I figure I better hurry up and get the blog updated before I forgot all the details. So I'll have to back up a bit. I started having cramp like discomfort about 2 weeks before Hayes decided to join us. This was a new experience for me, because with Holden, I didn't have any discomfort or contractions. Needless to say, the pressure I was feeling was not fun, but was bearable. I started having contractors that were very irregular on Friday, April 5th. I started measuring them then and actually thought he was going to arrive that night, but after monitoring what contractions I was having until about 11:00 PM that night and them not getting worse or closer together I went on to sleep and woke up Saturday feeling fine.
So back to my normal routine. Holden and I went to the gym that day, ran errands and then we met Dad, Brenda, Mimi and Aunt Rocky for dinner that evening at Christina's in Frisco. I hadn't had any contractions all day and just a few random ones here and there, but nothing to start paying attention to.
Had my weekly visit with Dr. Levy that Tuesday, April 9th and I was dilated to 1 cm but nothing else was really going on. Back to business as usual. I made sure to wrap up most of my projects and meetings at work, had my stuff ready to be packed for the hospital, as well as Hayes'. This entire week I maintained more normal routine, taking Holden to school, going to work. Walking the halls and stairs during breaks between conference calls and enjoying lunch with my ladies, Matilda and Kweiki. Followed it up with a pretty lazy weekend before heading back to work again.
At my next appointment with Dr. Levy on the 16th, I was now about 2.5 cm dilated and we discussed inducing on Friday, April 19th. I was hesitant to induce only because I knew it was better to let him come on his own, let nature take its course. But I was really worried about going into labor at night and having to put our plan in place for Holden. I technically induced with Holden, although my water broke, my contractions never really started, so I did pitocin with him to get things rolling. Since I knew that it would be planned and I could better arrange for Holden to be taken care of, I scheduled to be induced on Friday, April 19th at 7:00 AM.
Of course, in the same breath that Dr. Levy discussed the option of inducing, he also said that "knowing you, he'll probably come tonight, but try not to call me to late or too early, so I can get some sleep." This is typical of Dr. Levy. At my appointment the week before he told me not to call too late, even though he was on call and not to call during the day on Saturday, cause he planned on going to see a movie!
I guess Dr. Levy knew better than I did. I woke around 11:30 pm on Tuesday evening with a contraction, went to the bathroom and made my way back to bed and fell asleep pretty quickly. I woke again an hour later with another contraction. This got my attention, so I figured, maybe I should see how close they are coming. Granted, I had been waking for the past week with contractions but they never intensified or got closer together, so I figured this was another example of false labor. But after monitoring them for an hour and them coming pretty strong every 7-8 minutes I thought, "this could be it." I recalled my friend Sandy explaining that true labor contractions with feel the same no matter what position you are in, sitting, standing, etc. So to test the theory, I got up and walked around the house. The first one wasn't too bad, but the second and third ones were as strong as those I felt during the hour I laid and bed monitoring them. By this time, Chuck was up asking what I was doing. Of course, when I said, "I think we'll be going to the hospital tonight," he replied with, "Can you not have a baby during the day??" As many of you know, my water broke at home with Holden at around the same time! Needless to say, I laid back in bed for a bit, contractions continued to come and so I decided that it was time to pack the bag, call Aunt Cari to come stay with Holden and head to Plano.
Good thing we did. Holden was born rather quickly. We arrived with him around 2:00 AM and he was born at 11:37 AM. So not a long labor and delivery. I had been told that the second was is usually quicker.
Cari got to the house around 2:00. I ate a PB&J sandwich and drank a bottle of water on the ride to the hospital. We got there and settled into L&D around 3:00. Since Mom missed what little laboring I did with Holden, she made me promise to call her earlier this time. So since she wasn't needed to care for Holden, we went ahead and called her once the nurse confirmed that I was in labor. When we arrived I was 5.5 cm dilated and contractions were about 5 minutes apart.
I waited for an epidural, since on a scale of 1-10, my contraction pain was only like a 5 or so. They were bearable and sitting up in bed made it a little easier, along with my addiction to Sudoku on the iPad. Mom arrived shortly after 4:00 and just in time for my epidural. They say you don't remember the pain of the injection, and I honestly don't recall the pain from Holden, but I do however recall the pain from this one. I'm sure it was the same as my first experience, but this one is much fresher on my mind! Glad that I wont have to endure that process again! I even asked the nurse why they couldn't put you to sleep and then wake you up after??
The epidural kicked in pretty quick and before I knew it, no pain! Contractions were still about 5 minutes apart so at about 5:00 am I started asking about pitocin, as I knew when getting that with Holden that it was still a few hours of laboring before he was born. Of course, Dr. Levy doesn't approve pitocin earlier than 7:00, I guess he doesn't want to have to get up earlier. OK, so now I have to wait and do it the old fashion way with nature taking course. No problem, just boredom. I did however do some "positions" to help bring the baby down. I'll leave it at that level of detail since my blog audience includes men :) I laid in said "position" for about an hour. Before I knew it, it was 7:00 AM and the nurses were changing shifts. Since I knew that I wasn't going to be administered pitocin until at least 7:00 and just learned from my night nurse that Dr. Levy had a scheduled surgery at Baylor Carrollton at 7:30 and I wouldn't be able to have pitocin until he had finished that procedure, I sent Chuck to get him some breakfast.
Chuck had just left the room a little after 7:00 when my new nurse came in. She checked to see how I was doing. At the exact moment she spoke the words, "Let's see if your still bulging (my water had not broke up to that point)," I felt a rush of warmth. She immediately got on the little radio/speaker thing they use now for the lead nurse to call my doctor. Her next comment was, "you're having a baby." Within minutes, I had 3 other nurses join us, equipment set up, scrubs waiting for my doctor and I'm frantically calling Chuck. Of course he doesn't answer, so mom takes over. He had just bought his breakfast tacos in the cafe downstairs, sat down to eat and read about the Ranger's when he realized that he had 4 missed calls. He immediately came back upstairs. Ironically, he had just left for breakfast with my parents when I needed to start pushing with Holden too. Guess these boys don't want Daddy leaving for breakfast.
So remember earlier when I said that Holden was born fast, well, Hayes set a new record! I had done one set of pushes, Dr. Levy arrived about 7:30, waited a few minutes, did another set of pushes and then on the 3rd set, out pops my 7.5 lb, 19 1/4" long, bright eyed, healthy baby boy at exactly 7:44 AM. Talk about a speedy delivery.
He was immediately placed in my arms and once again I fell in love. I have been blessed with 3 wonderful blessings, my hubby, my first born and now my little itty bitty. Our family is complete. My heart is so full with the love I have for "my boys." I'm one happy and blessed Mommy.
Welcome to our family Hayes Ellis Hunt!
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| His first breath, took mine away! |
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| Mommy and her sweet angel |
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| Daddy checking out his son. |
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| 7.6 lbs, 19 1/4" |
