Ready or Not? Well that's a matter of opinion! It was Tuesday Jan 5, 2010, I went to work that morning and had my 38 week Dr appointment that day at 11:30am. (And was planning on returning to work after the appointment) I had been cramping in my back for about 5 days, but didn't really know what it was; just thought that it was an end of the pregnancy kind of thing. I had slept on the couch for the past few nights with a heating pad, because that seemed to be the only place I could get comfortable. (I was having contractions and didn't know it) I actually felt better Tuesday morning than I did at work on Monday. It was a long day; not only had I cramped all day.. I was exhausted. While at the doctors office, Dr. Falany was going to check and see if I had dilated any (this was the first time I had been checked), and to our (and her surprise) I was three centimeters dilated. (Guess all the cramping was actually doing something)
Dr. Falany said that if I didn't have the baby on my own by the end of the week they were going to induce me the next Tuesday. Then she turned around looked at my chart and said "umm no, you are going to have this baby TODAY". The reason was because my blood pressure was so high. I just started to cry. I was not ready to hear that. I mean, throughout the pregnancy you know that this day is going to come, but... I still had two more weeks to prepare! Not today...! She explained to me that it was really for the better. She said that his lungs were already developed, and she could just send me home and put me on bed rest for the next week, but all that would do is waste time. Before we left the Dr office, Jonathan and I called our parents and told them what was going on. So, we came home, got our bags, feed the critters, ate lunch, and then headed for the hospital. It seemed like all we were really doing was running around in circles.
It takes us about 45 minutes to get to the hospital. (my mom is waiting at the entrance...and had been for about 30 minutes. She wouldn't even let me finish on the telephone to tell her that we were going home first.. she was just so excited and shocked that she hung up on me! ha ha) They put me in room 305, and start getting me worked up with the iv, fetal monitors, etc. Then around 5 or 6pm they start the pitocin. Contractions were coming on, but nothing too painful. We had lots of visitors that night: mom, mamaw, dad, Neal, Debbie, Shane, Callie, Elizabeth, and Jessie. Unfortunately, or so I thought, the nurse came in the room around 9:30pm, and said that since I hadn't dilated much more that Dr. Falany said to stop my pitocin, and that way I could get a good nights rest and then they would start in back up at 5 the next morning. I was kind of upset at first, but quickly realized how tired I was, and was thankful to get the rest.
The next morning the nurse came in my room right on schedule at 4:45 to get me hooked back up to the monitors, and to start my pitocin...again. Here we go, today is going to be the day. WOW! Around 7:30 am I told Jonathan that I needed to get up and go to the bathroom. He was trying to unhook me from the monitors, but he just wasn't doing it fast enough... I HAD TO GO!!! I was already up and out of the bed pulling the cords with me, as Jonathan is trying to get things undone.... and I barely made it to the bathroom and my water broke (didn't know that was what was going to happen... I just had to pee!) Things progressed from there.. By 8am I was in so much pain, I was ready for that epidural!! My co-worker, James, came in to give me the epidural, and I was so thankful for him, and to have pain relief!! Let me just say.. epidurals are great!!! By around 3:30 pm I was dilated to 10, and the nurse told me that I was in a race with the girl next door who was delivering her 4th child, and she was dilated to a 6 or 7, but they expected her to go VERY quickly. About ten minutes later the girl next door still had not delivered, and my nurse was staying in the room with me, and I told her I really feel like I need to push, she got Dr. Falany .. and here we go! (Clint was going to win his first race! ha ha!) Jonathan, mom, Debbie, and mamaw were all there beside themselves with excitement! I only pushed for about 10-15 min, and here he was, at 3:51 pm, weighing in at 6lbs 9.8 oz and 20 inches long, and a head FULL of blonde hair! HE WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! The room was filled with joy, tears, smiles, and laughter! OH my goodness, is that really my baby? He's mine? I couldn't believe it! After Jonathan cut the umbilical cord (which in my mind took forever! ha ha), she laid him on my abdomen. I held him and cried! It was love at first sight. One of my facebook friends told me that the minute you hear your baby cry for the first time, everything that you had went through up until then didn't matter.. and she was so right! I will NEVER forget that feeling!!!
We had lots of visitors that night, everyone wanting to see our new little bundle of joy!! We stayed in the hospital until noon on Friday. There had been a big snow on Thursday so we were extra cautious on the way home!! (It took us about an hour and a half to get home from canton) Jonathan's mom, Debbie (Mimi), was right.. He was our little Snow Baby! When we got home, there was a glider rocker sitting in our living room that Jonathan's mom and dad had bought for us! It was so nice, and Jonathan and I were so glad to have it!! Debbie had cooked us supper and brought it over, and her Neal, and Shane ate with us!! Jonathan and I are so blessed to have such a wonderful family!! Jessie, Aunt Teri, Jonathan's aunt Karen, and Deb (or neighbor) all had cooked us dinners and brought them to us!! And let me just say.. that is one of the best things someone can do for new parents at home with a brand new baby!!
The first couple of days at home was really rough, between doctor's appointments, and taking him to the hospital everyday for 3 days to have his bilirubin levels checked. His jaundice levels has spiked really high at day 3, he had lost over a pound and a half, so we had to get him a bili-bed to lay on (kinda like a tanning bed) to help get the bilirubin out of his system. They told me not only to breastfeed, but to supplement him with formula every 2 hrs. While he was laying on the lights, the only time we could get him off was to feed or diaper him. That was so sad.. we wanted to hold him and love him..we just had to do it sitting beside him. He had to lay on the bed for two days and finally the jaundice was gone!
Here we are, Clint is 2 months old, where does the time go? I only have one more month of maternity leave. (which I am not happy about!) I dread going back to work and leaving my baby, but I know that he will be in GREAT hands...his Grammy's hands!! (my mom) She is going to keep him at our house, which will be absolutely wonderful!! Jonathan and I truly love being parents! There is no greater feeling than holding your baby, rocking him to sleep, or having him smile at you for the first time! I get a warm fuzzy feeling every time I lay eyes on that child!! I tell Jonathan all the time that I think Clint is the cutest baby I have EVER seen!!! I love my baby Clint!!! Have I said that yet??? The Bible says that children are a gift from God, and let me tell you.. there is no greater gift!! I can't imagine my life without him!!
This first picture is Clint in the lab at the hospital fixing to have his blood drawn, (which he didn't wake up for!)
This picture is of Clint going to church for the first time!!
Just hanging out after church!!
