Dane's story

Disclaimer: This post is extremely long with lots of boring details, but this is the only form of journaling I have I want to remember the details. Also, my brain has turned to mush so please excuse any and all grammatical errors. Plus I don't have time to proof read this mile long entry (I need to go nurse Dane and I want to eat again before I do), so if it doesn't make sense, you know why.

This is our story the weekend our little Dane was born:

Friday: went to Discovery Museum (parking lot) and to Corte Madera with Addi, Max and Jack (see previous posts).

Friday night picnic:
We have a tradition in our little family where Friday nights are picnic nights. We have pizza and watch a movie on a blanket in our family room. Audrey loves being able to sit on the ground and watch a movie. The week before Dane was due, I decided to go on a TV hiatus...I knew she would be watching plenty once he was born so the whole week before she didn't watch any. We ate our pizza and then made cookies instead of watching a movie.

On Saturday we went to the East Bay to celebrate Aunt Ritz's bday (of which I sadly have no pictures). Before we left, Dave packed the hospital bag while I bathed Audrey just in case I went into labor while in the East Bay. I didn't think I would, but that way we would be prepared. That way we could go straight to the hospital. He just put the essentials (camera, video camera, toothbrush, disinfectant wipes...I know I am OCD about the cleanliness) in a suitcase and off we went to the East Bay. We played Bocce ball and then I came home to put Audrey down for a nap. My nesting instincts kicked in again, and instead of napping (which looking back I should have done) I cleaned out the car. Vacuumed, dusted, the whole sha-bang. Then Dave and I went to test drive mini vans. I know, I know, we are that family who wants a mini van. That night we came home and went to bed. I remember having two contractions and on the third one I looked at the clock. It was 10:55 pm. I was basically up the rest of the night with contractions. At first I thought it was indigestion, but then I had a contraction and the pain started in my lower back and radiated all the way through my body and out my finger tips and I knew I was in labor. I woke up Dave and told him our baby was coming tonight. We were both a little nervous about the timing. The following week Dave had two tests, a project and a practical. Before I went to bed I had talked to my friend Rocia and she told me the wives tale about how once you pack your hospital bag you go into labor. I told Dave this and he said, "Well good thing I didn't pack everything". I agreed and seriously thought that since everything wasn't packed my labor was going to reverse itself and I could get some sleep. Oh the contrary. We called the advise nurse (Dave called, I couldn't talk through contractions) at 3 am and she said to wait until the contractions were every five minutes to come in. I felt like a first time mom. With Audrey, my water broke before I had any contractions so I went right to the hospital. With Dane, my water hadn't even broke yet so I had no idea what to expect. Finally, finally after many many hours of not sleeping and contractions every nine minutes we started calling family around 7:30 am and told them the exciting news. Audrey woke up around 8:30 am and we had a nice family breakfast together. It was fun to eat one last meal as our little family of three. By this time, contractions were about every seven minutes, and I would go into the bathroom when I had one so Audrey wouldn't see me in pain. Dave would come with me and push really hard on my lower back. That was the only thing that would help with the back labor pain. We had a yummy breakfast and I basically stuffed my face with waffles with peanut butter,and English muffins with lots of cream cheese because I knew once we got to the hospital there would be no food for me until our baby was born and I hate being hungry. I love the memory of the three of us at our kitchen table. It was a beautiful Sunday morning and the sun was coming through our window. Audrey was being such a sweet girl and was excited when I told her Brother was going to come that day. After breakfast, Dave got Audrey ready for Church. I usually paint Audrey's fingernails on Sunday mornings, and my sweet husband did the honors that morning. Regan and Joel came to pick her up and take her to Church (my mom met them at Church and took Audrey pack to her house). I had a melt down as Audrey left. She was my little girl, my baby, and I off to the hospital to have a new one. I know it sounds so lame, but I honestly felt so sad to see her go. Our lives were changing, and she was so oblivious as to what was happening to the world she knew. She saw me crying and kept asking if I was sad, and I just told her that these were happy tears.

After she left I went into her room and sat on the rocking chair and just cried. My poor husband came in and took one look at his horomally challenged, forty week pregnant, humongous wife and said exactly what I needed to hear..."We aren't trading kids, we are getting a new one." And with that we packed up and we off to the hospital. It was our lucky day because we found a parking spot on the street close to the hospital! Unheard of. We arrived at noon and got all situated.

I was dilated to a four and 80% effaced. They wanted to slow down my labor so I could receive the four hours of antibiotics I needed (I was GSB positive). They told me I couldn't get out of the bed until 3:30 pm, and then at 3:30 they would give me pitocin and then at 4:00 they would break my water. I wanted to go as long as I could without the epidural, but the only thing that made the pain bearable was walking and being able to stand and Dave put pressure on my lower back. 99% of the pain I felt was in my lower back and the thought of sitting in a bed for three and half hours made me want to die. Plus I had been up all night and was exhausted. They took me upstairs and at 2:30pm I received the epidural and then made phone calls to family and friends. Dave slept, and I tried to, but I could still feel the pain on the right side of my back so I couldn't’t sleep. At 3:30 they gave me pitocin and then at 4:30 the Dr broke my water.

Meanwhile, Dave and I are just hanging out and Dave is being champion superstar husband. The Dr came back at 5:25 pm and told me I was ready to start pushing. The nurse set everything up and at 5:30 I started to push. I got the shakes really badly and I couldn't’t stop shaking. My jaw was jittering like crazy. They gave me so oxygen which seemed to help and I remember thinking that the oxygen smelled like lavender, which I appreciated. About four minutes into the pushing the Dr told me that this was a really big baby, that the cord was wrapped around his neck, that his heart rate was dropping dramatically and that I had to do all I could to push this baby out as fast as I could. Mother bear instincts kicked in and I pushed for all I was worth. He was born at 5:38 pm…eight minutes after I started pushing. The Dr had to cut the cord before he was all the way out and when she did blood sprayed all over my face and on Dave's shirt. The nurse kept telling me, "It's okay...he's your own flesh and blood, don't let this freak you out." I didn't care one bit. The Dr held him up and I feel madly in love. I was pretty emotional. I looked up at Dave and he was teary eyed as well. They laid him on my stomach for just a second and then whisked him away and called for backup because he wasn’t breathing and was blue. Dave rushed over to be with him and I just laid there (obviously). After a few minutes they let me hold him, and I was so amazed that he was ours. I couldn’t believe how much I loved him.

After a few seconds he started to turn blue again so off he went for more suctioning. Then they weighed him (I was thinking high eights and was totally surprised by my 9 pound, 5 oz baby),

measured him, gave him his shots and then he was all mine. I nursed him for the first time, and then snuggled with my new son. My parents brought Audrey to meet her new brother.

She liked the baby, but didn’t really care for me. I think it was scary for her to see me in the hospital bed like that. The first thing she said to Dane was, “Hhhhiiiiiiii!!!!” She was pretty cute. Her new brother bought her a present that she was excited about (a Cinderella computer).

Then the rest of the family came to meet its newest member and Dave and I were so proud of our little man.

It was a great day. We came home from the hospital on that following Tuesday night and life has been crazy and very good ever since. I am truly blessed.

Fun facts about Dane's day of birth:
*I delievered on my actual due date, which supposedly only 3% of women do
*I had him on Day Light Savings Day so all the clocks in the hospital were off.