This is the story of the grand entrance of Thatcher Ace Robeson into the world....
Friday April 29th- Jimmy and I went to our last doctor's visit. It was our 40 week appointment. When I scheduled the appointment I honestly had no intention of going to it because I was convinced (as was everyone in our family) that Thatch would have hatched by then. We learned after many mile walks with my mom, laps around the mall hours on end, eating loads of dessert, and even a trip to the hospital before I was in painful true labor, that nothing I could do would make Thatch hatch early. I even toyed with the idea of drinking castor oil, but after reading many people's horror stories on the internet, I decided that was not the route I wanted to go. I would just wait it out and go to the doctor to see what good old doctor McNeely would say.
Dr. McNeely was just as surprised as Jimmy and I were to see us at the appointment. He was very sweet and told us that we could either wait and let the little man come out on his own time or he would induce us since he would be at the hospital on Sunday May 1st. Jimmy and I both jumped at the option of being induced! We wanted to meet Thatcher so bad and Lisa was already in town and Scott was on his way, so we really wanted to have a baby that weekend. May 1st is Katie's birthday so we said Thatch and his Auntie Katie could share the special day. That did mean though that Grandpa had to cancel his trip to D.C that he had been planning for a while... he agreed it was well worth canceling! So we left our doctor's appointment extremely excited that we knew for a fact that we would be meeting our son on Sunday! We went to my mom's house and hung out with Lisa, watched the Royal Wedding and made plans for bagels, laying out and shaved ice on Saturday. Finally, I did not have to try to make Thatcher come out...he would be here soon enough!
Saturday April 30th- 2:30 a.m. I woke up in extreme pain. I got up to go to the bathroom and then tried to fall back asleep but nothing I did could make me comfortable. After a few minutes, I tapped Jimmy on the arm, told him I was in a lot of pain and it was different pain than I had had before. I told him perhaps I was in labor. I decided to hop in the bath to see if my pain would go away. It did not. I bounced on my birth ball...still in pain. I did this for about an hour and a half (on occasion stopping to eat a rice krispie treat). Finally, Jimmy and I decided if by 5 o'clock my pain had not stopped that we would go to the hospital. I was a little nervous because we had been sent home once already for not being in true labor and I did not want to be sent home again. At 5:00 a.m. we decided to go ahead and go into the hospital. Jimmy called and let them know we would be on our way. The car had been packed since our false labor trip (over a week earlier) so we just hopped in and headed off. We called my parents and sister to let them know we were on our way and that we would keep them posted. We were so giddy and nervous and excited all at once so we decided to blast the music in the car and sing our hearts out!!!
5:30 a.m- We arrived at the hospital and walked right into labor and delivery. We checked in at the nurses station and a nurse took us to a room to check my dilation. Sadly, when she checked me I was still at a 1.5 cm (which I had been at for a few weeks). I was shocked and bummed because I was pretty sure that meant we would be sent home. The nurse asked us if we wanted to do laps around the hospital to see if I would dilate more. We said yes, and were told to walk for an hour. Over that hour my contractions were getting worse. It was pretty painful to the point where I would stop walking to breathe through them. After an hour we went back into our room to get checked. I was at 2cm. Only a 2?! I was pretty discouraged. The nurse said I would most likely be sent home and to come back if the pain got worse, but that she would leave it up to the new nurse and midwife who were coming in on the new shift. Discouraged we sat there waiting. We thought they may just say they would induce us because I was supposed to come back the next day. The new nurse and midwife came in and let us know we had 3 options. One, we could go home and come back when the pain got worse, two I could get a shot of pain killers and go home, or three I could get a "tranquilizer" (as the midwife called it) and stay at the hospital another hour, resting, to see if when my body relaxed it would dilate more. We chose the third option (there was no way I wanted to go home!). I was then hooked up to an IV and given some medicine that made me VERY sleepy. I really don't remember the next hour. I fell asleep and only remember Jimmy telling me he would be right back. The nurse came to wake me up and the midwife then checked me. I was at 3 cm!! That meant I was in active labor and could be checked in!!
10:30 a.m- I was moved into a labor and delivery room. My family arrived right about then to check in on us. I was still pretty sleepy, but I was beginning to feel my contractions again. Every time I would have one I would stop breathing and hold my breath (not at all what you are supposed to do!) About 45 minutes after being moved into our own room I was in so much pain so I asked when I could get an epidural. To my surprise they said in 10 minutes if I wanted. Of course I said yes! I then got my epidural (it actually was not bad). About a half hour after that the midwife broke my water. I asked if they thought doctor McNeely would make it to deliver Thatcher. They were not sure because it was his off day but that the midwife would deliver Thatch if he couldn't be there. I was totally fine with that because I really liked her. Shortly after they broke my water I fell asleep. I was so so sleepy. I slept from about noon to 3:30 or so.
3:30 p.m- Betsy our nurse told me they were most likely going to put me on pitocin because I had been at 5 cm for a while now and they wanted to speed up my delivery. I said that it was totally fine with me. A few minutes later Betsy came back and let me know that I would not be getting pitocin because with every contraction Thatch's heartbeat would drop a little. This went on for a little while and so they decided to put a monitor on his head to monitor him more closely. They were not sure why his heartbeat was dropping but that it could be because his cord could be wrapped around his neck. Another doctor came in and told me they were all "watching me like a hawk" and that if I did not make progress in an hour or two they would have to do a c-section. She then checked me and I was at 7 cm, which was a good sign! It seemed totally possible to progress to 10 cm in two hours. I kept going in and out a sleep until about 4:30. I could feel my contractions more and more. The midwife checked me and I was at 9.5 cm. The midwife was shocked that in 45 minutes I progressed from 5 cm- 9.5 cm! I told her I had the urge to push. She had me to a test push and immediately told me to stop because Thatcher was about to come out. It was about 4:50 p.m. at this point. She called for all of the nurses from the nursery to come in case Thatch's cord was around his neck. She asked me if I could wait to push until 5:00 p.m.. I told her no, so the nurses came right over. There was about 7 ladies in the room waiting for Thatcher to make sure he was ok. During my next contraction I pushed 3 times and his head came out. I then pushed two times through my next contraction and he was out!! Thank the Dear Lord, his cord was NOT around his neck! He was perfect, safe and healthy! As they put his warm little body on me the chaos of the room faded. All of the extra nurses left. It was just Jimmy and I, our nurse and the midwife (oh and Thatcher of course). I was in shock. I could not believe he was here so quickly!! I was so in love. Jimmy and I were both crying and laughing. He was so adorable. His little cry and his little/big hands and feet! The nurse weighed and measured him. Thatcher Ace Robeson was born at 5:00 p.m weighing 7 pounds 1 ounce... 21 inches long!
What happened after his birth is kind of a big blur to me. I have never felt so much love before in my life. Words can not express how I felt holding and smooching his soft skin. We were so in love! Now, 4 weeks later, we are so much more in love. Thatcher has changed my life. I can say without a doubt in my mind that raising this little man is what I was made to do.
So now...without further ado, Thatcher Ace Robeson!
Friday April 29th- Jimmy and I went to our last doctor's visit. It was our 40 week appointment. When I scheduled the appointment I honestly had no intention of going to it because I was convinced (as was everyone in our family) that Thatch would have hatched by then. We learned after many mile walks with my mom, laps around the mall hours on end, eating loads of dessert, and even a trip to the hospital before I was in painful true labor, that nothing I could do would make Thatch hatch early. I even toyed with the idea of drinking castor oil, but after reading many people's horror stories on the internet, I decided that was not the route I wanted to go. I would just wait it out and go to the doctor to see what good old doctor McNeely would say.
Dr. McNeely was just as surprised as Jimmy and I were to see us at the appointment. He was very sweet and told us that we could either wait and let the little man come out on his own time or he would induce us since he would be at the hospital on Sunday May 1st. Jimmy and I both jumped at the option of being induced! We wanted to meet Thatcher so bad and Lisa was already in town and Scott was on his way, so we really wanted to have a baby that weekend. May 1st is Katie's birthday so we said Thatch and his Auntie Katie could share the special day. That did mean though that Grandpa had to cancel his trip to D.C that he had been planning for a while... he agreed it was well worth canceling! So we left our doctor's appointment extremely excited that we knew for a fact that we would be meeting our son on Sunday! We went to my mom's house and hung out with Lisa, watched the Royal Wedding and made plans for bagels, laying out and shaved ice on Saturday. Finally, I did not have to try to make Thatcher come out...he would be here soon enough!
Saturday April 30th- 2:30 a.m. I woke up in extreme pain. I got up to go to the bathroom and then tried to fall back asleep but nothing I did could make me comfortable. After a few minutes, I tapped Jimmy on the arm, told him I was in a lot of pain and it was different pain than I had had before. I told him perhaps I was in labor. I decided to hop in the bath to see if my pain would go away. It did not. I bounced on my birth ball...still in pain. I did this for about an hour and a half (on occasion stopping to eat a rice krispie treat). Finally, Jimmy and I decided if by 5 o'clock my pain had not stopped that we would go to the hospital. I was a little nervous because we had been sent home once already for not being in true labor and I did not want to be sent home again. At 5:00 a.m. we decided to go ahead and go into the hospital. Jimmy called and let them know we would be on our way. The car had been packed since our false labor trip (over a week earlier) so we just hopped in and headed off. We called my parents and sister to let them know we were on our way and that we would keep them posted. We were so giddy and nervous and excited all at once so we decided to blast the music in the car and sing our hearts out!!!
5:30 a.m- We arrived at the hospital and walked right into labor and delivery. We checked in at the nurses station and a nurse took us to a room to check my dilation. Sadly, when she checked me I was still at a 1.5 cm (which I had been at for a few weeks). I was shocked and bummed because I was pretty sure that meant we would be sent home. The nurse asked us if we wanted to do laps around the hospital to see if I would dilate more. We said yes, and were told to walk for an hour. Over that hour my contractions were getting worse. It was pretty painful to the point where I would stop walking to breathe through them. After an hour we went back into our room to get checked. I was at 2cm. Only a 2?! I was pretty discouraged. The nurse said I would most likely be sent home and to come back if the pain got worse, but that she would leave it up to the new nurse and midwife who were coming in on the new shift. Discouraged we sat there waiting. We thought they may just say they would induce us because I was supposed to come back the next day. The new nurse and midwife came in and let us know we had 3 options. One, we could go home and come back when the pain got worse, two I could get a shot of pain killers and go home, or three I could get a "tranquilizer" (as the midwife called it) and stay at the hospital another hour, resting, to see if when my body relaxed it would dilate more. We chose the third option (there was no way I wanted to go home!). I was then hooked up to an IV and given some medicine that made me VERY sleepy. I really don't remember the next hour. I fell asleep and only remember Jimmy telling me he would be right back. The nurse came to wake me up and the midwife then checked me. I was at 3 cm!! That meant I was in active labor and could be checked in!!
10:30 a.m- I was moved into a labor and delivery room. My family arrived right about then to check in on us. I was still pretty sleepy, but I was beginning to feel my contractions again. Every time I would have one I would stop breathing and hold my breath (not at all what you are supposed to do!) About 45 minutes after being moved into our own room I was in so much pain so I asked when I could get an epidural. To my surprise they said in 10 minutes if I wanted. Of course I said yes! I then got my epidural (it actually was not bad). About a half hour after that the midwife broke my water. I asked if they thought doctor McNeely would make it to deliver Thatcher. They were not sure because it was his off day but that the midwife would deliver Thatch if he couldn't be there. I was totally fine with that because I really liked her. Shortly after they broke my water I fell asleep. I was so so sleepy. I slept from about noon to 3:30 or so.
3:30 p.m- Betsy our nurse told me they were most likely going to put me on pitocin because I had been at 5 cm for a while now and they wanted to speed up my delivery. I said that it was totally fine with me. A few minutes later Betsy came back and let me know that I would not be getting pitocin because with every contraction Thatch's heartbeat would drop a little. This went on for a little while and so they decided to put a monitor on his head to monitor him more closely. They were not sure why his heartbeat was dropping but that it could be because his cord could be wrapped around his neck. Another doctor came in and told me they were all "watching me like a hawk" and that if I did not make progress in an hour or two they would have to do a c-section. She then checked me and I was at 7 cm, which was a good sign! It seemed totally possible to progress to 10 cm in two hours. I kept going in and out a sleep until about 4:30. I could feel my contractions more and more. The midwife checked me and I was at 9.5 cm. The midwife was shocked that in 45 minutes I progressed from 5 cm- 9.5 cm! I told her I had the urge to push. She had me to a test push and immediately told me to stop because Thatcher was about to come out. It was about 4:50 p.m. at this point. She called for all of the nurses from the nursery to come in case Thatch's cord was around his neck. She asked me if I could wait to push until 5:00 p.m.. I told her no, so the nurses came right over. There was about 7 ladies in the room waiting for Thatcher to make sure he was ok. During my next contraction I pushed 3 times and his head came out. I then pushed two times through my next contraction and he was out!! Thank the Dear Lord, his cord was NOT around his neck! He was perfect, safe and healthy! As they put his warm little body on me the chaos of the room faded. All of the extra nurses left. It was just Jimmy and I, our nurse and the midwife (oh and Thatcher of course). I was in shock. I could not believe he was here so quickly!! I was so in love. Jimmy and I were both crying and laughing. He was so adorable. His little cry and his little/big hands and feet! The nurse weighed and measured him. Thatcher Ace Robeson was born at 5:00 p.m weighing 7 pounds 1 ounce... 21 inches long!
What happened after his birth is kind of a big blur to me. I have never felt so much love before in my life. Words can not express how I felt holding and smooching his soft skin. We were so in love! Now, 4 weeks later, we are so much more in love. Thatcher has changed my life. I can say without a doubt in my mind that raising this little man is what I was made to do.
So now...without further ado, Thatcher Ace Robeson!
AHHH! so so excited to see the blog updated! totally teared up reading the birth story... SO unbelievably happy for you guys!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to see your updated blog too!! We are so happy for your little family :) I meant to text too that we got thatch's card in the mail and he is so stinkin cute!! Thatch was almost exactly the same size as Lexi, she was born at 5:02pm 7 lbs 1 ounce but only 20 1/4 inches :) We can't wait till we can meet him!!
ReplyDeleteI love you Thatcher Ace Robeson! Emili, thanks for blogging all of this! Such a precious moment for you and Jimmy... PS, this blog is definitely considered a 21st century baby book! How fun this will be for Thatch to look back on and read when he is older! Love you guys!
ReplyDelete