D-Day: Family of Five

(Like the previous deliveries, you don't have to read this, but it's the closest thing I have to a journal.  And, if you're looking for a wild, crazy, gory delivery...this is not it, in fact, it's kind of on the boring side....thankfully)

Pre-Delivery Day:

I have never worried about going into labor early...until this time.  For some weird reason, around week 38, I started to get nervous.

Really nervous.

Hazel's big dance recital was the 21st, Averett's birthday was the 22nd, my mom was flying in on the 23rd and I wasn't due until the 25th.  I was paranoid that Baby would come before my mom got here and THEN WHAT??

And a name?  Yeah, we didn't have one.  

Seriously.  

We usually keep our names to ourselves until baby is born,  but this time we really had no idea!  Hazel had named him Baby Wendy Honda, so we were all calling him Baby Honda.  But really?  You can't name a kid after a fast-food joint and a minivan!

I saw Dr. B on Thursday, the 18th... I was at a 3, and everything else was "progressing well".  I jokingly told Dr. B that I wanted to have the baby sometime after the 24th (so Mom was here) but before the 30th (because our insurance changes May 1st).  She asked if I wanted to schedule an induction and I said please.  My induction with Averett went so, so well, and let's all remember the hospital is 45 minutes away ... in "good" traffic ... I don't need a freeway baby.

Scheduled induction = calmed nerves.  Go figure.

I managed to stay pregnant through Hazel's big recital weekend, Averett doesn't have to share his birthday with his little brother and we even made it to the airport to pick up my mom.  With exception to still making me nauseous and throwing up, the baby was already scoring brownie points with me!

D-Day:

We had to be to the hospital by 7:30am, knowing we had to be up early I successfully had the worst night's sleep.  We showed up at the hospital, and as always, my nurses were awesome.   I was checked and only at a 4-ish, which kind of worried me, I am usually further along when I walk into the hospital.  They started me on a little pitocin to get my contractions into a pattern.  They worked their way into a routine by about 10am, and by 11am life was starting to get painful.

really painful.  

Around 12:20 I got my epidural.  Dr. B came in shortly after to break my water, and told me I had gotten the epidural just in time, I was now at a 7 or 8.

About fifteen minutes later, Donna, the nurse was doing some things and I noticed her face change.  She started moving one of the monitors around on my stomach (the baby's heart monitor).  She laid my bed all the way down and my doctor magically appeared.  An oxygen mask was put on my face, and the doctor and the nurse talked for a few minutes, and then Dr. B patted me on the shoulder and said everything would be okay.  Seth was by my side, holding my hand, and when we were finally alone I couldn't help but cry a little.  

I was scared.

When things settled down, I asked Donna, what had happened, she said that the baby's heart rate had dipped and my blood pressure had also dropped ... I already have freakishly low blood pressure, so it was a little concerning.  Both baby and I returned to "normal", and the doctor said it was probably just our bodies reacting to the epidural and water breaking back to back.  

 The important part: everybody was fine.

While all of this was going on, I started feeling painful contractions again (through the epidural).  They were lower, and looking back they weren't so much contractions as the need to push.  After several of those, I finally mentioned it to the nurse.  Around 1:15ish Dr. B came in to check me again.  She did, and instead of giving me a number, she looked at me and told me it was time to push.  The baby was RIGHT there.

WHAT?!

Ikes!  

It took a few minutes to get everything ready, and Dr. B kept telling me it would only take one push (I didn't believer her).  Sure enough, it was time to push.  One good push and his head came out, I was so surprised, relieved, shocked... it made me laugh, which apparently made the rest of his body come out, with just a little tearing.

 (I know, waaaay too much info...details, details).

He didn't scream right away, and in those two seconds before he did start to wail, I felt my heart skip a little beat.   

(He soon made up for his silent entrance).

1:36pm: an adorable, healthy, perfect baby boy arrived after a simple, boring, "normal" delivery.

So grateful.