I was starting to dilate and I was already effaced. I told my mid-wife I had to hold out until 1 Aug, when my Mom would be arriving, the mid-wife laughed at me...
(This is me on Thursday the 26th)
The morning didn't seem any different. I was maybe a bit more irritated that normal when I dropped the fork under the bottom rack of the dishwasher. I was ready to accept that the fork was gone for good. There was no way I was stooping low enough to ever recover it, and it seemed there was no end in sight to this pregnancy...
Mid morning I thought about keeping track of my contractions, but was having a hard time doing so. I wasn't sure if it was because they were too weak and I was missing them or if I was just too distracted having a 2 year old around to notice a contraction. Around lunch a friend, who had just had her baby, mentioned she had an app on her phone to count contractions-genius! I got me an app and started tracking. I called Labor & Delivery around 2 or 3 with my contraction count and they told me to labor at home a little longer. I wasn't convinced that I was even in labor yet. But by 4pm, I had a little feeling-enough that I felt the need to call Chad and tell him to come home and help me pack. I was trying to hold out until he got home from work, it was only one more hour...boy am I glad I didn't wait...
We made it to the hospital around 5pm. They were sluggish on getting me into the observation room. My last two contractions in the waiting room made me nervous. Finally, they brought us back, I was 5cm-enough to admit us. They took an immensely long time preparing our room. Which we got to at about 6pm. Then things got fun...
I made it clear to the nursing staff that my first labor went INCREDIBLY quickly. The admitting nurse picked up on my mood, stopped asking health history questions, and went to get the newborn delivery table and supplies...
Shortly after getting to our room, Chad took Caitlin home for a quick dinner-the one thing I forgot to pack. 15 min after they walked out the door I sent Chad a text updating him that I was now at 9cm and 100% effaced. No answer...bouncing on the birthing ball was no longer comfortable or relaxing. I needed my husband.
6:45 I called. Voicemail. I pictured him juggling the 3 bags I packed, the food I assumed he grabbed and the toddler that has no sense of urgency. I was trying to keep a calm face for the nursing staff. I think they thought I had been abandoned. I knew I hadn't, just the nature of the beast-out of all the things I packed to keep Caitlin entertained, dinner was the one thing I shouldn't have forgotten.
6:50 a knock on the door and I heard it open before anyone said come in. I saw the look of sheer relief on everyone's faces and I knew it was Chad. As they walked across the room, my water broke. Chad set up The Emperor's New Groove on the laptop (for Caitlin, not me, I swear), rearranged her chair and made his way to me. It's now 7pm.
16 min later I had a healthy baby boy in my arms. I think there were about 4 contractions in those 16 min. We gave him the name we came up with while we were in the car driving to Shreveport for a weekend getaway.
Miles Clayton
It finally happened. The pregnancy was over! That fork chilling in the bottom of the dishwasher drifted back to my thoughts.
I finally took a breath, I hadn't realized that I stopped breathing the moment I called Chad a 4 that afternoon. I had no idea what I was feeling or thinking or what any of this meant for our family.
Because everyone was healthy we found ourselves home 24 hours later. That first week is a breeze, all they do is sleep!
Here's to a whole new kind of living. I hope we like it!
Because everyone was healthy we found ourselves home 24 hours later. That first week is a breeze, all they do is sleep!
Here's to a whole new kind of living. I hope we like it!
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