Here's the Story

I never thought I would actually want to post about my child's birth story on my blog, but then I actually had a child. . . and changed my mind. Ha. I just don't like hearing all the gory details so I'll try to keep them to a minimum. 

Anyways, last Wednesday the 26th I had my usual doctor appointment. I wasn't expecting to have made any progress because I still hadn't felt any contractions or anything. . I was figuring I was doomed to be more like my mother. . .going way past my due date and possibly having to be induced. 

Luckily my doctor said I DID make some progress and I was actually at a 2 and said he wouldn't be surprised if I had the baby within the next week. I was still not trying to get my hopes up though.

But that night around 8 or so I actually started having contractions. I always wondered what that would feel like. . if I would know if it was a "real" contraction or one of those Braxton Hix type things. Everyone always says that "you'll know" when you are having a real contraction and boy were they right. It was cramps times like 1,000. And they kept coming. I tried going to bed but as the night wore on they got closer and closer together. . starting out at about 8 minutes apart, and then around 5 in the morning they were about 4 minutes apart. By the way, Paul slept through all of this. . I was up not sleeping, once in a while debating whether I should wake him or not but I knew he would probably just get all excited and want to go to the hospital right away and I didn't want to go and just get turned away because I wasn't dilated enough or something (that was also a big fear of mine, having to go through endless hours of pre-term labor. I'm a pansy.)

Sooo by the time Paul woke up around 6:15 am I was pretty much done. I told him there was a good chance we will need to go to the hospital because my contractions were getting really close together. He of course got up right away, started running around with me telling him what last minute stuff I needed and then we headed out. We get there and I ask him for my wallet. . . .and he tells me he forgot it. Awesome. I can't really check into the hospital without my ID and insurance so. . . we turned around and went back to get it. Luckily the hospital is only 5 minutes away, so it didn't add on that much extra time. We got there around 7:30 that morning the 27th.

I was also lucky that my doctor was already there doing rounds with other patients of his, so he was able to come and check me to see if anything had progressed. Turns out it wasn't all in my head and I had gotten to a 5 and he said I could be admitted! I was so relieved that the pain wasn't all in my head and that I would actually be able to stay and have a baby! I was impressed that I made it halfway on my own, but by that point I was ready to get my epidural. Like I said, I am a pansy. I wanted to actually be able to somewhat enjoy the experience.

After I got the epidural things were going great! I was a little nervous to get it just because, oh you know, they are injecting something right around my SPINE and you never know. But it only stung a little when they numbed the area and then I became one happy camper as it kicked in. I was glad that I wasn't so numb that I couldn't feel anything, I was still able to feel some pressure when I would have a contraction.

Then it was just a lot of waiting. . .I was exhausted from being up all night so I just tried to sleep. . it kind of worked, I was able to relax more. I was really thirsty the whole time and kept demanding ice chips from Paul. It gave him something to do. Ha. 

I made it to a 10 all on my own but she was still not moving down like she needed to, so they started me on some pitocin around 2:30 to see if that would help. It definitely made me feel more pressure with each contraction, which was good. Finally, around 4:00 I was ready to get going! My doctor, Dr. Seale got called to come in. We also had to have people from the NICU present because when my water got broken earlier that day they suspected she might have pooped in the amniotic sac and were worried that she might breathe it in. So when it was go time there were quite a few people in our room. I didn't have to push very long and by 4:32 p.m. she was out in the world! Lauren Amy Siddoway decided to make her appearance. Dr. Seale tried to suction all the stuff out of her before she could take a breath but he only got about halfway done before she let out her shrill cry.  She turned out ok so that was nice to not have to worry about her. It was such a surreal experience. . . .I really don't know how else to describe it.

And now onto some photos. I debated whether to put up the ones of me because well, I was up all night and then was in labor all day. BUT that was how things were and I really don't care, now that I think about it. I had zero energy to put into looking good. I was giving birth, for crying out loud. 

Here she is right after she came out. She turned her head sideways at the last minute coming out so her cone head was more on the side of her head. All the nurses affectionately called her "Gumby". Ha ha it was funny, and true. 

Getting weighed. She still makes that sour face when she's upset. 

Dad holding her tiny feet.

One proud Papa.

Dr. Seale (who is an awesome doctor, by the way. We really enjoyed him. And he plays the banjo and bass guitar so Paul likes him too.) Paul's face in the picture kills me. So cheesy.

My nurses were so awesome and took all these pictures. I think this one is hilarious because of Lauren's face! She doesn't seem to know if she likes it or not.

Yes, I look awesome. I know. My hair is all nasty because for the last hour or so I was BOILING hot. They took my temperature and I was at 104! They didn't seem worried about it though. They put cold rags on my forehead and that was heaven, along with me gulping down ice chips. After all of this stuff though my body just kept shaking. Not hyperventilating shaking, but the kind where you just had a ton of adrenaline and now your body is recovering from it. . .hopefully that makes sense.

The ONLY reason I put a kissing picture on here of us is because of her face. Ha it kills me! She already doesn't like seeing Mom and Dad give each other affection.

My awesome labor and delivery nurses, Shea and Laurel. They were the best cheerleaders and really funny. We had fun joking with them during the day.

 Dad changing the diaper. She really hates getting her diaper changed now so we have gotten really good at being really speedy at it so that she doesn't have time to really get all up in a tizzy.

We had called our parents when we found out I was going to be admitted. My Mom came down that afternoon and got here right before I was ready to push her out. She stayed with us for the first week and was a LIFE SAVER. Seriously. She helped out so much I can't even begin to thank her enough.

I snapped this picture the first night. So cute.

A few hours old.

We made it home no problem. This is us giving her  her first bath at home. She might look like she's somewhat enjoying it, but she's not. She still screams bloody murder every time we give her one. Counting down the days until she actually enjoys them. . . .

After being home a couple days. One of the few times she was wide awake. 

There are so many more things I could write about that have been going on this past week. I can't believe she was only born a little over a week ago, because sometimes (especially at like 2:00 in the morning) it seems like she's been with us for way longer. Other times I can't believe it has already been that long and that she is already growing so much. I know I'll blink and before I know it she'll be a bigger baby and that is already bittersweet.

Next post (when I find time to write it. . this one took me a good two days to get around to finishing!) will be about post-partum stuff and adjusting to all of this. I plan on laying it all out.