Our Saving GRACyn ❤️

April 27th: my last day of work before maternity leave; my last evening spending time with the girls at my parents while my husband so graciously stayed home to clean and straighten the house before we brought home our third, and final, baby girl. That day I was a mess. I was scheduled to be induced the following morning. Not knowing what to expect, coupled with the horror stories people were SO kind to share with me (insert eye roll), I was a blubbering, sobbing, hot mess. I barely slept that night, thinking of the “what if’s” that could happen in the few short hours to come.

April 28th: Bags packed, clean and tidy house, girls with Grandma, Matt and I set off to WMHS Hospital to be induced at 8:00am. We arrived at 7, like we were told, got settled into our room and nervously waited for Dr. E to pop in and tell us how the day would go. 

8:00am - Tablet inserted

8:00-10:00am - hanging out, watching some TV, filling out more paperwork, starting to get a few pains here and there.

10a-12:00p - our wonderful nurse, who’s name I can’t remenber right now but can picture, suggested getting up and walking around to get things moving. Matt and I walked the halls of labor and delivery for quite sometime. At first, we could make it up and back down the hall before a contraction hit. Around 11:30, I was having steady contractions at one end, the middle, and the other end of the hall. Making my nurse aware, she decided to check how things were progressing. By now, I was in tears and more than ready for my epidural! With a quick check, I was able to get my epidural at 12:00pm. SIDE NOTE: My wonderful, supportive husband, being the medical geek he is, literally held my pinky from a distance, as he watched them insert my epidural. That wonderful nurse I mentioned before, SHE was the one comforting me,  holding me, talking me through  as  I was hunched over, having contractions, while the anesthesiologist stabbed my spine placed my epidural. 

12:10pm - Tears were gone, belly was full of popsicles, and it was suggested I try to rest. But how is that possible when you’re shivering!? I asked the nurse for extra blankets. She brought several from the warmer. I still shivered. At first I thought it was from the popsicle, but was then told sometimes an epidural has that effect. So I sat, and shivered, for about an hour until Dr. E came in at 1:00.

1:10pm - I had progressed so much that Pitocin wasn’t needed and the nurses asked if I could be considerate and have this baby before their shift was over. : )  My stomach consistently tighteneted and relaxed....and I didn’t feel a darn thing!

1:55pm - My nurse came to check our progress and decided that they should probably place a catheter. The facial expressions she had while inserting the catheter was priceless. She started emptying my bladder and immediately the baby’s head moved down. “Your bladder was acting as an airbag, he heads down and you’re ready to push!” She then called to Dr. E, who had just stepped out into the hall, not to go too far.

2:05pm and three pushes later, I was holding one slippery, beautiful little baby in my arms!

Sounds easy, huh? Well...it was. And almost a year later, she continues to be the easiest, most laid back, perfect baby to date. Miss Gracyn Lillyann Gibson, is my saving grace. God knew I needed her....

Gracyn Lillyan Gibson
4/28/17
2:05pm
7 lbs 5.4oz
18 3/4”

Bases are Offically Loaded

Bases are loaded. Our third baby is due to arrive at the end of April or the beginning of May. Another baby, another miracle. Each pregnancy has been slightly different than the last. This time around, I have been extra blessed to hardly have any nausea. Instead of the nausea, I have extra tears. And by extra,  I mean that I tear up over the littlest things; like for instance, dances on Dancing with the Stars, watching Grey's Anatomy, listening to a priceless and heartwarming conversation between Mady and her friend, Ella, and we can't forget those ultrasounds and monthly OB checkups.

Every pregnancy, I am always amazed at the miracle of a child. I thought that since this was our third round, that the excitement and amazement wouldn't be as strong. But I was wrong. Each ultrasound has left me in tears.  As early as 7 weeks we saw a heartbeat flicker. At 10 weeks we saw a perfectly formed, wiggly, baby. At our (almost)12 week appointment, the Doctor wasn't able to pick up a heartbeat on the Doppler so he did a quick scan. The ultrasound showed that "Georgie" (nickname courtesy of big sister Mady) was wiggling and bouncing all around. But at 12 weeks, there were tiny, perfectly formed hands that were waving around and tiny legs and feet that just couldn't hold still. Simply amazing.

Maybe it's because I am feeling so good this time around , or that I'm extra emotional, or perhaps because I know this will be my last pregnancy (and yes, I did say that with Elly, but God trumped our plans with HIS plans) but I am soaking in and enjoying this pregnancy more than I have the last two.

Although I wasn't quite ready for this pregnancy, but after seeing the little miracle growing inside, I can't help but feel EXTRA blessed to be loading the bases with a third Gibson baby.

Cannon Baby

          October 3rd, 2014 at 4:11am, I was awakened by pains shooting across my lower abdomen. Could this be the day we were going to meet Miss Ellyanna? One could only hope. At this point, I was feeling rather miserable. Sitting 8 long hours a day at work definitely took it's toll on my back and not to mention, the sciatic pains shooting down my legs. Needless to say, I was a hot mess. Or felt like one anyhow. So when those pains started, I was excited...and nervous...and anxious. I had a doctor's appointment scheduled that morning at 7:00am.

          I ate breakfast, showered, got ready, called off work, and packed my bags in the car. Matt packed his bag and took his scrubs along...you know, just in case it was a false alarm and the Doctor didn't admit us. My mom graciously came down to hang out with Mady while we went to the Doctor...and in case I would be admitted. We seriously live no more than 4 minutes from the hospital. I was about a minute away from the hospital and the contractions stopped. Ugh. At my appointment, I tell Dr. E what has been going on since 4:11, only to find out that I was only dilated 1.5cms. He suggests going home to rest. My fingers are crossed that if the baby doesn't come by 4:30pm, she waits until after the weekend, when Dr. E is back in town.

          Feeling disappointed, Matt goes to work and I go home to rest...with a 3 year old. Thankfully, with a little bribing, mom decided to hang out and babysit both Mady and I. We enjoyed sitting outside, watching Mady give her babies a bath in the sink...then Mady taking a bath in the sink...eating lunch together, and just having a lazy day. 5:00pm, she decides to go home since Matt has returned home to be on baby watch.

          5:30pm: Contractions start...again. We eat dinner and Mady and I snuggle on the couch to watch movies as I time contractions. 10-12 minutes apart...not too strong. I can handle this...for now. As the evening progresses, the contractions get stronger. but still continue to be about 10-12 minutes apart. Around 8:00pm they get a little closer...8-10 minutes apart. Shortly after 9:00pm they start to get even closer and even stronger and Matt and Mady are both passed out. I'm now flying solo on the baby watch. Shortly after 10:00pm, my contractions become very uncomfortable and are about 6-7 minutes apart. Just as I was about to get up to go call labor and delivery, another strong contraction comes on and I let myself back down on the couch. Mid contraction I feel a huge POP! followed by a warm sensation in my pants.

          I immediately yell Matt's name. Well, more like a whispering yell, only because I didn't want to wake Mady. He's dead to the world. 

Me: "matt....Matt....MAtt....MATt....MATT....MATTHEW! MATTHEW!"  (He wakes up)  "I think my water just broke!"

Matt: "Are you sure you just didn't pee yourself?"

          I convince him that I didn't and that I am 100% sure that my water just broke. He springs out off the couch and starts running around. (I love when he's woken up in the middle of a deep sleep cause he has no idea what's going on half the time.) "What do you need? What can I get?" I ask for towels, new pants and gutchies. While he's running around trying to gather those things, I call my mom and tell her my water just broke and to be on her way. We get everything gathered as my contractions continue to be about 6-7 minutes apart, but now they are to the point where it takes my breath away. We need to hurry. I couldn't wait on my mom. What are we going to do? Terry and Sandy. Our WONDERFUL neighbors and who offered on several occasions to let them know if we needed anything. Well, now we need them. Matt runs over. Meanwhile, I'm standing in the kitchen waiting for him to come back. I felt a little pressure and become more anxious. Hurry! Thank goodness we only live a very short distance from the hospital.

          We get checked in and start up in the elevator with the RN and Nursing Assistant. She asks how far along I am (39.4 weeks) and how far apart my contractions are (6-7). "We have plenty of time," she says. Matt was respectably quiet during this time. I had kind of scolded him for trying to crack jokes when I was in active labor with Mady...at the time he and his jokes were NOT funny. At all. By any means.  So up to the room we go and all the preparations are made...clothes changed, a million and half questions being asked in between contractions, monitors adjusted over my stomach, etc. Before the RN leaves the room she tells me that  I'm dilated to 3cm's and that she was going to notify the Anesthesiologist and Doctor. I vividly remember lying in bed , glancing at the clock that read 10:55, thinking, how I couldn't take much more of the pain and that I sure hoped they were hurrying as fast as they could.

          About 10:15ish, I was so miserable! I had asked the nurse if my epidural was coming anytime soon and she said that both the Doctor and Anesthesiologist were on their way. Ok, I can hang on a few more minutes. I think. Nope. Take that back. Another contraction came on. I felt so sick to my stomach...like my heart was going to burst...I didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't feel like I had any control over my body. That's when it hit me. I felt my stomach tense up tighter than it ever had. I had pressure like I had never felt before. I tell Matt that "something's wrong. It doesn't feel right. I feel like I need to push." A nurse came in shortly after and as Matt was telling her that I felt like I needed to push, the urge came again. The nurse said that she would check me again to see how far I was dilated because I had been pumping out contractions every 1 to 2 minutes.

          No wonder I felt TERRIBLE! She checks me and in the past 30 minutes I had gone from 3cms to 9cms and I was ready to push. (Told ya.) The urge to push came again. It was awful.  Naturally, I did what my body told me to do. I pushed. The nurse walks in and yells down the hall, "WE HAVE A HEAD!"  NO! Where's that epidural...and the Doctor!? I can't wait until they get here! But there's no way I can or want to do this without an epidural! The nurse tells me that I need to pant. SCREW THAT! I push again. She tells me to pant again. I try...kind of. But I end up pushing. The nurse says, "Look at all that blonde hair!" I squeeze the crap out of Matt's hand. I hear someone let out a scream or two and then realize that that someone was me. Before I know it, it's 11:47pm and baby Ellyanna shot out like a cannon and I was finally holding her in my arms! The bed wasn't even broken down for delivery. The epidural wasn't anywhere near where it should've been. The Doctor hadn't even arrived. But Elly was here. My biggest fear my entire pregnancy, other than having an awful delivery like I did with Mady, was not getting to the hospital in time to have an epidural. Looking back, it really wasn't that bad. But would I want to go o'nautral again? Absolutely not! Props to all you ladies out there who don't have any meds during labor and delivery. That was awful!

          So Ellyanna Lynn Gibson arrived at 11:47pm on Friday, October 3rd, 2014. Weighing 7lbs 11oz and measuring 20.5'' long. Delivered by Peggy, RN. What a blessing she is! The 3 of us absolutely love the easy going, happy, smiley baby that she has been over the past 4 months! We love you SO much, Elly Bean!

A very excited big sister, Mady. : )

~ Our first family picture ~

We did it!

     September 22, 2012 has come and gone. It’s hard to imagine that we are the parents of a one year old already! I’m not sure if I’m more shocked that she’s already one, or that we have managed to, somehow, someway, keep Mady alive and healthy for a whole year. There were times that I was certain child protective services was going to show up on our doorstep at any given moment to remove/save Mady from our parenting “techniques.”  But, I’m proud to say. "WE DID IT!"  We have officially made it a full year. Mady is in one piece AND she still lives with us! 

It’s amazing all of the things she has mastered over the past year…

Sitting up all by herself

Crawling

Rolling over

Climbing/descending stairs

Feeding herself

Walking at 10.5 months

Pulling eyelashes

Knowing where her/mommy’s/daddy’s eyes, nose, and hair are

Dancing (not sure where she got those moves from…most likely daddy) J

Her small vocabulary

Facial Expressions

Learning to spin

…and the list could go on and on.

      But by far, the most amazing and greatest characteristic has been the appearance of her personality. I seriously can’t believe how quick and soon it developed. On most days she is so darn cute and funny that I wish I could have a video camera in her face 24/7. I'd be able to capture those goofy facial expressions she comes up with, or those moments when she, out of nowhere, begins to "spin" in a circle, or giggle when she passes gas, (which she gets that from daddy as well) or when she realizes she has a nose...and when she pinches her nose she can "snort" through her mouth ...which results in giggles and a nice pink nose because the more she does it, the more mommy and daddy laugh.  We couldn’t be more blessed with such an (overall) easy going, fun, and cuddly little lady. Her “go-with-the-flow” personality has definitely been a blessing!  

      We celebrated her 1^st birthday at Rocky Gap State Park on her actual birthday...September 22nd, 2012. Here are a few shots from her special day...

Balloons courtesy of Daddy...(Mommy only managed 4) :)

 

New kitchen!

Opening presents!

Checking out the new toys!

Tissue Paper Pom Poms...Mommy had no problem making these. :)

Pretty flowers from the downtown Farmers Market
(Highly recommend their little flower booth)

Baby food jar flower center pieces...from Pinterest, of course! ; )

Cake - courtesy of Grandma

This is the closest she got to putting her fingers in it...on her own.

Pretty Birthday girl!

Opening presents!

"Ummm...someone...please get this off of me since I was FORCED to put my hand in this mess."

Mady's new wheels

Us!



Whooooped...

Despite the blustery wind that made us rearrange the table decorations and Mady's poor skun up nose (she had a doozy of a face plant walking up the cement sidewalk) the day couldn’t have turned out any better! The sun was shining, the weather was decently warm, the food was delicious, her cakes were adorable, and most importantly our close friends and family were able to celebrate with us!

 

Till another time,

~Renee~

 

 



 

What to REALLY Expect When You’re Expecting

  **First and foremost, if you lack a sense of humor or feel the need to call child protective services and report Matt and I, PLEASE click the little “x” in the upper right hand corner and do not read any further. Despite what is about to be read, we actually kinda like Mady. : )**

           There are numerous things that baby books fail to mention when it comes to the care and well being of your baby. Perhaps I missed that chapter, or maybe they forgot to print that section in my edition of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” Whatever the case, it’s only fair to pass on the tips that Matt and I have stumbled upon over the past 9 months.

            Not too long ago, Matt and I were at a party…having a conversation with individuals (whom I will leave nameless to ensure that their children will not be taken from them) about things baby books don’t teach you about. Like for instance...

·   Blowing in your infant’s face while they are crying for HOURS on end, allows you to have a few moments of silence…while you’re baby tries to catch their breath. (Trust me, Matt has been yelled at plenty of times for this. I don’t even have to be in the same room to know that he has “silenced” her. If she’s crying hard and suddenly stops, I know.)

· Placing your infant’s face in direct sunlight forces them to close their eyes…which makes falling asleep A LOT easier on both parent and baby. 

· Poking/brushing party favors on your infant’s eyes may also have a similar effect as placing your infant’s face in direct sunlight. 

· You won’t clean and sterilize your 2^ndchild’s binky. Save your precious time and energy and don’t bother with the first child. (Could you imagine what the 13^th child in a family would have growing on their binky?)  

· Threatening to sell your infant or give them to an orphanage, or put them up for adoption after a LONG night of crying and being up every 2 hours, makes your infant sleep better the following night. (Sounds like it might work, but in reality it really doesn’t. But it was worth a try.) 

· Promising to throw out your infants belongings (toys, stuffed animals, blankets, etc) on the street so the neighborhood kids can enjoy them doesn’t make your infant stop crying. So just save your breath.

 ·   Making comments such as, “Oh, I just can’t imagine how my life was prior to my baby,” could possibly help you earn brownie points for becoming the next “Mother/Father of the Year.” If you’ve already blew getting that award, be honest. How can you NOT forget your life before your baby…sleeping in when you want, going to bed later than 9:00pm, overnight stays didn’t involve packing up the whole house…

· Allowing your infant to sleep with you in your bed is harmless. But there may be minor side effects that occur during the nights that your infant is in his/her crib. Such side effects may include, but are not limited to things like:  Digging frantically through the covers to find your crying baby, or grabbing your spouse’s knee and panicking because you’ve found your infant's head but can’t locate the rest of their body.

· Bathing your infant once a week is sufficient. Sometimes your life becomes so busy with work, taking care of the house, errands, etc, that it’s ok if you make it to the end of the week and realize that you’ve only given your baby a bath once that week. Look on the bright side, it prevents his/her skin from drying out AND it saves a little on your water bill. 

·   Lathering your infant up with "Johnson's Bedtime Bath and Bedtime Lotion" or “Aveeno Baby Calming Lotion”(which is supposedly "clinically proven to help baby sleep better”) isn’t necessary. You are better off squirting it out in the garbage disposal to lessen that garbage smell. Yes, those lotions and bath washes smell SO good, but does it actually calm your infant and help them sleep better? I beg to differ.

·   Jokingly, telling “strangers” at a Maple Queen Pageant (when complimented on how great your 6 month old was throughout the entire pageant) that you drugged them before you arrived, probably isn’t such a good idea…well, I mean, unless you want them to slowly walk away, speechless,  pretending they just didn’t hear that come out of a parent’s mouth.

 

·   The tiny spray bottles that come in an infant grooming kit quenches your 7 months old thirst just as good (if not better) than a bottle or sippy cup. They can even be conveniently placed right in your pocket without that added bulkiness that bottles and sippy cups have.

 Finally,  

·   Toys are a waste of money. Plastic bags, chapstick, diapers, containers, (in other words, everyday items that adults use) are excellent toys to keep your 8 month old occupied for extended periods of time. (Don’t worry about the warning labels found on plastic bags. They are completely harmless…as long as the infant is “supervised”…while playing in the pantry…with the door slightly propped open with just enough space for your infant to crawl out of. 

Surprised Mady has made it through the past 9 months?? Don’t worry. We’re kind of surprised too. Matt and I often say, “Can you believe that SHE relies on and trusts US??” It’s a little scary knowing that both Matt and I are responsible for that little individual. Whether it’s from all the lovin’s, hugs, kisses, plastic bags, tiny shots of water from her grooming spray bottle, or blueberry puffs, apparently we have done SOMETHING right. Besides, I wouldn’t trade her for ANYTHING…well ...almost anything. Just kidding. : )

Her Mommy & Daddy love her SO very much!
<3

...and Delivery

            "You’re ready to start pushing.” Wait, what, are you serious? I didn’t get to “rest” yet! Ready or not, I was about to have a baby. The moment that I had dreaded the most throughout my entire pregnancy had arrived.  Not even a moment after the nurse said, “when you feel pressure like you need to push, let me know and you can push,” did I feel that pressure…and so it began.

            Not only had my epidural begun to wear off, but for the past hour or so, I could feel EVERYTHING on my left side. Talk about being miserable. Fast forward to 41 minutes later. I’ll spare everyone and leave out the details of those 41 minutes.

            Meeting Mady for the first time is something that I will never forget. She entered the world on September 22, 2011 at 4:41pm, crying! (I probably would have been screaming if I would have had a cord wrapped around my arms and my legs and my chest and my neck.) But darn it if it wasn’t the cutest cry I had ever heard. The nurse placed her on my chest and my heart melted when we made eye contact. It was the most incredible feeling!



Daddy's chin!



            Within a matter of minutes, we had already decided that she had Matt’s chin and that she had beautiful, bright eyes! I was amazed at the amount of love that I quickly had for her in such a short second…already I could feel myself being wrapped around her little pinkie.  : )

Madalyn SuzAnn Gibson
7lbs 8.4 oz 19in.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
4:41pm

            Every woman that I had talked to, who had experienced delivery, always said that “once that baby arrives, you’ll forget about the pain.” I wish that would have been my case. I tried SO hard to focus on Mady while the nurses were examining her, cleaning her, etc. Nothing took that pain away. While the Doctor “repaired” me, I could hear the conversation he and the nurse were having and it didn’t sound good. After things had calmed down, and the nurse had taken Mady over to the nursery to get her weight and all that good stuff, Dr. E told me that I had had a pretty traumatic delivery. I could definitely tell that something “traumatic” had happened…and I felt that pain everyday for the next 3+ months.

            The first night in the hospital was a little rough. Not only had I just had a baby and my body felt like it was in shock, but I was so excited to have her here, that I couldn’t sleep…plus the nurses coming in every hour, feeling the need to have a conversation about what their daughter did three years ago, and sleeping in that hospital bed didn’t make matters any better. I felt like such a terrible mother when I asked the nurse to take Madalyn to the nursery so I could try to get some sleep. I hadn’t slept in over 24 hours (minus a little power nap) and I thought that maybe I could get some sleep. I asked for them to bring her back if she started crying/got hungry. No sooner had I fallen asleep, I heard a baby coming down the hall, crying. “Here comes Mady,” I thought. It was strange to be able to know that it was her, just from her cry. : )

            The next day, which was Friday, Matt and I enjoyed some quality bonding time with Miss Madalyn…not sure she enjoyed being fought over though. It was only fair to time Matt to make sure he didn’t get more time than I did. : ) We had a few visitors, but it was nice to relax (as much relaxing as you can do in a hospital) and enjoy the quiet, sleeping baby. Matt had gone home to get a shower and grab a few things and I tried to nap while he was gone. Before he came back, he did call to see if he needed to bring Mady any toys to play with. (I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt…he wasn’t around babies an awful lot so he didn’t know that Mady didn't need toys to occupy her time.) I thought it was cute and had to laugh at him. : )

  

            Nothing too excited happened while we were at the hospital. Saturday morning my Doctor came in to tell us that we could be discharged that day if we wanted. I was hesitant. Walking was extremely difficult; I needed help taking a shower, getting to and from the bathroom…I wasn’t quite sure if we…meaning Matt… could handle me AND Mady. I was overwhelmed. It wasn’t until the nurse told me that if I had any questions or concerns to call them, that I felt a little reassured.  Plus living 2 minutes from the hospital helped a little too. It was scary to think about going home…where was the call button when you had a silly question to ask, or that extra hand to help me to the bathroom. But somehow we managed…and we have been able to keep Mady alive, fed, and diapered since. : )

            I would like to take this opportunity to give a BIG “thank you” to Matt. Not only did he have Mady to help take care of, but for several weeks her had me to care for as well. I had never been so embarrassed and so dependent in my life and he was ALWAYS right there helping me with ANYTHING I needed…and when I say ANYTHING, I mean ANYTHING. ; ) So thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Labor...

Part I                    

                Everyone needs a “last hoorah…” or in this case, to at least plan one.  Since I was being induced on Friday, September 23^rd, Matt and I decided to go out to eat one last time, baby free. I was really looking forward to a nice tasty dinner (especially since I knew I would be eating that wonderful tasteless hospital food) at Fratelli’s. But little did I know that our “going out to dinner one last time baby free” had already happened.

40 weeks and 3 days.
2 days before Miss Madalyn actually arrived.
(If only I felt like I looked like this.)
: )

              

                Wednesday, September 21^st, was just like every other night. Matt pushed me up the stairs, I got ready for bed, and tried my best to get as comfortable.  Around  12am, I woke up and had to use the bathroom. At this point in my pregnancy, getting up at least 4 times throughout the night was nothing new. Ok, so I manage to get up, go to the bathroom, come back, get semi comfortable, and just drift off to sleep. Then out of nowhere, I start getting a slight cramp. Thinking that it was just like the cramps that I had been having, I didn’t feel the need to wake Matt up. The first cramp didn’t last long so I eventually drifted off to sleep…for maybe 15 minutes before another one came. Only this time it was a little stronger… then a little more… and a little more. Getting a little nervous, I grabbed my cell phone and started watching the clock a little bit closer.  7 minutes passed…then 8…then 7…then 6. Each time, the cramps were getting a little stronger. I sat up on the edge of the bed thinking, “Ok, is this the real thing? Should I wake up Matt?”

               

                Matt is known to talk and do hilarious things in his sleep…but he’s not the only one that talks. I have had my fair share of “words” with him. I seriously wonder if we have conversations...while we are asleep. Anyhow, we had always joked that when I went into labor I would tell him and he would mumble something, roll over, and go back to sleep. So I wasn’t quite sure if I should even bother waking him up. But I did. And I got the reaction that I thought I would.  Matt: “You ok?” Me: “Yeah, I think so, they just really hurt.” Matt: “Did your water break?” Me: “No.” Matt: “Ok, well let me know if you need anything.” He rolled over and went back to sleep. Nice. Called that one.

                With this being my first pregnancy I honestly didn’t know when to call the Doctor or when to go to the ER. We had asked my OB doctor at one of our previous appointments and she said, “When your water breaks.” Ok, easy enough…or so I thought. I got out of bed around 1:00am and started pacing back and forth from our bedroom to Mady’s bedroom. They weren’t letting up. I paced and I paced. I’d sit down in the glider and play “Words with Friends,” check my email, play other miscellaneous games, anything to take my mind off of the pain and the contractions that I was having. Around 4:00am, my contractions were around 2-4 minutes apart and the pain was starting to be unbearable.

               

                Unfortunately, we had missed the birthing classes the hospital offered. We decided to wing it. I really had no idea what to do to ease the pain. Finally, at 4:30, enough was enough. I woke Matt and up and told him that I hadn’t slept since 12, my contractions were 2-4 minutes apart, and I hurt!! He asks if my water breaks and says that the Doctor said to come in if it breaks. So I call labor and delivery and talk to one of the nurses. “Umm, you may want to mosey on in here,” was the reaction that I got. The nurse said that she would be looking for us. Matt hops in the shower quick, I finish packing his stuff while he gets ready, then I throw on a t-shirt, pants, and sandals, and out the door we go. (Thank goodness we only live 2 minutes from the hospital!)

                Walking through the ER doors, they immediately know why we are there.  I am placed in a wheelchair and off we go. Once in our room, the nurse has me change so they can hook me up, check me out, and see what’s going on…contraction wise. They hook me up, and right away the nurse says, “Wow, you really are having some contractions.” No kidding, honey.  They checked me to see how much I had dilated and I was only 3cm. Great. This is going to last forever!

                At this point, my sense of humor was GONE. I had never felt so terrible. Matt, on the other hand, decided that that moment would be the perfect time to practice his comedian skills. Needless to say, he was NOT funny. All I wanted him to do was shut his face and fill out those stupid papers that “Ms. Empathetic Nurse” (or lack thereof) kept coming in and asking for every 2 seconds. I mean seriously, could she not see that I was in terrible pain and the last thing on my mind was getting those forms filled out? I seriously couldn’t think straight. I was in so much pain. All I wanted to do was lie down…which didn’t help…or stand up…which didn’t help either. Nothing I did eased the pain.

               If I offend any nurses, I’m sorry…and you can correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you think being a little empathetic, (especially working with people who are in terrible pain and going through something new) should be, well, umm, kind of important? Well this particular nurse apparently left hers at home (if she had any) that morning. At one point, I told her that I was really starting to get a pounding headache.” She looks at me and says, “Gee! I wonder why.” What I wanted to say, but didn’t was, “Thank you. When did you say your shift ended?” Later, I started to get super nauseous. I mention it to the nurse and she gives me this “really?” look, then leisurely walks around my bed to get that pretty pink tray. Too bad I didn’t throw up then because I may have “accidentally” saved it for her pretty little scrubs.

                After being at the hospital for around 2 hours, the hot Doctor walks in to check my progress. : ) He tells me that the baby probably won’t be here for another 10 hours or so and that I had 2 options.

I could stay there, get an epidural, and rest, OR go home and rest. Did he even need to ask? Of course I wanted to stay to get an epidural.  Several moments later, (but it felt like years later) they come in to give me an epidural. The pain that I previously felt wasn’t anything compared to the pain I had during this procedure. I was hunched over, firmly held down, and having the worst possible contractions, while they tried to get my epidural started. I had never been so uncomfortable and in so much pain. I seriously don’t recall feeling the needle go in at all. The only thing I remember is having what felt like blood running down my lower back and thinking, exactly how big and round WAS that needle!? (Here it was just the epidural working its way to where it needed to go.)  Matt’s poor hand was probably a nice shade of purple until they were done. Sorry, Matt.

               

                Once that epidural started working, it was a COMPLETELY different story. I had never felt so relieved! (Big ups to those women who make it the whole way through labor without any drugs.) Now that I was ready for Matt’s comedy acts, he was ready to go to work. I was surprised that he even asked me if it would be ok if he went to work since it would be a while before Mady arrived.  My answer: “Umm, no.” I did, however, give him permission to leave for a little to go grab a bite to eat since I wasn’t allowed anything but ice chips and popsicles.  : )

                Back to “Ms. Empathetic Nurse.” If Matt wouldn't have asked, she more than likely wouldn't have told us that she broke my water while she was checking me.  Being that it was my first time ever having my water broken, I kind of wanted to know. Apparently it wasn't a big deal to her and that it was "just another water that broke." 3:00pm FINALLY rolled around which meant shift change. Thank goodness she was leaving and wasn't scheduled to work a double. But, before she left, she had to get her final words in, “I hope you got your rest, because you are going to be pushing for at LEAST 3 hours.”  Thank you, you most encouraging, empathetic nurse that I have ever met.  

                Being a light sleeper stinks. Over the next several hours I was supposed to “get my rest.” Even as tired as I was, that was still next to impossible. I had tried to rest. No sooner would I shut my eyes, a nurse would come in to adjust my belly bands, check my IV bag, see if I needed anything… or something that prevented me from resting. Around 4:00pm they checked me again. 10 cm. “You’re ready to start pushing.” Wait, what, are you serious? I didn’t get to “rest” yet!

Coming soon: “…and Delivery.”

~Renee