Yesterday was the fourth birthday of my Mercinator! I can't believe how the time flies. :)
So, following with "tradition" - a condensed version of her birth story:
Mercedes was due April 11, 2006. As I have mentioned, my body doesn't kick in by itself near the due date... I have to wait. Since Merce is baby 5, my doctor and I had this figured out and a couple weeks from the due date she asks me if I want to set an induction date. I asked for Friday the 14th as in 2006 that was Good Friday. As you may have noticed, Brandy was born on Good Friday. I thought it would be cool to have two children born on Good Friday. But, the hospital was allowing any bookings for that day. Ok, so that leaves me with the option of the 13th or A L L the way to Monday the 17th. I am at 38 weeks, waddling around, huge, uncomfortable, and ready to have this baby already, I chose the earlier date.
I went into the hospital for my scheduled induction. Of course I don't get hooked up to the pitocin right away. I'm not worried. I have fairly fast labors (except Josh). Around noon things finally start happening. I'm walking around and bouncing on the birthing ball. I'm really doing great. I was handling the pain well, laughing with Steve and the doula about the gallons upon gallons of "water" that I have lost. I think we went through at least 50 towels mopping up after me. Fast forward to a little after 2pm. I'm still doing well, but the contractions are on top of each other. I'm in transition. I have chosen to not use any meds with this one. Something I only regretted during transition and "the moment."
At 2:10 Steve says he is going to leave. Yes you read that right, he is going to leave me just as things are coming to a head - literally. You can't blame him though. Brandy was to get out of school at 2:35 and someone needed to be home to meet the bus. I really didn't want Steve to leave and asked (read: screamed through the panic and pain) him to call my friend Susan. Susan, the dear, sweet woman that she is, left her job to go pick up my Brandy. (Thankfully she has a flexible job, she is the secretary at the church we attended at the time.) While Steve was talking to her, I was having a little problem with er, um, control. I was letting out some very primal screams - hey it felt good to have complete control of SOMETHING, even if it was just my voice. Mercedes was born at 2:19pm weighing in at 8 lbs 13.5 oz. I stress the .5 because she was only half a pound bigger than Jessi, but it I sure felt every bit of that - could it be the no meds?
Because Susan heard me yelling, she felt it best that she not bring Brandy right away. She took her for a treat before bringing her up to meet her baby sister. I was getting a bit impatient, and anxious, I mean, what if something went wrong and Brandy was sitting at the house all by herself? But, they did come up together, carrying balloons and smiles.
Through the pregnancy I was sure Merce was a boy. Part of that was due to simply wanting another boy, but... that girl sure could kick. She is still my tomboy. She doesn't like anything girly and is by far my most active girl, she might be my most active overall. She can be trying at times (can't they all) and she is loud! But she is also a RIOT! And she has a heart of gold. I am truly blessed. :)
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Birthday Brandy!
I am a couple days late in this post as Brandy and I had a mom and daughter weekend to celebrate her birthday. I posted about Jessi's birth, now I will do the same for Brandy. :)
Our first little baby was due 4-5-1999. After a little disagreement with the doctor (she thought that baby 1 was due 3-28-1999, based solely on lmp... I knew when O was.) and an ultrasound, she agreed that the due date was indeed 4-5. You know, it felt like such an accomplishment to be right in the beginning of the pregnancy, but near the end, I was wishing her dates were the correct ones.
I had an easy, breezy pregnancy. Really. I had my last check up on March 31st. I guess my bp was elevated, for me... the only doc I had that paid attention to "normal for me" vs "in the normal range." She had me lay on my left side for what seemed like an eternity, but was really just 20 minutes. She said she wanted to induce me. Steve was out of town on a frac job and wasn't expected back until the 2nd. We agreed that I would go in on the 1st for some "prep." And on the 2nd I would get hooked up to the pitocin. I went in for the prep, stayed hooked up to baby monitoring machines for 4 long and boring hours and was allowed to go home. I was having some minor contractions but was told that was normal and to go rest and come back in the morning. About an hour later the contractions were on top of each other, coming about 1.5 minutes apart. Steve called the hospital. They said it was false labor and to get some rest. I was pacing the bedroom, moaning and hollering, Smokey, our cat, was sitting in the edge of the doorway watching me. He had a deer in the headlights look and you could tell he wanted to be anywhere but there, but he also didn't want to leave me. Steve was sitting in our bed - his look identical to Smoke's but without the fur. :) Steve looked helpless. I felt helpless. I guess we were a good pair. I walked and yelled, he sat looking terrified. After going to the bathroom for about the 1,000th time, Steve freaked out. Apparently, there was blood everywhere. He said he was taking me to the hospital and we weren't leaving until there was a baby in my arms. I honestly don't remember there being blood. I was in a total fog of pain. We had talked to the nurses at least 3 times and they kept telling me to get some rest. I was sure that if this wasn't real labor I was going to die the next day, and even if I didn't die, there would be no more children.
The drive to the hospital was funny. We had to drive all of about 8 blocks. The whole time I am yelling at Steve to slow down. Every bump was excruciating. He couldn't help but laugh because of all those movies and tv shows with the couple racing to the hospital.
We walked into the hospital and got the "you should be resting for tomorrow bit." Steve told them that there was blood all over the bathroom and we were staying. They took me into a labor room and checked. I had gone from nothing to 9cm in less than 2hrs. The doc was called. It took over an hour for her to get there, during which time the nurse kept telling me not to push. By the time the doc got there I was exhausted, and inexperienced. It took 2 hours of pushing to bring my beautiful, little girl into the world. She was a whopping 7 lbs, even. When you know my mom's history (smallest babe 9lbs 2 oz) you know I was surprised to have such a little baby. I was moved to a recovery room and Steve went home. Yah, even with no other little ones to care for, he went home to sleep. No company for me in the hospital.
I'd love to say that nursing started off great. But, we had an inexperienced mommy and an inexperienced baby. We eventually got it figured out, but it took weeks before we were easy and comfortable with it.
This is kind of a special year as Brandy was born on Good Friday. This is the first year since that her birthday has fallen on Good Friday again. We just figured out when her birthday falls on Easter... if the calculator we were using is correct, it will be the year she turns 57. It seems that her birthday and Easter being the same day will be a once in a lifetime event. LOL.
Our first little baby was due 4-5-1999. After a little disagreement with the doctor (she thought that baby 1 was due 3-28-1999, based solely on lmp... I knew when O was.) and an ultrasound, she agreed that the due date was indeed 4-5. You know, it felt like such an accomplishment to be right in the beginning of the pregnancy, but near the end, I was wishing her dates were the correct ones.
I had an easy, breezy pregnancy. Really. I had my last check up on March 31st. I guess my bp was elevated, for me... the only doc I had that paid attention to "normal for me" vs "in the normal range." She had me lay on my left side for what seemed like an eternity, but was really just 20 minutes. She said she wanted to induce me. Steve was out of town on a frac job and wasn't expected back until the 2nd. We agreed that I would go in on the 1st for some "prep." And on the 2nd I would get hooked up to the pitocin. I went in for the prep, stayed hooked up to baby monitoring machines for 4 long and boring hours and was allowed to go home. I was having some minor contractions but was told that was normal and to go rest and come back in the morning. About an hour later the contractions were on top of each other, coming about 1.5 minutes apart. Steve called the hospital. They said it was false labor and to get some rest. I was pacing the bedroom, moaning and hollering, Smokey, our cat, was sitting in the edge of the doorway watching me. He had a deer in the headlights look and you could tell he wanted to be anywhere but there, but he also didn't want to leave me. Steve was sitting in our bed - his look identical to Smoke's but without the fur. :) Steve looked helpless. I felt helpless. I guess we were a good pair. I walked and yelled, he sat looking terrified. After going to the bathroom for about the 1,000th time, Steve freaked out. Apparently, there was blood everywhere. He said he was taking me to the hospital and we weren't leaving until there was a baby in my arms. I honestly don't remember there being blood. I was in a total fog of pain. We had talked to the nurses at least 3 times and they kept telling me to get some rest. I was sure that if this wasn't real labor I was going to die the next day, and even if I didn't die, there would be no more children.
The drive to the hospital was funny. We had to drive all of about 8 blocks. The whole time I am yelling at Steve to slow down. Every bump was excruciating. He couldn't help but laugh because of all those movies and tv shows with the couple racing to the hospital.
We walked into the hospital and got the "you should be resting for tomorrow bit." Steve told them that there was blood all over the bathroom and we were staying. They took me into a labor room and checked. I had gone from nothing to 9cm in less than 2hrs. The doc was called. It took over an hour for her to get there, during which time the nurse kept telling me not to push. By the time the doc got there I was exhausted, and inexperienced. It took 2 hours of pushing to bring my beautiful, little girl into the world. She was a whopping 7 lbs, even. When you know my mom's history (smallest babe 9lbs 2 oz) you know I was surprised to have such a little baby. I was moved to a recovery room and Steve went home. Yah, even with no other little ones to care for, he went home to sleep. No company for me in the hospital.
I'd love to say that nursing started off great. But, we had an inexperienced mommy and an inexperienced baby. We eventually got it figured out, but it took weeks before we were easy and comfortable with it.
This is kind of a special year as Brandy was born on Good Friday. This is the first year since that her birthday has fallen on Good Friday again. We just figured out when her birthday falls on Easter... if the calculator we were using is correct, it will be the year she turns 57. It seems that her birthday and Easter being the same day will be a once in a lifetime event. LOL.
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