My precious baby girl was born!
I've never actually written out her birth story, which is sad because there are details I don't remember. But I'll do my best to write it out now!
On June 18th 2007 I went in for a checkup because I was scheduled to be induced the next morning (reason being that I had gallstones and kept having attacks which was both painful and dangerous). The Dr. said that I wasn't dilated enough and needed to go ahead and be checked in to the hospital that night so they could give me stuff overnight to get me ready to have Raemia the next day. It was a Monday and Mike had gone ahead and started his 3 weeks time off that day. We went shopping for a few snacks and things for the hospital and just spent the day out together. We went to an early dinner at Olive Garden and then Mike went to meet his mom who'd just gotten to town while I stayed home and took a relaxing (or as relaxing as possible when you know you're going to have a baby the next day) bubble bath. Mike came home with a surprise for me. The newest (at that time) Dean Koontz book for me to read that night in the hospital, and he told me he was really proud of me for how great I'd done during the pregnancy even though it was a bit of a difficult one, and that I'd already been taking such great care of the baby inside me he knew I was going to be a wonderful mom.
That night at the hospital I couldn't sleep at all. For one thing I had to pee but I couldn't get up to use the restroom, lol. And I had monitors on me. But I don't think I would have been able to sleep that night no matter what. If only I'd know how sleep deprived I'd be for the next year, lol.
The morning of June 19th 2007 I had showered and was excited and ready for my baby to be here! They started me on pitocin and....nothing happened, lol. Well, I mean it did, but my contraction were so small I couldn't even feel anything. I felt like the next hour took forever. I attempted to read, but couldn't concentrate on my book (I'd only been able to finish 1 chapter the night before, too...ordinarily I'd read at least half a novel in 1 night). My family was coming up that morning, and I started to feel worried that they weren't going to make it before the Dr. came to break my water, at which point they said my labor would really speed up. They made it just in time though, I had a few minutes with them. Then the anesthesiologist arrived to administer my epidural. I wasn't in much pain yet, but they said I would be after they broke my water. I was actually more terrified of having a needle in my back than actually giving birth. But the nurse and Dr. were great. Shortly after that my OB came and broke my water. It felt so odd, all I could feel was a warm sensation on my inner thighs when my water broke, lol.
Shortly after that is when things got really scary. The nurse kept repositioning me because she said Raemia's heartbeat was getting a little slower at times but it was no big deal. Well, then the nurse started saying things like, I just want you to be prepared, it's not my call but I think you're going to have to have a c-section. And she told us that Raemi's heartbeat was slowing down a little towards the end of every contraction and if my labor didn't really speed up soon it would be bad. But my labor was not progressing at all. I cried, I was so scared. Mike was by my bed holding me hand, and we prayed together. And he sent out an e-mail to our Sunday School class asking for prayer. My family came back in the room and I tried to keep my composure while telling them what was happening. The Dr. wasn't coming by for a little while, though, so they all went to eat lunch. Well, the Dr. actually came by shortly after they left and asked me and Mike how we felt about a c-section. I said I didn't care at all, I just wanted Raemia to be ok. He said we'd just see how things went, but that it was a possibility. Well very shortly after that he asked where my family was and said they needed to hurry and come see me if they wanted to say goodbye before I went into surgery, and Mike needed to go get prepped, we were doing a c-section right away. I was SOO panicked. I think as they were wheeling me into the room for the c-section the anesthesiologist was making me more numb (to the point where I could only move from the neck up. Once we got in the room they put a divider up over my belly, I was lying flat on my back with my arms out like on a cross. Mike was holding my left hand, and I was in complete terror. It didn't last long though, before the Dr. had Raemia out. I couldn't see her when he held her up for Raemi to see. I heard her cry though, and the Dr. said that her cord had been wrapped around her neck. I started crying with relief but also fear that she wasn't ok, and Mike got up to follow Raemia to the corner where they were cleaning her.
She was born at 3:05 pm, weighed 6 lbs 9 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long!
After what seemed like an eternity as I was lying there hardly able to breathe because I was crying so my nose was stopped up, but my throat was soo dry from only having been able to have ice chips, plus I was all choked up, plus with all the drugs even though it was the most miraculous moment in my life I was fighting losing consciousness...Mike finally brought Raemi over to me. She was all wrapped in blankets, I could only see her little face, but it was the most precious sight in the world. I couldn't move to touch her, and only got to see her for a second before they took her off to the nursery. At which point the tears really started to flow, but now they were tears of relief and joy!
I slept off and on for the next maybe half hour, I'm not sure. My mom and Mike's mom came in and out. Then they finally brought Raemi to me! I got to hold her, but could still hardly feel my arms, so it was really strange. They said it was safe to nurse her. I didn't really know what to do, but my mom helped me, and I just put Raemi up to my breast and she latched on perfectly and started nursing! I didn't get to keep her long before they took her back to the nursery again while they moved me to my recovery room. They kept her a really long time that time. Mike's mom had left I think, but my family was all gathered around in the room with us. They came and told us that Raemi was having to stay under the heat lamp longer because she wouldn't warm back up after they bathed her. I really wanted to see my baby! They finally brought her back and we got to hold her the rest of the evening. The next 3 nights and 2 days are pretty much a haze. We didn't leave the hospital till Friday morning, and my family was there until Thursday evening. We all held Raemi a lot, the second night we kept Raemi in the room with us because the night nurse was really mean, but it was soo hard cause I was still on so many drugs and could hardly get up.
Friday when we got to go home was sooo wonderful! Right after we got home there was something we needed from the store, so Mike went to get it. And I remember I laid down in bed and held Raemi on my chest and we slept peacefully together like that. It was so nice!
It's been a fantastic year, I can't believe how fast it's flown and how much Raemi's grown...but I won't ramble about that again, I already did over at Kelley Kiddo, lol!