June 21st

Dear Heath, 

    On Friday, your daddy, grandma Kelle, and I came to the hospital so that we could finally get to meet you! We arrived at the hospital around 6 in the morning. After I got settled into our birthing room, the medication to start my contractions was started. My nurse connected us to two monitors. One monitored your heart rate and one monitored my contractions. The nurse told me I was having contractions and I couldn’t even feel them. 

 Around 8 in the morning, my doctor broke my water, which felt very warm. Then around 10 in the morning, I started marching in place and bouncing on the birthing ball since my contractions weren’t painful. All of this movement and the medication really started making my contractions very painful. Dad gave me a lot of back, hip, and foot massages to help the contractions not feel so painful. He also marched in place with me and helped me bounce on the birthing ball. Dad kept my pitcher of water filled, so we wouldn’t get too thirsty. Around 11:30 my contractions started to occur every minute and the pain got to be so bad that I finally asked for an epidural. Finally, around noon, the anesthesiologist placed my epidural. It only hurt when he poked me with the numbing medicine. At first only my right leg went numb and I could feel a lot of pressure and pain down my left leg and left side of my abdomen, but then after rolling over from side to side a few times, I no longer felt any pain. Then I started feeling sad that I couldn’t feel pain and that you were still being squeezed by the contractions. When the nurse checked me, I was dilated to 5 or 6cm. Eventually, I fell asleep for about an hour. Around 1:30, the nurse checked me and I was dilated to a 10 and your head was a 2 plus station. Our nurse called my doctor. She said she would be up after seeing her patients at the clinic, but the doctor wanted me to start pushing. The first hour of pushing was really easy. I tried all types of pushing techniques (tug of war, kneeling, on my back, on my side, etc.). The nurse would only allow me to have my epidural basal dose and nothing else so after the first hour of pushing I could feel everything. During the second hour of pushing, I was very thirsty and hot, so dad got me a fan and kept giving me sips of water to drink. Grandma Kelle and dad counted as I pushed and reminded me of when to breathe. Grandma was worried I was pushing too hard when my face would get red and she could see my veins popping out of my forehead. Despite all of the pushing for so long, you never showed any signs of stress. It took so long to push you out since your head was so big. Every time I pushed, your head would crown, but once I took a breath, your head would disappear. My nurse kept telling me to "push through it," but I knew if I "pushed through it" I would break. Once my doctor arrived, she got things going to the point where I felt I could really push you out. Once my doctor arrived you were out in 15 minutes! At one point, I was in so much pain that I looked at your dad and told him he had to get you out now!!!! When my doctor said I only had 3 pushes left, I pushed 5 more times and out you came! Once you were born, you were put on my chest and I got to hold you. You were a little blue and purple. Your apgar scores were 8 and 9, which were only for your color (acrocyanosis).

The first time I got to hold you! I was a little surprised at how fast you came out and were on my chest in a flash!

Daddy had to take a peek!

You had so much vernix on you that the doctor thought you could have stayed in for a few more weeks! Imagine how big you would have been if you had stayed in any longer! 

 Once you were born the doctor's eyes widened. You were a lot bigger than any of us thought you would be. 

Right away I nursed you. You did such a good job nursing! You have such a tight latch. 

After nursing you, you were cleaned up by the nurses. Dad took lots of pictures and helped the nurses with everything they were doing to you. 

They gave you your shots and I started to cry because you were crying and there was nothing I could do to make you feel better. Grandma cried too.

The nurses had to take your blood sugar for the first 12 hours after you were born since you were such a big boy! You fit in size one diapers the minute you were born.

Daddy wouldn't leave your side!

 Finally, my epidural was taken out and I was given oral pain medicine. The first time I got out of bed to go to the bathroom after I had you, I nearly passed out, but daddy caught me! I ordered dinner and grandma went home to our house to make dinner for Uncle Carson. Your first visitors were our friends, Maggie, and her husband, Seth. It was so fun having visitors coo over how cute you were! Daddy dressed you in your first outfit, which was also the only one that I brought to the hospital that fit you! All of the other newborn outfits were too small! 

You have the best daddy in the world! He was in love with you the second he knew I was pregnant and he will forever love you!

Dad held you for a long time and bounced you on his chest. You loved being held by dad so much you fell asleep. Dad stayed the night with us. We woke up every time you made a noise. You spit up just a little bit and it scared me because you gagged on it. The doctor wasn’t worried about it in the morning when we talked to them about it. They thought it was amniotic fluid from the delivery. You slept a little bit the night you were born. Dad and I would guess you probably slept for about 4 hours, but you weren’t very fussy except when you were hungry :) You were very alert and I couldn't help but stare at you all night! Around 4am the nurses took you to the nursery for hearing testing, which really helped dad and I get some sleep. You would make little baby noises (moan, sigh, whimper, etc.) every once in a while. It was so cute! Daddy and I love you so much! Happy Birthday!