Peyton's Grand Entrance (Part 2)

... I've learned you must snag a moment when it presents itself. I'm typing this out on my phone, so forgive the errors.

Also, I am going to be completely honest here. I want to keep an honest account for Peyton and for me. Don't continue to read if you don't REALLY want to know the truth. You've been warned.

Okay, where was I? Oh yes, 11am! 

Ben, my parents, and Ben's parents were all chilling out in my room. I was writing thank-you notes (if you haven't received one yet, yours was in this pile! I lost them shortly after this and am still on the search!) contemplating on if I would even need an epidural - so far, this was a breeze! The room was filled with chatter and laughter. Everything was hunky-dory until they broke my water. 

Right before the doctor walked back out, I asked her for a possible time frame. She told me that they didn't expect me to deliver until much later that night or early the next morning.

But, Peyton has a track record of doing things her own way. Her daddy jokingly guessed it months before: She was going to procrastinate until the last minute and then be in an incredible hurry... Just like her dear old Mom.

By lunch, I had stopped attempting anything to do with the thank you notes... And the laughter and chatter were flat out getting on my nerves. Every time I had a contraction, everyone would get so happy. Couldn't these people see I was in pain?! I didn't want to say anything though, because I had decided I was going to be tough. No screams, complaints, or the like from this girl. No sir-ee! I was going to be the toughest, most impressive woman to give birth anyone had ever seen!

So... I kicked them all out. I think Rhonda was about to anyway. And she was great - anything I needed she was there! She really was an angel! I cried a little when I told her I wasn't all that comfortable. She told me we still needed to wait another centimeter or two if I could before I could get the epidural. I was only around a 3 when they broke my water. BUT, she could get a some sort of pain medicine in an IV. I agreed. I had heard a lot of moms speak against this - but I needed it. I needed it more than I knew. (Apparently there is something to relaxing helping speed up te process.) As soon as she plugged me up, I felt it run through my whole body. I was asleep within minutes - and it was the most fabulous sleep that I had had since I found out that I was pregnant. I didn't feel any of the contractions! 

Soon though, they started in low - but they started to grow. It was almost like they were far away... A little painful - but I would just squeeze Ben's hand and fall back asleep when it was over. I was going to wait as long as possible. The medicine started to wear off though - and those gentle, far-away type contractions became fast, frequent, and intense. I decided to ask for the epidural.

*Okay - pause! Remember when I said that there were like five other couples that went up that morning? Yeah, well this is the part where that has something to do with me. All of those girls ended up needing to have C-sections... Which is major surgery. Do you know what major surgery requires? Anesthesiologists! Two Anesthesiologists in the whole joint that morning. Healthy mom and baby delivering vaginally - last on the list.

It felt like forever. My awesome sleep - turned into the place I go when I pass out. (I could hear everything... But time and space didn't really exist...) I REFUSED to open my eyes. I just knew if I opened my eyes two things would happen: I would see the clock - which would make it seem like it took even longer - and it would make it more real and the pain would get worse. (I never said I was logical.) My hand squeezes had turned to quiet moans. My quiet moans had turned into EXTREMELY loud petitions to Jesus to please make it stop - and asking Ben and the Nurse why the anesthesiologist wasn't coming to help me?!?!

*pause again: okay, so everyone has their  explanation as to what contractions feel like. I will say it is unlike any pain I had ever felt. It's nearly indescribable. The closest way that I have come up with describing it is that it feels like an earthquake in your hips.

My husband is fairly even keeled. Not much rattles him. But my constant crying and begging must have done a good job. He told Rhonda that somebody better get those guys, or he would - and he'd beat them up for the wait.

While Rhonda went to drag back the men with the drugs, Ben stayed with me. He was a champ. I couldn't have asked or wanted any better. He stayed with me and held my hand the entire time. Some women talk about how much they hate their husband in those moments, but I was incredibly clingy and needy. I had to have him right there an I needed to be able to touch him.  

Right before they got there - I heard myself saying. "I can't do this. I can't do this." Which sent my mind into a panic. I always heard that women said that right before they had their babies... Right before it's too late for happy drugs! I very possibly was about to go through my worst pregnancy nightmare: being induced and not getting an epi. (They say that induced contractions are more intense and painful than natural ones.) What had I done?!! There was no way to go back - and there was only one way to stop the pain: have the baby. Oh man, I was so dumb back at the beginning of the year. Really, no clue... And now I was stuck on a runaway train!

Blessed was the moment the meds arrived!!

I'm normally a pretty conservative woman. I had been worried about people seeing me naked. At that moment, I didn't care who saw what... And believe me - I'm sure they all got an eye-full. 

I finally had to open my eyes. They made me sit up. As soon as I did, I had the strangest sensation. I told them all "I can't do this - I need to push." To which everyone in the room said: don't push!!

I hugged Ben as they put the needle in - that part was so hard. Because of the giant needle, you ask? No - I never felt the needle. It was hard because the contractions hurt and I had to sit completely still! They taped my back and had me lay back down. Then the angel man with the drugs told me that they would work soon and that there was nothing to apologize for or be ashamed of for not being able to be the worlds quietest woman in labor.

I fell back asleep and it was awesome... All two minutes of it. Epidurals are a gift from God. I felt nothing. But I was exhausted. I felt like I had run a marathon! But it wasn't over yet - while I was resting the doctor came in and said "Okay looks like you're all ready to start pushing."

PUSHING?! How in the world would I have the energy to do that?!!

It came though - and pushing ended up being my favorite part of the whole deal.

They had to put in a catheter for a few moments to get the epidural to finish taking effect. (Also was a fear of mine. Also didn't hurt.) They turned the lights down and tore my bed apart. Ben was at one leg, Rhonda was at another, and the doctor was at my feet. They ended up having to turn my epidural down because I couldn't feel enough to know when to push. Even after they turned it down, I still felt good! We tried a few practice pushes - I must have been a little loopy because I kept telling them that my friend (she knows who she is) told me that you're just supposed to push like you're going to the bathroom. 

They had to put an oxygen mask on me and had to put a heart monitor in Peyton's head because her heart rate dropped a few times. Finally, I got the swing of things and some energy back and they started making final prep. I asked if I could keep pushing when I felt a contraction. They said sure - so I did. I must have been doing a decent job because when they turned back around it was "oh my" and hyper speed! 

It happened so fast. It was the biggest relief when she came out. I felt like I could breathe again... Granted I was like: "It's over? She's out? Already?

Peyton took her first breath at 4:19pm on October 29th.

(Only 5 hours after they broke my water!)

I had been worried about Ben watching. He watched the whole time. I didn't care and he still loves me. He was so amazed and excited. He cut the cord - and I didn't have to see any blood or guts! I cannot tell you how much I loved watching him. 25 five year olds on Christmas morning have nothing on Ben at that moment. 

I have to say, when I saw her I was impressed with myself. I had done it! (With a lot of prayer and a lot of help!) I made it through alive AND I gave birth to a decent sized baby! 7lbs 5oz 19 inches long... Not too shabby if I do say so myself. 

She was (and still is) the most beautiful little baby. No comparison. Mine's the best. Wouldn't trade her for a million boys, dollars, or cookies. 

... And I would totally, completely, unquestionably, and happily do it all over again. 

(For those of you still wondering what the grandparents were doing... There may or may not have been stalking nursery nurses and listening outside of the delivery room door...)

Peyton's Grand Entrance (Part 1)

This Saturday marks 5 months. The last few months have been indescribable, but totally worth it. I cannot believe that they have gone by so quickly… and yet so slowly. How in the world does THAT work?!

Any-who…

I figured that I would FINALLY write down Peyton’s big entrance.  (It's a long story, so I may end up having to split it up in two parts.) I mean, it’s been five months. Plus, I had a friend tell me that after a while, you start forgetting the first couple of months. I wasn’t sure if I could ever forget at the time, but you really do! I’m not sure what it is, but I’m so glad I was obsessed with taking pictures those first couple of weeks – I don’t remember hardly a bloomin’ thing.

The entire time I was pregnant, I was nervous. I was nervous about everything. But as time marched on, I grew mostly nervous about her impending arrival.
(That’s the thing about pregnancy… eventually, it ends.)

The bad part is, that everyone describes labor – and everyone describes it differently. But they all agree on one thing: You’ll know it when it happens.
Now, how is someone like me supposed to take that? I like to know EXACTLY how things will go. I like to know EXACTLY what to expect. I HAD NO CLUE. Thus, I was a mess. I wanted this to go ahead and happen, but I have this “thing” about pain… I don’t like it.

I had been having small contractions since around 20 weeks. (Apparently, the uterus needs to exercise too.) When the first of October rolled around, I found out that I had already started progressing… and rumor had it that I would spit my darling baby out within a week. Seeing as I was super-stressed, and working hard on our big fancy-shmancy meeting at work, I just KNEW I would have my baby soon! October 3rd was a fair guess, since baby’s sometimes have bad timing and that was the date of our shin-dig. I happily bee-bopped over to my boss and shared the news with the fella’s: This baby was going to be here any minute!!

I was about to wait a whole lotta minutes…

By the 14th of October, I was tired. I was crying constantly. Wouldn’t this baby EVER come out?! The suspense was killing me, I was sure of it. I asked my boss if he would mind if I started my leave a little early, and he was totally understanding. The next two weeks were those of a horror story. I sat at home, eating constantly, bouncing on my ball, timing contractions – all while crying non-stop.

That’s the thing about contractions: you can have a bunch; they can hurt a lot; and they can be getting you absolutely NO-WHERE.

Finally, the day came when I was over-due! I would be able to sign up for an induction. (Judge me if you will, but after a while – you just need that baby out!) I was all registered at the public hospital. I had been planning this for months! They were booked for the next week. No room for us. Not unless my stubborn, snuggly baby decided to come out on her own. BUT there was another option: the private hospital. Now, I had not wanted to go there. I figured it would be a little more expensive, and I still really wanted to save money. But, by this point, I was willing to take a tour of the hospital and talk with the nice people in billing.

I am so very glad I did!

It was wonderful! The delivery rooms, the nursery, the waiting room, and the recovery rooms where all on the same floor – and so close! The family waiting room was connected to the nursery by windows, so our parents would be able to see the baby as soon as they took her away to get cleaned up. Once we talked to Rhonda down in billing, it was set! I had fallen in love with the hospital and the staff – Peyton would be taking her first breaths in Mary Black!

I called my doctor Monday morning, and told them what I had decided. They had me come in and get some things together and ready – I would be induced the next morning at 6AM.

When Ben came home, he found me on the front steps crying my eyes out. I was a crazy mix of emotions. The worst part was that they actually expected me to sleep that night! How in the world would I sleep?! I think I got a total of 4 hours… if you stretched them REALLY far.

I showered, did my hair and make-up, and had to pee 500 million times. In fact, because of all of my “Just let me pee one more time.” ‘s, we were late! Only by like 10 minutes, but late we were! It was dark, foggy, and we got stuck behind a really slow, green truck – who kept popping his brakes at us. We finally made it. I held Ben’s hand as we walked into the building and talked about how weird it was to think that this was the last time we would just be a little family of 2. In a couple of days, we’d be walking out a family of 3.

As we walked in, the security guards joked with us that we were like the fifth couple that they had seen go up that morning. (I didn't realize how important this information would be to me later.)

They checked us in, put some bracelets on my arm, and I changed into my gown.

(Ben was my favorite, though. He was already pumped up, but they had told us that it would probably take a very long time. Trying to look ahead, he figured that he would do some homework... but he would need to take his ADD meds.... With the most sincere and calm look on his face he says: "I know it looks like I'm already excited on the outside, but it's no comparison to how I'm freaking out inside.")

Then we met with the most important man ever - the anesthesiologist. I immediately told him that I wanted any and all pain meds - as soon as possible. I'm a yellowed-belly chicken, after all. He assured me that they would take good care of me.

By eight o'clock, I had met my nurse, Rhonda, and gotten hooked up to the baby-ejecting juice. (There were a MILLION questions to answer!) I was so nervous to get hooked up to the IV, but it didn't hurt at all! (Needles are not my friend.) By eleven, I had made only a little progress. But hey, the contractions weren't that bad. In order to help things along, the doctor came in and broke my water. (Not enjoyable... maybe it's because I knew what they popper-thing looked like. Maybe it's because I felt like I had wet my pants. Either way, not my favorite part.)

And that's when things started to happen...

(Okay, baby's asleep. Got to go to bed while I can!)