Becoming Ma Ma Ma Ma: Eddie's Day

I've been chronicling Eddie's arrival in this world in a three part series called Becoming Ma Ma Ma Ma.  Part I: The Storm can be found here, and Part II: The Wedding can be found here.  I felt like I needed to do this because looking back, that kid certainly decided to make everyone stay on the edge of their seats about his arrival.  So anyway, he was due Tuesday, June 23, 2009.  Sunday was Father's Day (which I talk about here).

Which puts us on the day before his due date:  Monday, June 22, 2009.  I was supposed to have my 40 week OB appointment that day.  I woke up completely uncomfortable.  I was big, sluggish, and I sort of had a crampy thing going on.  I figured the out of control weekend had really done a number on my poor overworked body.

Oh, and my feet looked like this:

I wasn't comfortable AT ALL.  So anyway, those cramps.  I really thought nothing of them.  However, my lunch I was bitching about them a lot.  Cort came home from the office to eat with me and told me just to ask the doc about it that afternoon and he would see me there.

About an hour before my appointment, I called my mom to ask what a contraction felt like.  She was not helpful.  She couldn't remember but said she didn't think I was having them.  I was feeling sort of icky still though so I called Cort to pick me up rather than meet me at the appointment.

The doctor had the good news that I was 1.5 cm dilated and about 75% effaced, but he also didn't really think I was in labor either because I wasn't having any tightening of my tummy (I had had TONS of BH contractions throughout my pregnancy and NONE of that tightening at this point).  So he sent me home telling me that the next day (Tuesday) they would do a baby stress test and possibly induce by the weekend since Eddie was measuring over 8 pounds already.  Great.

The rest of the day the cramping just got worse, but no tightening.  So I just thought my body was mad at me.  Looking back I laugh because BOY WAS I DUMB!  But how was I supposed to know?  So I just tried to tough it out.  All night.  Sometime around midnight Cort did some investigating on the good old internet and decided that I must be dehydrated.  So I chugged one (plus some) bottles of water.  So now I was crampy and needing to pee every second (as if that wasn't happening already).

Finally at 2:00am, I moved out of the bedroom to my chair in the living room and for a good hour tried to feel better/sleep.  But apparently when I am in pain like that?  I am loud.  Around 3:30 Cort came out and asked me what we should do.  The doc was called.  Cort asked if I wanted to talk to him.  I gave the stink-eye and MAY have sworn. It was decided I should be checked out.

So, STILL under the impression that this is not real labor, we pile me into the truck.  Now keep in mind I had this packed for two weeks:

but did we bring it?  NOOOOO.  Or the camera.  Or anything.  And what was I wearing?  Please picture this:  old non-maternity jammy pants that had a rip from the inside of my right thigh right on up to the crotch, a wife-beater-esque shirt that was supposedly maternity (it did NOT cover my whole tummy) that said "Got Male" on the front, and black flip flops that barely fit on my HUGE swollen feet.  And my hair was a greasy, messy knot on the top of my head.  I. was. hot.

Oh, and it was 90 degrees.  At 4:00 in the morning.  Awesome.  The only heat wave we had ALL SUMMER.

So recap:  It is hot, I am hot, it is now Tuesday, June 23, 2009.  The due date. just after 4:00 am with ZERO sleep all night.  No showers.  Following me?  Good.

We get to the hospital.  This is when things start to blur for me.  I distinctly remember telling the triage nurse at the ER door that I did NOT need a wheelchair, and then I distinctly remember a nurse named Katherine (oh hey, sweet name) whisking me to a birthing suite IN a wheelchair.  We were in the bathroom.  I was suddenly in a gown.

Oh, and I remember that at that point, I did not care about my fat, naked body.  It was the first time EVER that I wasn't self-conscious.  I knew this was the nurse's job--to deal with fat, naked pregnant ladies and their fluids.  So from that moment on, I just wanted the pain to STOP.

Then I remember being told, "oh, you're 4.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced and having very regular contractions."  What?  I'm in labor?  And over 4 cm?  BRING ME THE DRUGS!

The anesthesiologist showed up and had  not been concentrating so hard on the stupid decorative tile of a garden pond scene (which seemed humid to me...probably because it was 90 degrees outside) above me in the bed and breathing through those contractions, I would have kissed that man. Cort was immediately impressed with  my ability to get through the contractions and just welcome that big needle (I didn't have to SEE the needle, so who cared.  It made me feel better!)

So good in fact that I sent Cortney home to get my bag and the camera, and I sat and texted to people that I was in the hospital.  It was only just before 7:00am, so most people were just getting to work or on their way to work.

The nurse implied to us that Cort should hurry since I was moving along quite nicely.  Yeah, that's what I like to hear!  Let's get our guy here!

We only live about 5 minutes away, so Cort was back by 7:30 and I was watching the Today show.  Huh.  I am never up early enough to watch this.

So we spent the next few hours progressing QUICKLY!  I was all the way to 9.5cm by 11:15 and was about 99.9% effaced.  Eddie was coming down slowly, but surely.  Everyone figured he would be born by lunch time.

By 12:30 I am told they would give me three more hours before C-section became a real issue on the table. Also by this time I am told Cort could eat my lunch and I could have some sips of 7-up and a couple soda crackers.  thanks. My mom also stopped in because she couldn't stand to stay at work while I was in labor.  She is cute that way.

Right around 2:00 I started feeling all yucky again and realized I just wanted to push.  Ok, I may have said I felt like grunting.  My nurse (the WONDERFUL Nurse Vikki), said, "you do?  let's do this!" and just like that I was all set up ready to get moving. I pushed and pushed for what felt like 15 minutes, but was really the quickest two hours of my life.

I was so warm.  I just couldn't get enough COLD on my forehead.  Cort kept a cold wet washcloth on my head, but it seemed like it just wasn't enough.  And I was getting SOOOO tired.  All of a sudden Nurse Vikki stepped out in the hall, came back and said I had a C-Section scheduled at 4:30.  I looked up and the clock said 4:22.

WHAT!?!?!  No!  Wait!  I told her, "I think I am afraid of that!"  And she said, "oh no honey, it's just like if he was born in here.  I will be there with all my stuff ready to catch him clean him up!  It's going to be great!"  I signed a couple things and was whisked out of my lovely suite and down the hall.

I remember then letting me keep the washcloth on my forehead.  I also remember, as they brought me down the hall to the elevator, seeing the double doors that separated the birth floor from the lobby.  In one of the door windows was my mom giving me a thumbs up and in the other was my baby brother looking terrified.  Lovely.

Then I remember Cortney leaving my side and them telling me NOT TO PUSH.  Holy cow was that hard!  The only relief from the pain (they gave me just enough in my epidural so that I could feel when to push) was pushing!  So now I had to breath through it ALL OVER AGAIN.  I don't remember a lot of the prep.  I was SOO tired.  I know they did a "prick test" to see if my meds were working.  When the anesthesiologist asked me if I could "feel anything", I wasn't sure what to say because yes, I could feel SOMETHING touching me. His response?  Well we were pulling some pretty sharp objects over your belly, so I guess we are ready to go!

Awesome.  or something.  I told him maybe I would just take a quick nap.  He told me to do whatever I wanted.

Cort was in a little room during this time getting his scrubs on.  He was cute.


Anyway, after what seemed like forever, Cortney was allowed to come in and sit by my head.  I told him not to look at my guts.  So my tummy was opened up.  Again, my anesthesiologist (who by the way was SUPER enthusiastic) exclaimed, he's got brown hair!  Thanks, guy.

LOTS of tugging and pulling (and apparently elbow throwing) later, Eddie is popped out.

What a big boy!  He weighed in at 9 pounds, 8 ounces and was 20 inches long. I later found out that a number of elements lead to the C-section.  Apparently my OB and Nurse Vikki were pretty sure by the size of his head and the structure of my pelvis, that he wasn't going to come out vaginally, but they were going to let me try.  However, after more than two hours of pushing, his heart rate suddenly plummeted (he was pooped) and I spiked a big old fever of around 103 degrees (and was EXTREMELY tired).  But none of that mattered to me.  I didn't even care that he was a C-Section baby. He was perfect.

After they stapled me back up, Cort took Eddie up with the doc to have all his whatevers done, and the nurses asked me if I wanted to recover in my room or in the recovery room.  I knew all our family was upstairs, so I asked if I could just take a little nap.  The nurses were SO kind and loving to me.  The took me to the recovery room and gently tucked me in and made me comfy.  I took a lovely hour snooze.  Then I was taken up to my room (where my whole family was waiting), and I was handed my little son.  On his due date.

My little Eddie Bear.  One year ago.  How has it been a whole year?  How?

Ok, now cue the picture montage.  Because I know that is what you all REALLY want.

After a night's sleep, Eddie's second day in the world

 Getting ready to go home from the hospital.  NOT liking the car seat.  This changes QUICKLY.

at home.  he didn't like the big, lonely crib.  the swing was more snuggly.

 Talking with Daddy

Not yet a fan of bath.  This will also change.

Burping.  This happens a lot.

During Eddie's first week.

There it is.  Eddie's birth story.  Stay tuned tomorrow for how his birthday went and what he wants to giveaway to one of YOU in honor of his first year of life!

By the way, it should be noted that each night I was in the hospital (june 23, 24, and 25)?  The Detroit Tigers beat the Cubs.  Yup.  Full sweep.  And we dubbed Ryan Raburn Eddie's tiger.  Atta boy, Raburn.  And welcome to our obsession, Eddie.