8lbs 8oz and 20.5" of Baby

At 5:30am, Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 we got a call from Willowbrook Methodist Hospital telling us that we had been pushed off the schedule for the elective induction.  A day after her due date, even the hospital was on her side about her not coming out. 

At about noon, I gave up on her coming that day and just resolved to waiting a week until she was ready.  My dad, step-mom, mother and father-in-law were all in town waiting, so I took the opportunity to do a little shopping while they cleaned and did their own version of nesting.  I got a new duvet cover for my bed (long overdue, something I had been putting off) and a body pillow cover in giraffe print - cause I felt like having a little fun. 

At about 4pm, I was out front talking to Leslie and Josh got a call that he almost ignored.  He stormed out the front door saying, "They won't talk to ME" with a big sigh of frustration.  I hesitated because I hate controversy and I said, "This is Kara..." to the phone.  A happy voice on the other line confirmed it was me, then said, "How soon can you get here?"  My heart leapt out of my chest and I said, "Oh, about 25 minutes."  Which was a little bit of a white lie, we were TOTALLY not expecting to be called in! 

Josh had just mowed, so he jumped in the shower and I washed my face and brushed my teeth in preparation for a long night.  At about 4:30pm we hopped in the car and I began to get a little anxious.  By the time we got to the hospital, I was just short of having an anxiety attack.  It's a LOT harder getting into the gown and getting prepared for the IV (and having it inserted) when you're not in painful labor mode. 

We checked in at 4:55pm, were brought to the delivery room at 5:20 or so, hung out and got basics out of the way until 6:30 and that's about the time they started a slow oxytocin drip.  Did all the admission stuff, signed a few papers and watched 3 episodes of Bones on Netflix, laughed with the nurse, Jennifer, experienced the shift change, watched more Bones and then stuff happened.

The night-shift nurse came in to talk to us and she expressed her appreciation for keeping the "waters" in tact; that it takes a little while longer (hours) even on the drip, but it's less painful and traumatic.  She was happy and informative - and we appreciated her information, I thought both views were interesting and I was indifferent - except for the fact that I wanted to get it over with.  We talked to our parents while she was there and they wanted to know if we knew about when we were expecting this to happen and she told us she wouldn't expect anything until after midnight - so that's what we told the 'rents.  She left after about 20 minutes and by that time it was only nearly 8pm. 

We were prepared to settle in, when not 15 minutes later did Dr. Kirkman come in and says, "Alright, lets break your waters!!" in her peppy voice.  Bing, bang, bong; what felt like seconds later it was done and it was gross.  No one should have to feel like they were completely and uncontrollably peeing gallons of water in the "race horse gush" fashion - only to be sped up with each immediately more painful contraction.  I don't remember this with the first kid.

Each contraction got increasingly more painful - I could no longer focus on Bones, so Josh put on a little music.  The nurse kept coming in to check on me and I noticed between contractions that she was suddenly very NOT pleasant.  I discerned that she was upset with Dr. Kirkman's choice to break the "sacred" waters.  She actually asked me a question WHILE I was in the middle of a bed grasping - squirrel killing contraction and ROLLED HER EYES when I didn't answer immediately!  Ugh.

After maybe an hour of contractions at 9:45pm, they ended up being a minute and a half a part, I decided  to ask the nurse her opinion on when I should get the epidural.  She did not react in a helpful way, "I can't feel your pain." with her arms crossed, she checked me and I was at 5cm..  So, I told her to shut up and quit being rude and that I was attempting to be civil amidst my pain!  ... haha, jk... I actually just told her, "OK, why not, lets go ahead and get it." 

The Anesthesiologist was next door applying the epidural to someone else, and he took what seemed FOR-EV-ER.  So, I didn't get mine until 10:10 or so.  He made Josh leave.  BIG mistake.  Evil nurse was the only one that could be in there to "comfort" or I'd say CONTROL me.  She told me to scoot around on the bed to a certain position and evidently I wasn't doing it right - she sounded very impatient with my IVed, pregnant, weak and contracting body.  And while the epidural was being applied, she repeatedly told me to not dig my nails in her hands, and more than once told me to hold myself up while the Doc told me to arch my back and put my elbows between my legs!!!  What?!  Massive pregnant belly + painful contractions + elbows between legs = not possible.  She also ended up telling me to support mySELF with my hands on the bed between my legs, which - by the way - were dangling supportless over the edge of the bed. 

The last epidural I had, Josh was able to support me and I could squeeze him claw him and dig my forehead into his chest as much as I wanted - the only way it made the contractions and the epidural tolerable.

Needless to say, I got through it, and I laid down and my left side wasn't getting numbed much so he had me lay on my left side.  Nurse propped me up with a pillow and it started to work.  However, within 9 minutes of getting it and laying there - the Doc JUST walked out the door and I called to the nurse, who was about to step out, too, and told her that I wasn't sure it was working all the way.  I explained that I was feeling extreme pressure in my left rear and I was afraid I'd feel the bad stuff.  She looked at me with a slight urgency and said, "I'm going to check you right now."

BAM - 9cm.

Had I hesitated a MINUTE longer about when to get the epidural, I would have missed it completely.  45 minutes of pushing and tug of war with Dr. Kirkman and June was born at 11:10pm.  Only one slight complication happened that I noticed when Dr. K said, "SHOULDER!" and suddenly there were two nurses flanking the bed, one was instructed to get ON the bed and they lifted my hips up and did something - wish I knew.  Evidently June's shoulder was stuck, but she came out just fine.

Two cries and she was ready to explore the world.  No stagnant newborn eyes here, she was looking intently at everyone's faces and around the room with wide eyes.  Minutes old, she was cooing like a dove and staring up at my face with those little chubby cheeks.  8lbs 8oz and 20.5" of Baby in my arms and my heart grew twice the size.

Now we're home after a relaxing 2 night stay in the hospital; seriously, Willobrook Methodist has it DOWN.  They believe that you'll have to deal with the responsibility of the newborn inevitably, and that you're better suited to do so if you're well on your way to a full recovery and this includes a lot of rest! 

I'm so happy.

Pregnant for Life

So, since my last posted appointment, I've felt amazingly fine.  I had an appointment yesterday that told me I had made no progress!  I was still 85% effaced (google effacement if you're THAT interested), and 3cm dilated.  Absolutely no change from last time!  Even the Dr. was shocked, evidently she had totally expected to see us over the weekend welcoming our baby girl!  So, she scheduled an elective induction (meaning optional) for us Tuesday, April 20th @ 6:30am in hopes that maybe the knowledge of a for sure date would coax the baby out
by the due date, April 19th! 

I'm a little upset (not overly so) that she's not wanting to come out on her own sooner rather than later!  I definitely don't want it to turn into an emergency C-section, so I don't want to wait too long, but I really wanted to go into labor without aid this time! 

Aiden's Story:

I was induced with Aiden because I was flat out MISERABLE 1 week before his due date.  That was an 8-5:25 labor, a whole work day.  Of course, I was having contractions the night before and went into Triage that night at 2am and they ended up sending me home at 7:00am (with contractions extremely painful and 4 minutes apart, but not "enough" progress - the nurse was getting off her shift and didn't want to deal with me anymore.) 

Luckily, I had a regular appointment that morning at 8, and once I waited through the waiting room with horrid contractions and got into the room and finally got checked, he told me I should have gone straight to the hospital, not here, that we were having a baby!  Of course, we went straight over there, got checked in, and continued the same contraction pattern from 8 to about 1pm with maybe 1cm progress!  That's when they decided to induce to make the contractions be a little more productive.  That definitely worked!  Of course, I had an epidural at this point, so I felt nothing from this point on.  I watched the contractions on the monitor get progressively "worse" and closer together without so much as a wince!  Then at about 5pm I was 10cm and ready to go... the pushing was ridiculous because I had no clue WHERE to push, so it took a little bit longer than it should have - Aiden got the "conehead," but eventually made it out at 5:25pm!  THE END.


So, this time, June is just fattening up.  Dr. K says she's well baked, and that boys are usually this stubborn, not girls!   I'm definitely interested in seeing how much she'll weigh.  Aiden was 7lbs 9oz and 21" long.  My belly feels smaller this time around - but I guess we don't know until she's out! 

Tuesday, I decided to forget it all - if she was going to come, she was going to come - and we went 1 hour away to Kemah.  The boys got to ride a ton of rides, the sun was beautiful, I got some light sun, Saltgrass Steakhouse, and a frozen coffee.  We were all extremely happy.  I still think my favorite part is the stingrays.  Even though they stink - they have such interesting personalities!  Some are spunky, some are hesitant, some try to fly out at you (or me, in this case) - probably looking for a hug, since I look so huggable. :o)

There was one that just clung to the side while I pet it, it didn't ask for any food, or get upset with me, it seemed to just like to be touched!  It reminded me of me.  Sometimes I just like to be touched - hugged, held, etc.  Oh, and being fed is good, too, but I am capable of feeding myself - and I don't like raw dead whole fish.

One thing I guess I didn't get a picture of were the little baby stingrays.  Probably about 4-8 inches across - about 50 of them.  They ALL reminded me of children, they were plexiglass-divided from the larger ones and it looked like a day care center!  They were all crazy, leaping at the glass trying to get in the bigger tank (some succeeded in clearing the 6 inch lip!).  Josh gave one of the wild ones a fish, and it immediately suction-cupped itself to the wall, with the fish in between.  After what looked like the baby straining, curling up it's "wings" and flailing its tail, it slid down a little and the whole fish was sticking out of its mouth, it was way too big for the baby, but it was NOT giving up.  So, so cute.

I know, I'm rambling on about stingrays!  Maybe I'm bored?  Maybe I'm just trying to keep my mind off other things?  Who knows, it just happens to interest me.  And bore the crap out of you!

Anyways, I'm still pregnant - feeling perfectly fine (except for when I have to stand up) - and it doesn't feel like it's changing any time soon.  Seems like I'm going to be pregnant for-ev-er...

Almost Time, and I'm Ready?

Had an appointment today, got enthusiastic news from the Doc - she seems to think we'll be seeing a newborn baby this weekend, but I've learned not to get my hopes up.  I'm dilated to 3cm (from 1cm, which she says is significant in a week) and 85% effaced.  She decided to "strip my membranes" today, which means to separate the water bag from the cervix in hopes to speed up delivery.  Felt weird, no lie. 

Kind of exciting!  Funny, too, I had decided yesterday to make a car seat cover for our not-so-girly gray car seat.  Finished it after the appointment.  It's my first one - just as everything I'm sewing with the machine these days - I'm really enjoying that machine!

While I'm finding this "waiting game" unnecessary, since I'm already losing sleep due to discomfort and inter-uterine panic attacks (June seems to go into "red alert" mode once I start to get comfy), I'm semi-ok with the anticipation of her arrival.  I'd really like to start the 3 months of sleepless nights - because I know time flies, and I'd like to get it over with.  I'd also just like to see her face.  I don't think it gets any less exciting with subsequent kiddos - I'm so interested to know what she's going to be like!

Aiden has turned out to be such a smart, compassionate, and handsome young man - much more than I could have asked for from God - I just can't help but be humanly curious as to what June will be like.  I'd also like to see Aiden kiss her face for the first time, and see how he reacts to a crying baby!  He's already being ultra-clingy, but I believe he'll be a fantastic older brother. 

So this is us - patiently waiting.

More later, maybe after we welcome baby June?