How long have I been waiting to write this blog????? Feels like we have been waiting forever for our little guy. Let me start by saying that he is way beyond what I ever imagined he would be. The whole experience was the hardest and most exciting I have ever had, and I can feel details slipping away already so I need to get this down for history. Here we go...
Thursday night we spent like every other night around here, hanging out with Trav and Ro. That night Ro and I spent trying to master Grandma D’s sugar cookies (the boys say they don’t compare) while the boys played NCAA football. I went to bed at my usual 1:30ish and Drake was still downstairs surfing the net. I woke up at about 2:15 with some bad cramps. Trying to fall back asleep I noticed the bed was a bit wet. One of the most annoying things for me in late pregnancy was my bladder getting crushed. I was annoyed, thinking I peed myself. I stood up and gasped as a lot more liquid came out. I waddled to the bathroom yelling down to Drake “I think my water broke.”
He came up and laid in bed with me for the next hour constantly asking me “what are you feeling”. I knew he was excited that this could be it, but I wasn’t sure what I was feeling and I didn’t want to get his hopes up. Were they real contractions? I had read that just because your water breaks it still can mean there is a lot of time ahead of you, and quite honestly I still wasn’t convinced I wasn’t peeing myself without knowing it. I didn’t want to go to the hospital if this wasn’t it. After about another hour of Drake timing my contractions I decided to call my mom and sister and see what they thought. My mom convinced me to go to the hospital, Drake was happy.
After Drake loaded the car I waddled out to get in, I was starting to feel much more uncomfortable. On our way there I realized I forgot all my hospital records and ID. Drake was annoyed “how do you remember your makeup and not your I.D.?” We arrived at the hospital at about 5 am (Drake mind you hadn’t slept and I was going on about an hour). We went up to the obstetrics Department to find an absolute ghost town. I sat down while Drake went to find some signs of life. He ended up asking a new mom where everyone was and she pointed us to a door. We knocked and out came 6 nurses who seriously looked like they had just woken up from a coma. I knew going in to this I was going to have to be very easy-going and trust that they knew what they were doing, but as they examined me and were talking to each other, and I didn’t have a clue what they were saying, I realized this part was going to be more challenging. Turns out my water did break, I was in labor and dilated to 2.
They took me to a room to wait for labor to get more intense. Here they told Drake to go home and get some sleep because it was going to be a while. I knew he wouldn’t leave me:) They convinced me to get an enema which was a great experience!!! Especially because the bathroom was way down the hall and didn’t have a toilet seat. While I was in there struggling with a bad contraction squatting over the toilet I began to realize this is really happening!
Once we knew labor was imminent Drake began trying to call our Dr., Dr. Gianni. We were most comfortable with him, he spoke pretty good english and he was my hook up to getting an epidural. He also wasn’t answering the phone.
Once I got back in the room I tried to get more comfortable by laying in bed. I looked over at Drake and knew he was already exhausted. I told him to come lay by me. A few nurses where in and out of the room and didn’t say anything about him laying down, but one particular nurse didn’t like it. She opened the door and started scolding Drake for laying in bed with me. “In Sassari husbands don’t lay in bed with wives.” Drake asked back “Why not?” She was annoying.
At about 8 am we were told that Gianni was on his way. This made us feel much better. At this point I was in some solid pain. Once Gianni arrived they had me get in a gown and go to the delivery room for my epidural. I was pretty nervous about this part, because I knew things could go wrong. I also was pretty nervous because literally I felt like we were a show for everyone to see. In Sassari, epidurals are rarely given, so all the nurses, interns, and some other fellow Dr’s came to watch. I laid on my side and held Drake’s hand and just told myself to focus on him. He seemed pretty calm, so that helped.
After the epidural things became somewhat easier. The anesthesiologist was constantly asking me how do you feel? And really I still felt bad contractions and I wasn’t sure if I was suppose to or not. Communicating that was a bit challenging. She spoke no english. Looking back I know she was trying to see how much medicine to give me. I really don’ think they gave me very much, because I was still feeling everything just a bit more dull.
Anyways after about an hour (an hour in which Drake took a nap, see picture below), they checked me again and I was surprised to hear I was at 7 cm. The midwife, Betty, got ready for me to start pushing a bit. He was still so high, I could feel him under my ribs. They wanted him to move down. They had me kneel over the bed and start pushing that way. Here, I started getting really hot and nauseous. In between pushes I told them I felt sick and started tossing my cookies. I was a mess. They lifted me back up and laid me on the table. I didn’t know it at the time, but the anesthesiologist gave me some meds to reverse the epidural.
I don’t know how much time passed but they decided to move me to another table that had handles so I had more leverage when I pushed (I don’t think they helped). Anyways Gianni was in the room now, and they were still talking about doing a C-section if he didn’t start moving down. Gianni told me he was going to help me push. They kept telling me I wasn’t pushing right, that annoyed me because I didn’t know there was a right way to push. At this point I was in hell. I was absolutely dreading every contraction that was coming, (and they were coming fast), because I knew I had to push and I knew Gianni was going to be pushing with his forearm on my stomach. Every time I had to push Drake would be talking in my ear telling me I could do it, that I was a warrior, and that I was doing good:) I honestly didn’t think he was coming out. After each contraction I would look at Gianni’s face for some reassurance, but he never had it. This went on for about 40 minutes I guess. Finally when they thought I couldn’t handle it anymore, they gave me some more epidural. Gianni said he was coming. I just wanted him out and pushed with everything I had in me. As I fell back on the bed Drake said he could see the top of his head. He really was coming. This gave me some motivation. After the next contraction his head was out. One more good push Gianni said. As I leaned forward I saw his tiny little body fall out. I was in shock. He started crying right away and they put him on my chest. It was the most unbelievable feeling. I was holding my little boy. He was beautiful.
They let me hold him for about 5 minutes and than they were off with him to the nursery. Drake got to go along and they let him help out. Pretty incredibly Ro, Trav, and Jenny Binetti had just arrived as they took him to the nursery. I am so happy they were there.
Back in the delivery room, things were not going too well for me. The effects of the epidural had hit me again and I got sick, but afterwards I felt pretty good, exhausted but pretty good. They wheeled me out into the hall and I got to see the visitors. Both Ro and Jenny were boo hooing telling me he was perfect, I wanted him back, but had to wait two hours while they tended to him.
The next three days were spent in the hospital. They were also Christmas. Every day Ro and Trav, Jenny and Tony would come to spread some Christmas cheer. I will forever be grateful to them for being such a great support for us while we were away from home and family. Ro fed me well, the hospital food was TERRIBLE and it really felt like I had my sisters with me. I think the delivery took a lot out of Drake. He was a zombie while we were in the hospital, but I think we are beginning to feel more and more like ourselves.
Now that we are home it is a bit scary I have to say. We are going through more diapers than I would have ever expected (29 in 2 days). He poops nonstop and I have literally been peed on everyday. He is eating good, and sleeping a lot, although he is most alert starting at midnight, go figure. He is the best thing ever, and I really am loving every minute with him. Drake is so helpful and taking over diaper duty.
So there you have it. We are so unbelievably blessed to have him be apart of our family. I can’t imagine life without him. We love him more than I ever could have imagined loving another human being! And he is just so cute. Look for yourself:)
