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| Last picture of me pregnant.... probably about 4 hours before HY was born |
So the moment we’ve all been waiting for…the arrival of our baby. We were all ready and waiting, seeing as though this little munchkin made the arrival SIX days late…but who’s counting, right?
Well it all started around 3 a.m. on February 8th. I woke up in the middle of the night with what felt like period cramps. Huh…I wonder what this is? Went to the bathroom…you know, since I was already upJ Then I decided to search online as to my symptoms to see what the “gypsies” (aka…BabyCenter) had to say. Some people said, yes, you could have the baby SOON…or it could still take awhile. humpf. So back to bed I went. I woke up at 615 and took Lexi on a walk…and these “cramps” would come and go. So, being the confused momma that I was, I decided to text my trusty sister-in-laws… “do contractions feel like period cramps?”…which then was returned with texts/phone calls “YES!!!!!!!!!! WHATS GOING ON!?!!? ARE YOU HAVING CONTRACTIONS?? HOW FAR APART ARE THEY!?!?” and yes…they YELLED ALL those questionsJ so after their recommendation, I decided to call the nurse advisor line to ask their opinion…should I go to the hospital? Should I get checked? etc. They ended up setting up an appt for 930 to go get checked by the midwife at the clinic in Onalaska. So I called into work and bummed around with my hubby and puppy….thinking, this might be it…the last time it’s just the three of us. Weird. Lexi was very confused, she could tell something was up…why isn’t mom going to work? Where are they taking these bags? etc.
so, we packed up the car, incase (fingers crossed) we weren’t going to be coming back home. As hoped, the dr. checked me and I was 5 cm dilated and 95% effaced and felt confident that we were going to be having a baby that day!! So we made the trip to la crosseJ it was a very surreal car ride. I called momma Gillman to see if she had any plans for the day…her and pops were VERY ready to drop everything and make the trek up to la crosseJ
We arrived at La Crosse and were sent to our room…oh boy. I was given a beautiful gown and that was my outfit for the next 7-8 hours. Contractions were bearable for the most part for the first few hours. The nurse discussed our game plan, I expressed that I wanted to try to do this without any drugs…and that was the last we ever discussed the work “drugs” or “epidural”. We started out by doing, what I like to call, “hot laps” around the L&D area. Don’t get that term confused with how we refer to them when LEXI does “hot laps” I definitely was NOT going that quicklyJ heheh But we made a few trips around chatting about life. We ran into our friends Mike and Jackie in the waiting room, who were there visiting their precious molly who was staying in the NICU and was born 13 days earlier then our special baby. It was a pleasant surprise. As contractions started to get more intense where I could comfortable walk, I decided to try to use the tub. And THAT is where I sat for the next two hours. The would monitor me and the baby every ½ hour or so…and their ‘water doppler’ didn’t work that graet, so they asked if I could get out of the tub around 430 or so…so I reluctantly agreed. At this point contractions were tough. Most of the time I would be completely silet…and for some reason this is when hunter thought was best to ask me questions and try to converse…..when I LEAST wanted toJ By the time I got out of the tub, they checked me, and I was 9 cm! GAME ON!! here goes nothing. I had an AMAZING nurse. There was also a student from viterbo observing our labor. This was her first labor (hopefully I didn’t traumatize herJ). Between my nurse and my midwife, they were awesome cheerleaders. Hunter was more of a silent/sometimes vocal cheerleader…but primarily my nurse/midwife were VERY motivational, yelling at me, telling me how great I was doing, etc. Now I cannot imagine doing it without them.
Approximately 10 minutes before our budle of joy was born he/she decided to poop, so that threw a wrench in our game plan. Prenatal doctors/nurses were on standby to come check on the baby AS SOON as he/she was born. So they notified us, that the baby would be able to go skin to skin VERY briefly before cutting the umbilical cord and then going to be checked. The rest of the delivery was a blur. My nurse said that she was done with work at 7…and I told her, she wasn’t going anywhere until this baby was born! I was getting a little sassy/feisty by this pointJ Lucky for her, our baby was born 10 minutes after that commentJ
Our lil stinker butt also surprised the midwife, by TURNING at the last second. SO our baby was born, as the refer to it, “sunny side up”. Man…that was an amazing feeling…the moment our baby was born and having the pain disappear and the love INSTANTLY appear. Placing that baby on my chest, I cried immediately, followed by looking at my husband and saying…we did it….our baby is here….and smiled uncontrollably from ear to ear. Hunter cut the umbilical cord, and the took the baby to check to make sure he/she didn’t swallow any meconium (for some reason I can NOT remember that word for the life of me). As I lay there, I realize….is our baby a boy or girl. I ask Hunter, he says, oh my, I don’t know!? so we ask again…no one answers…..we ask AGAIN….no one answers. Now I realize they are very busy checking to make sure everything is good with baby….but SERIOSULY…we’ve been waiting for TEN months to find out the gender…finally….probably after a minute…someone finally answered….”It’s a Boy!!”
The surprise…wow. I can’t.believe.it’s.a.boy. EVERYONE thought this baby was going to be a little girl. Although I always thought it was going to be a boy….i was still shocked. just shocked. And THAT, my friends….is the day that Hunter Wayne Young Jr. was born.
The BEST day of my life….
One of the most exciting things was that I was able to do this without any drugs. Honestly, I was proud of myself. I was so scared of that process and what I was going to do, and how I was going to handle the pain. As silly as it sounds, I forgot I had the option. The nurse/midwife NEVER asked if I wanted drugs (besides the initial discussion when we got there)…so I was never reminded of the option. They said sweet things like “You’re such a good pusher”, “Youre so close” “You’re the poster child for natural childbirth”. Now, I kind of think they tell everyone that! J But I’ll take it, because at that moment, I thought I ROCKEDJ ha. I did it!
The next surprise…as they gave hunter his first bath, and got him all pretty (man, you should have seen the shape of the poor guys head when he first came out!! HOLY CRAP! ha), they then weighed him…..8 lbs….13 oz. *JAW DROP* WHAT!?!?!??! NO WAY!! Big lil man! J
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| Hunter Wayne Young, Jr. 8 lbs. 13 oz. |
Hunter Junior was full of surprises….1) he was a boy 2) He was huge. I always say, I did have way too many brownies and ice cream the last two weeks of my pregnancy. I am taking that mental note for baby #2….i don’t want another ALMOST 9 pounder…yikesJ
I feel like I am missing tons from the day….if I remember anything, I’ll add it laterJ Until then….
