A day by day account of the whirlwind that was the last week. Warning: Some of this may be more graphic than you care to read about.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
A completely normal day. My last NST. The doctors said (as they always did) that the baby was moving and responding beautifully, but to me, it felt different. He seemed more mellow. Even after I drank a soda, he was quiet. I thought for sure the doctor would notice his decreased movement and tell me we needed to get to the hospital, but I guess the difference was too subtle for the outside observer. Later I picked up Brooklyn and Mom from school and the teachers all told me about Scallini's where, if I ate the Eggplant Parmesan, it was guaranteed that I would go into labor. So much so that if I didn't, I would get a free meal! Well that was too tempting an experiment to pass up, so I called Ray and had him bring it home for dinner that night. (To clarify Scallini's offer: If you eat the food and have the baby within 48 hours you do get a gift certificate and onesie. If you do not have the baby, you don't get anything!)
Late that afternoon, completely unexpectedly, we got a call from my dad. Grandpa had passed away. Of course we knew it could happen at any time and were as prepared as we could be for the eventuality, but still it came as a shock. I say we were prepared, but can you ever really be prepared to lose someone you love like that? I had hoped very much that we would be able to see him in April for Brooklyn's spring break. I wanted him to meet Grayson, his first great grandson. But despite my hopes, I know God's timing is more perfect than any plans we can make. Grandpa has been made whole, and some day Grayson will meet him - whole and perfect.
Mom and Dad made plans to leave for Texas to be with Grandma. I wanted so much to go with them, but with my due date a mere week away it was, of course, impractical! I ate my eggplant that night knowing that I would be the rare exception to the "eggplant triggers labor" myth and set about preparing for my last week of waiting.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Brooklyn woke up covered from head to toe in angry red spots. She went to bed the night before having, what we thought was an allergic reaction to a fancy new dress up outfit. But since the rash had spread and she was about to go out of town, I took her into the doctor. Turns out the fever she'd had at the beginning of the week, followed by the angry red rash was Roseola. Of all the random things that could have happened! At least it wasn't serious, and Brooklyn was not uncomfortable.
Mom, Dad, and Brooklyn left that night around 10 pm with strict instructions that I was not to have the baby until they got back! I cried when they left because I knew that the week was going to be very long without my usual distractions and when they returned, everything was going to be different.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
3:30 AM - I woke up with the all too familiar sensation of having waited too long to pee. When I stood up after relieving myself, I kept leaking. It didn't feel like urine anymore, but I wasn't sure, so I called Ray in to check. Suffice it to say, we determined that my water had broken and we headed to the hospital. Can you believe the timing? Mom and Dad were in Mobile, Alabama when we called them with the news. We made it to the hospital and got checked in. The nurses did a test to see if it was actually my water that had broken. The first test came back negative, which was frustrating. What else could it be?? Had we gotten all excited for nothing? But the second test came back with better results. My water had broken, I was in labor (I could have told you that! By now the contractions were PAINFUL!) so we started prepping for surgery.
As we got ready, I started to feel anxious. I wasn't worried about all the stuff we still had to do at home. And though I missed having my mom around to talk to, it was kind of nice not having to worry about where Brooklyn was and when could we get her to the hospital, etc. etc. But for the first time, I started to feel scared about the procedure itself. I always thought of it as very routine. No big deal. Brooklyn's c-section had come about after hours of labor and pushing. I was exhausted and already on pain medication, and there just wasn't time to think about anything. In retrospect it all seems like a blur. One minute I was pushing, the next, I was wheeled to the OR and she was out! But this time I was fully conscious. Dr. Alarcon reminded me about all the risks and said that because this was a repeat, it might take a little longer. So, yes, I was scared. But there was no turning back!
I walked to the OR (dripping all the way!) and Ray had to wait outside while they gave me the spinal block and sterilized the room. It was a relief when they finally let him in. The nurses and technicians and doctors were all great. They were very efficient, but they kept talking to me...telling me what was going on and what to expect, and asking me how I was feeling. I felt everything that was going on, just without any pain. It was bizarre. In what felt like forever, but really no time at all, I heard the most amazing sound in the world. The sound every mother waits nine long months to hear...my baby boy's first cry! As I write this I'm actually crying a little bit as I remember! The showed him to me very quickly over the curtain. Just long enough for me to see that he was okay, but not long enough for me to really register what he looked like. Fortunately Ray had his camera and he dutifully took lots of pictures and videos while they cleaned, weighed, and examined my little boy.
Grayson James Delano Hilton, named for his father and my grandfather, arrived at 6:46 am. He weighed 6lbs 15 oz, and measured 19 1/2 inches long. He was pink and puffy with a good set of lungs! He looked just like his Daddy, but with my nose.
I remember feeling terrified when Brooklyn was born. I was afraid to hold her and even asked Ray to give her formula for her first meal because I wasn't ready. But this time, I was ready. He fit perfectly in my arms when they wheeled us to recovery. We couldn't get pictures and phone calls out fast enough!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
A completely normal day. My last NST. The doctors said (as they always did) that the baby was moving and responding beautifully, but to me, it felt different. He seemed more mellow. Even after I drank a soda, he was quiet. I thought for sure the doctor would notice his decreased movement and tell me we needed to get to the hospital, but I guess the difference was too subtle for the outside observer. Later I picked up Brooklyn and Mom from school and the teachers all told me about Scallini's where, if I ate the Eggplant Parmesan, it was guaranteed that I would go into labor. So much so that if I didn't, I would get a free meal! Well that was too tempting an experiment to pass up, so I called Ray and had him bring it home for dinner that night. (To clarify Scallini's offer: If you eat the food and have the baby within 48 hours you do get a gift certificate and onesie. If you do not have the baby, you don't get anything!)
Late that afternoon, completely unexpectedly, we got a call from my dad. Grandpa had passed away. Of course we knew it could happen at any time and were as prepared as we could be for the eventuality, but still it came as a shock. I say we were prepared, but can you ever really be prepared to lose someone you love like that? I had hoped very much that we would be able to see him in April for Brooklyn's spring break. I wanted him to meet Grayson, his first great grandson. But despite my hopes, I know God's timing is more perfect than any plans we can make. Grandpa has been made whole, and some day Grayson will meet him - whole and perfect.
Mom and Dad made plans to leave for Texas to be with Grandma. I wanted so much to go with them, but with my due date a mere week away it was, of course, impractical! I ate my eggplant that night knowing that I would be the rare exception to the "eggplant triggers labor" myth and set about preparing for my last week of waiting.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Brooklyn woke up covered from head to toe in angry red spots. She went to bed the night before having, what we thought was an allergic reaction to a fancy new dress up outfit. But since the rash had spread and she was about to go out of town, I took her into the doctor. Turns out the fever she'd had at the beginning of the week, followed by the angry red rash was Roseola. Of all the random things that could have happened! At least it wasn't serious, and Brooklyn was not uncomfortable.
Mom, Dad, and Brooklyn left that night around 10 pm with strict instructions that I was not to have the baby until they got back! I cried when they left because I knew that the week was going to be very long without my usual distractions and when they returned, everything was going to be different.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
3:30 AM - I woke up with the all too familiar sensation of having waited too long to pee. When I stood up after relieving myself, I kept leaking. It didn't feel like urine anymore, but I wasn't sure, so I called Ray in to check. Suffice it to say, we determined that my water had broken and we headed to the hospital. Can you believe the timing? Mom and Dad were in Mobile, Alabama when we called them with the news. We made it to the hospital and got checked in. The nurses did a test to see if it was actually my water that had broken. The first test came back negative, which was frustrating. What else could it be?? Had we gotten all excited for nothing? But the second test came back with better results. My water had broken, I was in labor (I could have told you that! By now the contractions were PAINFUL!) so we started prepping for surgery.
As we got ready, I started to feel anxious. I wasn't worried about all the stuff we still had to do at home. And though I missed having my mom around to talk to, it was kind of nice not having to worry about where Brooklyn was and when could we get her to the hospital, etc. etc. But for the first time, I started to feel scared about the procedure itself. I always thought of it as very routine. No big deal. Brooklyn's c-section had come about after hours of labor and pushing. I was exhausted and already on pain medication, and there just wasn't time to think about anything. In retrospect it all seems like a blur. One minute I was pushing, the next, I was wheeled to the OR and she was out! But this time I was fully conscious. Dr. Alarcon reminded me about all the risks and said that because this was a repeat, it might take a little longer. So, yes, I was scared. But there was no turning back!
I walked to the OR (dripping all the way!) and Ray had to wait outside while they gave me the spinal block and sterilized the room. It was a relief when they finally let him in. The nurses and technicians and doctors were all great. They were very efficient, but they kept talking to me...telling me what was going on and what to expect, and asking me how I was feeling. I felt everything that was going on, just without any pain. It was bizarre. In what felt like forever, but really no time at all, I heard the most amazing sound in the world. The sound every mother waits nine long months to hear...my baby boy's first cry! As I write this I'm actually crying a little bit as I remember! The showed him to me very quickly over the curtain. Just long enough for me to see that he was okay, but not long enough for me to really register what he looked like. Fortunately Ray had his camera and he dutifully took lots of pictures and videos while they cleaned, weighed, and examined my little boy.
Grayson James Delano Hilton, named for his father and my grandfather, arrived at 6:46 am. He weighed 6lbs 15 oz, and measured 19 1/2 inches long. He was pink and puffy with a good set of lungs! He looked just like his Daddy, but with my nose.
I remember feeling terrified when Brooklyn was born. I was afraid to hold her and even asked Ray to give her formula for her first meal because I wasn't ready. But this time, I was ready. He fit perfectly in my arms when they wheeled us to recovery. We couldn't get pictures and phone calls out fast enough!
what a great recap of his birth! some things in here, I didn't know, but now I do! You did good Jaime-girl!
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