Everett's Story (Part 1)

 Before I forget, I want to try and record Everett's birth day.  It was June 12, 2012.  I was 39 weeks and 3 days pregnant.  We and our Doctors had agreed to induce based in part on my history of large babies.

Our day began with a 5am wake-up.  Brent and I finished final packing bits, got dressed, had a smoothie and headed on our way by 5:30.  Much of this felt familiar, but I was still nervous, as I guess you always are.  Labor is a big deal as is meeting your child for the very first time.  We were at the check-in desk at OU Children's Women and Newborn pavilion by our assigned 6am slot.  Check-in was very quick and we were taken to room 15 where the waiting began. 

The path to induction begins like this - IVs for fluids and pitocin along with lots of basic questions.  By 7:45 or so, Dr. Reid stops by and doses me with prepadil which is left to work for 30 minutes before they begin the pitocin.  I was not a fan of the prepadil experience and quickly was very cranky and uncomfortable, but not in labor at all.  The birthing ball became my immediate friend even though I've never used one before.  New discoveries each time, right?   The pitocin began around 8:30 and I stayed with the birthing ball until maybe 10ish when I decided it was time for the epidural crew.  I think, for once, I asked for the drugs at the right time.  I was definitely in pain, but not beyond my tolerance and had made some progress to about 5 cm. ( The initial check was 3cm, 50% effaced, station 2 - for the stats curious out there).  

In good news, this was also my best epidural experience yet.  It did take a couple tries and the ominous voice of the more experienced anesthesiologist saying, hmmm that doesn't look quite right, but it all worked out.  I have no regrets about having epidurals, but word to the wise, they are their own kind of pain.

Time passes and by noon I'm told that the contractions are less than a minute apart.  Dr. Reid checks and we're to about 8cm and she breaks my water.  She will be on the floor for the next hour or so and hopes we might have a baby before she goes back to the clinic.  I'm doubtful; Brent is not.  They dose me with some B12 to try and even out the contractions and dial the pitocin back a little.  I am less heavily drugged this time so really feel more of the process than I have in the past, which was interesting.  I think I said a dozen times, this just feels weird, but couldn't explain how.  Around 1:10 or so, Dr. Reid checks again and I'm complete, but the baby hasn't descended at all.  She says we'll try to push and if it doesn't work then we'll try again a bit later.  The medical team finishes their set up and three pushes later our little one is there screaming as he is rubbed down.  Everyone is amazed as he immediately looks much smaller than anticipated. 

He (still unnamed) checks in at 8lbs 1.5 oz, and 20 inches long at 1:18  He is so tiny and a snuggle bug already. Dr. Reid sews me up and the great naming game begins again.  The night before we had three choices and one that I thought was the leading contender.  As with M's birth Brent fairly quickly felt that the leader wasn't his favorite any more.  I had been struggling a bit to see it as well, but then felt like I needed to start thinking all over again as I was uncertain about the other choices too (as usual).  We went back through the longer list, through names we hadn't talked about, and eventually narrowed back to one of the original three. Somewhere in there, Brent even suggested being ok naming him one thing and changing it later... yes, we were struggling and really wanted to tell people he had arrived, but really needed a name first.

At long last we began with calls to our parents announcing Everett Ambrose's arrival ( I think I'll post separately on the name's meaning for us).

Several hours pass in this space with social media updating, telephone calls, lots of visits from nurses and dangling promises of moving down to the recovery floor soon. In good news, we did get to eat lunch and have my pain management work itself out before we moved.  We didn't get to have Everett bathed as his temp was slightly low. By about 5pm, we finally made it down to the next floor and settled in with the new nurses and a rag bath just before Big Brother and Big Sister arrived to meet their new sibling.  

There are lots of awesome pictures of M and E that we've shared in earlier posts, but this one of B is my favorite of the boys.  I love the look on B's face.  B had a lot of trouble remembering the baby's name, but was excited.  He particularly liked his present from Everett of a new Skylander!  M just could not love on him enough.  She wanted to be kissing, hugging, snuggling, or touching him at all times.  Grammy and Granddaddy got turns holding him too, but usually only with M's help.  They also brought us dinner which was wonderful as I, at least, was starving.

Here is M holding the baby, the first of many times each day since.

E and I spent lots of time skin to skin, which I positively adored.  Here he is sporting his hat from Fraunt Tracie and getting ready to "Thunder Up" watching the OKC Thunder in the first game of the playoffs.  Tracie joined us for that fun and then we would down into sleep.

Brent and E had some quality time surfing the web and watching the Daily Show/Colbert Report online.  I drifted off to sleep in there somewhere, but was awoken many times by the nurses throughout the night.  E did pretty well and slept perfectly so long as he was being held by someone.

The next morning was a blur of many hospital staff, the being cleared to leave process and feeding E.  We thought we might have to stay a bit longer as his first billirubin test was high, but ultimately we left around 5pm as with M-- just about 36 hours after arrival. 

 Much of the experience was similar to last time.  There was about an hour more labor, an hour less name deliberation and a lot fewer visitors.  There seem to be some changes in what the hospital focuses on as well, but overall it went well and our recovery has too.   It was also weird to not have my mom there. I think we missed having her there both as support and as a helper and photographer.  I'm sad that there are no pictures of the three of us together on this first day.  I just forgot to ask a nurse or someone else.  We missed you mom!  Many more photo ops to come, including newborn pictures this week. Next up, the transition home.