Kate's Story

Here we are, 6 days after my little Kate decided she was ready to make her first appearance in this world. I am still down for the count. Sadly, I have a spinal leak from my epidural that is forcing me to stay laying down except to go to the bathroom. Hopefully this leak will heal on its own in the next 2 weeks... or so the doctors say. I'm still waiting. But, in the mean time, I am laying on an air mattress in front of my lap top so I can get online and tell all of my dedicated readers Kate's birth story. It may not be all that exciting to everyone else, I might be more doing this for my own memory, but here it is anyway!

It all started Dec. 9th:

I decided I was sick of being uncomfortable. I called my good friend Bri and asked her if she wanted to have a day at the mall to encourage my labor to start. I had no idea how effective that day of walking would really be! I guess wishful thinking really works sometimes! I got home from the shopping adventure at 2ish, and took a nap. I then woke up with some painful cramps at 3. I started watching the clock and had these cramps every 10 minutes for the next several hours. The rest is pretty normal labor story. I timed contractions ALL day and ALL night. By 5am on the 10th my contractions were killing me, but still 10 minutes apart. I decided I was sick of watching the clock and wanted a doctor to look at me and make sure everything was ok. SO I woke up the hubby and headed to the hospital. We were both expecting them to tell me I was a wimp and send me home to tough out the first stage of labor, but when the doctor checked to see how dialated I was, I was a 6! My contractions didnt get closer together till the VERY end of labor. I guess that is good for me to remember the next time I do this (which may in fact be a VERY long time from now!). So they checked me into a room and tried 5 times to get an IV started. I look like someone beat me up now! Anyway, IV finally in, they asked if I wanted an epidural. I was so exhausted from not sleeping that I caved.

So in comes the epidural man... this is the only interesting part! He looked young to me, and I was really hurting and tired....so I started to get him to talk as much as I could. I asked him how long he has been doing this procedure and he nervously asnwered 6 months...then quickly assured me that he had done plenty though. I laughed and told him that I wasn't worried at all and promised him he would soon be one of my best friends! Oh the irony! So he does the epidural the first time. I thought he was done.... then he asks the nurse to page his supervisor. He did it wrong and needed help to fix it. I wasn't worried at this point... it was just another needle stick. So in comes his supervisor, and walks the first guy through how to fix the mistake. They tell me not to move at all-- and I don't, untill they hit a nerve that makes my whole body jump without my permission! Scared the crap out of me! Finally they get the stinking thing in there right and they exit. Im feeling sweet medicated relief. The doc breaks my water to speed things along, and says she will see me soon. So Jon and I get to take a nap for maybe 2 hours. But then I started throwing up. Yes... it isnt enough that I threw up ALL 9 months of pregnancy, I threw up at least 6 times during labor. I dont get how... all I had in me was ice chips! Ok enough complaining... moving on!

Long story short, I stayed at an 8 for over 6 hours! Way too long if you ask me! But then finally Im aloud to push. I didn't know it was possible to feel so exhausted. Seriously delivery was a total out of body experience for me....It all seemed to pass in a haze that was from being so tired. But out comes a perfect little girl 2 hours later. The cord was wrapped around her neck, and they had me breathing oxygen cause her breathing was struggling at the end... so that freaked me out to say the least, but everything worked out fine. She came out and I felt so happy! Oh and seeing Jon hold her and talk to her for the fist time: my favorite memory of my husband in my entire life. Every time he is with her I melt!

So I continued to throw up a few times after she was born, and I had a migrane and my ears were ringing. That is how we found out (the LAST day we were at the hospital) that I have this beautiful spinal leak. The doctors told me to drink as much caffiene as possible and wait it out... I've never been hopped up on this much Mountain Dew ever!

Wow Im writing alot. But Kate is a perfect baby! She eats great, and mostly sleeps great, and is the cutest baby on the planet! If I could get my spinal leak to heal everything would be flawless! It makes it hard to be a first time mom when you have to change diapers laying down....grrr! Im trying to be patient! My mom and Jon have been making everything so much easier on me though, Im so blessed! So thats my long story. If you are still reading....Im sorry. lol.

So here is a funny picture to reward you for reading this far!