When we got back, it was just the two of us, Scott frosted the cake, put my candles on, I made a wish (which came true), and we stuffed our faces. I broke one of the candles so no one would really know my age (or maybe Scott accidentally broke it when he pulled it out of the package).
No one was awake to take our picture, so this will do.
Next Morning (5AM)
This was a very familiar routine for me. Off and on for the past couple of weeks, I will wake up usually really early in the morning and have contractions pretty regularly, and then they stop. By 7AM, they were still consistent, not too painful yet, just consistent. By 9AM they were def 4-5 min apart and getting more painful. I walked the treadmill off and on for an hour and was still experiencing contractions. I called my doctor, told them what was happening, and they sent me to the hospital. Maybe it is hindsight, but deep down, I had a feeling that it might be too early, but we still went. When we got there, the nurse checked me and I was dilated to 3cm. She told me to go walk around the hospital for an hour and she would check for progress (which any progress would mean that I stay at the hospital). SO, Scott and I walked, and walked, and walked. Contractions were getting more painful and were still consistent. I thought for sure we would be admitted. NOPE. The nurse checked again and NOTHING. Talk about discouraging. She told me that all of the nurses really liked me and were routing for me to stay. Since it was slow, she told me we could go for another walk, which we did. Another 45 min walk happened...and I had nothing to show for it. No progress. So with tears in my eyes, I was sent home with a light sedative to help me sleep and a prayer in my heart that I would be coming back soon. With Ada it was so easy to know when to go to the hospital because my water broke at home...and there were no contractions.
Once home, I took a long shower, then laid down. I was able to sleep for an hour, but the contractions were still coming and were getting stronger. I decided to walk the treadmill to keep them coming. So walked I did. I am sure I was a pathetic site. I was wearing a skirt and flip flops, my hair was a mess and I am sure I was getting sweaty armpits from the contractions and walking. The nurse told me that I needed to go back to the hospital if I experienced any of the following: Contractions that took my breath away, that I could not speak through, water breaking, or decreased movement of the baby. By 7:00, the contractions were not only causing me to break out in a sweat, I was having a hard time talking, let alone focusing on anything being said to me. By 7:30, we were on our way back. I was praying SO HARD that I would be able to stay. This time rather than walking to the L & D floor, Scott pushed me in a wheelchair. And I forgot to tell Scott this, but while he was getting the chair for me, the security guard started talking to me about how I looked familiar, yadda, yadda...Did he not realize I was in labor? Not to be a jerk or anything, but come on guy, don't talk to me in my condition.
Only one nurse gave me attitude when we got upstairs. She looked at me like I was stupid when I said I was in labor. She sent me to the check up room and there I was told that YES, I had progressed from 3cm to 4 or 5. As soon as the nurse told me I would be staying, I asked if I could have my epidural.
I have decided I will never be one to brave through a delivery without drugs. Just not in my system. Now for those who are not familiar with the epidural process, this is how it works. BEFORE getting the wonderful drug, they have to pump your veins full of fluids to make sure you are hydrated. Well, that HUGE bag of fluid could not empty into my veins fast enough. I tried not to look at it because I didn't want to be disappointed when it hadn't moved. I think I only took 1 thing back with me from a birthing class I went to back in September. During my contractions, I started chanting because I realized that when I was only thinking, "I can't do this without an epidural, what if I run out of time," that was not helping the situation. So, under my breath, every time a contraction came, I would chant, "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this..." Of course I only said it loud enough for me to hear, but Scott could see i was saying something. It helped...a little. FINALLY, the fluids were in my veins and the anesthesiologists arrived. He started telling me about all of the risks involved and I just wanted to tell him I don't care and to give me that pen to sign the paper. Needles don't bother me too bad and I just kept thinking that in no time, the pain would be gone.
Within 2o minutes of getting the epidural, each contraction pain was weakening until it came to the point where I could relax. Heaven. I had been in pain since about 5 that morning, so the sweet relief of the epidural was amazing!
Exhaustion
I was so exhausted and when the nursed checked me right after the numbness kicked in I was already at an 8. I remember thinking, "No need to rush this," but within the hour and a half, I was ready to push. My doctor wasn't there yet and I told the RN that I felt totally comfortable with her delivering my baby. She did too, but told me I could do some practice pushes but if the doc wasn't there yet, I would need to stop. Well, good thing doc showed up shortly after I started pushing because about 15 minutes after, baby Ivy was here! The only true pain I felt after the epidural was during the pushing. Yes, during that time I could almost see everything happening and it wasn't pretty in my mind gaging how it felt. I remember the pure joy I felt when Ivy was born. They set her on me but took her right away to clean her (then I got skin to skin time). She was just like her big sister and started eating right away. The nurse gave me a pain pill right away to help me sleep since I was exhausted and needed to rest. But I realized I was STARVING. So she found me a tray of food and while I was falling asleep, I was stuffing my face. I am sure I was quite the site. On a normal day, I am sure the food I ate probably wasn't all that great, but at the time, It was the most delicious meal I had ever consumed.
Baby Ivy, 8lbs 10 1/2 oz.
20inches
She has a great head of hair
At first, I thought that she had a great pair of lungs but we have decided it isn't the loudness of her cry, but the quickness of the intensity of the cry. She gives no warning and will be screaming bloody murder within seconds of starting
Love her to
pieces
My dad, proud grandpa. He was a lifesaver, among some of our friends. He watched Ada for most of the time while we were in the hospital (My mom couldn't be there for any of it because she was in a bad accident at my sister's house in the bay area and broke her hip. She is still in the bay area at a nursing facility and will be there for a few more days. So sad). When we got home, my dad told me that she had just finished off TWO bags of popcorn. That girl loves her popcorn.
Ada met her little sister and I won't say there was an instant bond, but I think they will be good buddies. It was such a strange feeling (but good) seeing my two daughters together.
So I had this big plan, that next time I had a baby, I was going to look cute at the hospital. Every day before I went into labor, I made sure to shower and put make up on, so I wouldn't look like death in my pictures. That all went out the window once the true labor kicked in. I could care less how I looked and by the time I had Ivy, I was too tired to care. So, once again, my hospital pictures are what I truly look like after having a baby.
I do love this picture of my little girls though.
Comparing the two birth stories, this one was way more painful and harder. I am so glad it is over, however, I am so
grateful to have my little baby. I know the transition is going to be difficult and trying, but I can do it. I actually always love the hospital stay and am never in a rush to get home because of the round-the-clock care. I am not going to lie and say that I wasn't afraid to come home. Scott goes back to his internship tomorrow and I am nervous. Especially because I still can't really lift Ada up without pain. But, I will figure it out!! Anyway, for those
persistent readers...as Ada would say, "Good Job!" You made it to the end of this post. For those that just came on the site to see pictures, that is okay too!
