On July 5th, I threw a little birthday party for Daley and Pappou...nothing fancy; I was 9 months pregnant and didn't want to stress about big party details. We had a few families over, turned on the bounce house and ate cake and ice cream. I remember saying goodbye to our last guest and them joking about how the party might put me into labor. I really hoped it wouldn't.
"No, don't jinks me! I want to give birth on a day that I am completely rested and full of energy." Has this ever been the case?
I laughed and snuggled into our couch while Mary Jo (Ted's mom) scurried around the house picking up trash and left over cake...praise God for Mary Jo! Ted popped in a movie and just as I was starting to sink into the couch pillows, I felt the first contraction.
I didn't tell anyone for awhile, even though I KNEW she was coming. It felt like a fun secret to keep to myself, between Sloany and I. I could just envision her saying, "Mommy, you will get to hold me today...and not just hold me, but I will curl up on your chest and sleep there for awhile." As tired as I felt from the party, I was over the moon with excitement to meet my baby girl.
My very favorite moments in all of my pregnancies has been sharing with Ted that the baby is coming. It feels like Christmas morning, when the kids sneak into our room bursting with excitement, and I know there is something special waiting for them. How often do you get to tell someone, 'you've waited 9 months to meet your child and today is the day!' I love watching Ted when I tell him about the baby, because his whole face lights up, and then I watch his emotional pendulum swing from excitement to anxiety. Ted likes to be in control of situations, and babies can be a little unpredictable. Fortunately, we've done this before, so there was less anxiety and more excitement than ever.
The contractions got painful quick. Since she was my 4th, I was sure that she would just shoot out of me. So we packed the car and headed to the hospital as quick as we could. I hobbled into the maternity floor, certain that I would be dilated to a 10, but I got the disappointing news that I was only a 2. I think the nurse would have sent me home if I wasn't screaming from the pain. Ted and I tried to walk the hallways, but I spent most of the time gripping the handicap railing. At one moment, we would be having a lovely conversation with one of the nurses in the hallway, and the next, I was gripping the rail in an awkward strained position while making unattractive noises. Giving birth is so weird.
I feel like we walked forever. I was so uncomfortable and discouraged that I wasn't dilating quicker. After about an hour or so, they sent us to a delivery room. I was convinced that I wanted to do everything naturally...I thought it would be special to experience that since I didn't with the others. At about 5 am in the morning, I just couldn't take it any longer. I couldn't move from my position in the bathroom, standing and gripping the handicap railing. How would I ever lay down in that bed and push a baby out? After about 6 hours of hanging out in the bathroom, Ted asked me why I didn't want to take an epidural. I couldn't really remember why it was important to me. He said, "its not like you're going to earn a metal." That changed everything for me...when I realized that this really wasn't about me proving something, but just about having a healthy baby. I asked/demanded for an epidural and it felt like a year before it was finally administered...but oh, the bliss. I laid down in bed and took an hour nap while my body quietly prepared for her arrival. On a side note, even with the epidural, I believe we should ALL get metals for giving birth.
Sloan came around 7 am, and she was sunny side up. The nurse explained that that position can be really painful for labor because of the strain on your back. It explained why I could only stand in one position. I was thankful to be on the other side, with a beautiful little girl in my arms.
My second favorite time of my last three deliveries, is bringing the baby home to the sibs. When I brought her home, the kids ran out to the car with so much joy and anticipation; It was like a party in our driveway. She quickly became their favorite toy. They were always fighting over who got to hold her. I remember Ryder asking Fin, "can I hold her after you are done?" and Fin saying, "there will NEVER be a done." I'm so thankful for this precious gift and how quickly she fit right into our family...what a cutie!
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