Whew. What a quick, crazy, blessed month this has been! A month ago today my baby boy was SUPPOSED to make his appearance, but in true Watkins-Worthan fashion he was late. We had an appointment two days after his due date, on April 9th, and we were still at 1cm so they sent us home and told us they would call with an induction time. Later that night we got a call saying that the following Friday was the big day, after my NST. All week long we prepped and relaxed! Friday morning I went to my appointment and Brock was on-call and ready at work to head straight the hospital at 4:00pm. However, after my test the Dr told me that someone must have gotten confused because I would be sent home and would have to call repeatedly over the weekend waiting for a room to be open at the hospital. Needless to say I was one disappointed Momma. They did estimate little man to be 8lbs 11oz. At this point I was officially ready and bummed. I was 6 days over due and just wanted to meet my Bug. Nothing to do about it though so we went home to wait out the hospital. Brock called every two hours up until about 12:00pm Saturday the 14th and we gave up. We decided to head over to my mom & dad's to visit and wait them out. At 1:30 Brock got "THE CALL"! The hospital asked us if we could be there at 3:30 and of course we said YES!
We went home, and I tried to stay sane while we showered and Brock went and got me a salad from Zaxby's in case it was my last meal. Then we got in the car and big, goofy grins plastered to our faces, went in.
By 4:00 I was in a bed and the clan was starting to arrive! My parents, Brock's parents and his twin sister were first. Then my Nanee was there to wish me luck. By the end however, my Aunt and cousin, Brock's Aunt and Uncle, cousin and their son, paternal grandparents, my sister, my friends, Hunter's godmother and godfather and his wife, not to mention his other grandparents and my other set were there! We had SUCH an amazing support system! Before everything got crazy my father in law came in and prayer for Brock and I, and baby Hunter and things got started!
I was given an IV of fluids, and cytotek in pill form to get contractions going. Around 8:00 I was still 1-2 cm and the contractions were still mild so they broke my water. That really got the contractions going. Shortly after that pitocin was started as well. At 3cm my contractions were pretty heavy and my body was already worn out from the weeks of contractions prior. With the assurance from my mom, cousin Ginny, and an amazing nurse named Heather that I wasn't being a wimp, I got my epidural. Thanks to Brock it was manageable and in the long run the best thing I ever did! The rest of Saturday was pretty uneventful for the most part. We tried to sleep as much as possible and the medication I was given for nausea really helped with that.
We slowly progressed from 3cm, to 5cm sometime early Sunday morning. About this time Brock was sound asleep and our crazy family had formed some sort of a hobo camp in the waiting room. I began to get the shakes and was feeling pretty nauseous. I also noticed my epidural had begun to wear off. They fixed that and eventually the shaking stopped and I was able to sleep more. Sometime later in the day on Sunday, I made it 7cm and she could feel his hair! We started to get excited!
This is where things get fuzzy for me, but I will do the best I can! Around 4:00 on Sunday my BP started to drop rapidly and Hunters heart rate sped up into the 200s. I got the shakes again, and couldn't stop getting sick. My midwife, Peggy, decided it was an adverse reaction to the pitocin and I was taken off of it at 9cm. The shaking gradually subsided and I was checked again. At 9cm still, she thought I may be able to push! With the help of Brock I was able to push twice before Peggy decided it was not going to happen right away and I was told to wait out a few more contractions and we could try again
However, the shaking and illness didn't go away and as my BP was decreasing, Hunter's heart rate was increasing at a rapid rate. Nurses had come from everywhere and I thought it was for me to push again. It wasn't until afterwords that Brock told me it was because there was serious worry for myself and the baby. Peggy finally came back in and told me c-section was the only way. I was 9 1/2 cm but his head was not coming down any on it's own and pitocin was no longer an option.
I was immediately prepped for a c-section and our parents came in to pray with us. I was at this point, both completely scared and totally relieved. The relief on Brock's face was evident. He told me later how worried he was for his wife & son.
The thing I remember most about the operating room was how bright it was. I couldn't open my eyes and I was fighting exhaustion. I was alone except for what sounded like an army of nurses. Finally my Brock was allowed in and he sat down beside me and assured me it was okay to sleep. I could tell he was excited and I was using all my strength to stay awake. I thought that someone would ask me, "Does this hurt?" and that was what I was waiting for. However, just when I thought I couldn't wait any longer for them to start I looked at Brock and his face said it all. He was laughing and had tears in his eyes and as I tried to process what was making him do that, I heard the sweetest sound in the world, my sweet baby cry. Brock said "He's beautiful." and weeks of waiting and anticipation and pain came to a head and I was crying and laughing all at the same time. Brock said it over and over again, "He's perfect. He's beautiful." and the whole time he was just laughing and crying right along with me. They took him to the little cart and began all the work they do, and Brock was allowed to come take a picture. That was the most beautiful picture I have ever seen. He brought it back and showed it to me and I was amazed. His sweet little eyes were open wide, and he wasn't crying much at all. I think I finally talked then, agreeing with Brock and saying "He's here, he's finally here!" A few moments later a nurse said she was holding him up for me to see and it confirmed everything I knew about my little boy. He really was perfect. The Dr. finished his work and they moved me onto a bed. A nurse handed me a little bundle and it hit me that he was all mine! I kept kissing his sweet face, and finally got to tell him Happy Birthday as they wheeled us back into our room. Then it was just the three of us. Me, my amazing husband, and my new baby boy. All pink, and sweet smelling. I couldn't get enough of him.
You dream and dream about this thing in your tummy, and Hunter blew me and all my dreams away. I said I wanted a tiny Brock. Dark hair, blue eyes, long lashes, Daddy's lips and he was all of those thing but also so much more. He had my nose, a tiny version right there and I still can't kiss it enough. He had the most gorgeous dark hair with the softest curls. He looked at me, and I watched Brock hold him and I was just in heaven.
From then on out it was a flurry of visitors, and making sure Hunter didn't have the infection that made me so sick during the labor process. I fed him for the first time and was amazed that I could do that for my son. We had skin to skin and it was so sweet.
We had so much love and support poured out on us & Hunter that 26 hours. So many people had anxiously awaited his arrival and he made the wait so worth it. There is not a thing I would do differently and I am so proud to be that little boy's Mama.
My sweet baby boy:
Born April 15, 2012 at 5:28PM
8 lbs 13 oz
20 inches long
The best thing his Daddy & I have ever done.
