Savannah was born on July 28th 2011. Here are all the fun details:
About a week before the 28th My doctor said I was 50% effaced and dilated to a 2. This would normally be very exciting news because Savannah wasn't due until August, but I was actually nervous. Kimball had to go to Boise to take the bar on the 24th and wouldn't be home until late on the 26th. I knew there was nothing he could do to change things so I just promised to move as little as possible until he made it home. Beyond that I just hoped and prayed for things to work out.
Since you already know the end of the story I know there isn't much build-up about what happened so I'll cut to the chase. By mid-afternoon on the 26th I had decided that even if I did go into labor before Kimball got home he certainly had time to get back before the baby was actually born so the kids and I went for a walk to the park. I may have also done a few squats and lunges. Having delivered my other two babies two weeks early I had decided I'd waited enough and was ready. Kimball got home later that night and to my disappointment I was not in labor.
The next morning I had a doctors appointment and asked to see if things had progressed. I hadn't felt any new contractions so thought my chances were slim, but was kind of hoping the exam might help things along. I think the doctor knew what my real intentions were because that was the most uncomfortable exam I had ever had! Later that night I had just let Kaden out of time-out when my water broke.
I should have realized right away because my water broke with Kaden too, but I was still terrified that I had wet my pants. Between you and me, it wouldn't have been the first time. So we finished putting the kids to bed and I did a little experiment to see if it was for real and sure enough it was!
The hospital was a memorable experience. I had one of the sweetest nurses on the planet, but she wasn't exactly competent. She got me set up just fine, but when it came to the I.V. things just went wrong. She couldn't find the vein for a little while and decided to dig around until she did. At long last she was done, or was she? After a few minutes she came in and decided to put a little fluid into the I.V. to make sure she got it in the vein. OK. She pumped a little in and my arm started swelling up, my guess is she missed the vein after all, but my sweet little nurse was twisting my arm around at all different angles trying to decide the obvious. Finally she asked me if my arm looked swollen. YES! She was still unsure so she got another nurse for a third opinion. The next nurse gave a quick yes you need to try again and left me at the mercy of my sweet nurse. So she took the first attempt out and tried to clean up the blood then put in the second attempt. This time it was a success!! Unfortunately I passed out from the whole ordeal. I don't like to think I was a wuss, but to be honest that was the most traumatic part of the whole delivery.
One thing I learned from the experience is those little packages of smelling salts they have taped everywhere work really good. One sniff and I was wide awake.
One other surprise I had was having to wait for an epidural. I delivered Kaden and Jocilyn at the same hospital and was able to get the epidural as soon as I wanted it. Madison Memorial has a different way of doing things. I had to wait until I had dilated to a certain point. I can't remember how far though. Either way I wasn't allowed an epidural until about 4 am. Beyond that you'll be relieved to hear I have no complaints. Epidurals tend to have that affect.
Just after sunrise the doctor came in saying we were ready to push. Thankfully Savannah was delivered after just a few pushes and surprised everyone with a ridiculous amount of beautiful hair. The nurse joked that she was the first baby to use conditioner during her first bath.
She is the sweetest baby I could have asked for. And very very happy! Kaden and Jocilyn love making her smile.
Jocilyn goes back and forth between mothering and doting and becoming a little jealous. Overall she does much better than I expected. Even when she's jealous she's never mean to Savannah she just reverts to being a baby herself complete with sippy cups and baby talk. Kaden doesn't seem to get jealous at all, just a little annoyed when she cries, but he is a very loving and sweet big brother. I am so grateful for my sweet family. I can't believe I have three children now and Kimball and I have been married for over eight years! I suppose that means we really are in a serious and committed relationship with each other.
2 comments:
Welcome back to blogger world!! I was so surprised when I was going through my blogs list and yours was updated!! :) Savannah is a gorgeous baby, its fun to finally hear the story. The IV sounds terrible, I had a bad experience last time, too. Funny the things that end up being the worst in labor...for me IV and heartburn...who would have thought! :)
I can't wait to meet this little cutie in person! Fun to hear your labor and delivery story. I love that you have it written down for posterity. I especially love that last picture of Savannah! (p.s. - we watched "Savannah Smiles" with the kids a few months ago and it's now a family favorite. They love knowing they have a cousin with the same name. Also, did you know there's a new Girl Scout cookie called "Savannah Smiles"? So of course we had to buy a box.)
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