I remember we woke up early. We had an appointment to be at the hospital at 7am. I was already 2 cm dilated and my doctor felt confident that she could induce me without having to perform a C-Section. My doctor predicted that our baby would be born in the evening since my body had already made good progress on it's own. Our bag was already packed and waiting with the diaper bag by the door to our bedroom. The plan was to get up and drop Rex off at my mom's house on the way to the hospital. I remember there were several things I wanted to be sure we grabbed before heading out the door (the camera, the cookies I made for hospital visitors, Rex's dog food etc.). I surprisingly had slept well the night before and was anxious that morning to get this show on the road. We loaded the car and headed to my mom's. We were almost there when my phone rang. A number I was unfamiliar with popped up on the screen. Little did I know that the caller on the other end of the phone was about to spoil our plans.
I answered. The caller on the other end of the line was a nurse from the hospital. She informed me that during the night they had lots of women come into the hospital to give birth. She told me that even though my name was down to come in that morning there was no room for me. I was going to have to wait. We could call back in a few hours to see if a room opened up for us. This was the worst news that a pregnant, hormonal, anxious girl would want to hear. I remember looking at Trent about ready to burst into tears and told him to pull off the highway. Apparently this was also the worst news an about to be dad wanted to hear as well. I remember him saying, "What do you mean there isn't a room for us? Why do we have to call back? They should call us! What is the nurse's name, I'm calling them back right now!"I was already nervous about what I was going to have to endure and I gently reminded him that we shouldn't stir the pot because these were the nurses that would be taking care of me. We wouldn't want to upset them. Trent called and talked to the head nurse who wasn't the most friendly woman. I remember Trent asking why we needed to call them, why can't they call us. The nurse told Trent that they were too busy to call us. This really irritated Trent!
We drove in a circle trying to figure out what to do next. Do we go home? Do we still go drop Rex off? Do we just got wait at the hospital? What next?
We decided that we would drive to my mom's. I remember that she came outside to greet us. I remember telling her that her grandson might not be born today. I remember how disappointed I felt. The day I had been preparing for may not happen, at least not on this particular day. To take my mind off of the situation and to kill time Trent and I went to our favorite breakfast restaurant, Le Peep. I think most of the meal was eaten in silence. We weren't really sure what the rest of the day might hold.
After breakfast we went back to my mom's house. My doctor's office called and said that they were sure a room would open up later that day. A couple of hours passed and we called the hospital back. They said we could start making our way in around 11am. I remember feeling relieved but I also felt that our timetable of our baby being born in the evening was now being shifted. Would he even be born on May 16 or would he come early in the morning on May 17?
11:00 came around and we pulled into the parking lot at the hospital. I remember thinking that we would walk in as 2 and in a few days walk out as 3. When we arrived in the Labor and Delivery wing the head nurse was sitting behind the desk. She was the female version of Arnold Schwarzenegger! Trent was relieved that he had followed my advice and not mouthed off at her, she probably could have kicked his butt!
Around 11:30 the nurses started my I.V. I labored for about 5 and a half hours until I requested an epidural. The anesthesiologist came in and told me the epidural would feel like a bee sting. Well, that was the biggest lie I have ever heard! I've been stung by a bee before and that was not at all what that felt like! I don't know what kinds of bees he's been around! The epidural made my legs numb but I could still feel the contractions. After about an hour we called the anesthesiologist back in and he said that he would have to take it out and reposition it. There was no chance in the world I was about to let him stick me again with that needle! He tried repositioning it without taking it out. It helped a little, but I could still feel some pain.
Around 9:00pm the nurses came in and decided that I was about ready to start pushing. We did a few practice pushes and then they had me lay on my side and rest until my doctor returned. I remember Trent wanting to comfort me but I was exhausted and just wanted to close my eyes. I didn't sleep but it was nice to have some quiet time to prepare for what was about to come.
My doctor arrived around 10:00pm. At 10:20 we began pushing. After a couple of pushes I remember her telling me that she could see his hair. That motivated me and I knew that this baby would be here soon. After 13 minutes of pushing Jonah Thomas made his arrival into the world. They laid him on my stomach. It was the first time I saw him, touched him, smelled him, heard him etc. It is a moment that I will always remember. He weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce and was 21 3/4 inches long. Just perfect! I remember his eyes were wide open. He wasn't crying. He was just looking at us trying to take in his new world.
This year has been one of the most amazing years of my life. I have loved every minute of being Jonah's mom and I can't imagine my life without him. Every night I thank the Lord for the love that Jonah and I share. It's been a complete joy to watch Jonah grow over the year and I'm excited to see what this next year holds for him.
Jonah Bear, happy birthday! Thank you for the memory of the most perfect day! I love you :)
No comments:
Post a Comment