Birth Story

I do have a little time to write the birth story! Here goes... At my 38-week appointment last Thursday - has it really been less than a week? - I met with the doctor and was very disappointed to have only progressed from 1cm to 2cm in 2 weeks. Furthermore, the doctor was a little worried that I had lost 2 pounds and my fundal height was measuring small, so she ordered an ultrasound to be done in the next week to make sure the baby was still growing okay. AND she informed me that they wouldn't induce me until I was nearly 42 weeks if I went overdue - not what I was hoping to hear! But she swept my membranes, which was considerably less painful than I was expecting, and sent me home. I was about as devastated as you could be after a doctor's appointment that really hadn't gone all that badly, it just wasn't what I wanted. I was nervous about the baby's health, too, given that the doctor had ordered the ultrasound. Nothing much happened Thursday night. Friday, I had lots of cramping and contractions, but nothing regular or all that out-of-the-ordinary. Friday night at 1am, I began to get regular contractions, 15 minutes apart. They were painful enough to keep me awake all night long, but otherwise manageable. Saturday morning, they were more like 30-60 minutes apart. I decided to vacuum the house and do the laundry. At 10:50am, the contractions suddenly started hard and fast, and became more intense with nearly every one. They came about 7-10 minutes apart for 2 hours. After 1 hour, I told Chris that I didn't care if they were *supposed to* come 5 minutes apart, I was going to the hospital to get an epidural now. So our good friend Ryan came to stay with Elijah over naptime, and we called Paul and Megan (who were at Royal Gorge with Megan's parents!) to come as quick as they could. (Which they did, and we are so grateful to Paul and Megan, and especially Megan's parents, for spending their time together during their visit at our house, taking care of Elijah!)

The second hour was unbelievably intense. The car ride to the hospital was worse.

And of course, it was in the snow and on ice. A blizzard. AND, we forgot to take the carseat out for Elijah, and had to turn around and go back home, and THEN start again. Talk about excruciating. Chris dropped me at the door, and after a contraction in the car, I bolted as fast as I could for the elevators. I just barely made it to the 4th floor and once the nurses saw how much pain I was in, they got me through triage in record time. I was 5cm and 90%. The only bad part was that, since it was a Saturday (=weekend day), there was only one man available to put in epidurals. By the time he put it in at 3pm, I was 7cm. I can't believe I did nearly all the labor myself! (And frankly, I'd rather not do that again!) After that, I was a much, much calmer and more pleasant person (though slightly sweaty and exhausted from all the laboring). In fact, I was a little shocked that things had gone so quickly, and this baby was really coming TODAY. After I had a little time to adjust to this idea, the doctor broke my water, and I finished dilating to 10cm. The epidural didn't cut all of the pain, and I felt it was quite unfair that I had to "push through the pain" in the end when I had specifically chosen to get an epidural so I wouldn't have to do that! But it was fine, and Chris was, throughout everything, so incredibly supportive and encouraging. There is still NO ONE with whom I'd rather go through a labor and delivery. My husband is incredible, and then some. I pushed for 17 minutes, and she was here, at 6:49pm - and 8 days early! Her Apgars were high (9 and 9, although the final paperwork says the second was a 10) and she was healthy. I got all my stitches and we moved to the postpartum room. My nurses (until the last nurse at discharge, but there always has to be one bad one and I'm glad she was at the very end!) were unbelievable. So sweet, so caring, so helpful. One of my absolute favorite things was the little red heart between Kirsa's eyebrows - so fitting for our beautiful February girl! We had several visitors in the hospital, and I can't tell you how much I appreciated every single person who took the time to come over and meet our little darling, and how much I am appreciating those who are bringing meals this week! Thank you thank you!!! We came home on Monday, Feb 7, and had another big blizzard that night. So far, things are going fairly well. There are ups and downs, and Kirsa certainly sleeps more during the day than at night - her fussy time seems to be 10pm to 1am - but at least she sleeps, unlike a certain other baby I once delivered... :) And that's about it. It was shocking how quickly it went, and that she's really here now, home, eating and sleeping in our house! I am more grateful than anything that we are both healthy and safe. Thank you to everyone who has sent gifts, flowers, meals, congrats, and their prayers and love!