Sunday, February 24, 2008
Introducing Tegan Faith
The birth story:
We got to the hospital at a little bit before 7. It was a very strange and surreal feeling, since we'd never had a scheduled induction before! We got all registered and settled in, and they started the pitocin at quarter till 8. We were instantly the talk of the Labor/Delivery wing because 1) We were the only ones in labor at the time; 2) we had three boys and no one could believe we didn't find out the gender of number 4,; 3) I'd never had an epidural which everyone seemed to find mind-boggling; and 4) we were “married, with the same last name and everything.” Apparently that's a rarity at this particular hospital. It was an interesting beginning to say the least, but the nurses were nice and we were receiving the VIP treatment.
The pitocin worked quickly and worked well. The contractions started at 3 minutes apart, and picked up rapidly. The nurse upped the dose a couple of times, and the contractions came with it. Even though I was expecting it, I was disappointed that I pretty much had to stay bed-bound (one of the reasons I'd hoped to avoid an induction). The induction made it necessary for me to be hooked up to a thousand things. Still, everything was going smoothly, baby was happy, I was relaxed, and I was having no problem breathing through the contractions.
My doctor arrived around 10. She was recovering from Strep Throat, and sounded horrible, but burst into the room in high spirits, saying how excited she was that she was finally going to find out what we were having. She broke my water a few minutes later, and I was SO RELIEVED that the water was clear. That was another first for us, as the boys all had meconium in their fluid to varying degrees. My elation was short-lived however, because I was soon distracted. Breaking my water had essentially flipped an “on” switch, and the contractions almost immediately went from frequent but tolerable to toe-curling and right on top of each other. I was getting NO break in between, and no matter what techniques I tried, I couldn't relax through them. Before long, I made the agonizing decision that it was time for yet another first... an epidural. And in a final piece of irony, the first and only time I requested an epidural it came too late. I managed my way through another 45 minutes of continuous contractions, and the anesthesiologist arrived in the room around 11. As I was sitting up so he could place the line, I was suddenly wracked with the pressure of the baby's head, and an overwhelming need to push. I told the nurse that it felt like the head was right there, and she said “It probably is... we'll check you as soon as he's done.” He finished placing the line and told me to relax. It was physically impossible to relax at that point. The baby was indeed crowning. The epidural (which he'd already explained would take 5 to 10 minutes to take effect) was turned on, my doctor was called, the bottom of the bed was dropped off, and everything started moving very fast. When my doctor arrived just a few minutes later, I pushed a total of 4 times (only 1 full contraction) and it was over at 11:13. After the head was out and the doctor had cleared the mouth and nose, everything felt in slow motion as the body came out, she turned it over, and we all saw at the same time that it was girl. I cried as she put her up on my chest, and I was still crying when Mike cut the cord. One unexpected bonus was that the epidural that had proved useless for the delivery had kicked in after she was born. I didn't feel a thing as I was stitched, cathed and delivered the placenta. I was able to relax and focus on my baby – the baby that I had waited a very long and difficult nine months to meet. It wasn't the labor and delivery that I would have chosen, but it was still beautiful and perfect.... just like the little girl that it brought us.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Spencer's Egg-Speriment
Spencer's scout den was working on science experiments this week. All the boys were given a different concept to cover, and Spencer's concept was air pressure. He picked a cool experiment with an egg and a bottle, and gave it a shot this weekend. He most likely won't get to perform it for his den at the meeting this week (this baby has to come *sometime*) so we video taped it to send to his leader. Check out his reaction when the egg gets sucked inside the bottle. It was the first successful attempt, and he wasn't sure how it was going to work. It was priceless!
Diary of my Prodromal Misery
Day 1: The dress rehearsal
After weeks of Braxton Hicks contractions, and a few days of good pre-labor signs, I was thrilled when I started having regular and painful contractions Wednesday afternoon. They were getting closer and closer and not letting up, so I began to suspect that they were the real thing. I cleaned the bathrooms, wiped down the kitchen counters, and called Mike to make sure he had left work on time. He fed the kids dinner while I worked on getting our bags packed, and I called both my mom and my sister, who headed down to our house. The contractions were 5 minutes apart by then, and getting stronger. When my sister arrived, Mike and I went for a walk around the block to get things moving, and by the time we got back my parents were there as well. We sat around and chatted into the evening, and I thought about how nice it was to spend early labor at home with loved ones, instead of being bored pacing the halls in the hospital. Kind of funny in retrospect! When the contractions were around 3 minutes apart - around 10 PM - we kissed everyone goodbye and headed for the hospital.
When we got to triage, they had me put on a gown and put me on a monitor. It showed a happy, healthy heartbeat, and strong contractions that were indeed coming regularly every 3 minutes. The nurse examined me after about 20 minutes, and I was shocked to hear that I was dilated to a 2... the same thing I'd been at my OB appt the day before. It wasn't a big deal at first though... I had a good pattern of contractions, and they were getting more and more painful. "Let's get you up and walking," the nurse said, "and see what happens." Off we go to walk the halls for an hour. The contractions intensified tenfold while I was walking, and I was CERTAIN that I was in full-blown labor. I'd never felt anything like that when I wasn't in labor. After an hour it was back to the triage room, back on the monitor.... and after another disappointing internal told us I was still only at a TWO, back to walking for *another* hour. This.time I wasn't so cheery, or optimistic. Despite the contractions that were still getting more and more painful, for some reason I wasn't progressing. I was exhausted by then, and grumpy, and my legs were killing me (This is what happens when you go an entire 9 month pregnancy without exercising!) Back at our little triage room, I was happy to hear that the last hour of walking had finally yielded some progression - I was a whopping 3 centimeters. It was 2 AM by this time, and I was ready to get on with the show. They don't considered it full-blown labor until you reach a 4 though, so I was sentenced to another hour of walking before they decided whether or not to admit me. That last go-around was honestly a blur. We passed lots of other laboring moms, heard a few crying newborns, and eavesdropped on many a gossipfest at the nurses' stations. One more time on the monitor, and one more exam. The nurse conferred with the doctor then, and came back with the news I'd been dreading but didn't really think I'd hear. "We're going to send you home." I just wasn't progressing. We got home at 3:30 and went to bed, disappointed and exhausted. At first the contractions kept me up, but they eventually died down. I passed out and woke up at 7:00.
Day 2:
I wasn't a fun person to be around on Valentine's Day. I thought I'd be given a gift of a new baby... instead I was still very pregnant, very sleep deprived (both from the night before and 2 previous nights of gall bladder attacks) very sore, and very frustrated. The contractions had picked up again once I got up, but were going nowhere. At times they were 5 minutes apart again, and at others they were spaced out to half an hour. I napped off and on, which I really needed; but it only served to depress me since the contractions tapered off every time I laid down. My sister had gone home, and my mom had gone to work. Mike and dad stayed with me, just in case, and kept the boys entertained. I wallowed in a funk for the vast majority of the day, watched Survivor and went to bed near tears.
Day 3:
I finally woke up in better spirits, despite the fact that I still had no baby. I'd needed the rest. Everyone returned to work, and I was given instructions not to be afraid to call. I kept myself busy with the boys, and paid the bills. I called Mike to come home at 1:00, when my contractions were once again coming one on top of the other. They continued all afternoon and evening. We got takeout for dinner, which made me feel almost instantly sick to my stomach, and the contractions raged on. When I went to bed to watch a movie at 8, I was feeling hopeful once again. This time my contractions weren't slowing once I laid down. They continued on as I flopped from side to back to side again. I slept off and on until midnight, when I was awoken with a contraction that literally took my breath away. I was 2 minutes away from calling my sister and having her come back down to stay with the boys, but decided to give it a few more contractions. I came out to wait, and watch tv on the couch... and at some point they must have died down - again - because I woke up a few hours later and headed back to bed.
Day 4:
Fourth day of labor-strength contractions. Neither Mike or I wanted to spend the day sitting around just waiting for real labor to start, but we ended up doing just that. I was in no condition to go anywhere, either physically or mentally. I didn't even want to go outside for fear that a well-meaning neighbor would make a dreaded "No baby yet??" comment. Even an innocent question about how I was feeling would have sent me over the edge. Everything on my body hurt, my stomach was a wreck, and the contractions were still hard, strong, and coming every few minutes for much of the day. I watched a movie, played a couple of rounds of Don't Break the Ice with Everett, and caught up on a bunch of neglected emails. The contractions were close enough together at one point (AGAIN) that I returned to my restless mode of frantic cleaning, and made sure the bathrooms were clean, the last load of laundry was done, and the living room was vaccuumed. Ironically, instead of making them pick up, the activity actually slowed them down this time, and I went to bed another night sans baby. I think I started to go a little bit crazy from the stress and lack of sleep. I woke up in the middle night having had a strange doctor dream, and couldn't go back to sleep until I'd felt both a contraction and good movement from the baby. I eventually felt both, and slept fitfully for another couple of hours.
Days 5 & 6:
See days 1 through 4. Contractions getting stronger, more painful, lasting for several hours, and keeping me up all night.... and still petering out eventually. Swept and mopped the floor, made cupcakes, watched lots of TV, took lots of walks and lots of naps. Read something that made me feel a little more hopeful:
"Prodromal labor is usually managable and it does not require the same attention that active labor requires. You could still go about your day, but you are really encouraged to rest up for the big event. Think of it this way. **The more work your body does now, the less work it will have to do in active labor**
TO BE CONTINUED...
After weeks of Braxton Hicks contractions, and a few days of good pre-labor signs, I was thrilled when I started having regular and painful contractions Wednesday afternoon. They were getting closer and closer and not letting up, so I began to suspect that they were the real thing. I cleaned the bathrooms, wiped down the kitchen counters, and called Mike to make sure he had left work on time. He fed the kids dinner while I worked on getting our bags packed, and I called both my mom and my sister, who headed down to our house. The contractions were 5 minutes apart by then, and getting stronger. When my sister arrived, Mike and I went for a walk around the block to get things moving, and by the time we got back my parents were there as well. We sat around and chatted into the evening, and I thought about how nice it was to spend early labor at home with loved ones, instead of being bored pacing the halls in the hospital. Kind of funny in retrospect! When the contractions were around 3 minutes apart - around 10 PM - we kissed everyone goodbye and headed for the hospital.
When we got to triage, they had me put on a gown and put me on a monitor. It showed a happy, healthy heartbeat, and strong contractions that were indeed coming regularly every 3 minutes. The nurse examined me after about 20 minutes, and I was shocked to hear that I was dilated to a 2... the same thing I'd been at my OB appt the day before. It wasn't a big deal at first though... I had a good pattern of contractions, and they were getting more and more painful. "Let's get you up and walking," the nurse said, "and see what happens." Off we go to walk the halls for an hour. The contractions intensified tenfold while I was walking, and I was CERTAIN that I was in full-blown labor. I'd never felt anything like that when I wasn't in labor. After an hour it was back to the triage room, back on the monitor.... and after another disappointing internal told us I was still only at a TWO, back to walking for *another* hour. This.time I wasn't so cheery, or optimistic. Despite the contractions that were still getting more and more painful, for some reason I wasn't progressing. I was exhausted by then, and grumpy, and my legs were killing me (This is what happens when you go an entire 9 month pregnancy without exercising!) Back at our little triage room, I was happy to hear that the last hour of walking had finally yielded some progression - I was a whopping 3 centimeters. It was 2 AM by this time, and I was ready to get on with the show. They don't considered it full-blown labor until you reach a 4 though, so I was sentenced to another hour of walking before they decided whether or not to admit me. That last go-around was honestly a blur. We passed lots of other laboring moms, heard a few crying newborns, and eavesdropped on many a gossipfest at the nurses' stations. One more time on the monitor, and one more exam. The nurse conferred with the doctor then, and came back with the news I'd been dreading but didn't really think I'd hear. "We're going to send you home." I just wasn't progressing. We got home at 3:30 and went to bed, disappointed and exhausted. At first the contractions kept me up, but they eventually died down. I passed out and woke up at 7:00.
Day 2:
I wasn't a fun person to be around on Valentine's Day. I thought I'd be given a gift of a new baby... instead I was still very pregnant, very sleep deprived (both from the night before and 2 previous nights of gall bladder attacks) very sore, and very frustrated. The contractions had picked up again once I got up, but were going nowhere. At times they were 5 minutes apart again, and at others they were spaced out to half an hour. I napped off and on, which I really needed; but it only served to depress me since the contractions tapered off every time I laid down. My sister had gone home, and my mom had gone to work. Mike and dad stayed with me, just in case, and kept the boys entertained. I wallowed in a funk for the vast majority of the day, watched Survivor and went to bed near tears.
Day 3:
I finally woke up in better spirits, despite the fact that I still had no baby. I'd needed the rest. Everyone returned to work, and I was given instructions not to be afraid to call. I kept myself busy with the boys, and paid the bills. I called Mike to come home at 1:00, when my contractions were once again coming one on top of the other. They continued all afternoon and evening. We got takeout for dinner, which made me feel almost instantly sick to my stomach, and the contractions raged on. When I went to bed to watch a movie at 8, I was feeling hopeful once again. This time my contractions weren't slowing once I laid down. They continued on as I flopped from side to back to side again. I slept off and on until midnight, when I was awoken with a contraction that literally took my breath away. I was 2 minutes away from calling my sister and having her come back down to stay with the boys, but decided to give it a few more contractions. I came out to wait, and watch tv on the couch... and at some point they must have died down - again - because I woke up a few hours later and headed back to bed.
Day 4:
Fourth day of labor-strength contractions. Neither Mike or I wanted to spend the day sitting around just waiting for real labor to start, but we ended up doing just that. I was in no condition to go anywhere, either physically or mentally. I didn't even want to go outside for fear that a well-meaning neighbor would make a dreaded "No baby yet??" comment. Even an innocent question about how I was feeling would have sent me over the edge. Everything on my body hurt, my stomach was a wreck, and the contractions were still hard, strong, and coming every few minutes for much of the day. I watched a movie, played a couple of rounds of Don't Break the Ice with Everett, and caught up on a bunch of neglected emails. The contractions were close enough together at one point (AGAIN) that I returned to my restless mode of frantic cleaning, and made sure the bathrooms were clean, the last load of laundry was done, and the living room was vaccuumed. Ironically, instead of making them pick up, the activity actually slowed them down this time, and I went to bed another night sans baby. I think I started to go a little bit crazy from the stress and lack of sleep. I woke up in the middle night having had a strange doctor dream, and couldn't go back to sleep until I'd felt both a contraction and good movement from the baby. I eventually felt both, and slept fitfully for another couple of hours.
Days 5 & 6:
See days 1 through 4. Contractions getting stronger, more painful, lasting for several hours, and keeping me up all night.... and still petering out eventually. Swept and mopped the floor, made cupcakes, watched lots of TV, took lots of walks and lots of naps. Read something that made me feel a little more hopeful:
"Prodromal labor is usually managable and it does not require the same attention that active labor requires. You could still go about your day, but you are really encouraged to rest up for the big event. Think of it this way. **The more work your body does now, the less work it will have to do in active labor**
TO BE CONTINUED...
Monday, February 11, 2008
Cleaning the earth
...one shell casing at a time.
This past weekend, we all joined a massive cleanup of Four Peaks, a popular desert off-roading destination. It really was an awe-inspiring effort, one that we were all proud to be a part of. What had started as a small volunteer group had grown into a 250 strong pack of people, complete with company-sponsored donations of vitamin water, hamburgers, raffles and giveaways. It was disheartening to see the effects of so many people who could so carelessly destroy something as beautiful as the desert.... but it restored my faith in humanity to be around so many willing to put in the time and the effort to help make things right.
This past weekend, we all joined a massive cleanup of Four Peaks, a popular desert off-roading destination. It really was an awe-inspiring effort, one that we were all proud to be a part of. What had started as a small volunteer group had grown into a 250 strong pack of people, complete with company-sponsored donations of vitamin water, hamburgers, raffles and giveaways. It was disheartening to see the effects of so many people who could so carelessly destroy something as beautiful as the desert.... but it restored my faith in humanity to be around so many willing to put in the time and the effort to help make things right.
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