Memory's story:
I started having contractions at about 5:30 AM on Friday, April 1. They weren't painful but they were a lot more intense then the Braxton-Hicks (sp?) contractions that I had been experiencing off and on for weeks. Both Mitchell and I had both been awake since 4, and neither of us knew the other was awake and so when my contractions started up, I kept it to myself thinking that I would let Mitchell sleep in a little since they were 10 minutes apart. When I realized Mitch was awake, I told him what was going on and excitedly waited for each contraction to start up every 10 minutes! I got up at about 6 to start tidying up the house and when I did, my contractions started coming more irregular, anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes! So Mitchell got ready for work, and I would call him when they got more regular. He left and I walked around the house a lot drinking a ton of water to rule out false labor. Around 11:00, my contractions started to become more regular, about 5-7 minutes apart, and were gradually getting more intense and painful. I picked up my phone to call Mitchell right when he walked in the door. :) I told him that my contractions were regular and called the doctor (after telling him all about the squirrels Eventide and I saw in the backyard...he gave me a weird look and said 'why aren't you calling the doctor??) and my doctor told me to go on ahead to the hospital! We packed everything up and took off to Sacred Heart Hospital. Mitchell's sister met us there to get Eventide and we got checked in!
When we got to the hospital , I was already dilated to a 4 (woohoo!). When we were set up in the labor & delivery room, the nurse tried and failed twice to give me an IV. She actually was telling me what wonderful veins I have (ha) but then when she stuc k the needle in, my veins would roll, and she would have to try again. The anesthesiologist was nearby, and so he came in and gave it a try (and succeeded!).
The nurse gave me a drug to dull the pain of my contractions, and I got all loopy. As soon as the drug kicked in, my vision got all weird and it looked like everything was scrolling down (does that make sense?). All I could tell Mitchell was "It's weird..." "Like how weird?" "I donno...so weird.." I got all mushy and was telling him how much I loved him and how wonderful he is and what a good father he is (which is true). Mitch thought it was pretty funny. I honestly don't remember what time it was when I got my epidural, but I can tell you that I was indeed grateful for it. I have yet to feel the worst of the contractions, as with both babies, I got an epidural before my water broke, and to tell you the truth, I have no interest in finding out... The nurse didn't check me the second time until after I had gotten my epidural, and when she did, I was a 6 and my water broke as she was checking me. About an hour later, I was feeling a LOT of pressure and called for a nurse to come check me again and I was about an 8. About 10 minutes later I called for a nurse again because I felt like I HAD to push and when she check me I was at a 10! She called the doctor and about 20-30 minutes later I was pushing!
The experience was totally different then with Eventide. The epidural did not work so completely as it did with Eventide. I could still feel a little, which I actually preferred. I was able to feel that urge to push and I liked having a better sense of what was going on. It was a lot harder and more painful, but all the more worth it. I pushed for about 30 minutes and then she was born at 4:25 PM! When Memory was born, it was one of the most beautiful and wonderful experiences of my life (right along with Eventide's birth). I got to hold her right away and I could not stop crying! It was so hard to believe that she was finally here! So hard to believe that Mitchell and I could make such a gorgeous, beautiful little person!
Out little Memory cried for the first half hour or so and was content for the rest of our stay. She is such a little cuddle bug and is pretty much happy as log as she is well-fed and well-cuddled. :)We just love her and can not get enough of her!
As for Eventide, she is pretty pleased with Memory. She wasn't that interested when she came to visit us at the hospital but when we picked her up from Mitchell's parents, she saw the baby and got very excited. She smiled real big and said "baby!"
And oh yes, Memory was 9lbs, 22 inches long, and her head was 14 cm. It's still hard to believe that I had such a big baby in my tummy!
