Today was...: My Birthday!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Friday was my due date- I thought my water had broke so we packed up the car and headed to the hospital. No luck on the water breaking and no contractions, the nurse said we could stay and get things started or go home.... we went home. I woke up at 3 am with a few pains (this had been happening all week, middle of the night, just enough to keep me up for a couple of hours, and then nothing) When I woke up again I looked at the clock, 8:02am. Benjamin woke up and wanted a bagel. I was having some pains (contractions:-) and was trying to time them on my phone. But between Benji wanting to make the bagel himself "No Mama do it, Benji do it!", and the pains being kinda strong, I kept forgetting to start the timer, stop the timer, look and see what the times were, etc. I called Edmund and told him I was having pains and was going to get ready to go, I would call him when I got out of the shower. I also called Erica because Baby Gabriel was supposed to come over and visit with us for a while. After the shower I called Edmund and said that I wanted to go to the hospital, now. Edmund left work at 8:58. The pains were pretty strong, and there was no break in between them. (the few contractions I did time say 1:03 to 1:27 minutes between contractions, from 8:19 to 8:45 when I stopped timing them)
We called Auntie Erica back and I went to the bathroom. As Edmund walked into the door, I had a contraction and my water broke. Erica said "Do you want to let me go?" "Yes, I think so". This was around 9:12. We all got into the car and headed out. Major pain now. At this point I thought "man, I should have been at the hospital by now, I should have had an epidural by now." I just thought that I was experiencing some of the labor pains that usually the epidural is covering up during the HOURS you are in labor. By the time we reached Beville (9:20, Edmund talked to Erica again and told her we were on the way, he also called labor and delivery because I did not want to sit in the "registration" room and fill out paperwork) Benjamin is in the backseat saying "Mama Hurts ." Edmund is now running through (around) red lights and driving through (around) all of the cars. And now I really HURT. And I think I feel the head crowning, little afraid to check! But I did, and it was. Now, I knew I was in trouble and we were going to be cutting it close. My next contraction came and I had to push, and the head came out. I could see his profile and told Edmund- "the head is out, he's not breathing." Edmund said "what do you want me to do?" "Pullover" "No, there is a hospital full of doctors right there" "Call 911" "No, they won't get to us before we get there" "Call Labor and Delivery and tell them what is happening" He did, they didn't answer. We pulled up to the valet and Edmund jumped out of the car. He went running into the hospital screaming that I was in labor and the baby wasn't breathing. The first person he found was a medical student that he sent running to the car.(she actually checked me at the OB earlier that week!) The second person was a little old lady that grabbed a wheelchair! Then he made it to the end of the hall and banged on the glass doors of L&D, they buzzed him in and within seconds my midwife and 6 or 7 nurses were running down the hall. I had another contraction and the shoulders/tummy/feet came out. I felt his chest heave and he cried. Then my door opened and a very surprised med student was there. Then came the Calvary, who immediately cleaned out his mouth and started saying "He's fine, he's breathing, he's fine." I turned around and Benjamin was staring at me with wide eyes, he couldn't see anything, but he heard it all. Edmund grabbed him out of the car seat and Benji gave him "the biggest hug" and he had one tear on his face. They asked me what time he was born and I looked at the clock in the car- 9:25 it said. I later checked against my phone and they are two minutes apart. So, it was really 9:27 when they asked me - He was born somewhere between 9:22 and 9:24 am. Not even an hour and a half after getting up that morning. They cut the cord in the parking lot, and wheeled us upstairs- 9 lbs, 7 oz. 21 inches long. Lots of dark hair. Perfectly Perfect and Healthy! Probably the longest 10 minute car ride Edmund and I will ever experience, a crazy story for us to tell the boys when they grow up, and now no chance in the world I will get Edmund to agree to baby number three!!