Lucy Kathleen

It was 4:45am when my water broke. Of course I was in bed, but not sleeping. It took me calling Jerry's name 8 times before he woke up and then he ran off to get clean clothes. I called my mom and we headed out to the hospital about 5:00am.

When we checked in I was dilated to 5 and 80% effaced. They started me on antibiotics and filled out gobs and gobs of paper work and then we waited. And waited. ANNNNNND Waited.

Around 12pm I decided to get the epidural to make sure I could get it and as soon as we got the epidural in they started me on a pitocin drip. Just to move things along. And then there was more waiting. And around 4pm we realised Jerry and I both we very discouraged. After all that time, 11 hours to be exact that I hadn't progressed AT ALL. And I was feeling SO tired. And around 4:30 a horrible migraine came on. The baby's hear beat was great so we kept trudging along. I told my nurse about the headache and she said maybe it was because I wasn't drinking much water. Of course I was on my second liter of saline by then and I was having really uncomfortable contractions every three minutes. She was a very kind old woman. Maybe close to 70. But she was a really terrible nurse. About 40 minutes after that I told her it was worse so she said she'd get me something for the pain. She came back with ONE Tylenol. I was expecting a Demerol shot in my IV or something. She kept saying these obscure reasons I had the headache. I'm pretty sure it was because I was getting ready to give birth and hadn't eaten anything since 7:30pm the night before!

Around 6pm Jerry noticed my epidural was getting a little low and he asked the nurse if the anesthesiologist would be back in to change it before it ran out or would they wait for it to run out. She said he'd be back in and she'd call him. 6:30 came and went with a few tears that I had yet to deliver. AND what's more - was still at 7.5! Jerry was amazing and encouraged me I would be done soon, the baby would be born and he would go get me sushi for dinner, or whatever I wanted. :)

at 7pm our nurse left and the new nurse came on. By then my body was so tired from these silly little contractions that I was pale and shaking. My headache was HORRIBLE, I felt like vomiting and I was all sorts of weepy. She examined me and said I hadn't changed. She called my Dr and checked my charts and was appalled to see my nurse had never turned my pitocin up. At all. It was still at 4%. All these machines were beeping and I told her how horrible my migraine was. She got me some beef broth, turned my pitocin up and let me settle into a sitting up position. The other nurse had said if I would sit up then the epidural would go into my butt. Don't ask me what that means because I have NO clue. lol. My shaking stopped and I felt in better spirits. She was so kind and brought me some juice. Then Jerry mentioned the epidural that had already been beeping for 20 minutes or so and she seemed surprised it was so low. She felt so sorry for me when she learned I had been in labor so long. They paged the drug guy and found him to be in surgery. Um... what about me?

Things progressed quickly from there. She turned up my pitocin every half an hour and I moved to a new position. Left side, right side, back, sitting up. The contractions were SO much worse. So painful. I tried to remind myself it's labor and I'm working towards my goal: eating dinner! :) Oh, I mean my baby! lol

And finally about 9:40 the anesthesiologist came in and replaced the epidural and watched me have a few contractions, which were now about 2 minutes apart and gave me 2 shots of morphine into my IV. He told me I'd be feeling absolutely nothing in about 10 minutes as he had given me a stronger epidural cocktail than the first time. I was happy with that until suddenly I felt her slide down to the very end of the birth canal and I told the nurse I'd be having her VERY soon. She checked me and in the 10 minutes since last being checked I was 100% effaced and dilated to 9.5. I was so thrilled but suddenly felt really dizzy. They put me on oxygen and I went into transition. We waited through 3 contractions with the nurse yelling the dr was going to miss it and to call someone else. Jerry and I were SO excited, we were finally getting somewhere and our baby would soon arrive!
The Dr. ran into the room and slid into his place and I pushed. 3 pushes, 2 contractions and she was out.

9:55pm 6lbs 8oz 19". my sweet little baby entered the world red faced and covered in vernix. :)

Go figure that the epidural kicked in after she was born which made it impossible for me to hold her very long. My arms were practically immobile.

My first impression of Lucy was 'tiny' and 'did she get into sour cream?'

I love pictures of my husband with our children. I love to see his tender side. My heart swells with love for him when I see his soft brown eyes moisten. He is such a tender Daddy.