Welcome Kinley Layne!

I woke up around 1:25 a.m. needing to go to the bathroom, nothing unusual.  But before I even sat up, I suddenly felt something was different, and then pain.  Strong pain and a bit of a nauseous, feverish feeling.  I got up, went to the bathroom, and sat there quizzically for several minutes trying to wrap my arms around what I was feeling.  I was sure it was nothing, no need to jump to conclusions, so I went back to bed.  I lay awake trying to figure out why the pain wouldn’t go away.  I didn’t know anything about labor contractions, but this was not what I would have expected.

Finally I got back up, grabbed my tablet, and went back to the bathroom to Google what labor contractions feel like.  In this short amount of time, I soon found that on top of the pain, my underwear were all wet.  Could my water have broken?  Surely not.  So I sat in the bathroom reading about labor pains and consistently finding descriptions that sounded exactly like what I was feeling.  I got up and tested the water break theory using some of Dr. Rosenbaum’s suggestions, and sure enough, I was in labor.

Now 2:00, I went back to the bedroom to wake Johnathon.  He groggily woke up, but as soon as I told him we needed to head to the hospital, he was suddenly much more responsive.  Knowing I probably wouldn’t have another chance to shower for quite some time, I jumped in for a quick shower, and he went around the house collecting all of the last minute items we needed to bring with us.

We got everything we needed into the car and we were on our way.  The car had never been more uncomfortable than it was during this trip, but we made it to the hospital in record timing, parked the car, and I was admitted to the hospital around 3:00.

We were given a room, I changed into a gown, and answered a long series of questions as the nurse got all the information about me and what I was feeling.  Meanwhile the contractions continued to baffle me as I felt that they were much more of a continuous pain with moments that were increasingly more extreme than others, rather than a rhythm of contractions mixed with breaks.

The hospital got in touch with Dr. Rosenbaum and determined they had an opening for a C-section at 7:00.  Around 5:00, I was very happy to see the anesthesiologists come in to start an epidural.  They seemed to think I was a champ at dealing with pain, but I think the truth is I was so happy to see them that I would have done anything to make their job easier at that point.  By 5:15 I was feeling relief and happy to have the next hour and a half to relax.

Shortly before 7:00, the nurse helped Johnathon move all of our things into a recovery room, he put on his own gown to cover his clothes, and we were headed to operation.  We saw Dr. Rosenbaum in the hallway and she stopped us to see how we were both doing and it was comforting to see her familiar face before heading in.

When we got to the operating room, the nurse asked Johnathon to wait outside while I was prepped.  My bed was wheeled into a cold room with bright spotlights and medical tools and machines in every direction.  I was immediately swarmed by a whole team of people who started prepping me from all directions.  They were all very nice and everyone introduced themselves to me before beginning anything, yet still, I was scared.

The preparation took longer than I expected and by the time I saw Johnathon walk in the room I was so relieved to have him back at my side.  By now there was a curtain up blocking my view and both of my arms were stretched out at each side and there were wires and tubes attached to me from every which way.  And I was freezing.  They told me it was really normal, but I just couldn’t stop shaking, despite several warm blankets laying across my arms and legs.

Before I knew it, the doctors were in the room and the surgery was underway.  I was completely numb from the chest down (obviously), but aware enough that I could feel that something was being done to my body.  I remember bits and pieces of the conversation among the medical staff, and I remember feeling like it took much longer than I’d expected.  I do remember Dr. Rosenbaum telling me that I was actually really skinny under all that belly and as it turns out, it really was all baby.  She’s great and it was good to hear to some lighthearted conversation during all this chaos.

Finally I heard her tell Johnathon that she was getting ready to pull out the baby and if he wanted to look, now was the time (and he did).  Now was when I felt, not pain, but some tugging sensations, which was really weird.  And before long, a baby cried.

I thought I might cry, but I didn’t.  It was definitely an overwhelming feeling though.  A couple of the nurses immediately took you to a warmer to check you over and clean you up.  The doctors continued to work on me for quite some time after this, but at that point, I was oblivious to all that.  I just kept looking towards where the nurses were, but I still couldn’t see you.  Johnathon got up and took some pictures and I could hear your cry, but I just couldn’t see you.

Eventually the anesthesiologist realized that my view was blocked, and he moved the edge of the curtain so I could see where the nurses were working.  Now I got my first sight of your little arms and legs flailing.  I still couldn’t see your head or body, but just seeing your little limbs was another overwhelming feeling.

Eventually the nurses announced your weight at 9 lbs 10 oz, length of 21 inches, and time of delivery 7:49 a.m.  And as soon as they had you all wrapped up, they brought you to me and (after helping untangle my arms) laid you on my chest and in my arms.  I just lay there looking at you in disbelief feeling incredibly happy and yet getting used to the feeling of having a stranger in my arms who is now all ours.

Due to my limited ability to move my arms and the way I was laying, you kept sliding towards my face and eventually Daddy picked you up for his first chance to hold you.  As I watched him, he looked both like he had no idea what to do with an infant, and yet completely natural at it, at the same time.

When she was done stitching me up, Dr. Rosenbaum came around the curtain to let me know that everything went well and she jumped right in and started taking pictures for us.  She also confirmed that the decision to go with the C-section was a good decision as she had to do some maneuvering you get your shoulders out as it was and had I attempted a normal delivery, that is exactly what we were worried would happen.

Soon they had me all cleaned up and we got a few quick photos as a family and a couple with Dr. Rosenbaum and we were off to recovery.  Here I was finally able to hold you a little better and I was even able to nurse a little bit right away.  You took to it like a natural and I just enjoyed the opportunity to take you in.  Daddy handled making phone calls to all of our family to deliver the news and I was thankful he took charge of that task as I was really not up for it at that point.

After about an hour we were moved one last time into a postpartum room where we would spend the next few days as a family.  For the rest of today, you and I were both monitored quite regularly and I was still hooked up to a lot of wires.  Your Daddy and I were both happy to hold you and get to know you, but overall I was sort of groggy and maybe a little in shock.  I had some nausea from the medicines used for surgery and spent some time dry heaving in a pink plastic tub, but even feeling miserable couldn’t break my spirit today.

I was confined to bed for the day, but Johnathon was able to be there for your first bath and immunizations and I’m not even sure what else.  You slept most of the day and I was just happy for your arrival.