Abby New Year!

Abigail Lily

Born: January 1st, 2011 (1/1/11)

 9:40 pm

8 lbs. 6 oz.
21 inches long

December 30th, 2010: I had very vague, non-threatening, and constant thigh, lower back, and abdominal cramping all day long. They were nothing timeable and very tolerable so I just took it easy and lived with it as we continued our lives.  We took Madeline to Kings Road to play at the park and run around in the field.  We got the most awesome parking spot right in front of the entrance gate to the field. There were too many people there so I passed on doing squats across the field as I had originally planned to help possibly bring labor on.  Just picture it - a chubby pregnant lady doing walking squats across a large grassy field with at least 50 Saudi men and women dressed in their modest best grazing on blankets and picnicing as their children play and frolick about.

December 31st, 2010: Contractions become noticeable and timeable, but they are all over the place.  Eight minutes apart here, 11 minutes apart there, an hour goes by with nothing, then 6 minutes.  Interesting, but to unpredictable and not enough to "rock the boat."

They say "don't eat if you feel like you are going into labor!!" But "THEY" haven't tasted the filet steak with pepper cream sauce that Paul is making for New Year's Eve dinner - I'm eatin'!!

Movie night with the family.  Madeline falls asleep next to me on the couch and I look at her and stroke her hair as I begin to sob heavily, realizing our time alone, "just us," will soon be over.  She has been an amazing first kid and I am so in love with her.  How will this all affect her? How will things change? Will she be okay? So many worries.... but a feeling of peace and a realization that everything happens for a reason, God loves me and blesses me, and that there is nothing negative about this experiences washes over me.  More tears because THAT realization is deep and so surreal.

Bedtime: Contractions noticeable and timeable - exactly 8 minutes apart!! Excitement!! But then I lay down and they completely disappear except for when I move or walk around.  Baby Abigail is more active than she has ever been and kicks me in the throat.

January 1st, 2011 (1/1/11):  No extra tax break this year.  We are excited and hopeful Abigail will be born today because it's such a COOL birthday! What a way to start the year.
Contractions are timeable, but too far apart at 8 - 10 minutes for most of the day. That last one was 11 minutes apart.... crap!  Still, I am hopeful something will happen today!

Lose the plug (Bet you wanted to know that) and see pink! We see pink when we go potty!  Ewww.  Have to call my Mom. 

Pink stops.  Hope is dwindling.

Hmm... that last contraction was actually quite painful.  Sort of had to stop what I was doing and hold still while it finished. This goes on for several hours.  Mean, grouchy Edith comes out and isn't very patient.  I snap at Paul for moving his arm and accidentally bumping into my belly.  Then I snap at him again for asking me what I want for dinner - how dare he be so nice!!!
I walk around panicking for a while and finally make a decision.  I tell Paul to stop making dinner (rice cooking, raw chicken out and ready to be cooked) - let's go get checked out.  We call our dear friends who have offered to watch Madeline and tell them "we're goin' in for a check!"

Emotions are still running high.  We get our bags and jackets (SHOOOOOT I forgot my pillow and notepad) and then take Madeline to her pal Kiersten's house. 

"Want to go to Kiersten's house Madeline?" I ask.

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy!" she yells. 

As soon as she is out of her carseat she bolts for the door.  No "good bye Mommy" or "I love you Mommy." I start to cry.  Paul tells Madeline to come hug me.  She runs over, and as I take a whiff of her berry flavored hair and soak in her sweet aura she whispers, "Yuv you Mommy, bye bye."

TEARS. 

Amazing super cool and awesome friend, Kasondra, comes running out to hug me and say good luck.... more TEARS. 

And we're off!

5:15 pm - Paul drops me off at the entrance to the ER and goes to park the car.  I waddle in and wait patiently as the man at the front desk finishes his phone conversation.  He kindly interrupts his friend, "Can I help you?" I smile, "I think I'm in labor." Two other people poke their heads out from behind a wall and smile at me for a good 30 seconds.  I smile back. They continue to look at me. Awkward silence occurs.  They finally come walking toward me and grab a wheelchair to take me upstairs to be examined (and probably sent home).

A very nice woman gives me a gown to change into and then, after I am changed, asks me to lay down so she can monitor my contractions. "How far apart are the contractions?" she asks.

"Oh they're about 5, 6 minutes apart." I lied. They were only 8 last I checked, but I did do a quick prayer and promise never to be bad ever again if they would get closer.

The monitoring begins... They're about 5 MINUTES APART NOW! Yes!  But after an exam it is discovered I am only 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced.  The nice lady decides to admit me anyway stating it is only because they are consistently 5 minutes apart - I WILL NEVER BE BAD EVER AGAIN!

Admitted 6:00-ish pm.  We talk with the nurse, make a call to our friends to let them know we were admitted and then I start walking the halls.  The contractions get even stronger and I have to sit down.  We decide it would probably be a good time for Paul to go get something to eat because we realize - at only 2 centimeters - it may be a really long night. 

SHIFT change.  The new nurse is not so friendly.  I later realize that she IS friendly she was just annoyed that we were admitted because now it will probably be a long night and we will have to "do something" (start pitocin) in her eyes to make things progress faster.  As I get to know her, I realize she is in a huge hurry for some reason.  Why is she in such a hurry?  Am I the only labor of the night and she was hoping not to have to do any cases tonight so she could read the rest of that romance novel she can't seem to put down? I can't help but be annoyed at this.  I am excited to let things take their course naturally... and then, excited for that delicious, scrumdiddleeuptious epidural and the hours of pain free contractions and talking with Paul and planning our retirement, etc. etc.

While Paul is gone getting some food I listen to some music on my iPod, but it's hard to relax with the nurse midwife sitting there filling out paperwork and staring at me.  Time goes by... contractions happen.  According to me - being the one feeling the contractions, which I think is a good source of info. - they are pretty strong.  Much more annoying and painful than regular period cramps (And I grew up having some pretty painful ones) but the nurse keeps telling me that they are still just "very mild contractions" and the monitor isn't even picking some of them up.  Paul and I both think the same thing and verbally state, "is it possible your little fetal monitor belt is too loose? not working well? or that the fact that I have a little chub cushioning the blow may absorb some of the severity?"

8:00 pm:  The OB doctor comes in for a look.  I'm now dilated to a 3-4 and about 85% effaced.  They decide to break my water BEFORE the anesthesiologist comes to give me that lovely epidural.  The one you are supposed to be able to have when you make it to 3 cm. 

Between 8-9:00 pm: Contractions are getting much stronger, much closer, and I am not having a good time.  I AM NOT HAVING A GOOD TIME.  I am rolling around, hugging the bed rail, squeezing Paul. 

9:00 pm: Anesthesiologist makes an appearance.  Talks a lot about how long he has been an anesthesiologist, the risks, etc., I sign consent, blah blah blah.  Ten or 11 really strong contractions later (I am light headed, writhing in pain, moaning), he has the catheter in, but he is not sure if it is really in... we may need to re-do it... wait... he's taping it to my back... OH, so it is in then? Umm, yeah, it's in (he says in an "I think" tone).  Is it possible we can be more confident about this?  I am not a huge fan of pain.  Yes. it's definitely in (still in an "I think" tone). He adds the medicine to the epidural - no change on the left side.  The right side gets warm and I can't feel the contractions for about 10 minutes, but the left side is still full of life and feeling.  The contractions seem as if they are now on top of each other with no breaks inbetween.  The anesthesiologist says, "give it some time to work. Lay on your left side to help the medicine over."  Basically tells us not to call him for AT LEAST 30 minutes, and leaves.  Feeling returns to the right side... GREAT!

9:25 pm: I feel like I should push.  So the midwife does a quick check - " Yep! It's time to push! You're fully dilated. At this point you cannot get an epidural anyway... blah blah blah BLAH!!!"   I'm thinking - "so you still think I should have been sent home huh?!!" They gave Paul a mask and a can of gas and told him to put it on my face when I could feel pain.  I left the mask on pretty much the entire time except for when I was pushing.  I was breathing in the gas so much that I became REALLY dizzy.  I was breathing really hard and became very light headed. 

Push 1 - nothing
Push 2 - half the head was out
Push 3 - entire head out
Push 4, 5, 6 and with a little help/pulling - shoulders and rest of Abby.

9:40 pm: Official birth time and pain vanishes! Halelujah!

Nurse comment: "Next time you have a baby come in as soon as you feel contractions."  HA!

No tears or episiotomy, minimal swelling, an expected discomfort and weakness - but I am healing nicely and this experience physically, compared to the birth of Madeline, was a a very pleasant one.  I felt like super woman!!

Abigail is a very beautiful, quiet baby.  She only cries when she is hungry and, even then, that is after several minutes of wiggling around to give me a chance to notice she needs something.  Even the pediatrician commented on how quiet her cry is during her exam - "That's all you've got eh?" he kept saying.  She likes to look around and just stare at everything, and she already smiles when her momma talks to her. 

Abigail and Madeline are getting along well.  The expected confusion is there for Madeline, and she has shown some discomfort when I nurse the baby, but she is accepting it and often talks with Abigail and comforts her when she cries.  There have been several group hug sessions -which I love! Madeline loves to hold her little sister. 

I am in love with my girls, my husband, and my life! We are very, very blessed and so excited for this new year!