Sunday, April 25, 2010

Birth Story

Warning: This post will be long and boring...but I want to do it for memory's sake.

In honor of your one month birthday, Avery Claire, Mommy and Daddy decided that we needed to do a post about your birthday so that one day you can know all about that day. Mommy was on "bedrest" for the last 13 weeks of her pregnancy, so needless to say, she was going stir crazy by the time she had you. For the last few weeks, I'd left the house a few times, like to get my hair done, to go eat with the Lawrences...the week you were born, I even went to school to work with my students Tuesday and Wednesday morning. I'd planned to go back Thursday, but you decided to make your appearance!

The day before you were born, Mommy went to the nail salon and had a pedicure. When Daddy got home from school, he and I went to the park and walked several laps around the lake. We came home and watched Survivor, ate supper, then went to bed. I woke up at around 12:45 with a pain in my belly...Remember that Mommy had never had a baby, so she wasn't sure what a real contraction felt like. She'd been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a few weeks, but this one felt different. So, I looked at the clock so I'd be able to tell how far apart the contractions were (if they were real). After the next contraction, about 13 minutes later, I got out of bed and went to the living room. For about the next 4 hours, I went from the couch, to the recliner, to computer, to the restroom while it stormed big time outside. I read everything I could find in my pregnancy books and on my google search about contractions and being in labor. Everything I read pointed to this being it!! And my contractions started coming every 7-8 minutes soon.

By 5 a.m., the contractions were about 5-7 minutes apart and I was having to stop what I was doing and let them pass, so I thought I better wake Daddy up. I hadn't woken him yet because he had school the next day and I wasn't sure I was really in labor. I woke him up and told him I thought I might be having "real" contractions. He wondered how, if I was really in labor, I couldn't be sure! We wondered what to do...should we call the doctor or go to the hospital. I've heard about so many people that go to the hospital thinking they are in labor and get sent home because they're really not. I told Daddy to stay in the bed while I washed my hair - I couldn't have you with dirty hair!

We finally decided to go to the hospital (if they sent us home I'd just have to deal ith the embarrassment! Daddy went to school and got a substitute and we headed to the hospital. Daddy called Papa, Nana, Mema, and the Lawrence's and let them know that we were headed to the hospital.

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(Mommy really wanted to wear make-up for your day, but by that point, she was just glad to have clean hair!)

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(Here's Daddy on our way to the hospital)

The nurse hooked Mommy up to the monitors and said I was definitely having contractions. She checked me and found me 1 cm dilated - she told us she thought we'd be having a baby that day!! Mommy and Daddy were so excited...and so nervous!!

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(Mommy and Daddy were so excited)

Tia came and spent most of the day with us. Dr. Wakefield came in broke Mommy's water when I was dilated to 3...then I went to 4. I got my epidural around 1:00 that afternoon when I was a 4 or 5. At around 6:00, Mommy was dilated to a 10...the nurse made everyone leave the room and showtime began! You were born at 7:18 p.m. on March 25th. You weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces and were 21 inches long. March 25th became the best day of Mommy & Daddy's life!
Papa, Nana, Mema, Uncle Matt, Aunt Steph, Grandmother Joann, Uncle Mike, Grandmother Jane, the Lawrence's, the Goodwin's, the Geohagan's, and the Haithcock's all waited in the hallway to hear your cry.

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(Here's the labor and delivery room you were born in)


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(Your first picture)

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You swallowed a little fluid when you were born, so Mommy got to hold you for a minute, then Daddy went with the nurse to take you to the nursery. Mommy and Daddy really got to hold you around midnight Thursday night/Friday morning.

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You had to have some oxygen on and off until Friday night. Because we both had fevers when you were born, the doctors gave you an antibiotic, just in case you had an infection. You didn't, but had to wait 48 hours to finish the antibiotic, which meant you had an IV in your little hand. You finally got a bath Friday afternoon. Mommy fed you for the first time around 2:00 Friday afternoon. You got to come to Mommy and Daddy's room Friday night around 8:00 for the first time, and your grandparents finally got to hold you!

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(Our new family)

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(Your first bath)

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(All cleaned up!)
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(You have Daddy wrapped around your little finger already!)

We were supposed to go home Sunday, but you had a little touch of jaundice. So, you spent Sunday in our room under the jaundice light. You did not love that, and we did not love having to watch you lay there when we couldn't hold you!

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Finally, you were discharged Monday morning. Mommy had to wait on Dr. Wakefield to discharge me that afternoon. We got to our house at about 3:30 Monday afternoon and we were so glad to finally be home with our sweet baby girl!


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1 comments:

Brandi said...

The look on her face is priceless when that bath is finally over! I know she was thinking, "thank goodness they are through!" And, those cheeks are still my favorite!

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