We arrived at the hospital at 6:20am. I told them water was coming out like a faucet and I had no doubt that I was in labor so they skipped the triage and took me straight in to labor & delivery. Got my stylish looking gown on and put my hair up. Slowly people started showing up. My sister first followed by Bob & Pat (grandma & grandpa to be). We then just sat there and kind of waited while they hooked me up to all the monitors. Close to 7:30 I started feeling little contractions. They hurt a little but were still manageable. At about 8am one of the doctors came in. She sat down and said that by looking at the growth ultrasound it looked as if there was a possibility that his abdomen was a little bit bigger then his head. And that if we wanted to go natural child birth that we could try, but that there was a possibility of him getting stuck and or hitting a nerve on his shoulder while trying to push him out. Hitting the nerve could cause some temporary damage - or some permanent damage. That they wouldn't truly know until it was happening - and that we might want to consider a c/section. The thought never crossed my mind that I would be going c/section. I thought I would be doing it the old fashion way (with drugs of course). I was glad to know what to expect because I have watched all The Baby Story shows and they talked about it in our lamaze class. Well after discussing it with Brent, we decided to go ahead with the c/section. It would have just been a bummer to go thru all the labor, then to end up having to have a c/section in the end anyways. Some people might think I chose the "easy" way out but we did what we thought was best.
I was becoming happy with my decision to go with the c/section. My contractions started getting more intense at about 11am. They didnt want to give me anything because I would be getting the spinal tap for the surgery. They originally said at about 11:30am I would be going into surgery. We had to wait 6 hours because of that measly little granola bar I had eaten at 5:30 am. I was so mad about that - but understood. I just felt bad for my family and friends who were in the waiting room. Well 11:30 rolled around and my surgery kept getting pushed back because other mothers needing c/sections kept coming in - and they knew my contractions were still somewhat "manageable". At about 1pm, the doctor came in and checked me, I was 3 1/2 cm dilated and the contractions were starting to hurt a lot more. The doctor could tell by the look on my face that they couldn't put off my surgery anymore and that I would need to be the next to go in. At about 1:45pm they prepped me. I was not nervous at all - like I said, was somewhat relived I was getting a c/section. Went in a they gave me the spinal tap. I just remember being extremely numb and somewhat in a daze. I knew everything that was going on during the whole procedure. They brought Brent in and sat him down next to me. I remember just feeling so tired. Brent would ask me a question and I would answer, but I just wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep. At 2:27pm Jackson was born. The first thing the doctors said pulling him out was....oh wow look at the cheeks and the head on this little one - he is a BIG boy. They then proceeded to tell me it was best that I went with a c/section - and that I would have had a hard time pushing him out. Jackson was 8 pounds, 3.9 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. He was a big baby and a LONG baby. Where in the heck did his 21 1/2 inches long come from?? He has the longest fingers and the biggest feet. He came out screaming - and did not stop the whole time I was getting patched up. All I was thinking is oh no...I have got a cryer on my hands......
After I got patched up we were wheeled into recovery for our "gifting time". Its an hour of bonding time for father, mom and baby alone. I just remember feeling so tired - and thinking gosh I just had the surgery. I couldnt imagine being in labor still. After the gifting time we got wheeled into my postpartum room and family and friends came in to meet Jackson. He was a perfectly, shaped baby boy. So handsome looking. I remember being in aww just looking at him and thinking he was inside me just a few hours ago and this handsome little guy actually came out of me?? I was so proud to show him off to everyone.
We spent until Friday afternoon in the hospital. After showing signs of pre-clampsia and Jackson's weight loss was a lot after birth because I wasnt producing enough milk and he was jaundice, we were finally able to go home.
Jackson is almost 2 weeks old now. My mom stayed with us the first week to help. She cooked meals, ran errands for me, took shifts with me so that I could get some sleep and was there to answer any questions I had when in doubt. She was a life saver. I'm not going to lie now that she is gone...Brent and I (and Koda too) are a little sleep deprived but we are enjoying every second of him. We just can't get enough of him - his smile and the smell of him just brings a smile to our faces. We are a little family now and it feels so great. We can't wait to take him out to do all the things that we enjoy - camping, fishing, the river. He really is a good baby - not fussy and only seems to cry when hungry or tired. Below are some pictures that we took at the hospital and some of us at home. I will be doing my best to update my blog weekly........ :)
