Dear Baby Girl,
Every year Granny tells me all about the day I was born and this year I started the same tradition with you. We sat together in the dim light of your room with you cuddled up close to me and this is what I said...
It was snowing the day you were born. Big fat flakes that coated everything. I remember watching them swirl out the hospital window while I awaited your arrive. The snow was what brought us to the hospital because Mom was afraid if she waited much longer she would get stuck on the side of the interstate and I didn't want to deliver you on the side of the road.
I had been anticipating your arrival for many days as I missed my due date (2/16) and then had a false alarm (2/18) which both left me very sad because I was really looking forward to meeting you. You just weren't ready to make your arrival yet. I think you were waiting until Cousin Mia got here because the day she was born (2/19) Mommy started to see signs that you were planning to arrive.
Despite losing my mucus plug during the day, the evening of the 19th went pretty much as normal. It was a Tuesday so Daddy and I watched The Biggest Loser and he made dinner. I bounced for awhile on the exercise ball thinking that might coax you into coming and this time it seemed to work.
At around 11 PM I started to feel a little uncomfortable, but to be honest baby girl, Mommy was a little uncomfortable during the majority of her pregnancy so this didn't immediately make me think you were coming. By midnight the uncomfortable feeling was in Mommy's belly like cramps and in Mommy's back like a bad back ache. Sometimes in both places at the same time.
So I took a shower to try and easy the discomfort. I woke Daddy. We didn't know what to do. It was all so confusing and so exciting. I was nervous. Daddy timed my contractions for me and when we thought they were around 5 minutes apart I called the doctor.
The doctor on call told Mommy that she didn't think I should come in because she would likely send me back home. She didn't think I sounded like I was in that much pain because I was laughing. What she didn't understand was that Mommy sometimes laughs when she is nervous and I was very nervous.
Mommy listened to the doctor and stayed home even though she didn't want to. I also didn't want to be sent home again either. So for the next few hours hours Mommy tried to relax as the contractions increased in frequency and pain. Daddy rubbed Mommy's back with Copper's slobbery tennis ball. It was gross but it worked a little.
I did all the breathing I had been practing for months. Calming counts of inhaling 1...2...3...4...5...all the way to 20 and then exhaling 1...2...3...4...5...over and over again. I then took a bath. After the bath I lay on Jake's bed and listened to the my labor and delivery music on my iPod.
Mommy is not going to lie to you, it was uncomfortable and there were moments when I'd bury my face in the pillow and scream a little. I tried my best to stay relaxed and breathe through the pain.
In the end I decided it was time to go to the hospital. It had started to snow and was approaching rush hour. Mommy's contractions had also started to become more severe to the point where I was throwing up.
No amount of relaxing breathing could change the weather, the traffic or the vomiting. So I woke Daddy and we got ready to go. Since we had our trial run a couple of days before and because Granny, Grampy, Nana and Papa had all been at the hospital in Louisville for Cousin Mia's arrival we held off on calling anyone in case it was another false alarm.
We grabbed my bag, a puke bag and headed off to the hospital. By this time Daddy was tracking my contractions at 3 minutes apart and they were both light (more easy to tolerate) and heavy(the kind with puking).
I remember Daddy parking in the snow covered valet lot and commenting there was no valet to park our car at 5 AM. We opted to not take the elevator for expecting mom's that is decorated with a stork.
On the 9th floor of Good Samaritian Hospital we went to triage where they hooked Mommy up to all kinds of monitors and checked to see how dilated I was. The contractions were still coming. I was still puking and Daddy was amazing. He was there with me the whole time and it was so comforting to have him there.
I knew that if I was not 4 cm dilated they would send me home. Mommy so did not want to go home. Thankfully, when the nurse checked, I was 4 cm and they said I could stay! We started calling everyone to let them know you were coming.
We moved at this point to the labor and delivery room. This was the room we stayed in until an hour after you were born. Everything was done in this room. It was where I got my epidural at 8 AM, 9 hours after I first started feeling discomfort. It was where Nana Barb, Nana Sue and Papa and Granny all came to hang out with me and Daddy while we waited for you to come.
Most of the time Mommy just rested while listening to her iPod. The epidural made all the pain and vomiting go away and I was able to just enjoy the moment. Daddy watched the contractions come and go on the monitor and Jennifer, our nurse, got the room set up for your arrival.
Dr. Smith came in periodically to check on me to see how far along I was. He broke my water at some point and gave me pitocin to help speed up the delivery.
A little before 12 the room was cleared and it was just Jennifer, Daddy and Me. I started pushing which was extremely difficult because I couldn't feel anything from the waist down. But I pushed and Daddy helped me count. I pushed and pushed.
Then Dr. Craig came back and at 1:01 PM you were born. Daddy saw you first but the moment you were delivered I felt this intense rush of emotions that flooded out in my tears. You were beautiful and Dr. Craig laid you on my belly so that I could see you more clearly.
Daddy and I loved you instantly and that day, that moment will forever be etched in Mommy's brain. I will never forget the way you sucked your little fingers almost immediately. I will never forget looking over and seeing Daddy with you while Jennifer got you all cleaned up and hearing him say how big your feet were. I will never forget you being placed in my arms and leaning down to kiss your sweet little face.
I love you baby girl. Happy Birthday!
Love,
Mommy
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