This weekend is mother's day weekend, and for the first time in what feels like a long time I am taking a day off, completely off, of mothering. This also means for the first time I have had extended silence and hours to MYSELF, to do as I please. It was through this I started digging back into my old blog and realized I NEVER wrote down Karis' birth story (#fourthkidprobs). So without further ado, here it is.
Towards the end of this pregnancy I was of course uncomfortable and hot, but that is to be expected being 8 months pregnant at the end of July. I had been consistently contacting for weeks like I did with Halle Kate, but I knew this time not to fret about it. I went to my 36 week appointment on Thursday and asked to be examined because I had a feeling something might happen over the weekend and if I needed to go into the hospital I would know what I had been verses what I was there. I go home, still contacting, and waiting, basically feeling like a ticking time bomb. I remember Mark and I just laying on the couch in the living room watching our kids go nuts playing in the sprinklers outside, and me being too exhausted to do anything else.
The last weekend in July in our little Texas town also happens to be the weekend of the hot air balloon races. This is a super fun event where hot air balloon pilots from all over converge on our city and race! It is so neat to see 10-20 balloons flying in the sky over that weekend. Sometimes you can catch them taking off if you get up very early and track them down. That's what my precious husband tried to do with our kids while I attempted to relax in the tub, the only real form of relief for a majorly pregnant woman. He even brought me breakfast in there before he left. He's a true hero guys! I honestly don't remember much more of that day other than I really didn't do a whole lot. I do remember telling Mark she wouldn't be our earliest baby, that HK had beat her by a day. Finally I went to get in the shower, followed by the bed, with Mark staying up to finish a project he was working on for my mom. I had a few consistent contractions, some of which were moan worthy but nothing too horrible.
I get in the bed and fall asleep, only to be awoken around 2 or 3 or so contracting again. I decided to get back in the shower and labor some in there. This is the first time I have ever made a labor playlist, and had been listening to it the last few days. That night was no different. I had decided to use whatever time I was up and uncomfortable to worship with and that was the best decision. Songs became more powerful and meaningful as I worked through contractions. After the shower I got out and got back into bed and labored there (around 4:30 or so). I remember thinking "If I can just make it to an appropriate waking time then I wont have to cause anyone any inconvenience." Finally I think around 7 or so Mark woke up and I told him I was pretty sure today was the day. We waiting until about 8 or so and started calling people and getting plans in place. Mom and dad showed up a little later and we headed to the hospital.
At the hospital I had to wait in the L&D triage area until they were sure they were going to admit me. They sent in a girl to check me and let's just say it was MORE THAN uncomfortable. Those things aren't fun to begin with, but when she left I looked in a panic at Mark and said "She went WAY too fast!" I told him if she came back to do that again I was going to request a different nurse because wow! Luckily she didn't. I only had a small bit of change so they really didn't want to admit me despite the every 2-4 minute contractions. All I knew is I didn't want to go home. They then said they were going to do a "slow admitting" where they left me be in a room and wait and see basically. I wasn't given an IV or anything yet. I asked if I could walk around, and they said yes. The way the building is set up is you can walk around in a circle but part of it takes you around to windows that look into the waiting room. I did NOT want anyone to see me and it be like a fishbowl effect so we would just turn around and walk the other way when we got to a certain point. At one point we walked in front of the nurses station to the same "too fast" girl saying "I CAN'T find this patient on the monitor. I can't find her ANYWHERE!" To which the other nurses said "That's because she's right there." They then told us to excuse her, it was her first day. Needless to say I am thankful for the nurse had who was super sweet.
I never made significant change past a centimeter (went from 3.5 to 4 or so ) and the doctor told me if I didn't change they would not admit me. The sweet nurse also talked me into some pain meds they could give via a shot. I wish now I hadn't done that because it made me feel so so so strange. Funny story with that is she administered it and said "Ok, stick. . . and a burn." Which it absolutely did. It also caused a reaction between my skin and the bandaid. I howled hahaha. I said to Mark through sobs "I (sob sob) feel like (sob sob) OOOWWWEEENNN!" Mark died laughing and then had to explain to the nurse how I felt like I was acting like our 4 year old. Those meds did help me sleep, but also made it to where I COULD NOT focus. Literally I was trying so hard and was barely able to keep eye contact. I just kept saying "Mark I don't like this" over and over again. Finally at about 3 or 4 they check me and I've progressed enough to where the doctor said I could stay, only for her to come back and say he changed his mind, there wasn't enough change and if I didn't change more in an hour we would have to leave. I saw Mark get his fighting pants on when she came back an hour later and I was quite to that next centimeter yet.
Our doctor comes in eventually and I see Mark get ready to make a huge case for us staying. Luckily the doctor says "Ok, you have 3 options, 1 I send you home and you come back here probably later on tonight, you can go rest and eat. 2, I tell you to leave, get something to eat, and come back in 2-3 hours, and if you weren't such a bad IV stick this would be what I would go with (they had to stick me 4-5 different times, as always). 3 We get you an epidural, break your water, and have a baby."
Marks said his only concern with us leaving is that we would leave, only to return without enough time for an epidural, to which Dr. Newlin replied "I'm not sure you would make it back here in time at all." So we went with option 3. There was also a shift change and the next nurse I got I was so glad to see was Lindy, who is a mom to a girl in Reid's class! I felt like I was in good hands.
Finally around 10 or so things start happening and it is time to HAVE A BABY! My epidural is amazing, I literally cannot feel anything. I didn't super like that though, I feel like I need pressure to know what is going on. Especially because I literally pushed twice and she was OUT, and I had NO CLUE! I remember being legit surprised when they said she was born. I also remember how quiet the room was, she didn't really cry a lot, just laid there looking up at us. No one really said much to be honest. Of course I cried, completely overwhelmed by God's grace to us with this sweet girl!
To be continued. . .
