It's been a whirlwind couple of months. I have so much to catch you up on. My last post was in August so I'll start there.
September I had my maternity pictures taken and my baby shower
October threw Nicole a baby shower and got ready for my mom's visit
November - I watched my due date come and go with no baby. I was getting uncomfortable to the max. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, and I could barely walk. I got HUGE! I would have sworn I was going to give birth to a sumo wrestler.
Here's his birth story:
On the 9th of November, I had my weekly OB appointment. I got checked only to find that I had stalled. I had made no progess since my last appointment even after having my membranes stripped twice. My Dr. swept them again and then went to talk to the other OB in the clinic. They decided to have me come in that night to start the induction process. She told me to go home, get some rest and eat a good dinner because I wouldn't be able to eat again until after Jackson was here.
So I go home and I am to excited to sleep. I nap off and on but don't really get any rest. Finally around 5pm I go take my shower, take my last belly picture, have my mom braid my hair and head off to dinner. We decided to go to a little place close to base where they have rottiserie chicken and potatoes. I went in to the hospital at 9pm. I was scared, nervous, anxious, and excited all at the same time. My mom took the last picture of Josh and I as a family of 2. I got into the gown and all hooked up to the machines. Around 10, my Dr came in to insert (yes insert) a small pill that would help soften my cervix. I was told to lay flat for 30 minutes to an hour and to try to get some sleep. Why can't anyone understand I am to excited to sleep :P They would be back to check me in 4 hours and see if we'd need to do another dose of that or if we could move on to the pitocin.
4 hours later, my cervix was favorable so they started pitocin. That's when the contractions got worse. They were coming every 1-2 minutes. I was doing really good breathing through them but by 6am they were really starting to get painful. At 7am I was at 4cm and I asked for my epidural. I had a really good anesthesiologist. He explained everything to me and made sure I didn't have any questions or concerns before he started. He talked to me the whole time. I didn't feel it going in. He stayed around to make sure it took and then to test it, it took an ice cube and ran it down my side. I'm very ticklish so I was laughing. All it did was change the cold sensation.
Then my Dr broke my water. According the the monitors, the contractions were getting stronger and harder but I was blissfully unaware. Finally, I allowed myself to relax enough to go to sleep. I had to wear an oxygen mask but I was sleeping so good, I was drooling into it. This is where my time gets fuzzy. I don't know how long it took for things from here. All I know is that after getting my water broken, Jackson started to have issues with the pitocin. So we'd back it off to get his heart rate back up, then my contractions would slow down. Finally after lots of back and forth with that I got to 10cm and it was time to push.
I started pushing at 6pm. The first couple of pushes were easy. Then things took a turn. Jackson was laying on his cord so when ever I pushed he heart rate would dip again. I was told I had one more set of pushes to get him out or they would go to a c-section. When that next contraction hit, They had the vaccum to help and I pushed with everything I had. No dice... At 7pm my room was flooded with Drs and nurses and everything went a little crazy.
I was taken into the operating room for an emergency c-section. My anesthesiologist stayed with me and sat by my head and talked to me the entire time. Josh barely made it in the room before they delivered the baby. Jackson was born at 7:22pm. He weighed 7lbs 12oz and was 21in long. Josh brought him over to me but I didn't have my glasses so I couldn't see him, then Josh and the baby left the room while I got stiched up and taken to my own recovery room. The next thing I knew Josh was coming in telling me how beautiful the baby was and that he was getting hungry so I had to wake up so we could breastfeed him. I didn't know it was 2 hours after he'd been born. I didn't get to hold him until 9:30pm. I couldn't believe it. He's here and he is so perfect. Everyone was right. Once I got to hold him, I forgot all about everything that happened in the past 24 hours.
Josh had 10 days of leave to spend with us and my mom was here until the end of November. It was nice to have her here to help out and especially to help cook Thanksgiving dinner :D
Jackson's first Christmas was spent at home with Mommy and Daddy. He slept through most of the gift opening. I can't wait for next year. Should be much more entertaining. We made sure to get on skype to talk with the grandparents.
After Christmas, Josh's mom came and spent a week with us. She didn't even get her jacket off before reaching for Jackson.
Now it's back to being just us and we are trying to get into a routine. My days are much more interesting now. Sometimes the housework gets neglected because I would much rather play with Jackson.
He's now 2 months old and full of personality. He is the perfect fit for us. He's already rolled over (tummy-back)and he is reaching and grabbing for things. I can't believe how fast he is growing. I've already had to pack some clothes away.
Ok, this is long winded enough. The next post will be a picture update.
xoxo
Mommy & Jackson
I had already been in labor for 10 hours. This was when the contractions were starting to get painful/
This is after my epidural went in and I was trying to get some sleep
He's here!
My first time holding him. 2 and a 1/2 hours after he was born