Saturday July16th started out like an ordinary day with no signs of labor. Just me being exhausted and miserably hot in the summer heat days shy of 40 weeks pregnant. Alan and I took Caroline to La Paz, our favorite local Mexican restaurant, for lunch. We were seated next to a sweet couple who had four girls under six years old. Alan noticed that the husband looked familiar and after some causal conversation they realized that they both completed residency at UMMC. While we were talking the husband made a comment that I need to be careful because Mexican food sent his wife into labor with two of their children. We laughed it off at the time not realizing the truth in that statement. Right after we left the restaurant I noticed that I was having a few more contractions than usual but they weren't consistent nor were they painful so I just blamed it on the heat and dehydration. Alan suggested we get home and take an afternoon nap just in case. After nap time, I woke up feeling better and the contractions seemed to have subsided. That evening once it cooled off a little we took Caroline to the "Tot Lot" in Crestline and to get some frozen yogurt.
As we were walking in to get yogurt I had a "stop me in my tracks" contraction that caused me to bend over and breathe deep. While we were eating our yogurt I had a couple more similar contractions but they still were not very consistent....yet. After our yummy treat, we went back home and put our sweet girl to bed. Little did we know she would wake up a big sister!! I am so thankful that we got to spend one last night with her making sweet memories that I will hold on to forever. Once Caroline was asleep the contractions were now occurring every 3-4 minutes, lasting about one minute and becoming quite uncomfortable. I took a warm shower and laid on the couch to see if they were going to subside or if this was the "real deal." Well, they were the real deal. They because much more intense and frequent very quickly. Silly me hadn't packed our bags for the hospital yet, so in-between contractions I was throwing our things in bags and trying to get ready to head to the hospital. My mom came over to stay with Caroline and off we went to Brookwood. The drive to the hospital was quite entertaining. When I was having a contraction I {screamed} at Alan to put his flashers on, pass cars, and run the red lights. In between contractions I was much more clam. Luckily the hospital is a quick 5 minute drive from our apartment.
By the time we arrived at the hospital my contractions were almost unbearable. They were extremely painful and lasted a full minute. The sweet L&D nurse got me checked in, on a monitor, and told me I was 2 cm. Of course I asked for an epidural at this time since I am not one who desires to lay around in pain. However the nurse, who was a Samford graduate named Caroline (meant to be), told me that we had to wait about an hour to make sure I continued to dilate before I got an epidural. I not so nicely informed her that she better be giving me some pain medicine while we waited or I was going to wake up the entire hospital with my moaning and groaning every two minutes. After a healthy does of pain meds, I was drunk as a skunk and the pain was much more bearable. Alan said that I was quite entertaining during this time. Too bad I don't remember much. About thirty minutes after receiving the pain medication I was feeling the contractions pretty heavily again. She came back to check me and I was at 3-4 cm. She said since I had progressed in thirty minutes she would get a room set up for delivery and call for an epidural. She said after they gave me the epidural I could get a good nights rest and plan to have a baby sometime in the morning. Famous last words......
After a lovely drunk ride in the wheelchair to my room I got in the bed and started feeling the urge to "push." Considering I was pretty out of it, Alan and the nurse both told me to relax and there shouldn't be any desire to push since I was only at 4cm. So I tried to relax but after another contraction or two I strongly advised that she check me again because of the pressure I was feeling. She hesitantly agreed and once I saw the look in her eyes I knew that I had been right. I went from 3/4cm to 10cm in 37 minutes! I think I set a record. Everything from that point on became a blur. It all happened so fast. There was mention of me giving birth naturally since it was "too late" for an epidural. I became a not so pleasant patient and refused to have this baby without an epidural and rudely kindly suggested they do anything and everything in their power to get me one.....very quickly. They must have realized that I meant business because minutes later, in between pushing, I received my epidural. Luckily it took effect very quickly and I was finally pain free. I pushed for about 10 minutes, honestly the most relaxing ten minutes of my life, so much so that I kept falling asleep during pushes. Then my heart doubled in size when I held my son for the first time.
John Collins Cease arrived at 12:37am on July 17th weighing 7 lbs 1 oz and measuring 21" long. He had a head full of dark hair and stole my heart from the minute I saw his precious face. It is crazy how you so quickly forget all the pain and chaos the previous hours involved the second that new life is placed in your arms. Worth every single second.
This sweet thing didn't even have a name until he was about 10 minutes old. We had three names picked out but kept going back and forth about what to name him. We said we would decide a name before Tuesday morning when we were to be induced. The nurses that were weighing and assessing him asked "what's his name" and Alan and I just kinda laughed. Then Alan said ok, it's time to name him. I blurted our "John Collins" because it really had been my favorite all along. It's perfect for him and I couldn't love it more.
First photo with our sweet boy.
First time in Daddy's arms. My heart may have turned into a puddle for life in this moment.
Our family meeting John Collins. Bless their hearts. We had to wake them all up to come up to the hospital. Dad was in Arab and Alan's parents were at the lake. I think he was worth the late night call!
We missed Poppy. He was with Caroline at the apartment.
Sweet sister! Can't wait to raise our baby boys together!
First bath....
Brand spanking new!
All snuggled up, exhausted in the best kind of way. Ready for some sleep so we can meet big sister in the morning!
This day, along with our wedding day and Caroline's birthday, ties for the third best day of my life! Thank you Lord for this miracle of LIFE and entrusting Alan and me with him. I am forever grateful.
