Baby Emma - A Timeline

Tuesday, June 7

2:30 PM - I have an ob appointment. I've mentioned that my ob was heading on an Alaskan cruise and was scheduled to return two days before my due date, right? He squeezed me in for one last appointment. His exam found me 1cm dilated and still very high. The verdict. As long as I don't go into labor, the plan is to induce on June 20th. One day past my due date. I leave the office with a renewed sense to take it easy until then. Famous last words.

Wednesday, June 8

We have a busy day ahead of us, but I still think to myself, "after today, we are taking it easy."

8:30 AM - Noah has his four-year well checkup. It is with a new pediatrician, and I really like him. So, four vaccines and a growth/height check later, we are out the door. Noah weighs in at 45.5 pounds and measures 43.5 inches. He is holding steady in the 96% for both height and weight.

9:45 AM - Noah has swim lessons at 11:30, so per his request, we head to the "jellybean" store (aka Homegoods) to kill some time. After that, a quick stop at the AT&T store for Daddy's father's day gift.

11:35 AM - We are running late for swim, so we have to do a quick change in the car. Swim is a huge success, and Noah floats on his back for his teacher Ms. Sarah.

12:15 PM - Our next stop is OT. No time for lunch, so we stop at a drive-thru Starbucks for a bottled water, venti cup of ice, and a cake pop and apple juice for Noah.

1:05 PM - We make it to OT, and I finally sit and put my feet up. I start to feel a bit achy, and all I want is to go home and rest.

2:35 PM - At this point, I am starting to have some cramping. I realize that Noah and I haven't eaten lunch yet, so I pick up something from Panera Bread.

3:00 PM - We are finally home, and I set up Noah in front of the TV with Jack's Big Music Show and his peanut butter and jelly. I open up my Baby Bump app, and start timing contractions.

3:00 - 5:00 PM - Spend the entire time on the couch timing contractions.

5:30 PM - I finally inform Dean that something's happening, and he should probably come home. I forward him my contraction history. Nothing like sending hubby into a panic.

7:00 PM - Dean gets home and gets Noah into bed. I decide to take a hot bath. I call my good friend, Judi to inform her she may be my "phone a friend," in case I go into the hospital. I call the on call ob, who doesn't seem to think it's labor.

10:00 PM - Contractions are getting more painful and closer together, and I make the call to go in to the hospital.

10:30 PM - Judi comes over to stay with Noah, and Dean and I head to the hospital. The contractions are definitely getting closer together, and by the time we hits the streets of the med center my pain level is like a 8. Just in case you haven't experienced it or have forgotten, let me tell/remind you, labor hurts!

11:15 PM - We make it up to labor and delivery, and the nurse checks me. Five centimeters. I'm pretty sure the drive down University helped to speed along the process. I get put in a room and the process of running labs, getting hooked up to monitors, and starting an IV begins. All of the above must be done before I get my epidural, which by this point I am begging for.

Thursday, June 9
Somewhere between 12:00 AM-1:30 AM - My contractions are coming two minutes apart. Still no epidural. The nurse thinks things are moving pretty quickly, and starts bringing in blankets and the baby warmer. There is no way I'm doing this without an epidural... I'm pretty sure I say out loud. Having been there done that, Dean has already gotten the memo, "don't touch me," but my nice 25-year old nurse did not. At one point, I had to inform her that, "Jaime, I really like you, but you are seriously going to have to stop touching me." She did.

1:15 PM - Pre-epidural, the front desk calls our room. "Mr. C, the emergency room is calling. Can you please come move your vehicle?" What?!? It was supposed to have been valeted. We don't even have the keys. We still have no idea why we were forgotten by the valet for over two hours, but apparently, it was taken care of.

1:30 PM - Finally, my hero, the anesthesiologist comes in and gives me my epidural. I think my deep sigh of relief is heard throughout the hospital. At this point, I am fully dilated, but still pretty high. They start some IV antibiotics since I tested positive for GBS. The whole process of administering the antibiotics takes about four hours, so Dean and I are sitting, waiting, resting, praying until about 5:30 AM.

5:30 AM - OB comes in to break my water and get things moving. More waiting for baby to descend a bit. What the OB/nurses refer to as "laboring down."

7:00 AM - Shift change. Not only do I get a new doctor, but I get a new nurse. We've spent a good part of 8 hours, telling everyone who came in and out of the room what we felt went wrong with Noah's birth multiple times, and now we had fresh crew who got us (ok, me) at my worst. Tired, scared and a little weepy. The veteran nurse, Audrey, who came on in the morning, just patted my head and said, "sleep." Making it clear that she was not participating in my hysterics. Exactly what I needed.

8:30 AM - Ready to push. The doctor came in several times during the initial pushing to make sure I was going to be able to do this. She felt confident and upped our excitement by informing me she saw a full head of dark hair. Awwh... I love a baby with a head full of hair.

9:44 AM - And, after an hour and 15 minutes, baby girl is finally born weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measuring 20.25 inches long.