Labor and Delivery

It's hard to believe that just 4 short weeks ago, I looked like this!!! Aug. 19, I started my last day as a pregnant woman, and began to prepare for the rest of my life as a mom!!!

While Andy was at work, my parents and I went out to lunch at McAllester's for one of my last meals! I remember feeling sick with nervous energy before the meal, but after my chicken salad sandwich and side of caesar salad, I felt much better!!!

After lunch, I added a few last minute items to my "go bag," and waited for Andy to get home. At 5, we all headed to the hospital!

When I got there, I immediately changed into the charming hospital gown, and had we started the whole process!!!
At 7 am on Friday morning, I started on petocin. My doctor told me that she would break my water at 3-4 cm., or at noon, whichever came first. Unfortunately, noon came first, and at about ten till 1, my water broke!!!

Now, I had known from the beginning that I would be getting an epidural, but that I would try to handle the pain as long as I could before I got it. WELL, I was unprepared for how Mr. Tucker would react to my water being broken.

Up to this point, I wouldn't call what I had been experiencing a "contraction." It was more like the rainbow and sunshine version of that that I could track on the monitor and talk about how I was "in labor." As soon as she broke my water, I had at least 3 contractions in the few minutes that she was still in the room. They came so hard and so fast that I could not even get on top of my cleansing breath!!!

By the time everyone had left the room, I couldn't even finish a sentence. Andy was lovingly supporting me while I squeezed his hands and stepped on his feet. It was only 1:00...ten minutes after my water had broke!

Now, the hospital that claimed how wonderful they were for having anesthesiologists for L&D only so that no one ever had to wait, now informed me that there was only 1 person available, and he was about to start a C-section. ...WHAT?!... Soooooo, I raised my white flag. If I couldn't get him before the C-section, I sure was going to be first in line for when he was done!!!

Luckily, a few minutes later, another anesthesiologist entered the room! I'm not sure where he came from, but I think it was heaven ;) About 40 minutes, and a few uncomfortable moments later, I was laying down, warm and numb.

I rested blissfully until almost 4:00 when my nurse came in to check me. She said I was complete, and we got the party started! My doctor gave the go ahead to start pushing while she was on her way from the hysterectomy she was doing, and so we began.

I pushed for about an hour and a half, threw up twice, and at 6:36 met my son!!!
It was an amazing moment! First, I couldn't believe how "empty" my stomach felt the moment he came out, and how beautiful this little boy was! I remember that as soon as they put him on my chest, he locked his deep blue eyes into mine and just stared. He wasn't screaming or wiggling, he just looked at me as though he was just as interested to meet me as I was him!

He was beautiful and perfect, and eventually started crying, which Mommy was glad for!!! We later found out that he had a bit of trouble transitioning, so they took him to the NICU just to check him out.

I got to hold him again before he left, and again, we stared. I didn't get to see him again for a few more hours, but when we met up again, I got to take him back with me!!!
Tomorrow we'll be celebrating 4 weeks with Tucker! He has grown so much, and we are so blessed to be his parents!