I have wanting to post this for days, but its hard to type with one hand. So little by little each day I have been adding until its complete! Then hopefully we can get back to regular blogging!
On Sunday November 23 (my actual due date) it was kind of surreal that we would be going to the hospital the next morning to meet our baby. I spent most of the day getting everything around the house prepared, ran a few errands and even got my last french manicure in before I will have a little one in tow. It was a very nice day, Kennie and I enjoyed a great dinner and settled in for what I thought would be a sleepless night. I did take a few Tylenol PM to try to at least get some sleep. Although there was a little spot in my head hoping that my water would break and I would go into labor, I knew that it wasnt going to happen. Around 3 am Susie started some whining, so Kennie ended up sleeping on the floor with her until we got up at 5 to get ready to go. I was glad that everything was ready to go, because at 5 am I would not have been good at packing my bags. We both took showers and got dressed, kissed the girls goodbye and we were on the way to the hospital. It was a very emotional ride for me. The unknown was just eating at me and by the time we got to the parking garage, I was in tears, and I think they are still flowing since they started that day.
Off to the elevator to the 8th floor and I think I was in a bed with monitors hooked up by 6:30 am. A few doctors(residents) were in and out to check on me, and these doctors I was not one bit impressed with. They had no bedside manor, they were not gentle and just plan rude. I was hoping my doctor would be around that day to come and check on me before my labor progressed. Finally around 8:30 am, Dr. Doan came in and checked me, I was at 4 cm and she proceeded to break my water. As she was telling me she was going to break my water, it was already broke, and my first thought, was thank god that didnt happen at work, or while laying in my bed, or in the middle of Walmart!! The plan was to walk the halls and see if the contractions would start on their own. We walked for about 45 minutes and came back to the room. I was experiencing some contractions, but also terrible, (a 9 on a 10 pain scale) cramps in my pelvis area. So once a contraction was over, the cramping would start. After a little jello, and a few laughs about how I was enjoying my jello...the pain started to set in between the contractions and cramping, I was starting to get exhausted already, the tears started flowing and I asked for the epidural. I knew that things were going to get worse once they started the Pitocen, which was decided on to get things moving along. Even though I wanted to labor a little without it, I knew that I couldnt spend the whole afternoon like that and actually have the energy to deliver the baby. Which before that moment, I had always been scared of getting an epidural and the thought of needles by my spine, but when the docs came in to give it to me, it was relieved, and even happier when in about 15 minutes after it was complete I was already feeling great and pain free. The rest of the afternoon was pretty quiet. I slept most of the time, Kennie even managed to take a nap. Around 4 pm, my Mom came up to check things out and I think at that time I was around 8 cm dilated. So I sent her home to get my dad thinking that the baby would be there soon!
So after staying at 8 cm for quite awhile the nurse came in to turn up the pitocen, and my epidural was wearing off, so the docs came back to increase the dose. Between the combination of both increases and the baby making a move, her heartbeat dropped, within seconds 4 doctors came rushing in, yelling at me to move from side to side to get her heart rate back up, it was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. There was talk of an emergency C-section and I burst into tears, but was totally understanding that if thats what we needed to do for the baby, then its was ok by me, and get it done ASAP. So after Dr. Doan, actually squeezing my belly and talking to the baby, the heart rate finally went back up and things in my room settled down for a bit. After that moment, I just cried to Kennie and we both agreed that, that was probably the scariest moment in our lives. Once her heart rate was stabilized for a while, they decided to get me pushing to make sure the rate stayed normal. At that time Dr. Doan also came into check me, and FINALLY I was at 10 cm and ready to push! After a few practice pushes, it was game on, and I remember looking at the clock and thinking hopefully the baby would be there in to time. I remember looking up at Kennie's face in amazement as he was coaching me along. It was like time was standing still, and I thought I was really making progress. At that time, my epidural was totally off, and the pitocen was turned way up (from 18 to 34, whatever that means on an IV machine), so the pain was really starting to get bad, about that same time Dr. Doan came in to check me, and gave us the news that the head wasnt moving down, and we should do a c section. I remember just being exhausted and agreeing right away.
At that time things started to get crazy, the contraction pain was unbearable, as the nurses got ready for the c section, I was screaming in pain, and we were waiting on the anesthesiologist to come back to give me more medication in my epidural. I was thrashing around on the bed, throwing things at Kennie, swearing at the nurses, I was literally starting to lose it the pain was so bad. One minute I would ask Kennie for a cold towel on my back, the next I was throwing it back at him, telling him not to touch me! The nurse came in and said my parents were on their way before they took me to the OR, I remember saying you better stop them at the door, because they will both freak if they see me like this! Finally (after what seemed like FOREVER), which was only about 20 minutes the anesthesiologist came in, gave me more meds and they were wheeling me out of the room, Kennie was all ready to go in his sterile jumpsuit thing, and he was kissing me as they wheeled me out the door. By the time we hit the hallway, my pain was already subsiding and I was feeling better.
Next stop...Operating room, where my first thought was...can I please have some sunglasses!! Holy brightness. It wasnt too long getting everything prepped for the c section. Next thing I knew, Kennie was by my side and they were starting. The numbness was kind of weird, because I was totally pain free, but could feel all the tugging and pulling. Because of all the anesthesia, I was starting to get the shakes real bad, that was the only thing that was really getting to me because I was trying to control it, and it was just making my muscles more tired. Within a few minutes, they told Kennie to stand up and look over the drape, and the next words were "Daddy, tell everyone what the baby is" and the most life changing words came out of Kennies mouth when he said "its a little girl", and next was her walling scream, and I just burst into tears. After such a long day, and 9 months waiting to find out what we were having, I was over come with joy and happiness, and will probably never ever forget that memory! Kennie and I just held hands and cried, and couldnt believe we were parents to a new baby girl!
I made Kennie go hang out with Riley while they took her weight, cleaned her off and did all the usual checking, and then he brought over our baby girl. I got to carry her for 9 months, and it was special that he was the first to hold her after her birth. The 3 of us sat together while they stitched me back me. It was so awesome!! Kennie has never been a baby person, but his Daddy instincts kicked right in, and he was an old pro!
After I was all closed and stapled back up, they moved me from the OR table onto a bed, that was a very weird feeling because they literally put you on rollers and you roll onto the bed, after your bottom half being numb, its kind of an out of body experience. At that time I was still shaking very badly. They wheeled me into the recovery room, where Kennie and Riley were waiting! It was there, we got to hang out until the next shift change at 11:30 pm. The nurses finally gave me something in my IV to get the shaking under control, and Kennie handed me Riley to hold for the first time. I was just still is awe of our little girl. He left us alone and went to get my parents, and vowed not to tell them it was a girl until they got back there.
Once my Mom walked in the room she figured Riley was a boy because the blue on her hat showed up more, but I quickly corrected her. Both her and my Dad were ecstatic to be grandparents and she got passed around between both of them. Riley was very alert, so alert that it was unbelievable that she was only born a few minutes earlier. Once the new grandparents got their fill, they decided to head home for the night, so we could get some rest.
Around 11:30 our nurse got us all ready to head down to the 7th floor which is the post partum unit where we would stay until Thursday (Thanksgiving). We were lucky enough to get a private room! Kennie's cousin Jill is a nurse on that floor and she put us on the private room list. Being that I had to stay 3 nights in the hospital(I hate hospitals) this made the stay much better. I cant complain one bit about our experience at Crouse. From the nurses, to even the food, everything was wonderful! The next few days there flew by. The first night was hectic, by the time we got to the room and settled in it was after midnight, then a while before the excitement wore off and I was ready to sleep. The nurses brought Riley back in every 3 hours to see if she would eat(of course at that point she was into her sleepy fase, so she pretty much just slept on me), and morning came very quick. The nurse at 4 am came in to get me out of bed and walk to the bathroom. This was a very weird experience, after the epidural and c-section and all the fluids they were giving me, I was very swollen. I felt like I had to learn how to walk all over again. My legs didnt want to bend, and it was a long trip getting out of bed(very sore!) and getting to the bathroom. I was happy to be back in the bed after the long journey! The only other "bad" thing that happened from there on out was the resident doctor that came in that Tuesday morning, she put me in tears pushing on my stomach and checking everything. I thought Kennie was going to strangle her, and I was glad to not see her for the rest of my stay!
The next days in the hospital were pretty routine. Riley was seen by the pediatrician and everything checked out well, so at that point they really were only keeping us to monitor my recovery. Which I was sore, and slow moving but making progress. Kennie's Mom and sister came on Tuesday, along with my dad, Kennie was exhausted and took a nap while my dad was there, after chugging a red bull, he was snoring very loud and the nurses thought it was very funny! My mom came and stayed with me on Tuesday night so Kennie could go home and get some sleep and be with the doggies. Mom and I had a good time, a trip to the vending machines at midnight and some girl talk, it was kind of like a vacation! Wednesday brought more visitors, Aunt Carrie came, Mom and Elisa again, Carol Ann and Chad and Ashley. I was glad that Wednesday night was our last night there. Kennie went and got us Subway for dinner and while Riley was in the nursery, I attempted my first shower with the help of Kennie. Which made me feel like a new person! After we were done and Riley had her bath in the nursery we kept her in the room all night, and things were going well! I think I was starting to get used to the sleep deprivation at that point!
Thursday morning, was a little hectic waiting on my doctor to release me. I think she was a little late due to being a holiday, but around 11 she came and said I was all set to go. So by the time all the paperwork was done and Kennie made like 4 trips to the truck, I think at 12:30 we were actually getting wheeled out of the hospital. And off to Wegmans, the only pharmacy open to get my pain pills! Another quick stop at my parents house, and we were finally one our way home with our little baby, she loved the car ride, I thought it was going to be very easy at the point!
Once we were home, we introduced Riley to the dogs. They were very curious. Long Dog sniffed her all over and even backed away from her once she cried. Susie seemed more interested in licking her and making sure there was no food or crumbs on her face! We all went to bed pretty early that night, and all in all, it was a pretty good first night at home...which was great, because it only got worse from then on out! I think was Friday morning came, it really hit me and the exhaustion set in, but it was nice to have Mom and Elisa there to help and we pretty much relaxed all day. Saturday my parents were going to have Thanksgiving dinner for us, and Riley had her first pedi appt at 10 am. After we got home on Saturday, I was completely exhausted, but very happy that I finally ate my turkey dinner, and I knew I wouldn't have to go anywhere for a few days, and that our baby girl was finally here, and everything went well! A relief that it was all over!
Thank you to all that sent us well wishes and prayers, we couldn't have gotten through the pregnancy without you and we love you all!!!
Finally all together!
Daddy is just in awe of his baby girl
Heading home and meeting the doggies!
Opening gifts!
Looking in from the hallway
The crib all set to go
