How Eddie got out

*WARNING* This is a seriously long post...but I don't want to forget the details of the day that Little Feet joined our family. I will not be offended at all if you skip this & go to the pictures.

My adventure into mommyhood started 2 weeks ago. Technically 9 months ago...but things really got moving 2 weeks ago. I had my 40 week appointment with the doctor. My doctor was on vacation & so I was meeting with another doctor in the practice. Because it was a new doctor, my doctor requested an ultrasound before he left so the new doc would have the latest & greatest information.

When Mark & I had gone to my doctor the week before, he had thought that the baby would be born at the end of the week. So, Mark & I were not really planning on having to have to have the ultrasound, because we would already have our baby. The fact that we were sitting in the office with my big belly was a surprise.

The ultrasound didn't go well. The technician could not get the views that she wanted and she was sure the baby was over 9 pounds...it was reading at about 8.5 pounds. She was quite frustrated by the time she sent us to meet the doctor.

5 minutes after meeting the new doctor he dropped the bomb on us. He said that he didn't think the baby would drop down, that the baby was large & the amniotic fluid was low so he wanted to do a c-section. I think my jaw hit the floor. We were not expecting that at all. Mark asked for a few minutes alone so that we could talk together.

Once we were alone I didn't even know what to say. We had taken an amazing natural birth class & that is what we were planning & picturing in our minds. Our new doctor had already made up his mind that c-section was the way to go & didn't seem like he would change his mind. When he did come back in we asked for a bit of a timeline. He said if he could get us in, he wanted to start things that afternoon. That was a bit of a shock. Before we knew it we were sitting with the surgery scheduler & trying to find a time slot for the c-section. Monday was booked, Tuesday wouldn't work - but Wednesday at noon was a go.

I was in a daze as we walked to the car. When we reached the car door, I let go of everything that I was holding back. I cried. When I tried to control it - Mark told me to let it out. I was scared. I was set on our natural birth & I was disappointed that it was being taken and I couldn't have our baby on my own. I was upset with God. This wasn't what I wanted. I told Mark I didn't want to go home. We went for a drive until it was time to go to the hospital to do the paperwork that would be needed for Wednesday. I was able to get a grip on myself for that. But I wasn't happy about the situation.

Once we were home we were able to talk together about it, I calmed down. By Monday evening we were a little more level headed about it, and had asked our families to pray that I would go into labor and we would not need the c-section. Mark kept encouraging me that we would not have the c-section, our baby would be out by noon on Wednesday.

About 12:30am on Tuesday, I had contractions that were close enough together to start tracking. They continued through the night & we were so excited. Mark helped me breathe through them & things were going smoothly. They were about 8 minutes apart. I was definitely in early labor. We continued to track them through the day on Tuesday, but they were not getting stronger. It wasn't until evening that they became closer and stronger. Again, using what we had learned in our amazing class, Mark was helping me stay relaxed.

At 11:30pm we called the doctor. He said to head to the hospital. After being monitored for 20 minutes it was determined that I was having strong contractions...but the baby was not dropping down. We were told to walk the floor for a half hour.

As we wandered down the hall, we came to the recovery rooms for c-sections. On the board was our last name. We thought what a coincidence that someone with the same last name as was also popping out a kid. It wasn't until we were talking to a nurse that we found out that it was our room for the next day...or by this time, later on Wednesday.

After walking, nothing had changed. We were given a choice. Stay at the hospital...or go home. I wanted to go home.

We arrived home around 1:00am. Mark was still sure that we would not need the c-section. I was thinking now that we would. And I needed to be o.k. with it. I had thought for too long about what I wanted, and not enough about what God had planned. Obviously he knows what is best & after I was able to get over what I had pictured, I was on board with His plan. It doesn't matter how the baby gets out - all I wanted was a healthy baby.

Mark moved the lazy-boy into our room. That is where I was able to get some rest & the living room felt too far away from our bedroom. I was laying in it when the contractions moved to my back. I then prayed that if I wasn't going to get the birth that we had planned, to at least let me get some rest. We had been up since Monday. After my prayer I was able to sleep in hour increments. I was thankful & had peace about the upcoming c-section. Looking back I think it would have been different if my doctor had told us that we had to have a c-section...but the doctor that took over for him was wonderful and Mark & I believe that he made the right call.

Later on Wednesday morning we got up and ready to head back to the hospital. It was the strangest morning, knowing that we would soon have our baby. My dad called me & asked what I was going to be doing that day....it was so exciting to say 'I'm going to have a baby!'

We checked in at 10:30am, I was monitored again & the nurse told me that I was having serious contractions. I knew that - but they were not bothering me. By 11:30am Mark was in his scrubs & we were waiting for things to get going.

Surgery

Mommy’s memories

• My amazing nurse. I was nervous when Mark had to wait outside while they got me ready...she kept me calm & telling me what was happening and going to happen.
• My anesthesiologist was funny. After my spinal was in he told me that was the hardest part & I sailed through it. The rest would be easy.
• 80's music playing in the background.
• The anesthesiologist lowered the curtain so I could see when they held up Eddie. I saw a baby being held up in the air - but it didn't really sink in that he was ours.
• They brought the baby over to me and I talked to him - he peeked open his eye and looked at me.
• As they finished up the surgery, I heard the staples as they closed me up. The nurse had told me before that at the end they would bend my legs up & it would be a strange sensation when I would see my own legs bent almost to my face - and I wouldn't be able to feel it at all. She was right.
• It just felt so unreal. Hard to believe that it was happening to me - I've never fallen in love so quickly.
  

Daddy’s memories

• Me asking him if they had gotten started yet...he was standing by my head & watching everything...when I asked the question they had cut me open & were pulling me apart with metal bars to get to the baby.
• He was amazed when he saw Eddie's head for the first time. It was so purple. It took them a minute to get his shoulders out & once he took his first breath he instantly turned pink.
• Mark went over to the baby station & Eddie held onto his finger...he said his name and Mark said it felt so unreal.