Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Part III

From the time we agreed upon the c-section until birth was almost 2 hours. Honestly, it could have been another 24 hours and I could have cared less. I was so relieved to finally be able to focus on the baby that I was on cloud nine.

Earlier in the evening, a good friend of mine from work, Debbie, came to the hospital. Debbie works part time in Labor & Delivery @ Memorial and having her there meant the world to me. She's very knowledgeable and a calming presence. She was my patient advocate, especially when it came to remember to ask for the ASP in my epi :)

Things really began to pick up once the c-section decision was final. Hubs was handed a pair of scrubs to change into and nurses and other staff were going over what was about to happen. I would be prepped in my l&d room and then wheeled into the nearby operating room. Hubs would stay behind in the l&d room until I was just about ready for the section, then he would be escorted into the room to be by my side during the birth.

I wasn't the least bit nervous. I was excited. I was ecstatic. I was elated.

Our family was sent to the lobby to anxiously await the news that we have a baby!

It took a little longer than anticipated to finally get back into the OR because there was some minor confusion over which anesthesiologist/nurse anesthetist would assist during the procedure. Apparently there was a cool surgical case about to happen and I honestly think they were flipping coins to see who got to attend the cool case and who got to sit in on my boring ol' c-section.

Once anesthesia was set to go, we were gravy.

The OR was much smaller than I had anticipated and it was chuck full of people. Everyone introduced themselves to me as I was wheeled in on the bed. Everyone was smiling and very friendly. For the procedure, I had to be transferred from my bed onto the OR table. I laid my arms across my chest, they rolled my entire body onto my left side, slid a board under me, then lifted me off the bed and onto the table.

Anesthesia began giving me the more heavy doses of drugs through the epi b/c I was still able to move my toes (and that made me a little nervous). After a few minutes, I was completely numb from the chest down. I couldn't feel anything.

Dr. T told me that he was going to do a "cut test" to ensure I couldn't feel anything and then the procedure would begin. I remember thinking, "where's Craig?!" I guess I passed the cut test b/c next thing I remember they were announcing the time to begin the procedure.

Finally Craig walked through the door and came to my side. I don't remember too much of what we talked about. What I do remember is the singing. I was so stinking excited and mood in the OR was so fun that I started singing "(You're) Having My Baby." I think Craig almost died from embarrassment :)...."I'm having your baby, what a lovely way of saying how much I love you."



My teeth chattered and my body was shaking uncontrollably, both from excitement as well as the anesthesia. Singing took my mind off of what was happening below the hanging gown.

Within a few minutes of Craig arriving, it was time to have this baby.

A few seconds of silence was broken by the all important question, "Daddy, do you want to announce the sex?" Craig's face lit up with excitement. He looked down at me and smiled. And with that, he stood up off the stool, leaned over the drape, waited a few seconds, then looked down at me and so proudly announced,

"It's a BOY!"

A BOY! "It's a boy! We have a boy!"

Craig leaned over and kissed me and then the tears began.

We have a boy. A precious baby boy.

Dr. T lifted Ryan over the drape so I could lay eyes on our beautiful baby.

My body stopped shaking and my BP immediately normalized. My heart was so content at that very moment. We have a boy.

Then Dr. T asked, "time of birth?" and the nurse replied, "9:56pm."

The next few minutes, while exciting and memorable, were also slightly anxious. The baby cried (yeah!) but he was described as "floppy" and "gray/blue" so he was immediately put on oxygen in the OR. He was briefly checked over and they decided he needed to be closely monitored in the nursery. The staff was very good about explaining everything to us. They said although he's breathing OK, he needs a little extra attention and they would be taking him away for a little while. Dr. T was especially great at this time. He calls me his "worry wort" and knows that constant communication helps relieve my anxiety. He assured me that the baby was going to be fine and once I'm done in the OR, I'll get to see him and love on him.

Before they whisked away the baby, they wrapped him up and brought him over to me. I got to kiss my baby for the first time at 10:09 pm on July 28, 2010. I'll never, ever forget that moment.

Tears streamed down my face as my baby and my husband left the OR and headed towards the nursery.

Dr T finished up with me in about 45 minutes. I was then transferred from the OR table back into my bed and wheeled into my l&d room. I laid there in the bed taking it all in and wondering how the baby was doing. Was he OK? When could I see him? There were numerous staff members shuffling in and out of the room, taking my vitals, checking my stats. But where was my baby?

It would be almost 3 hours before I got to hold my son for the first time.

In the meantime, Craig returned to my l&d room, sans the baby who was still being tended to in the nursery. We hugged and cried. "We have a baby!" We shared a few intimate moments before the grandparents joined us in the room.

My parents and Craig's parents walked in, looking around the room for the baby. It was difficult to explain that everything is OK, but the baby is in the nursery getting some extra attention. Obviously, everyone was expecting to see and hold the baby.

But then the moment everyone had been waiting for-- is it a boy or a girl??

It's a boy!



I loved announcing, "It's a boy!" It was so exciting and totally worth the wait!!

Then, the next best moment....the name revelation:



I could not wait to FINALLY announce the baby's name! It's a special name because my mom and my grandfather's middle name is Jami(e)son. We've known since day 1 that the baby's middle name would be Jamison and we quickly picked out Ryan for the boy. So for nine long months, I waited for this moment to share with my mom the baby's name.

There is a story behind the spelling of Jamison, but I'll leave that for another day :)

After the hugs and tears subsided, the family made their way to the nursery to see baby Ryan.

After several minutes, they returned and I bombarded them with questions: Is he OK? Who does he look like? Does he have hair? What color are his eyes? When can I hold him?

Remember, I hadn't really seen my baby yet.

The next set of visitors, Jennie, Matt, and Katie, came into the room, again, expecting to see a baby. We explained the situation, announced the sex and the name to them, and they took off towards the nursery.

Craig got to be with Ryan in the nursery, making sure he was in good hands.











As the hours went by, everyone eventually called it a night and left the hospital. The long-awaited-much-anticipated birth of baby Ryan had come and gone.

And then....around 12:30am, they brought me my baby for the first time. Just Craig and I and baby Ryan were in the room. After nearly 9 months, I finally got to hold and love on Ryan from the outside :)



To be continued...

7 comments:

  1. I've been crying into my tuna sandwich while reading this!

    Love his name and the reaction from your family!

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  2. What a great story. I guess not everything goes as we would like. My birth didn't go the way I wanted either. Its amazing that some women go into labor and have a baby and not even know their pregnant, especially when you have to go through so much for your own L&D's. It kind of gives you a different outlook on what the heck is wrong with people. ha.

    Its a bummer that you had to endure so much. Its fortunate that you understand so much about medicine and what happens in hospitals because if all that had happened to me I probably would have been a basket case.

    Ryan is just great, and you are a great mommy.

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  3. I just want you to know I am totally in tears right now. What great memories those are. We find out the gender next week, and I'm beginning to rethink wanting to know now :)

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  4. Yep, that made me cry too. Especially watching your mama cry as you announced Ryan's name. How precious. Thank you for sharing your story with us!

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  5. I am crying, too!
    --Aimee

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  6. Uncle Jesse sang that song to Becky on Full House when she had the twins haha!

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  7. I have not even finished reading this and the tears are just pouring down my cheeks. I just watched the video of you telling Sue the baby's name! DAMN - I'm still crying.

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