Baby Surprise!

This is my new baby's birth story.  Let me back up a little to November.  I didn't realize it but I had been experiencing braxton hicks contractions for a few weeks.  I never really had them with my first baby so I didn't know that's what they were.  I just thought the baby was pushing against me really hard and I noticed if I breathed heavily and slowly, that tightness usually went away.  On Thanksgiving I was talking to some of my sisters-in-law and was taught that what I was experiencing was braxton hicks.  I felt a little foolish for not putting that together sooner.  Still, it got me excited because that meant pregnancy was coming to an end!

A week later I had a doctor's visit and although he wasn't going to check me, I asked him to.  I was too anxious and could just not wait another week without any real information!  He was very surprised that I had already started progressing.  I was at a 1+ he said, with some softening.  This news made the next week easier to get through.  At my following check I was at a 3!  It was hard not to get my hopes up.  At this appointment I desperately plead my case to convince the doctor to move up my due date.  Originally my due date was January 1 and he told me they don't induce sooner than 39 weeks, which would be Christmas day.  Well, we didn't want to do that.  Then he told me he doesn't do them on Saturdays so my induction couldn't be sooner than the 27th.  I really couldn't fathom waiting that long.  The closer I got, the less patient I became.  Especially now that my progression was further along than expected.  We talked about moving the date and he took a look at his calendar and agreed to move up my due date so we could make my induction date for the 23rd.  I was so relieved!  I could look forward to having my baby before Christmas.  Even coming home Christmas morning sounded good to me.

At my 38th week visit I measured about the same, which was a little disappointing.  The night before, I got a sore throat.  Also, disappointing.  Even EZ woke up a little sick and it was his 3rd birthday!  Ugh, such terrible timing.  We could not be sick right now!  I was just 5 days away from my induction date!  At the doctor's he said that if he was a gambling man, he would bet that he'd see me on the 23rd.  I felt pretty convinced that was going to be the case too.  In fact, I was starting to hope so, so that I would be over my cold by then.  Knowing my history with my first baby, we both assumed I would not go into labor on my own.  As hopeful as I was that I would go on my own, reality was sinking in.

After we went to my OBGYN, I took EZ to the pediatrician to get his cold checked out.  If there was something of concern, we'd better get it figured out sooner than later!  It didn't look like anything serious, thankfully.  John worked that day and we didn't do much else until he got off.  Cristy came over and we had EZ open a few birthday presents.  It was the best part of the day!  The next day, Saturday, we got a few more things ready and kept it a simple sick day.  That evening I was trying to play with EZ and I either sat too long or tried to get up too fast but something started to hurt.  I laid on the couch the rest of the evening.  Later that night after we put EZ down for bed, John and I watched a TV show together, as we usually do before calling it a night for us.  We have been sleeping in separate rooms for the last month or so because we were just been keeping each other up.  (My constant need to use the bathroom or my heavy breathing bothered him and his snoring really bothered me.)  I started having more and more Braxton Hicks contractions and they seemed to be getting stronger.  In fact, over the last week or so they had been coming more often and sometimes with a little pain.  Well, after John left the room, I tried to sleep and I just couldn't.  The Braxton Hicks kept coming and were strong enough that I wasn't falling asleep.  I got up a few times and used the bathroom and I walked around the room to try and shake them, but with no luck.  By 1:30 am I decided I was not going to get any sleep and that these might be the start of real contractions.  I had a hard time convincing myself it was the real deal though.  They weren't exactly spaced out evenly but they were getting stronger and really starting to hurt me.  I debated with myself for hours whether or not to get up and go to the hospital, or just stay in bed and try to let them pass.  I just couldn't believe I would go into labor on my own.  So, I decided I should at least start timing them.  Meanwhile I'm so stuffy with a runny nose and small cough from my cold, that I couldn't sleep even if I wasn't having contractions.

At 4 am a real pattern started.  Every half hour for two hours I had a real contraction.  At 6 am I decided I better get up and shower.  I really wanted to look good at the hospital this time.  I don't like my pictures from EZ's birth.  So I had it all planned.  I would shower and shave, then do my hair and make up.  But then my next contraction happened 10 minutes later.  I thought that was curious so I sat on my bed and waited to see how long until the next one.  Again, 10 minutes later.  I tried to get up and it hurt so bad that it took me 3 tries.  I told myself, you are not having a baby here so get moving!  So at 6:30 I realized I should not shower because I couldn't hardly stand and the pain was becoming overwhelming.  I didn't want to collapse in the shower or go to the hospital with wet hair.  I felt a little disappointed that I wasn't going to look glamorous in these birth pictures either so I at least brushed my teeth and got dressed.  I was moving so slowly because everything I did hurt.  It was now 7 am.  I carefully made my way to John's room and opened his door.  I said his name and got a small response.  Then I said, "I think we need to go to the hospital."  He almost jumped out of bed and was ready at my side.  I was leaning hard against the wall and he told me to sit down and relax.  I knew I could not do that so I told him if I sat down I wouldn't be able to get back up!  He helped me pack a few more things in my bag and he stayed cautious of my condition.  He was asking me about the timing of my contractions and he was saying things like, "well this might not be it, they might send us home," or "it doesn't sound like you're having consistent contractions, I don't know if you are really that close yet"  I kind of agreed with him.  I mean, I wasn't super convinced that I was in full labor or that I was close to having my baby.  I honestly could not believe things would happen on their own.  Like I mentioned before, my first baby I had to wait to be induced a week late!

John called his sister to see if she could come down and take care of EZ while we were at the hospital.  Thankfully he hadn't woken up yet.  His sister was still in bed and I heard her say "hello" in a very suspicious what's going on sort of tone.  John told her we needed to go to the hospital right away and she threw on a coat and came right down.  She witnessed me have a contraction and then gave John a this is the real deal look and she helped me in the car and we took off.  My contractions had jumped to about every 5-7 minutes now.  We pulled into the hospital around 7:30.  John stopped out front to drop me off so I didn't have to walk as far.  He helped me in then he went to park the car.  Being at the hospital relaxed me a bit and I walked a short distance on my own.  I didn't press my luck though and so I sat down and waited for him.  He came around the corner with a wheel chair.  Awe, it was a beautiful sight.  We needed to get to the right floor and check in.  This all took about 10 minutes or so.  The lady checking us in saw me have a contraction too and she said she can always tell when it's the real thing and this was indeed the real thing.  I think I was finally feeling convinced.  We got into a room and my nurse started hooking up the monitors.  She saw me have a contraction and waited til it was over to check me.  This was the news we were waiting to hear.  We were anxious to know just what the heck was going on in there!  She exclaimed I was at a 9!  Woo wee was I shocked!  I was expecting a 5 or 6.  I think John and I both gasped, and laughed.  Okay, there was no denying things now!

Everything went quickly after that.  The nurse ordered the IV and the epidural and ran through some basic questions with me.  I had a few more painful contractions, but thankfully still got my epidural.  I was so afraid I was going to miss my chance.  I was having so much pain that I didn't think I could have the baby without one.  The man who distributed the epidural said he'd back in a little bit to check on me and set up a drip.  John had called his parents and was now on the phone with mine.  I talked to my mom a little bit and I can't even remember what we said.  The nurses were probably stalling a bit at this point, waiting for the doctor to arrive.  I didn't notice until reflecting afterwards.

My doctor had made it!  He walked through the door with a look on his face that said, I don't believe there is any rush for my being here but let's take a look anyway.  Well, he checked me and said I had no cervix left!  He started adjusting the bed, pulling out the stirrups and whatever else they do to get ready for the pushing stage.  John pointed out to me what he was doing and again I laughed.  It was all happening so fast!  Once I was in position, he broke my water.  They had me grab my thighs and told me to get ready because we were going to start pushing with the next contraction.  It felt like it took a couple of minutes for the contraction and while we waited, the doctor motioned to John to take a look.  He glanced and then came up to my face and said he could see the baby's head.  Again, I laughed.  I was so in shock that this was about to happen.  We had just gotten there!

Well, a contraction started and I began to push.  I had forgotten how to do it and blew out my breath.  They all told me not to breathe out but to hold my breath when I pushed.  I tried again and did the same thing.  Finally, a third time I got it right and out the baby came.  I had just figured out how to push again, then it was over!  The baby had a loud hearty cry.  I saw something brown on his foot and the doctor and nurse kinda laughed because the baby had pooped on his way out.  Nothing in his lungs though, thankfully!  They put him up on my chest and I think I laughed a little more.  He was here!  I couldn't believe my eyes.  I mean, it was 8:38.  We had only been at the hospital for an hour!  It was so unreal and so different from EZ's birth too.  I barely even did anything, other then have a lot of painful contractions for a few hours, but really easiest delivery ever!

About 5 minutes later John's mom showed up and about 5 minutes after that his sister Cristy had come and she brought EZ.  The epidural guy came back and since the baby was already born he didn't have to set up a drip or so anything else!  Ha ha.  It was all just boom boom boom!  It really was a funny situation!  Well I got to snuggle my baby for like an hour, even breastfed him, which he did awesome at, and then they moved me to the Mother Baby area.  They took him to get a bath and I stayed in my room to relax for a bit.  John's mom left shortly after and Cristy and EZ stayed til about noon.  I ate some lunch then John left and I tried to take a nap.  The hospital is just so loud though that I didn't fall asleep, but I did rest for a good hour.  Then they brought the baby back to me to try eating again.  He pretty much slept the whole day.  I couldn't get him interested for like an hour.  But it was good bonding time to do skin to skin and just hang out he and I.  Finally he nursed and as soon as we were done, John and EZ had come back.  They stayed about 2 hours.  I think John wanted to stay longer but EZ is just too little for the hospital and it is kinda frantic keeping him out of trouble and caring for a newborn at the same time!  We had dinner together though and it was nice having my family of 4 all together.  Family of four, wild!

They only brought the baby to me once in the night.  So, I was able to get some much needed sleep.  John and EZ came for a couple hours in the morning then went home.  I got in a nap and they came back around 5.  We decided we would go home that night instead of the following morning.  I didn't want to feel rushed so early and I was recovering well and felt like I was ready.  Plus, my parents were driving up from Arizona that day and they were going to be arriving about the same time.  So, we got checked out and headed home.  My parents had gotten there about a half hour before us and already had dinner cooking.  We all had a good reminisce at the wild ride that I just went through.  It is a pretty awesome story after all!

That first night at home was hard.  The little guy did not sleep very long and we were up most the night.  I got some naps the next day which helped.  It's been a rough few days trying to get into a new groove but my outlook is so much better the second time.  Even when I feel exhausted or achy, I'm just so in love with my new baby.  He is real perfection.  John and I even think he's a cuter baby then EZ was!  Haha, okay I shouldn't admit that...  I still can't believe how smoothly and perfectly everything went.  I feel truly blessed.  John mentioned several times how awesome I did and how I just rocked having a baby.  I feel proud too, and a little silly.  I can't believe I went all night trying to talk myself into actually going to the hospital.  I was sorta scared ya know and mad that I couldn't plan on it like I would have been able to with a scheduled induction.  But hey, it all worked out perfectly!  John told me after, that those things he was saying while we were headed to the hospital were just to keep me from panicking.  He knew we were about to have a baby and he kept me focused and calm by convincing me that everything was fine and I didn't need to worry.  I believe him so easily anyway.  He has always been my rock and he just knows how to manipulate me in the right way!  I'm grateful to him for being exactly what I need.

So our baby, Bruce Calvin was born on 12-20-15 at 8:38 am.  Weighing 9 pounds and measuring 21.5 inches long.  I knew he was going to be big, but I did not expect that big.  Especially at nearly 2 weeks early.  I really wanted a 7 pound baby, but now that he is here and so beautiful, I don't even care.  He feels tiny to me!  I had a small episiotomy but my recovery has been really good so far.  I feel almost convinced that I could do this a third time.  But it's too soon to start thinking that way!