As most of you know, it was already quite a journey making it to the point of scheduling the induction. My plan was to go to bed around midnight since that was the last time I could eat anything, wake up at 4:00 am to have a glass of apple juice (as per the recommendation of the doctor) because there was nothing after that, not even water, not even gum, then go back to sleep for a couple of hours before showering and calling promptly at 6:00 am in hopes of getting in to have the induction that morning. What actually happened was that I was up almost all night long having sporadic contractions that prevented me from sleeping. I was quite irritated, honestly, considering I was going in for an induction that day. I had accepted the fact I wasn't going to go into labor on my own, so all I wanted to do was get some rest before we went in! Oh well. I made the call at like 5:58, just to make sure I would get in. I had serious butterflies and apprehension, hoping I would not hear I couldn't get in that day, and was delighted to hear the nurse at the hospital tell us to come in at 7:15. We had Alethea come to the house to be situated with the kids, and off we went.
My last picture pregnant, on the way to the hospital. Wow, just wow.
Got to the hospital, checked in and got everything ready. We met our L&D nurse Liz, who was completely lovely and I wish I would have gotten a picture with her. She was by my side through the whole thing and was so sweet and pleasant. Took three tries to get my IV in, which was really painful. Dr. Cowan came in around 8 to check me and said she was going to just break my water to start. I was kind of surprised that she was going to do that instead of let the antibiotics get in my system first, since she knew what happened with Cadence (and how she was born like 30 minutes after they broke my water). When she checked me I was 4 cm dilated and 90% effaced- halfway there! It was kind of funny, because after she broke my water, we all just kind of sat around for a minute, half expecting everything to get really dramatic. Well, it didn't so she left and said she'd be back around lunch time expecting to deliver a baby. I had decided not to get an epidural right away, and just thought I'd see how quickly everything went and take it from there. I liked being able to move freely and go to the bathroom, etc, instead of being strapped to the bed. And I went for a couple of hours with the contractions getting more intense. After one of my trips to the bathroom and I was shaking and could barely stand because the contraction was so crazy (those contractions on pitocin are no joke- much worse than natural ones), I decided to end the misery and get the epidural. I was a 6 at that point. So they came in, poked me in the back, and voila- magic! It was just so crazy to go from such intense and crazy pain to feeling nothing. It felt like cheating, like I wasn't doing any work. I kept asking Liz if I was still having contractions, because I had heard sometimes getting the epi slows down labor some, but I was still trucking along.
Shortly after I was pain free and in happy land, my parents and (one) brother came into town and the hospital. We sat around and visited, got checked periodically, and (I) had an orange and cherry popsicle and ice chips. At one point I started feeling the contractions only on my left side, and all it took was a little click of a pen thing I had to up the medicine and then it was back to feeling nothing! I looked out the window and saw at one point that it was raining, which was so strange because rain was such a rarity. At around 1ish the fam headed out the door to catch the cafeteria before they closed and the doctor came in to check me. I don't really know what I was expecting since I felt nothing- I think I was just planning on it taking a while. So when she checked and said, "Oh yeah- you're done. Let's have a baby!", I was kind of in shock. Chris and I just looked at each other in disbelief that it was already time for him to come. So he had to call my parents right back to let them know that I was pushing already! We had Hillsong United playing in the background, and I'll always remember Chris pointing out that the song that came on at that time was the song, "Go". We thought that was ironic and perfect!
So basically after about 30 min, give or take, (I have no idea how many pushes, but not that many), out he came! 1:39, to be exact :) I basically laughed him out because the entire experience was so surreal and it all seemed too easy, especially considering how dramatic the other two birth experiences were! Start to finish, I was in L&D about five hours total. Of course, I had done so much of the work in the couple of weeks leading up to that there wasn't much left to do!
Ready to have a baby!
So basically after about 30 min, give or take, (I have no idea how many pushes, but not that many), out he came! 1:39, to be exact :) I basically laughed him out because the entire experience was so surreal and it all seemed too easy, especially considering how dramatic the other two birth experiences were! Start to finish, I was in L&D about five hours total. Of course, I had done so much of the work in the couple of weeks leading up to that there wasn't much left to do!
He definitely came out crying! And crying, and crying. I probably should have tried to comfort him more, but all I could do was laugh because he was so cute and sweet and I just couldn't believe it was all over. He immediately stuck out that bottom lip in the famous "Pate pout", something his brother and sister both did. They laid him right on me, which was different than my other two, and I loved. I had him to be enamored with and distracted by while they finished up the labor process (with the really unlovely but necessary things, including a few stitches for me) so that was nice. And then it was over. Just like that. My doctor was so encouraging and great through the whole process. I remember her telling me I did a great job and kissing me on the head before she left. I ordered some food and they began the process of getting me transfered over to the recovery room. I was so tired and out of it!
They took the baby away for a couple of hours to do their tests and get him all cleaned up, and by the time he came back into the room the family was there, and he got to meet his brother and sister. As I shared in a previous post, Addison was more than happy to hold him and study him, and Cadence didn't really want to have anything to do with him. I'm happy to report that she is much better now- she was just a little afraid at first. The kids stayed at the house with Granna and Poppy while we were in the hospital, and they came to see us a lot. I had some moments in the middle of the night that first night, with a rain storm bending the palm trees outside of the window and Chris trying to sleep on the very unforgiving styrofoam couch-bench-thing, and I just sat there in the bed holding Jaxon close and taking the moment in. I would just look at his precious face and wonder if I remembered how to do all of this, this newborn thing. I felt nervous and anxious like it was the first time. I didn't sleep much those nights while we were there. I find it extremely difficult to sleep in a hospital bed when people are coming in to check on you and sounds are happening all around. We stayed two nights and got released Sunday, which was longer than we wanted to be there. By Sunday morning we were more than ready to leave, and we sat around for about three hours, everything ready to go, only waiting on the pediatrician to come and check Jaxon to leave.
The OK crew left when we got home from the hospital and took the kids with them back to Oklahoma, and then my mom came in that evening and stayed for a few days. It was so nice to have help around for those first few days and while we were in the hospital. It's mostly a fog, that first week and a half or so. You don't remember too much due to sleep deprivation and your body recovering. I remember eating lots of Jelly Belly jelly beans (courtesy of my parents going to the factory in CA and brought a bunch back) and watching endless episodes of Arrested Development on Netflix (courtesy of my husband) while strapped to the couch nursing. I remember taking turns sleeping on the couch holding a baby who was trying to figure out what the heck was going on in this new place. He hated his first "bath"and screamed when we changed his diaper. I had major swelling in my feet, ankles, and hands for about a week afterwards which totally freaked me out. My feet looked like marshmallows, and I could literally feel water sloshing around on top of my feet. Ew. We were so blessed to have meals brought to us from our amazing spiritual family at church for almost two weeks! Chris's parents came through that next week and brought the kids back with them, so we got to enjoy company (and help) a little longer.
Believe it or not, that's the shortened version. I don't want to drag this thing out too long, and hopefully I documented enough here to jog my memory when I revisit this later on and have already all but forgotten all of this. My last Labor Day. I can say it was nice to end the childbirthing era on such a pleasant, albeit surreal, note. Now after trudging through two days of trying to get this post up, I'm done- a little baby boy needs a bath and we need some sleep! Peace out from the Pate house.
The OK crew left when we got home from the hospital and took the kids with them back to Oklahoma, and then my mom came in that evening and stayed for a few days. It was so nice to have help around for those first few days and while we were in the hospital. It's mostly a fog, that first week and a half or so. You don't remember too much due to sleep deprivation and your body recovering. I remember eating lots of Jelly Belly jelly beans (courtesy of my parents going to the factory in CA and brought a bunch back) and watching endless episodes of Arrested Development on Netflix (courtesy of my husband) while strapped to the couch nursing. I remember taking turns sleeping on the couch holding a baby who was trying to figure out what the heck was going on in this new place. He hated his first "bath"and screamed when we changed his diaper. I had major swelling in my feet, ankles, and hands for about a week afterwards which totally freaked me out. My feet looked like marshmallows, and I could literally feel water sloshing around on top of my feet. Ew. We were so blessed to have meals brought to us from our amazing spiritual family at church for almost two weeks! Chris's parents came through that next week and brought the kids back with them, so we got to enjoy company (and help) a little longer.
Believe it or not, that's the shortened version. I don't want to drag this thing out too long, and hopefully I documented enough here to jog my memory when I revisit this later on and have already all but forgotten all of this. My last Labor Day. I can say it was nice to end the childbirthing era on such a pleasant, albeit surreal, note. Now after trudging through two days of trying to get this post up, I'm done- a little baby boy needs a bath and we need some sleep! Peace out from the Pate house.
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