Our Family of Four!

I started writing this entry last week while I sat in my hospital bed and finally finished it today – as Sam turns one week old. I never knew it would grow to be this long. But I wrote it not only for you, but for me. I don’t have all of these memories written down from Daniel’s birth. So, on this computer screen lies just about as much of the complete story as I can remember – ALL the details!

You have been warned!

I hope you “enjoy” reading about the birth of Samuel Andrew Emmitt!

Tuesday, May 5^th at my regular OB appointment (39 weeks and 3 days), he checked my progress and told me that I was 2 cm, stretchable to 3 cm and 70% effaced. He stripped my membranes and sent me home with an appointment for 1:30 pm on May 6^th.

Andy and I were very excited!! We ran some errands and then took Daniel to Andy’s church league softball game. I wasn’t really having any contractions, was just kind of crampy. I decided to get on the elliptical (since it was Biggest Loser night and I did that throughout my whole pregnancy) and got in 20 minutes – which was 10 minutes shorter than I usually did, but I had already walked a mile that morning with Daniel J. I stretched for a while (again something I did the whole pregnancy) and we decided to go to bed. We did use one more labor inducing technique, but I am not going to share those details J. Sam is going to be so embarrassed when he reads this some day! We went to sleep kind of sad, since we were sure that something should have been happening. I wasn’t even crampy any more when I closed my eyes at 11:30 pm.

I woke up with severe pains at 12:30 am. I went to the bathroom and had 4 BMs in 30 minutes, and was really cramping up. I decided to take a shower. Once I was out of the shower, the pains finally started to come and go – weren’t just constant anymore. I knew they were “real” contractions, something I never felt with Daniel.

We decided it was time to call the doctor – around 1:30 am. He had told me that he wanted me to call if I was having contractions 10 minutes apart – didn’t want me to be in painful labor, because he wanted to monitor my previous c-section scar. Well, the contractions were now about 3 – 4 minutes apart and getting more painful. I still wasn’t positive that it was active labor because between contractions I felt fine. I didn’t even let Andy take the bags into the hospital with us. I didn’t want to be embarrassed walking out of the hospital with them if it was false labor.

We arrived at Triage and they hooked me up to the monitors. Once I was lying down on my back, the contractions started coming a lot harder and faster. There was a scare with the baby’s heart rate and the room was filled with nurses and another doctor. They made me get up on all fours on the bed to move the baby’s position and tried to put in an IV in my arm while I was in that position (didn’t work…) but the baby’s heart rate went back to normal. They kept me on my side from that point forward.

I was soon moved to a labor room and I asked “are we here to stay?” Yes! I was 4cm and 80% effaced and it was time to see my OB. He came in and said he was going to break my water so that he could put in internal monitors for my contraction sizes and the baby’s heart rate – to keep a closer eye on them.

As a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) patient, the biggest risk is uterine rupture. The chance of it happening is around 1%, but if it does, it could be fatal to baby and/or mom. I knew the risks, but I also knew the risks with a repeat c-section and had my heart set on the VBAC. That’s why I exercised this whole pregnancy and switched doctors and hospitals.

My OB recommended me getting an epidural, in case of the need to do an emergency c-section. While pregnant, I really want to try going all natural, since I partially blamed my first c-section on the fact that my epidural was horrible and I couldn’t feel anything when it came time to push.

I caved as soon as it was offered once my water was broke. Give me the epi! I warned the anesthesiologist that the last time it took 4 pokes and it was never set right. He laughed it off, and went to work. It took him two tries. I even told him at one point that I could hear water in my head (I was so scared). I ended up with what they call a “heavy block” and was completely numb from the top of my tummy down. I didn’t complain this time, because at least I couldn’t feel the contractions. But they ended up turning it off almost immediately. Weird thing was, even though it was turned off, the feeling to my legs did not return. The feeling didn’t come back until they removed it completely.

Things were moving very fast though. I think it was around 5:30 am that the epi doctor came back and decided to try one more time. I don’t really remember how I felt after he placed it. I remember him saying “I’ll be back in two hours to check on you.” At that point, Andy decided to go to the car and get the bags. The hospital is currently under construction and he got lost on the way back up! He was gone for about a half hour. In that time, my OB came back to check on me and said I was at 9 cm!! I was so excited and mentally preparing myself to push. Even the nurse was explaining the process to me!

The OB stayed close by though and said that he noticed the baby’s heart rate was going down briefly after every contraction. Then he looked down into my catheter bag and saw blood… He asked where Andy was… He watched one more contraction on the monitor and said we have to do a c-section. I started crying, Andy walked in the room. He asked if I could try pushing and the doctor said “absolutely not.” I cried harder. He started to explain all the reasons why the heart rate could be going down and why there was blood. I just kept crying. I cried the whole way to the operating room. I cried the whole time they prepped me. They finally gave me the gas mask to calm me down. Instead of “calming down,” I saw the black and white pinwheel from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which turned all white and my last thought was that I had died.

SO when I came to – still very loopy – the first thing I said to Andy was, “I thought I was dead!” He laughed at me and then next thing I did was start to freak out about coming to! I was under general anesthetic for Daniel’s c-section, so I never felt anything. Coming to and starting to “feel” things during a c-section is scary!! I was worried that I was going to start feeling pain, along with feeling the medical instruments lying on top of me. The anesthesiologist promised me that I wouldn’t.

It was at 7:46 am that I heard the OB say, “It’s a boy! And he is TALL!” They briefly held him over the curtain and then brought him to the warmer. Andy ran over there and said, “Beth look!” I turned my head and said, “Oh my goodness, he looks like Daniel!” And that was my first thought – he looked just like his brother! It seemed to take a long time for them to put me back together. I was still really loopy and started to feel nauseous. One of the docs told me I would feel a little sick when they put my uterus back in me. That freaked me out, I never knew they took it out! Andy took a ton of pictures over the blue curtain – I won’t even look at them!!

We did not find out the gender previous to baby’s birth, but I was convinced it was a girl. During one of my ultrasounds, I could have sworn the tech said “and there’s HER femur.” I was wrong! Andy turned to me and asked me what his name was. In my loopy haze I said, “Samuel Andrew!” It was the only name we had ever considered for a boy.

We finally ended up in recovery. I was there for about two hours. My incision was really sore, even with the pain meds. After what seemed like forever, they finally gave me morphine to help me feel better. They had been pumping IV fluids in me since I arrived at the hospital, and kept me on them for another 24 hours. I was nervous about swelling like I did last time, but it never ended up to be that bad.

The Emmitt grandparents had arrived right after Samuel was born and the Kilgore grandparents soon after them. He was 7 lbs 11 oz and 21 ½ inches long! He has a 14 cm head circumference and really long feet. And as he grew minutes older, he started to look more and more like Andy! Gone is that instant reaction that he looks like Daniel. He is definitely an Emmitt and his Daddy’s little mini man.

Of course, we spent a lot of time comparing the two boys. Daniel had dark black hair, dark brown eyes and was covered in brown fuzzy body hair the day he was born. Sam has lighter colored hair, blue-gray eyes and his eye lashes, eye brows and fuzz are blond. And just as he was inside my belly – he is a mover! He doesn’t like to be still and you have to hold him with two hands at all times. His favorite position is being all bunched up on your shoulder. Sam has incredibly long nail beds and his feet are the longest baby feet you will ever see!

The rest of Wednesday was busy with family coming to visit, including big brother Daniel. I was very well medicated, so the pain wasn’t bad. Both Andy and I were exhausted though – we hadn’t slept in 24 hours. Oh – so do you want to know what the first meal they brought to me, just 5 hours following my c-section???? BAKED COD FISH and green beans?!?! It stunk up the whole room. I spent the next few days eating some pretty gross food, but mainly focused on fruits to get the old “system’ working. And it did – with the help of gas pills and softeners – by Friday things were moving!

Samuel began nursing like a champ. It has been a wonderful experience – much better than having to pump in my milk! My milk actually came in Thursday night. I was told that I was lucky, because most c-section moms don’t get their milk until they go home. I don’t think it is luck – it is God!

Thursday morning began at 5:30 am. Why they send in the guy to draw blood at that hour, I do not understand. Three more pokes in my arm and he finally found some! A half hour later a doctor came in to look at my incision. He did a nice job of ripping off chunks of skin while removing the bandage. I also had my catheter removed and started taking short trips out of bed and around the room. Thursday morning, Daniel and Nama and Bopa came back to visit. As did Shana and Sam’s future Best Friend, Colin! Great Aunt Darla also came by. Thursday afternoon we didn’t have any visitors, and I got to spend some great one on one time with my new little boy. Thursday night Great Grandma came to visit. We also got a great night of sleep, since we had Sam go to the nursery between feedings.

Friday was really nice and quiet as well. I finally had the IV taken out of my hand and was able to take a shower – pure heaven! A suggestion to anyone facing a c-section in the future – ask for a chair for the shower. I sat in there for 20 minutes. It was wonderful! Aunt Sarah visited and I tried walking the halls a few times. I was feeling a lot better already. Friday night Granny and Papa’s friends, Mark & Rose came by, as did Aunt Lisa and Doug. That night we kept Sam in our room and got a few hours of sleep.

Sam had a little bit of jaundice, but his levels started going down the day we came home. He had lost those few ounces that all newborns lose, but was back up to 7 lbs 7 oz the day we left.

We were finally discharged on Saturday afternoon, following Sam’s circumcision – ouch! I also had my 22 staples removed. My recovery is going very well. This being my second section, I worked with the nurses and doctors to make sure that all of those horrible things that happened in my first “recovery” did not happen again. I am currently praying that I will not have any issues with infection and would appreciate similar prayers! The thing that bugs me the worst right now are all the areas where the doctors ripped off my skin when they pulled my bandage off!

One thing I highly recommend to all pregnant women is EXERCISE!! I was a couch potato during my first pregnancy and sure that had a lot to do with my recovery. This time I was determined to stay “in shape” – ha J I did a yoga/Pilates class once a week from 14 weeks pregnant all the way to 38 weeks. I also did 3 – 5 days a week of either the elliptical or walking. I just feel so much better this time and believe that all the exercise definitely helped. However, I got on the scale when we got home and was the EXACT SAME weight I was on Tuesday at the doctor’s office!! What the heck? They took almost an 8 lb baby out of me?! I was told it was from all the fluids I was given. I started having the “night sweats” though, and am hoping it will shed soon! I do still have quite the postpartum belly though!! And am very glad that it isn’t quite swim suit season!! I’m still pretty sore, but only taking a couple Ibuprofen a day.

Daniel spent the weekend at Nama and Bopa’s house and had tons of fun with his cousins! When Aunt Kate dropped him off on Sunday, we couldn’t believe how big he was. He is climbing on any piece of furniture he can get up on! He and I are having a tough time with the fact that I can’t pick him up. I cried last night when Andy was putting him to bed, because he was reaching out for me L

Even though he hasn’t been home more than 24 hours with us, it has been a challenge. Sam seems so easy, but Daniel overwhelms me. It was like we left him last Wednesday morning and he was still our baby and just a little boy. Now he’s so big and getting in to so much trouble! Andy looked at me tonight and said, “is he two yet?!” I’m not sure if he is acting out against the changes at home or if he was just easier to deal with when it was just him and I could actually pick him up.

Our first night home was tough, but night two went great. I’m sure we’ll have a lot of both types in the months to come. Andy is a wonderful Dad and has changed 99% of the diapers – now of two boys!

It is nothing like it was with Daniel though – there is no set three hour schedule. There are no tubes or oxygen tanks in the house. It is so much more relaxed and fun. We love both of our boys and would go through it all again to have them, but praise God for all we have been blessed with!

Thank you all very much for your support and prayers!

God’s presence has been evident in this pregnancy since conception. Sam was brought into our lives at the exact time we needed a second child. It wasn’t our timing, that is for sure.

God was also with us during the delivery. Two days after he was born, my OB came by to check on me. He asked me if I had heard him talking during the c-section. As I have previously said, I was really loopy. He told me that my previous scar was tearing from the inside out and that Sam’s head was covered in blood from my uterus. If he had allowed me to get to 10 cm and push, it could have been fatal for one or both of us.

Again – He knows the plans He has for us!!