Monday morning we woke up and didn't know what to do with ourselves. We were told to call the hospital to confirm we were scheduled, so did that right away and got the go-ahead to come in. We spent the day running errands, cleaning the house, getting my nails done and trying to keep ourselves busy. I didn't know what to do and just couldn't sit still. We went to dinner at J. Alexander's and reflected on the past 9 months. Oh how our life was about to change.
We checked into the hospital at 9:30 and they were ready for us. The nurses got me all hooked up to the monitors and started my IV. There was a shortage of cervadil, so they had to order it from another hospital. Once it arrived, they inserted the cervadil, and it killed!! By 11:30 my body had already been taken over. They kept telling me to get some sleep, but I was so anxious/excited/nervous, I couldn't sleep. They also had the contraction monitor right next to my bed, so I kept watching my contractions increase and get closer together. About 4:30 they started becoming 7 minutes apart. This went on for a couple hours. At 7:00 am, Dr. Galvin came in and said that they were going to remove the cervadil, start the pictocin and she broke my water. I thought it would hurt when they broke my water, but it did not. Although the fluid came pouring out. I did have a ton of fluid and it continued to leak all morning long.
Once the pictocin was started my contractions started to pick up. Our families had arrived and came in to check on me. About 10:00 my contractions were super intense and about 4 minutes apart. They continued to increase in intensity and I got to the point that I was in HELL. Never did I anticipate the pain of them or knew how strong they would be. So we asked the nurse to check me and give me the epidural. She checked me and I was at a 5...time for the epidural. Before I got it, she wanted me to get on my knees and lean over on the bed. She said it helps the baby drop, so I spent the next 30 minutes on my knees, biting the pillow and praying for the epidural to come. The anesthesiologist came in and inserted the epidural. It was a weird feeling in my spine and helped take the edge away. So for the next 30 minutes life was MUCH better. The intensity of the pain had gone away and I could breathe easier. After 30 minutes I started to feel the strong intensity again and would say, here one comes, look at the screen and sure enough a contraction was hitting. By this time it was the lunch hour and I knew things were moving along. So asked my nurse to check things out, as I was having a ton of pressure in my buttock. She checked me and I was at an 8 (12:30). I needed more meds...or it was going to be a long day. So the anesthesiologist came back in and tried to dose me again, but unfortunately it failed again and I was feeling everything. Statistics show that 1 and 20 do not work and I was 1 of the 20 that wasn't going to work :) So 1:00 came and I felt like Annabelle was going to come out. There was so much pressure, I felt the need to push. So the nurse checked me again and I was at a 10! Time to start pushing. She called the crew in, let the doctor know and started prepping the room. It was quite the scene with everyone coming in and getting ready for delivery. I kept thinking to myself...how long is this going to take. So at 1:20 I started pushing. We had not taken any classes, so I was nervous about what I was supposed to do, but the nurse and doctor talked me through it. Within the first couple pushes, her head started crowning and Dr. Galvin, said, Andy look she has a full head of hair. I was intrigued that she could already see it, so they got me the mirror so I could see too. It was fascinating!! And it helped...I was in SO much pain, I needed to get this baby out of me. And seeing what was going on, helped me push harder. I had Andy on one side and my nurse Abbey on the other. I was pushing so hard, I felt like I was going to pass out.
After 25 minutes of pushing, Annabelle arrived at 1:46 pm!! The cord was wrapped around her neck pretty tight, so there was a few minutes of panic. You always envision your baby coming out screaming, but she did not make a peep. They cut the cord immediately and threw her on me for only a few moments. The nursery then took her and started working on her. Her oxygen levels were a little low, so they had to give her some help and work some of the fluid out of her lungs that she swallowed.
I wouldn't have known what to think, anticipate, or expect going into this, but the entire experience was the most incredible experience of my life. It was the most magical, out of body experience I could have ever imagined. Seeing her for the first time was the happiest moment of my life. She was absolutely perfect and more that we could ask for. I have felt incredibly blessed throughout my life, but this baby was the biggest blessing of them all!
Proud dad...love the look on Andy's face.
First family photo!!
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