I walked the hallway for the first fourteen hours after arriving. All my days blend into one because I didn't get much sleep. I was stuck at four centimeters for what felt like forever. It was getting harder to walk up and down the hallway, so I would take breaks and bounce on the birthing ball in between. Andrew's sister, Caitlyn, even came to bring me Jolly Ranchers and walk with us. I just remember being so exhausted and hungry - being on that liquid only diet for so long was rough.
Dr. Cook broke my water around 1PM on Saturday and the contractions got STRONG! The nurses continually asked me my pain level on the number scale... I think I re-evaluated the definition of an "8" half a dozen times. I kept putting off the epidural, because even though I was in the worst pain of my life, I thought I was managing it well. I decided to go ahead and get it around 8PM, but the doctor didn't show up until about 11. By the time he got there, the pain had escalated and was unbelievable. My contractions had little to no time in between and he kept missing when poking my back. The epidural made me feel nauseous and tingly all over, but it was worth taking most of the pain away. Unfortunately, it also slowed labor and made my contractions less effective so I had to be put on pitocin. My mom and brother-in-law finally arrived, and I was dilated all the way and ready to go just before 1AM.
I was really intimidated when the big light came down from the ceiling and so many people came into the room, but at that point I didn't really care and just wanted the baby OUT. Pushing felt surreal and when I first started, I didn't know if I would be able to do it because it seems like so many people get c-sections. I pushed five sets of three, then Emmett was here! It took less than 25 minutes. I wanted Andrew to hold him first, so he was the one to carry baby over to the nurses for cleaning. I felt so tired even during pushing, but as soon as Emmett arrived, I was on a high and honestly didn't even try sleeping until 6 that morning. Andrew brought Emmett over to me and was so excited and kept saying how beautiful our baby is. My response: "get real, he is UGLY" I blame it on the lack of sleep and over load of pain meds. In my defense, we all know how funny looking fresh babies are - all white and red with poofy eyes and all. He got a whole lot cuter in next couple hours.
Emmett Joel was born at 1:27AM on November 4th 2012. He weighed 6lbs 1oz and was 19 1/4 inches long. (I could have swore he was eight or nine pounds when he was coming out...)
Now I understand love at first sight. I never knew loving someone you had just met was humanly possible. He couldn't have been more perfect. Being a parent is by far the best experience ever; nothing compares. Holding him for the first time, I felt like I suddenly understood everything... the reasons my parents made every decision they did, the way they love me, and how much they really care. It suddenly all made sense.
Emmett had to stay a few extra days in the hospital due to his extremely sensitive skin ( he is allergic to laundry detergent, soap, perfume, lotion, etc... it's been difficult ) and high levels of bilirubin (aka jaundice). Unfortunately, my mom had to go home before we got discharged.
Life at home with baby has been nothing short of wonderful! I love taking care of him and tending to his every need. He is such a good baby. I wouldn't say it's easy, but loving him makes it easier. He is officially off of his bililight and his skin has become significantly lighter!
Emmett Joel 3 Weeks Old
