Henry Russell born Sept 23rd, 1:28pm

Sorry it's taken so long to get to this blog, but our computer was down for a few days after James spilled a nearly full can of soda on it...aparrently soda and computer mouses don't mix.  We have now bought a new one and are good to go once more.

   So as you know I was supposedly due September 23rd according to the doctor.  I am of the opinion that I was actually due on Sept 16th for various reasons that I will tell you if you care, but if not I'm not going into them. So the 16th came and went, no contractions, no dilating/effacement etc....  Then the night of the 22nd I was up late reading my book (the Dresden File if you're interested, much better than I thought they'd be).  Anyway I was sitting in a semi-reclined position, which was a change from laying on my side and reading as I had been doing the last several weeks.  I think this may have had something to do with what followed.  So about 2:45 am I decide to call it a night, Patrick at this point had been sleeping since around midnight.  I got up to get a drink of water before turning in and passed one of James' toys on the way to the kitchen.  Thinking that I would undoubtedly trip over it on my subsequent trips to the kitchen that night (I'm really thirsty when I'm pregnant and wake up a lot to use the restroom), I bent down to pick it up.  As I stood to put it on a shelf I felt what it retrospect I think of as a faint tearing, but I may be making that up, followed by a gush of water in my nether regions.  For a split second I thought I must have overtaxed my bladder, but as I was unable to stop the flow I rushed into the bathroom (about ten feet away) to investigate.  I discovered that my water had broken...beyond any shadow of a doubt.  This kind of freaked me out for a second as my water had to be broken by the doctor several hours into labor with the last two...but as my sister had just gone through a similar experience two months ago, I was more prepared than I would have been.  I quickly cleaned up as best I could and grabbed a clean towel to fold between my legs for the trip to the hospital.  I then carefully made my way to the bedroom where I started getting dressed.  Patrick woke up at this point and looked at me in question.  I said something like; "Wake up Patrick, my water broke" to which he replied; "really?"  He thought I was kidding, I assured him that I wasn't and he pulled himself out of bed all bleary eyed and sleepy.  He called our friends in town who promised to watch the kids and the wife came over within ten minutes.  I was in the mean time hurrying to pack all of the last minute items I needed, taking a 40 wk picture (since we hadn't gotten one yet)

and emailing our other babysitter so she'd know to expect a call the next day.  At this point I still hadn't had any contractions.   I was a little bummed 'cuz I was hungry and knew they didn't let you eat anything once you were in labor at the hospital.  Patrick offered to buy me a candybar at the gas station since we needed gas anyway.  About thirty minutes from the hospital I finally started having contractions.  They were five minutes apart  and then suddenly two minutes apart which kind of freaked me out as my sister-in-law had her baby in the car the month before and I really didn't want that to happen to me.  Once we got to the hospital, Patrick helped me out of the car and the contractions stopped.  Unfortunately my water started leaking again now that I was upright and I worried about leaving a wet trail all the way up to the maternity ward.  This problem was solved by borrowing a wheelchair from the ER and Patrick pushing me. 

   We wheeled up to Labor and Delivery and I reported that my water had broken.  They asked a bunch of questions (which they hadn't done before) about my name, doctor, etc...before showing me into a room.  I changed and the nurse checked me and said I was dilated to a two.  She said they had to run a test in the lab to make sure my water had broken and then they would admit me.  She said they used to just use those litmus papers, but they had too high an occurrence of false positive so now had to use the lab.  My nurse was about 8 months pregnant...interesting because my nurse with James was also very pregnant.  Anyway, we waited and waited for the lab results which she said usually took about 15 minutes.  She called down to the lab eventually and found they were backed up but would get to them soon.  In the mean time my contractions had gone back to being 5-7 minutes apart.  Finally she said that she used the paper and it changed color immediately so she was counting it.  They admited me about an hour after we arrived (so about 5am now), hooked me up to an IV and monitered my contractions for awhile before giving me pitocin to speed things along.  The contractions hurt more after this.  My doctor came in about 8 am to check on me (it seems that if you're there during the day than your regular doctor will try and deliver you, so that was nice) and I was about a five.  She asked if I wanted an epidural first off and I said "Yes, please."  They ordered me one right away.  After she left the nurse said that they had paged the anesthesiologist and he was coming....twenty minutes later she said the same thing....30 minutes after ordering it she checked and said he was on his way when they had an emergency situation come up and he was now in surgery.  That sucked.  I was worried that he wouldn't get there in time and I would have to have the baby all natural...which is what happened to my sister.  Finally an hour and twenty minutes after calling for him, the anesthesiologist came rushing in.  He explained that he was still in the middle of surgery stuff, but he had maybe ten minutes to give me my epidural.  He repeatedly said that I needed to understand that this was a REAL emergency and my patience was appreciated...that he was sorry it took so long, but there was a REAL emergency so I just needed to bear with them.  (He said this like 3-4 times, it was kind of funny)  I told him it was okay, since he got there before I needed to push....or something to that effect since I wasn't big on the talking at this point.  Finally the epidural was in and I was able to relax and get some sleep.  About 11:45 Patrick asked the nurse if she thought he had time to go grab some food.  He said she gave him a dirty look and said it was hard to judge these things.  I told him it was fine and he left...for like 45 minutes.  He came back and said that traffic was bad and he forgot it was lunchhour so people would be out. 

    Anyway, about this time I was feeling pressure with each contraction, though not much pain.  The doctor came back to check me around 12:30 and said I was a really elastic 8-9 centimeters and 90% effaced.  She said she'd be downstairs and they could page her if we needed her.  She left and the nurse came in and said if I started feeling alot of pressure I should let her know right away.  I asked what a lot was since I was feeling pressure with each contraction and she said something vague about if I felt "more" pressure I should tell her, but that she'd be back to check on me soon.  This worried me as I was feeling more pressure with each contraction, but I didn't want to call her back too early.  I decided to wait until she came back...hoping the baby wouldn't pop out in the mean time.  She came back and I explained the pressure situation.  She then started getting the room ready before checking me.  I was now at a ten and 100% effaced so she thought we should try to push and then she'd call the doctor...yes in that order, don't ask me.  So we did a few pushes and she said they weren't doing much and that she'd page the doctor and maybe turn off the epidural so that I could feel enough to push.  This disturbed me since I could feel alot more than I could with either of the other two kids and I pushed them out just fine...I could even still move my legs slightly which I couldn't at all with them.  I told her how big James was and she exclaimed that if this baby was that big she might need someone else in there to help her she already had an assistant (nursing student?) with her but said she'd need someone else for such a big baby.  I don't know why.  Anyway, Caren (my doctor) came in, along with the nursery people and someone else ( I didn't catch who she was) and we started pushing....oh wait.   First they doused my parts in iodine...which apparently Patrick said they do everytime to sterilize the area maybe?  Anyway, the point being I could clearly feel them doing this...along with the "pressure" of each contraction...not fun.  So we started pushing...and it hurt...a lot.  I don't know if the nurse did turn off the epidural or if it wasn't working properly to begin with or what, but I was very annoyed that it hurt so bad...although I wouldn't have put it so nicely at the time...;)  Caren even said when she came in that they would leave it on since she was sure I'd much rather have to work harder but be comfortable than to be in pain...it didn't work out that way though.  So when the baby was crowing, Patrick mentioned how I had wanted to see this one and asked if they had a mirror.  They quickly got one after I said I couldn't see the reflection in Caren's mask...I took one look and said "wow that's nasty!  Nevermind!" and they took the mirror away.  Of course now that I could tell what I was seeing I could see the reflection in Caren's mask.  But my eyes were shut for most of the birthing process after that (see above re: crap epidural).  So the baby came out, with much pressure relief, followed shortly thereafter by the placenta which brought even more relief...it's funny how you don't notice how incredibly full and stretched out your stomach is until the pressure is suddenly gone. They then plopped him on my stomach....which made me say something very motherly and affectionate like "eeew!" and pull my hands back so I wouldn't have to touch him.  The last two they asked if I wanted them on me and I said no, they didnt' ask this time.  After a second the nursery nurse asked if I wanted her to take him and clean him up.  I said yes please.  As he came out Caren said she didn't think he was as big as James. But low and behold he was 10 lbs, 1oz. 

Patrick and the nurse said they thought they saw some red in his hair (though I've yet to see it) so we named him Henry as I thought Henry sounded more like a redhead and William a brunette...his eyebrows are fairly light though...nearly white blond so maybe he'll have lighter hair.  I stayed at the hospital that day and we went home the next. 

Patrick took Friday off of work to stay home and watch the kids, which was very nice.  Another reason I think the epidural wasn't working; before they take you to the recovery room they make sure you can pee.  The past two times the nurse has had to physically support me into the wheel chair and into the bathroom since I could barely move/feel my legs.  This time I could just walk in there...the nurses were surprised when I didn't want any pain relief until later that night when I started cramping from nursing.  They asked me to rate my cramping on a scale of 1-10...I said maybe a 2-3, they then asked me to rate the pain in my bottom the same way.  I said a 1.  They looked confused and I explained that it really didnt' hurt.  I don't know how other women experience childbirth but my parts really don't hurt afterwards.  I feel generally tired and muscle-achy, but I don't cringe everytime I sit down or anything.  Anyway, so here he is. 

He's very cute and sleeps well for the most part.  He seems to want to be awake between 12 and 2 in the morning which is annoying, but otherwise he sleeps until 8 or so.  Isabelle and James seem to like him and always want to help with the baby, which is sweet, though kind of annoying too since their idea of helping is often different then mine.  So if the doctor was right, she said I am one of less than 6% of women who actually have their baby on the due date, and if I'm right he was exactly one week late...just like James and Isabelle.  Well this post is already too long, so I'll write more later. :)