Isaac Is Here!

Oh what a Valentine's Day we had! I made Chasen a nice picnic lunch (which we ate on the back patio, because I was far too pregnant to even think of sitting on the ground - it would have taken a crane to get me back up). Then we went to a movie. Afterwards I took my traditional nap. When I woke, long story short, my water broke! It was 5:25 PM. Boy did I feel like a rock star because apparently only 15-25% of women's water breaks on its own. I thought "Oh good - smooth sailing, here we come!" (famous last words)

So after calling the hospital and getting showered (which was a waste of good water, come to find out), we left for Memphis (like a 25 minute commute from home to our hospital).

Off I go, baby book in hand! (for footprints, people!) Lisa had come to get Maggie-dog the house guest.

I got checked in, and was assessed in a small exam room. My water had indeed broken.

Here I am, before getting the IV (yuck!) Still looking OK and feeling OK (pain 5 on a scale of 1-10 when contractions would hit)

Then we went to the birthing room.

Contractions were now at about an 8 of 10, because I was actually dilating fairly rapidly (again, naively thinking I am a rock star). Here I am pre-epidural. Chasen HAD to rub my lower back at every contraction.

Getting the epidural certainly made me wince. Not fun! But soooooo worth it. I honestly do not know how women give birth without drugs. Kudos to them!

It was probably 10 PM by now. At 12:45 the doc-on-call (not MY doc, but at least the head of the practice) told the nurses to give me pitocin. Fine, whatever. Let's get the show on the road! I thought it'd just be any minute now. Wrong!

It still took from 12:45 to 6:30 AM for me to go from 3 cm dilated to 10 cm. I tried to rest, but I was just too excited/anxious. The magical epidural kept me pain-free until right before 10 cm.

This is where it gets ugly. Real ugly! Right before 10 cm is when the sort of "rectal pressure" starts, apparently. It was just awful. But you know what was worse? Pushing. Oh. My. Lord. So help me, Isaac will be an only child like me! I had to push for 45 minutes, which they all said was waaaay fast for a first-time mom, but it was AWFUL. TERRIBLE. NIGHTMARISH. Do you know why? Two reasons: First, Isaac was "sunny side up," meaning his face was up, and aparently most babies are born facing the floor. That makes for a wide angle. Second, since he was so "head down" for so long, he little head literally morphed into a cone head! It was tiny on top and then HUGE in comparison farther down (in fact, it was the same circumference as his little chest!) So Isaac just didn't want to come out easily. I was secretly wishing to be whisked away for a C-section at this point, but he was already on his way out. It was sooooo tough. I really doubted my ability to get it done. Where'd the rock star go?

But guess what happened at 7:15 AM on February 15, 2009?

There's my boy! All 8 pounds, 5 ounces of him! 20 1/2 inches long. And that's at 8 days early!

As Isaac was whisked away for testing, etc. I just DIED. I was wiped.

See his tiny crown and seemingly huge head? It is already more normal looking as a I type this.

Our big, healthy boy. Chasen even cut the cord.

As I said, I all but passed out after that. I couldn't hold him for the next 30 minutes because I was just too weak.

All cleaned up! Where are my clothes?

First feeding. He ate like a champ! (just like his mama)

Me and my new love, Isaac Roy.

After an awful lot of poking and prodding, we were prepped to go to our "real" room.

Aunt Lisa has already been to see him. And she tried to set up our first stroller outing!

After his second diaper of the day.

I'm in love; what more can I say?