Levi's Birth

Since I am in a perfectly quiet and calm hospital room snuggling a perfectly content newborn I thought I would record the details of said baby's grand debut into our family and this world (while it is still fresh in my mind).

Thursday, January 29th 2015

11:10am - I sent Joe out the door for his last* residency interview! It was 6 hours away by car. The plan was for him to be gone for a mere 30 hours. Joe tried to convince me he should cancel as I was 38 w 4 d pregnant. But I insisted he attend the interview...because I like the location of the program. Plus, surely he couldn't possible miss the birth. He is only 6 hours away and my last labor was 24 hours! So we should be just fine. (Admittedly I did have a nagging feeling that this wasn't a good idea...I just didn't tell him that!)

3:39pm - Charlotte and I are resting on the couch and reading books. First contraction. Although it was not painful. Just noticeable. A Braxton hicks contraction. 

4:20pm - Another non-painful contraction while finally getting dressed for the day. 

These non-painful contractions continue all evening....through making dinner, serving & eating dinner and taking Isaiah to his first gymnastics class. They were about 30-40 minutes apart. But again they weren't bothersome and I had been experiencing them off and on for a couple weeks. No big deal. I would just take a bath after I put the kids down for bed and they would settle down. I was sure of it. Mostly sure...

7:40pm - Watching Isaiah's gymnastics with Hannah. BAM. Painful contraction! Feels like the real deal. Uh oh. 

7:49pm - Another painful contraction 

8:06pm - Starting to get worried that while mild these contractions are a little too reminiscent of labor for my liking. Sent Joe a text...

8:25pm - Put the girls to bed. Continue to contract and record...

8:59pm - I put Isaiah to bed. And by "put to bed" I mean I bark orders at him. "Put your pajamas on. Brush your teeth! Go to the bathroom! Get in bed! Lay down." It's the best I could do given my contractions were increasingly painful and causing me to be frozen in pain. 

9:07pm - Call the on-call OB. Explain the whole my-husband-is-six-hours-away-by-car-and-I-think-I-am-in-labor-situation. I know 10 minutes apart is not standard for getting checked, but I just want to know if I am progressing and if Joe should start driving home. She thinks I sound too comfortable while on the phone and asks me to call back in 30-60 minutes if they become more intense and/or closer together. I don't like this plan. 

9:16pm - Text my mom as I am unsure of her whereabouts and I am going to need her to bring me to the hospital. 

9:17pm - CONTRACTION brings me to my hands and knees. Get up and check the kids. Only Charlotte is asleep. Erg!

9:21pm - CONTRACTION. Again on my hands and knees. 

9:22pm - Call Joe. "GET IN THE CAR! This is happening!" He immediately obeys. 

9:29pm - Check on the children. PAINFUL contraction. Tell Isaiah to turn off his light. Reading time is over. Then whisper in his ear that I think baby brother will be born while he is sleeping. It's our little secret:)

9:32pm - My mom arrives home. I inform her of the situation we have going on. She informs my dad. Her and I go our separate ways to pack our hospital bags. 

9:43pm - Call on call OB and inform her I am coming in. 

But before actually leaving I do all the important last minute tasks like brush my teeth and wipe down the counters and take my for real LAST belly pictures. And then in a sentimental crazed moment I run downstairs and take one last picture of Hannah as my "baby"...waking her in the process. Oops. 

10:09pm - Mom and I make the drive to the hospital. I send out texts to my sister and best friend. 

10:19pm - Arrive at labor & delivery. Starting to get nervous that 5 hours is too long to wait to deliver this baby. But then I notice my nose is running and it really annoys me. And I make the logical assumption that if I am annoyed by a runny nose then surely I can't be too far along and that Joe will indeed make it for the delivery. 

10:34pm - Shown to a triage room. Given a gown. Sit down on the bed. Start fiddling with my camera settings (because I have priorities!). Water breaks as I am taking a picture of my mom. Nurse walks in and I inform her of two things. 1. My water just broke. 2. I can not have this baby until 3:30 am because my husband is driving back from Nebraska. She looks at me like I am crazy. And she informs me we no longer need a triage room. And I couldn't agree more. I am beginning to think that baby boy is not going to wait until 3:30am. 

10:42pm - After another contraction we waddle on down to my labor & delivery room. Monitors are attached. Cervix checked. IV started (for +GBS). Doctor informed. I am 5 cm and 100% effaced...maybe a little lip?! Contractions are 2 minutes apart. Not what I wanted to hear. 

I spent some time laboring in bed. Then I moved to the birth ball. Neither of which are terribly comfortable but not unbearable either. Between contractions my mom and I chat. During contractions I close my eyes and pray the labor will sloooow down. 

The on call doctor comes in. I inform her of my plan to not deliver until after 3:30am. She too looks at me as though I am a bit crazy. I ask her if an epidural will buy me time. She said yes...a few minutes during pushing. Not the HOURS that I want. I opt out of the epidural. 

Wait for IV to finish so I can get in the tub. 

11:34pm - I call my friend and ask her to pray for my labor to go slooow. 

11:47pm - I get in the tub (after promising my nurse I would NOT deliver in the tub). I am finally in my happy labor place. I call Joe. It goes straight to voicemail. 

11:49pm - I call Joe again. Again straight to voicemail. 

11:51pm - Feeling like I really need to talk to Joe about his interview that he will miss in the morning I text him...

11:54pm - Joe calls me back. And I am beyond excited to hear his voice. I inform him I am in my happy place. And in the next breath I am screaming that I can't do this....because just.like.that the pressure with each contraction became too much....

My mom calls for my nurse. Nurse enters the room and hears my screams and immediately requests a delivery tray and the doctor.  I ask to be checked. She tells me I have to get out of the tub first. 

And now because everyone loves a good cliffhanger AND this is getting a bit long I will stop here. 

To be continued...