The day 2 became 3

Thursday, September 9th, 2010 I walked into my doctor's office for my 40 week check up. My due date was the next day, and I was already 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. 

My doctor looked at me and said "You're still pregnant? We'll schedule you for an induction tomorrow morning."

This being my first baby and not really knowing much about all of this, I complied. I don't resent my doctor for his decision, although looking back I think it may have come from me being so close to going into active labor and he not wanting to deliver over the weekend. 

However, knowing when I was going to have this baby was actually a relief. We lived 30 minutes from the hospital and having never given birth, it was kind of nice to have a plan of action. So he called the hospital and scheduled me for an induction the very next morning at 7 am. I remember leaving the appointment and calling Jake to say "Hey guess what, we're having a baby tomorrow!"

That night we sat and talked about the next day. We were excited, but there was also a sadness. This was, essentially, the death of our time together as just the two of us. We would not get time like this together for a minimum of 18-20 years assuming we only had one child. I wasn't ready to give it up, although I had no choice. The thought of being a mother also terrified me. All of those factors mixed with pregnancy hormones had me crying at dinner and left Jake to try to comfort his crazy wife.

By the next morning, those fears were replaced with excitement and anticipation. This was the day we were going to meet our sweet little boy! We drove to the hospital in a giddy state of nervousness. We checked in and taken to the room. The hospital we delivered at had very nice suites for delivery and you stayed in them through recovery. It felt very peaceful and relaxing.

They stuck the IV in my wrist and asked me if I wanted an epidural. I said "no" and that I wanted to deliver without any drugs. The nurse then looked compassionately concerned and told me to just let her know if I changed my mind as she started my petocin. 

She knew what I didn't know:  that although an induced childbirth was faster, it was far more painful then if your body did things on it's own.

I was about to learn that.

I remember feeling my first contraction. I held my stomach and said aloud "Oh wow, so that's a contraction!" It didn't hurt, it just felt like my entire stomach tensed up. 

Then the next one came only two short minutes later.

And that DID hurt.

"Oh...OH! This hurts!!"

Jake and my mom held my hands and told me to breathe through it.

The contractions came every two minutes, hard and painful for the next hour. Then they came every minute. Then they started to couple together, which means I didn't get that 30 seconds to a minute between two of them. I was breathing in the only Lamaze technique I had taken the time to learn, and it managed to help me through my contractions but I was in the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. 

My sweet nurse asked me if I wanted Stadol (sp?) and I said yes. It made me fall into a light sleep, although I could still feel the pain of the contractions, just not as strong.

I had those horribly painful contractions for 4 hours before I was dilated enough to push. When they told me I was at 10 cm, I was so excited. My body had been telling me for 30 minutes that it was time to push. 

So, then began the pushing. 

I pushed and pushed and pushed for over an hour. I guess Kaiden was content where he was, because he didn't seem to want to come out.
My doctor showed up as Kaiden was crowning. He then took over and made the decision that I needed an episiotomy. I saw him giving the shots of general anesthesia and wondered what he was doing. Jake would later tell me that watching him make the incision would be the most disgusting thing he has ever witnessed.

Even with that episiotomy, Kaiden's head was so big he still needed to be vacuumed out.

And then, at 3:45pm our sweet little Kaiden was born weighing 9 lbs 6 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. 

He was beautiful, and I fell instantly in love.

I, however was not beautiful. Sure, it's typical for women to look sweaty and tired and have disheveled hair after giving birth...but I looked like a raccoon. You see, I don't like to go anywhere without makeup on. This philosophy would become more laid back with two children, but at the time, I felt I had to wear eyeliner and mascara to go to a hospital full of doctors and nurses who have seen far worse than my face with out makeup. After all, that is the only proper way to welcome a child into the world. NO ONE told me or thought to wipe my eyes when my make up was running. Yeah, better believe Jake is STILL in trouble for that one.

But I have a confession, as they were cleaning him off, I just kept thinking about food. I was STARVING. All of the work to push that kid out and the last thing I had eaten were french toast sticks from Burger King at 6:30 that morning. Jake had cheesecake left over from the lunch they brought him, and I demanded it be put into my hands. I'm pretty sure it only took me 10 seconds to eat it.  I had finished by the time they were done and my new little angel was placed into my arms.

I remember feeling complete awe. This little baby was mine. I was a mom and Jake was a dad. Two kids who had a kid. I snuggled my nose against his soft little cheek and silently promised him we would always do whatever we could to take care of him and make him happy.

And that is how our little Kaiden Marshall came into the world.