Last Saturday, Jan 4th, Gabe and I were hanging out having a nice lazy Saturday. Around 1 pm I decided I was going to take a nap because I wasn't feeling the greatest. I slept for about 45 minutes and then got up because I couldn't get comfortable. I went to the bathroom and then went to sit on the couch and watch tv with Gabe, then when I got up I felt like I had maybe peed my pants a little but then realized that it was my water. So all afternoon I had a slow leak and as the afternoon passed my contractions were coming closer together and getting stronger. So like any pregnant woman in labor what did I do, took a shower and shaved my legs, sewed some burp rags, finished packing my hospital bag and a bag for Gabe, and then we installed the car seat.
Around 8 pm my contractions were now about 5 minutes apart and had been consistent for an hour so I called my doctor as instructed. She told me to come on in and so we made our way to the hospital. It was a long 45 minute car ride thinking about how our family would be changing, hoping Gabe wouldn't hit any bumps in the road in the middle of a contraction, praying our baby would be alright since he was coming earlier than we had planned (although he was considered full term because he was born at 37 weeks, 5 days).
We got to the hospital at 9ish and got checked in right away. They hooked me up the monitor and it made my heart happy to hear his little heart beat ticking away at about 140 bpm. Sure enough the monitor started picking up contractions and so they checked me and I was at 1 cm about 60% effaced. So they admitted me and the adventure began.
Feeling good, ready to meet our little Grape
Family pic
Last picture as a family of 2
At first I was comfortable. Gabe made a little bed on the couch in the room and settled in for the night. I was watching a movie on tv trying to breathe through the contractions. Eventually the contractions started to become stronger so I had Gabe come sit by me and hold my hand. My nurse told me that whenever I wanted something for pain just to let her know. I decided that I was ready to consider an epidural so they started pushing the fluids. The doctor came to check me and I was only at 2 cm, she said it would be fine if I got an epidural so I was put on the list. I didn't have to wait very long and the anesthesiologist came in. It took about 15 minutes for him to put it in and then about 5-10 minutes for it to start working, but let me tell you, it was magical! Giving birth is quite the process, I don't know how my grandma's did it without an epidural. The epidural allowed me to rest comfortably from 2pm to about 6:15 am. At 4 am the doctor checked me and I was at 4 cm, she decided that we should start some Pitocin to make the contractions more regular to I would progress faster. So I had the Pitocin from about 5am to when he was born.
Gabe's bed for the night
Feeling a little more pain
All set up and ready for delivery
Warmer ready for our baby
Around 6:30 I started feeling the contractions more and told my nurse, she offered to have them come give me more pain medicine but I told her I thought I could handle it for now. Then my epidural ran out around 7 am so they did replace that vile (thank goodness!). From 7:30 onward I started feeling a lot of pressure and discomfort. Gabe was still snoozing on the couch until I finally couldn't stand the pain/discomfort and had him come and hold my hand. 8:15 rolled around and they checked me again, I was dilated to 9 1/2 cm so they called the attending doctor. The nurse told me to let her know when I felt like I had to push no matter what. I was so happy to see the attending doctor come through the doors, otherwise Gabe was going to have to catch the little man. The doctor checked me again and said I was at 10 cm and his head was right there. The nurses taught me how to push, I did a "practice push" with the next contraction, then I only pushed 3 more times and out he came. It was such a beautiful thing to see our sweet baby being held up by the doctor all gooey and crying and then to have them lay him on my chest, all the pain was totally worth it! I was amazed how as soon as he was out how the pain was completely gone.
Getting close to meeting the little man
There he is in all his gooey glory!
I had the camera because Gabe had cut the cord but I obviously was a little off in my picture taking ability
Our sweet little blessing from the Lord
Daddy cutting the cord
Little feet
Daddy giving Micah snuggles
Micah loves his daddy!
So alert in this big new world!
A tired mommy
Our sweet friends from church Andrew and Jaz came to visit us in the hospital. They are due in April, can hardly wait to meet their little one!
Our family of 3
We're already wrapped around his finger
Micah's first selfie
Love him!
They must have thought I had just run a marathon, I don't know anyone in their right mind who needs that much bacon.
My first day of wearing real clothes, my hat is way too big!
Getting ready to go home. The white blanket that Micah is wrapped in is the same blanket that his Granddad Chris was brought home from the hospital in and that Gabe was brought home from the airport in, now Micah was brought home from the hospital in it. Love the tradition!
Doctor daddy had to work on Monday and Tuesday so we were so glad to have him come pick us up at the hospital
Micah Gabriel Johnson arrived at 9:03 am on January 5, 2014 and has been a blessing ever since (yes, even if he has kept me up for multiple hours the first couple of nights)
Awwww Joy. He's so sweet.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hate that you had MIcah after 4 pushes. Did you know that I did 4 HOURS of pushing with no epidural? Yep, that's right, you are one lucky girl :) And didn't you know that half of that bacon was for Gabe? I ordered two meals for every meal the entire time we were there. Lance was a lucky duck