As you know, I had a scheduled C-Section for February 22, 2012. After 1 scare that put us in Labor & Delivery we weren't sure if I would make it to our "scheduled" day. IF there is anything we have learned from past experience it's that all things happen on God's time NOT our time.
After the scare, my mom decided she better pack her bags and get here on Thursday, February 16th. She didn't want to be making a mad dash to get here like she had to with the twins and she wanted to be able to help us prepare for our new arrival. She was such a blessing helping us getting everything in order and finalized as well as cooking and helping with the twins. I have to say the last few days, I wasn't much fun to be around...I was ready to pop and had aches and pains coming from places I won't go into ;o)
Cody's parents were able to come down after work on Tuesday, February 21st so that they would be able to meet their grandbaby as soon as she arrived. Tuesday night was a long one for me. Cody and I went to bed at 11 o'clock but I had too much on my mind to sleep...I perused Facebook, Pinterest, Blogs etc...and the clock slowly ticked away. I started noticing that I was having really painful contractions about every 5 minutes, I chalked it up to be worked up about the baby coming and just stress in general. At around 1:00 am, I woke Cody up and told him about my contractions...just to give him a heads up, I also made him watch some of our shows on DVR. I couldn't sleep and laying there worrying about contractions alone wasn't how I wanted to spend my next 4 hours. My husband is wonderful though and he sat up with me without complaint and helped pass the time.
Around 2:30 am, I got up to take a warm bath and then I got back into bed. I fell hard asleep around 3 am. I don't know what it is about sleep, but you always seem to fall into the deepest sleep minutes away from having to wake up. Cody sweetly woke me up at 4:30 and we got ready to leave.
We checked in at the hospital at 5:00 am and I met my OR nurse. She was awesome and a breath of fresh air early in the morning. I will admit I was pretty nervous. Everything happened so quickly with the twins that I didn't really have time to think. If you know me, you know I'm a worrier and a thinker so having days to await this arrival was hard for me! They started my IV, I filled out paperwork and we met the anesthesiologist who was a complete trip (imagine totally laid back hippy-esque type that might have been cast in Dazed & Confused). Cody said "Geez, if he was any more laid back he would be asleep". Upon meeting my husband while I was changing into my oh-so sexy hospital gown (see below), Dr. C introduced himself as my "candy man"... Silly doctor.
Here is Cody & I right before they wheeled me into the OR to have my spinal placed by the candy man (ha ha):
They took me back to the OR..the familiar look of nurses prepping and everyone getting ready in a super chilly room all came back to me. Dr. G called and said he was 12 minutes out, the Anesthesiologist aka "Dr. Candy" said he would "take his time" and have my spinal placed when he arrived and that's where things started taking a term for the less than desirable. They had me straddle the table and lean forward pressing my lower back out so that he could place the spinal. After a couple of tries...meaning a couple of numbing shots and needle sticks in different vertebrae he couldn't find a sweet spot. He tried and tried until Dr. G arrived. They discussed and he tried again...yes that would be needle stick number 3 my friends. Now a spinal doesn't HURT, but it certainly isn't comfortable and I was ready for that "you can't feel a thing moment". Dr. G, who is a VERY big man...finally said "Sarah, Grab my Arm" as he placed it on the table between my legs. I gripped his wrist and he pushed on my stomach as hard as possible to press my lower spinal column towards the candy man..on try Numero 4 my spinal was placed.
So Dr. Candy..told me to tell him if I felt any nausea from the epidural. I didn't feel any nausea with the twins, so I wasn't expecting any this time. However, almost immediately I felt super nauseated. I told him and he gave me some medicine, but it didn't help. They ended up tilting the table to the left so that I was leaning on my left side and I was able to get a little relief. Cody was then brought into the room on my right side. Every time I would try to look over at him I would get extremely nauseated so I had to look the other direction. Dr. Candy asked how I was feeling and I told him my face felt really weird and I was then informed it was because I was hyperventilating and if I didn't slow my breathing I was going to pass out. I didn't even realize it! So I started to slow my breathing down, which made me feel like I was breathing SOOO SLOWLY.
This time the procedure felt like it took so much longer than it did with the twins. Maybe it was because it was planned and not a rush thing, but I felt like I was in the OR forever. Dr. Goff told me that he was about to pull out Miss Ridley. He said "She has a big head. She has big shoulders. We have a 9 pounder I guarantee it". When Miss Ridley was out she let the entire world know...the ENTIRE time they were weighing her etc...she was screaming. The nursing staff was just laughing at this point, because she was soo mad. I was able to look over at her and the scales for a few moments, before I became too nauseated to have my head turned. Miss Ridley weighed 9lbs 8oz & was 21" long and we were worried she may not be getting enough nutrients due to my single vessel cord, HA!
Beautiful Baby Girl all 9lbs 8oz
Proud Poppa!
Meeting Miss Ridley face to face
Our First Moment Together
I was having hard time breathing at this point and Dr. Candy asked how I was feeling. At this point, I was starting to feel like whiner...like everything was going wrong. I told him my nose was extremely stopped up and I was having a hard time breathing. He then informs me it is because I was losing too much blood so they had to give me shot to stop the bleeding, that shot in turn stops up your nose, "guess you're not a mouth breather"...Dr. Candy was now a comedian. :o) They ended up having to give me more medicine for nausea because my blood pressure kept plummeting and once I was finally all stitched up I started feeling better and they were ready to wheel me to recovery.
It was such a sweet moment as they handed me the baby and Cody walked beside the bed as the took me back to my room. As we left the OR my mom and Cody's parents were standing there waiting to meet us and it was such a blessing to see them all. We didn't get this moment with the twins, since everyone was traveling hard and heavy to arrive. They stopped and let them take pictures and see the baby for a brief moment and I will cherish that sweet moment forever.
In recovery, I had to lay flat on my back for over an hour due to the loss of blood, because every time the bed was elevated I would become extremely nauseated. Only Cody was allowed in the room with Ridley and I, until I was starting to feel better.
The pregnancy was so much different than with the twins, so I should have expected the delivery to be the same. Irregardless, I love the differences because each of my children have such a unique story about how they arrived in our arms each of them spiked with just enough drama to make it interesting but each filled with enough love to make it a happily ever after. So yes, there were a lot more complications this time around, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Would I do it again...In a heartbeat ♥.
So there you have it...a month later but still fresh on my memory. I'm glad to get to share it with you and let you have a peak into one of the most special moments of our lives. God is Good!
Meeting Family in Recovery
Getting Ready to Go Home!
