Welcome to the World

The story of Aveline.

After a completely healthy pregnancy and a very loooooong and uncomfortable week past her estimated due date Aveline finally decided (not sure how accurate that is) to show her squishy face.

This is the first pregnancy in which I experienced some false labor episodes and more regular braxton-hicks contractions. Finally, I woke up on the 16th of November (Tuesday) around 8:30 with contractions that felt much stronger and more "real" than previously. I took a hot shower and got dressed then timed my contractions for about 2 hours. They were pretty consistent at 3-4 minutes apart lasting for around a minute and were getting stronger. I called in to my Dr's office and they told me to just go ahead and head to the hospital. Rob had already stayed home from school so we called mom and asked her to pick up Khi and dropped Tay off at the awesome Erica's house.

Wouldn't you know it. Got to the hospital around 11, got checked in, put in a room...and that's about it. Nothing. We sat and waited and waited and waited. It was determined that I was not in active labor, but since I was a week past the EDD the nurse said they would be keeping me. I was fairly bummed, but sent everyone else off for lunch...none for me even though no "active labor" was happening thank you very much. Rob and I spent some time walking around and around and around the halls of labor and delivery hoping to get things going again. I finally started having some contractions again in the late afternoon/early evening. When checked I was still only dilated to a 3.

Our good ol' Dr. B came around dinner time (it's all about the food when you can't have any isn't it?) to break my water. It was uncomfortable and apparently a bit of a waste. Everyone was prepared for this huge gush as I've always had a ton of fluid in past pregnancy's (part of the reason likely responsible for the scare with placenta in Tay's delivery), but nothing happened. Then Rob let everyone know that I had said I thought I might feel some leaking as we walked the halls earlier that day, but wasn't sure because I didn't usually walk around commando. ;)  I did feel a trickle though and apparently that had been my water breaking for the first time. They aren't lying when they say that each pregnancy and delivery is different...whomever "they" are. I did start to have some more regular contractions though, which was something.

Probably total TMI, but what's a l&d story without some TMI right? I didn't even know this was possible but after trying to break my water the good Dr. put some monitors inside me and stuck them to the baby's head. Weird right? Even weirder was feeling these wires "down there" wiggling around when I'd contract and/or the baby would move. So wrong...like the antennas of a scary large insect creeping out or something. Wasn't exaggerating TMI and so weird.

Around 8:30 I was really thinking about the whole epidural thing. Meaning those suckers were starting to hurt and I wanted one! I was still scared of the unknown, the big huge needle in my spine, etc. Then two men from church making their rounds stopped by and offered a blessing, which I gratefully accepted. I had already had one from my awesome hubby, but wasn't about to turn down an extra one as I was mentally trying to prepare myself for the big needle all while breathing through some really uncomfy contractions. I received an awesome blessing and as soon as they left I called the nurse in and let her know I was ready. She said I was officially in active labor and at a 4 and called the man with the needle. About 20 minutes later in rolls a seriously grumpy old man. Seriously. I was concerned to say the least. Rob saw my face and kinda chuckled. I decided and said aloud that if I was gonna let a strange man with a huge needle near my spine, I guess I preferred that he take it seriously. He didn't laugh.

Can I just say that I am so GRATEFUL that it went well. Bob, although very serious, also was very good about walking me through each step before he did it and explaining very well what I was about to feel. It did feel weird. There was a good 15-20 seconds of burning with the numbing shot and then a weird "popping" with the big needle. To me it felt like a sharp muscle twinge or something. Not great, but not at all what I'd been fearing. And then things began to tingle....

Oh Baby!!!

(Ready to go and gettting a little extra oxygen for a bit.)

What the heck had I been thinking doing things  naturally with no drugs in the past. Goodbye pain, hello heaven. :)  Man, to watch those contractions on the little monitor and feel NOTHING. Sigh. Bob is my hero. My very. serious. hero.

I got checked again and was at a 5-6.

An hour or so later the nurse let me know she talked to Dr. B and they were going to go ahead and give me a very small amount of pitocin in my IV to see if that would help things progress.

A short time later after watching some serious monster contractions make little mountain slopes on the printout piling up on the floor and pressing my little magic button every once in awhile...

I puked.

Yep. The joy. Oh the joy.

The good news was that according to my nurse this can happen when things are really progressing. Fortunately, Khi came walking in around this time, as he'd been taking a little nap out in the hallway because she checked me again, and I was at an 8!

She actually called the Dr to tell him to get ready and tried to explain once again what it may feel like when it was time as I was totally numb. Not even 15 minutes later I was like "hmmm" that felt different. The nurse happened to walk in right then and I let her know something felt different, but not sure if it was anything. She checks me right away and instantly says "oh yeah, that's hair...and a head" she grabs the phone and says "let's have a baby!" Dr. B came  rushing in and was putting his little shoe covers on as the nurse yelled "head!!" He told me to do a half push and stop and I hear him casually say "there's the cord" and see a flicking motion of his hand as he flicked it up and over her face from around her neck...another first for me. Then he told me to do a really big push and one more and she was out. That's when that crazy blurry moment hits that is so hard to explain or imagine unless you've been through it. I know I heard one cry and everyone was all happy and they brought her over and put her on me. I remember looking down and being totally shocked that she looked exactly like Tay and then being even more shocked by the size of her hands! Seriously they were HUGE.

 I was just holding her little hand and then before I knew what was going on she was snatched away and 4 nurses swooped in and were surrounding her across the room on the little heated/medical table.

Dr. B was all business as usual and then I slowly started to notice things. It's like looking back through honey. It was all happy, normal, you're going to get the placenta now? To...wait a minute...are they pumping air into the baby? Why isn't she crying anymore? Rob? Rob! What's going on, is she alright? Then I look at my mom. She had this look of absolute horror on her face. Yeah. Then I was worried. I asked her what was going on and why she had that look on her face. She turned to me and had the most ridiculous fake smile (sorry mom, but it's true) and was like it's fine, I'm just so happy. Yeah, okay. Bob's drugs aren't THAT good lady. Then I started asking more, but no one would answer me. Rob said it was fine, but the baby still wasn't crying and the 4 nurses were still around her and my mom had that horrible look on her face again. What the heck?!? I know some people would have benefited from everyone remaining calm and proceeding with business as usual, but I'm not one of them. I just need to know the truth and then I can deal with it, even if it means laying there helpless while delivering a placenta and getting one stitch (just one!)

Finally, my nurse came over and told me that the baby had stopped breathing and the nurses from the NICU had revived her. She assured me that she was fine, but that they'd have to take her to the NICU for a short time just as total protocol. It wasn't until my lactation appointment a few days later that I heard someone say that my "baby had coded." Ummm, that's medical lingo that is never good on Grey's! How scary is that?!? Not only did little Miss not want to come out, but she tried to go back!!! I know it's irrational but I still feel a twinge of apprehension with her, like I need to make sure she's okay and happy because she doesn't really want to be here. How messed up is that?

Rob did cut the umbilical cord in there somewhere...very significant for him as it was a first!
Then I got some food :)

and we spent some time getting to know our newest addition!

Did I mention that we finally found out what she weighed after her return from the NICU?

10lbs 8oz!!!

Yeah.

And she was born on Heather's birthday. November 17th. Very significant as my niece Morisa was born on MY birthday. I told her that it took me 17 years but I returned the favor. ;)

My cousin's little man also turned 1 that day, how cool is that?!?

Later that night, even though she'd nursed successfully a few times, she wasn't wanting to eat and the nurse checked her blood sugar only to discover it was low. Between the blood sugar, a little bit of jaundice, my having been Group B Strep positive, as well as RH- and little Ave a + blood type they decided she needed to go back and chill in the NICU. Bleh.

At first the Dr. had put her on no breastfeeding (???) and so the nurses spent the night force feeding her a bottle with formula and I worried about her being confused and not wanting to go back to nursing. I will say there are some AMAZING nurses in the NICU and a few that really (like REALLY) need to work on their bedside manner. I have always felt for parents whose little ones have to spend time in the NICU, but I can't imagine having to have them spend more time in there then the couple of days Ave did. Sad. Anyways, the poked the heck out of the poor little baby's heal. I did get to start nursing her the next day when I complained asked so nicely why exactly I couldn't nurse, so that was a bit happier. We ended up getting to not only get her out of the NICU, but to take her home (yay!) on Friday night. My dad had just flown in from the Ukraine an hour or so before we arrived, and my awesome mom was there with the kids cooking dinner. It was very nice to come home to dinner cooking and the house cleaned up...as well as some beautiful roses on the table (thanks dad!).

We had to go back to the hospital Saturday for her to get poked again and those came back great. The fact that the nurse had a cap issue with the little vial of blood, thus spilling it and having to poke sweet baby AGAIN wasn't so great. Cut to a week later when we have to take her in to get her levels checked...ie, poked AGAIN only to get a phone call a few days later that they didn't draw quite enough blood and could we please bring sweet baby in to re-draw.
ARE.YOU.FREAKING.SERIOUS?!?
Grrrrr.
That my friends was sweet baby Ave's arrival and subsequently poky first week or so story. Other than that she is a dream. Yep.
A. Dream. Baby.

Welcome to the world sweet babygirl Ave!!
So sorry about all the torture.