him if I should get my mom to come on from Tennessee because she really didn't want to miss the birth... and well, I didn't want to do it without her either! He said "well, tell her to have gas in her car, but don't get her bags packed".
We parted ways, D went back to work, and I headed to run a couple of errands. Well, before I even made it out of the hospital I had a pretty intense crampy feeling. I went to CVS near our home (who knows what I was looking for) and I had another crampy feeling. I thought to myself... well maybe I should go home instead of head into town, these don't feel too good. I called my Mom and told her what was up... and she started thinking she should come, she said she thought I was going into labor and she better come on! I was all like "no, no, no.. I'm sure it's nothing.... la de da!" We got off the phone, she called her sister who's been through all my cousins births and I called my friend, DAWN! I was sitting in the nursery rocking in the chair talking to Dawn and I had three contractions during our 30 minute conversation. They were 15 minutes apart, and when they came I had to really focus on them and had a hard time talking. Dawn was telling me I was probably in labor.... helloooooo!! And so finally I was starting to get convinced. I don't know why I wouldn't accept that maybe it was labor. Who knows... pregnancy brain!? Anyway, I called my Mom back to tell her to come on... and she was practically already in the car. ;)
I did some vacuuming and took some selfies in the mirror waiting for D to get off work at 5.
I was starting to get pretty excited at this point... and I remember thinking that I was glad I've already showered and shaved my legs... and I even washed my hair!! HAHA! Being clean + good timing = happy laboring lady!
D got off work around 5 and I think that when I saw him my body realized that it needed to start doing some real work. Not long after he got home I made fast friends with our yoga ball, a red blanket, and the armrest of our couch. During this time I was "helping" D make cupcakes for the hospital staff! He did an excellent job making, baking, and icing them.... probably due to all my "help"! ;)
My contractions had been between 7-8 minutes since about 4pm. We stayed in touch with my OB a couple of times and eventually when we talked to him around 8 pm he said if things stay the way they are then come to the hospital in about an hour. In God's perfect timing, that is when my Mom was due to arrive in Richmond! She got here a little after 9 and we D and Mom unloaded her stuff and all the yummy food she had made for me to eat after the hospital and turned around and left for Labor and Delivery!
Getting in one more contraction and back rub before we loaded up!
And we are off!... slowly, no bumps please, hun!! (excellent driving, babe!)
We were checked in on L&D and in triage around 10 pm.... I was 5cm! I met the OB and resident that were the delivery team that night and they were FANTASTIC. Well mostly the resident, she did all the work and was a complete pleasure to work with. I am so blessed! I also had a phenomenal nurse all night long, Sharon! She was the first nurse I met and I asked her if she was going to be my nurse because I really liked her! She said she hoped so but would have to see if I got to stay... well I did!
Getting settled in to the delivery room!
So thankful for my husband.
D and I walked the halls a little bit. I had some intense right hip pain set in and so it was hard to get comfortable standing, sitting, or laying. In the end, a lot of what I remember of labor was my hip pain! I think it was a distraction from the contractions! We brought a few comfort measures with us, one of which was lavender oil. D placed some on the back of his hand and whenever I was in a real intense contraction he would wave it under my nose. It HELPED let me tell you. But not like I thought, it was meant to "take you out of the moment of the contraction" well for me that meant to start laughing! I just found the whole situation of my husband wafting lavender oil under my nose so funny! So it did indeed do what it was supposed to! ;)
My nurse, Sharon, really encouraged me to get in the shower at this point I didn't want to because I didn't want to be cold after a nice warm shower. She promised me that I wouldn't get cold and she'd get me lots of blankets. So eventually I did. Yoga ball, shower, ice chips, and D. We were in the shower for about an hour during most of the hardest part of the transition phase. When I was back in my room and trying to get comfy on the bed, my water broke! Sharon had just given me one of those heat packs (that you have to crack and mush around to release the heat) for my hip pain and I thought that it had busted! But no, it was my water! I was a little out of it I guess! A little after I was checked again and I was at 8 cm. I was disheartened a little because I felt like I had been working SO hard, I wanted it to be farther along!! (I realized after the fact that I progressed quite well and should have been happy at hearing 8cm!! ha!)
I tried a few funky positions in the bed, but eventually found that standing beside the bed holding to the railing was best for me. Things were really intense for a while, and I don't remember too much. But I do remember Sharon checking for R's heartbeat occasionally and it was always steady and strong! Praise God!
Eventually I was check again and was told I was ready to push! It must have been around 4:40 because I pushed for 1 hour and 5 minutes and R was born at 5:45!! I helped pull him up to my chest and he got to stay right there with me for hours! One thing we noticed first were that he had big hands, like his Daddy! And I kept remarking that he was soooo slippery! I told D he's SO slippery you've got to feel him!! We totally fell in love right away. And he has been our special little boy ever since!
We got up to the postpartum room around 9 am... and all took a much deserved nap!!
I ended up having some issues with too much bleeding and so we ended up staying in the hospital for two more nights. It was awesome though. Everything feels so safe in the hospital... and then we had to venture home on our own, out into the big world.... with our tiny little baby!
I remember driving around town in the weeks and months after, feeling like I had done something that no one else ever had... I had had a baby!! Whoa! That is so crazy!.... and then I looked around at all the people that were driving on the road with me... and realized, it's all been done before. Each person has their own special story. And this story, of our sweet boy coming into the world, is what means the world to me!
