Like all bloggers that I follow...they seem to all have a birth story post where they share the details of the day their bundle of joy arrived.
So here goes mine.
Thursday, February 21st, 2012
2:00am - something really strong happens that awakens me. Its a contraction. Oww... I tell myself I will wake Christopher if another one comes soon. Apparently another one did not come because I went back to sleep. :)
7:00am - up and getting ready for the day. I remember going a little bit slower and having a little bit more "pregnancy pain". I push through it and get my shower, wash my hair, make breakfast. I kept feeling pains in each of those above chores but didn't think much of them. Something that I think is hilarious (looking back)...when I got ready...I decided that real work clothes were not going to be in the plan for this day...so I wore instead a t-shirt that had the word "Exodus" on it (pun intended) and sweatpants and sneakers would be my work uniform for the day.
9:00am - Christopher and I both make our ways to work. We drove separate cars like we normally do in the morning even though we work at the same place. I arrived first and just remember feeling a little off. Saw a few people in the office. Helped move some copy paper that our IT guy was reorganizing next to our new copiers. I remember talking on the phone with a few people and seeing a few staff but it all is kind of a blur. I knew something was off for sure.
10:00am - my friend Amanda works next to me and she got out of a meeting around this time. I went into her office and asked what the difference between a real contraction and a fake contraction is. At this point, neither of us thought that this was the real thing happening. Rather, the over paranoid person I am was asking a question that was interrupting both of our work-flows that morning. However, work was the last thing on my mind. She told me to go get my laptop, come in her office, and she would time my contractions since that is the only way to know if they are real...consistency. After her timing about 4 or 5 contractions at 4 minutes apart I could tell she knew this was the real thing. She called Christopher's office and said that everything is fine but that he needs to be wrapping up his work pretty soon and that we need to go to the hospital.
11:00am - still at work...now everyone is in agreement that I am in real labor. The contractions had gone down to 3 minutes a part and were lasting 30-45 seconds. I was in pain and still trying to talk through them.
11:15am - left out the back of the offices down the hill so that we didn't alarm anyone at work. I couldn't get to the car without having a contraction. "Baby Phillips is coming soon" I began to think. However, first things first. I know they dont let you eat at the hospital and I have heard you need to get something in your stomach before going to the hospital. So Christopher drives us through the drive through of Wendys to get a frosty, fries, and burger. Mind you...contractions happening the whole time. :)
11:30am - arrived at home. Start laboring on the floor. Can hardly talk. Definitely cannot eat the food we just bought. Christopher is running around gathering our hospital bags and last minute items that we had to pack. I can barely pick myself up off the ground (sweet side note: Lucy stayed with me and cried/wimpered when contractions came...dogs DO have feelings). It was definitely getting harder to talk and the pain was getting stronger. I tell Christopher that I dont want to go to the hospital premature so maybe lets just try and walk around outside for a little bit. I couldn't get down my 12 ft driveway without having a contraction and running back into the garage. We both decide its time to go...but wait. "Babe I have a library book that is going to be overdue if we dont take it back now". Christopher in his kind and understanding way...drives to the library on the way to the hospital to make sure that my library book is not overdue...I really am unbelievable (the things that you are worried about in the most important times in your life). Christopher decided to get on I-65 from Harding since that was closer to the library; however there was a bad accident so we had to turn around on Edmondson and go back to Old Hickory Blvd to get on 65 and get to the hospital. Let me just tell you..that might have been the worst car ride of my life. Yes, it definitely was. See...before when I started a contraction it helped to get on my knees and bury my head into the couch, floor, chair, etc. When you have to remain buckled and look semi-sain in a car seat... you want to go crazy! Christopher did a wonderful job of driving safely and reassuring me that we were almost there. :)
11:45-12:00ish - We arrive at the hospital. We pull into the 30min "delivery" parking spot. Christopher says he is going to go get a wheel chair. I say we do not have time for that. We get into the check in station at Baptist Hospital and there is another pregnant lady who has a scheduled C-section that she is checking in for. I am on the other side, on the floor, and probably making the worst noises ever. Christopher informs the nurse that my contractions are about 60 seconds apart and that we need to get checked in quick. The lady started moving quickly when she looked at me on the floor. At one point, I remember her saying something like "you all waited to late to come the hospital". Seriously? Do I get a do-over? No, just get me an epidural quick! :)
12:10 - We arrive in a delivery room via a wheel chair. Two wonderful nurses who have 40 years of experience probably combined probably start prepping me. They check me and I am at 5cms. The call for blood work and the anesthesiologist happens quickly and at the same time. For me to have been able to get an epidural even was a miracle because "I had waiting to long..." WE KNOW! :). It wont happen again...this was our first rodeo. :)
12:45 - This is a complete estimate of time... I definitely was not paying attention to the clock anymore. They had to override my labwork results to get the epidural going. All of that happened pretty fast. My doctor came sometime at this point to check me. Conveniently he was already downtown at Centennial Hospital about to start a surgery. I believe the story goes that he had to delay that surgery when he realized how fast Mr. Jack was coming. I think by 1:30 when my doctor came I had gone from 5 to 9 cms. It was insane.
4:00pm - we start the pushing process. Something that was great about my doctor that just brings tears to my eyes everytime I tell this part is that he stopped everything right before I began to push and asked the nurses and Christopher and me to all hold hands. He prayed over the final part of my delivery that it would go smooth and easy and that there would be no complications. Yeah...I know. It was awesome. about 8 pushes and 10 minutes later, Christopher caught our sweet boy. 4:16 the moment our lives changed forever.
We were so blessed to have great nurses, a great doctor, a smooth/easy labor/delivery. I have told so many people that I know that prayer is the only thing that got us through this life changing experience. Throughout my whole pregnancy I never had any huge fears or concerns. My parents were praying, my family was praying, the prayer warriors of my church were praying, and of course Christopher and I prayed. I know prayer doesn't necessarily make things perfect or make things go "the right way"...however prayer does make the most important thing the center of your focus. We know that we are truly blessed by the ease of this first child.
This photo was taken at about 5:30 after little Jack had nursed and had skin-to-skin contact for about an hour. I could not be more thankful that God gave us this little boy. He is an answer to many prayers.
Up next..."Jack - 1 month old"!
