February 24th 2011 - Tucker's Arrival

Ok, so if you are reading my blog for the first time, you will see how far behind I am. I promise I'm not going to go back and recap everything that has happened the past 20 months ... but I thought this one was pretty important :) I want to have it blogged just for me to be able to come back and look at years down the road. I went to the DR for my normal 38 week checkup on Wednesday, February 23rd. I actually overslept (after being up and down during the night) and was running late so I didn't even take a shower - well, I washed off, but didn't wash my hair. By 38 weeks, correct me if I'm wrong, but most mommy-to-be's don't care if they've washed their hair or put makeup on or if they've done the whole usual morning routine. I was doing good to be making it to the DR on time. Besides, I thought I was coming straight home and going back to bed. Since I was running so late, I grabbed the box of cheerios and crammed some in my mouth on the way to the DR. My bags were packed (at the house) but I didn't think there was any need in taking them ... not yet?! Jonathan met me at the DR's office since it was right down the road from his fire station. So I begin the usual process of my DR appt ... peeing in a cup, weighing myself, having my blood pressure taken, all the normal things. Every other morning it was usually a quick process ... but not this morning. When the nurse first took my blood pressure she said, "hmmm ... that's strange" and I thought "WHAT IS STRANGE?!" She then proceeded to tell me that my blood pressure was 138 over 100. I thought ... ok, is that super high or what? I knew my normal range was like 100/80 or something like that ... it had been pretty low the whole pregnancy. She then led me to the room that Jonathan was already in to lay down on the table and see if it would go down. So ... I layed there about 3 or 4 minutes before Dr. Richardson came in. **Now, I'll be honest ... I can tell you why my blood pressure was high. I was working and working and working every day until late trying to finish up different tasks that HAD to be done before I went out on maternity leave the next 6 weeks.. I had worked all day the day before and was still at my desk at 8:00 that night and I was TIRED and ... not to mention RUSHING to my appt that morning** SO ... DR. Richardson comes in and retakes my blood pressure. It was even higher - 150/110 (or 119) -- I can't remember the EXACT, but it wasn't good. She talked to me and Jonathan and said she was going to go ahead and send us over to Labor and Delivery at Rex to monitor me and see if we could get my blood pressure to go down.. she said "if it doesn't come down, you could be having a baby today".... WHAT?!?!?!?!?! TODAY?!?! RIGHT NOW?!! Both of us looked at each other like "so this could happen TODAY?!" :) :) She called over to labor and delivery and off we went! When we got in the car and started driving, we didn't know what to think. We were both sure that my blood pressure would go down and we would be going back home (and back to work). We both called our moms and my dad to let them know what was going on but told them all not to say anything yet and not to move a muscle from their workplaces because we really didn't think it would happen today. When we got to Rex, we drove around looking for the entrance for several minutes - yea, we were bad and didn't go to the classes - so we did NOT know where to go at first, but finally found it. When we got there, Dr. Tosky was the Dr. on call. They hooked me up to all kinds of monitors and I just laid there and laid there. The bad part was that I couldn't have anything to eat..and I had skipped breakfast.. and I was STARVING already (and it was only 10:00 in the morning). By 11:30, Dr. Tosky came in and said he had been watching the monitor and it didn't look like my blood pressure was going down any. He said "we can do one of two things - we can send you home in which you'll probably be back up here tomorrow or Friday and we could risk your blood pressure being even higher and more of a risk of other things ... OR ... we could induce you today and go ahead and take care of you and that baby" ......... Jonathan said, "well, if this was you, what would you do, Dr. Tosky?" Dr. Tosky responded with "I would definitely stay here and go ahead and have the baby" ... (which is what we were both thinking anyway after he gave us those two options!) SO it was official!! We were getting ready to have a baby within the next 24 hours!! We immediately got on the phone and called my dad to go get my bag from the house with all our stuff in it.. which he graciously went and got for us! Jonathan's mom had already arrived and my mom arrived shortly after. THEY ARE NOT VERY GOOD LISTENERS!! They didn't stay put!! :) We got situated in the delivery room and hooked up to all the monitors and were ready to have our sweet TUCKER!! I was induced around 2:00 and honestly wasn't feeling TOO much pain at first (I can say that NOW but ... this is 20 months later). I remember by 5:00 or so, I was in massive pain from the contractions. I KNEW I wanted an epidural before I even went in there. More power to all the women who can give birth without an epidural! I am NOT one of those women! Since I was only a few centimeters dilated by 5:00 or so, it wasn't yet time for the epidural. They gave me a medicine for in the meantime but I can't remember what it is called. It makes you feel kinda blurry.. I remember I felt that way watching American Idol so it had to be around 8:00 or so. I finally got the epidural around 9:30 or 10:00. Once I got the epidural, my pain was very little. The pressure was what was the worst. I remember Jonathan finally fell asleep around 12:30 and I starting calling his name to tell him how much pressure there was and I had to call his name several times before he finally woke up and answered me :) He called the nurse who was AMAZING. She stayed by our side the WHOLE entire time except for about 30 minutes or so around 12:00-1:00 so we could get some rest. After Jonathan called the nurse to come in there, she checked to see how much I had dilated and she realized I was at 9 1/2 centimeters ... it was time to PUSH! No wonder I was feeling pressure! I remember the FUNNIEST thing was while the nurse was getting everything set up for me to start pushing, Jonathan said "on a scale of 1-10, how bad do you think this has been ... I mean because I honestly don't think it has been so bad" ... UMMM, REALLY?!! Of course not! haha you aren't the one in pain!! :) But really, at that point, it wasn't TOO TOO bad ... but we didn't know what was coming next!!!! If only we knew ........... the answer to that question might have been different :) So Jonathan texted our moms and my dad to let them know we were starting to push around 2:30 so ... we were thinking ya know ... 20 to 30 minutes?? Well ... 2 hours and 20 minutes later our precious baby boy was born!! I won't go into all the details but it was something I will never forget. During the process, I thought "how in the WORLD can anybody have more than one child after all this pain?!" ****BUT when I held that precious baby boy in my arms for the first time, I now know how you forget every bit of pain that comes along with childbirth!! Everything that had just happened was forgotten IMMEDIATELY!! I cannot even explain the joy and excitement of holding him and seeing him for the first time. Jonathan and I both were filled with SOO much love. Needless to say, he is the most precious gift from God we could have ever imagined. God has brought our family closer and closer these last 20 months and I pray everyday for a hedge of protection over us. Jonathan and I couldn't imagine our lives without our sweet boy. He is the cutest, sweetest, most loving, lovable, hilarious, full of personality boy I could have ever imagined.. SOO much like his daddy it's crazy! I am one blessed wife/mother!!