Henry's Birth Story.

Ever since my little bug was born, I've been thinking heavily about journaling all of the little events of Henry's arrival. I want to remember the day that little one made me a mommy, and forever changed my life. So let's begin, shall we? :)

It was December 26th, and my nesting 40week pregnant self was driving myself batty. I woke up motivated to turn my little festive home into "baby mode". I hastily took apart the Christmas tree, folded up the stockings, boxed the ornaments, and vaccuemed the remaining tinsel and needle mess. I began setting up the guest bedroom space for our help and visitors to arrive, and deep cleaned the remainder of the house. With the house all lemon limed, bubbled, scrubbed, and sparkling, and dinner in the oven, I sat my swollen, uncomfortable self down to watch TV until the hubster came home. We ate a yummy chicken, potato, and green bean dinner, and relaxed in our movie room watching old episodes of one of the many TV show obsessions we have, "The Office" (Seriously, that show kills me). We watched the episode titled "Baby Shower" and then went to bed really early.

Now, to the good part....contractions. :)

I woke up feeling a dull tightness in my hips and pelvis. "Oh great, more Braxton Hicks." I reassured myself, scoffing and rolling in bed, hoping to ease the pain. But this pain was a different sensation from the Braxton Hicks I'd been having. The Braxton Hicks had been sharp, and in the top of my ribcage, as if someone was bear hugging me and compressing my ribcage. I stumbled into our movie room, grabbed the heating pad and blanket, and turned on my Netflix. I honestly can't remember what show or anything, all I remember is that the contractions were strong enough to make the TV just noise in the background. It was now 2:45 AM on December 27th, and I began texting myself every time I felt the tightness in disbelief, thinking I had just overworked myself doing housework and was now having to pay for it. Soon enough I had noticed I had been texting "Oww" to myself every 4-6 minutes or so, and called Hank to come to the other room. He fumbled out of bed, wiping his weary eyes and muttering to me, not really awake whatsoever. "Is this it? Is it time to go to the hospital?" he asked. I could hardly respond back to him, as they were getting more intense with each contraction. I finally nodded of approval to his suggestion, and he jumped in the shower and packed the bags into the car. I got up from the recliner and threw on my sweatshirt and grabbed my glasses, kissed my Ernie goodbye, and we headed out. Of course the only day the Treasure Valley decided to get snow was the day we would need to be admitted into the hospital! The roads were packed with snow and very slick, so we ended up treading along at 15MPH down the road to St. Alphonsus Hospital. I was so glad right from the get-go of my pregnancy that the hospital was so convieniently located to our house. We pulled up to the maternity door entrance, and I began waddling in. Hank went to park the car, then paced in right after me. We road the elevator up to the 2nd floor, where I was handed consent forms and put in a treatment room to have my cervix checked. I had 2 RN's come into the room, one who appeared to have been very experienced, and a younger one that was just shy of 5months out of nursing school. The younger RN (Raylene) was very hesitant and unsure of everything that she was doing, so everything she would end up doing, the other lady would have to step in and assist in the procedure. Bless her heart, she really was trying. I was dialated to a 3 and was instructed to walk the maternity floor for 1hr to make some progression in dialation. I'm pretty sure every minute felt like an infinity. I was walking and holding Hank's hand, and when a contraction would onset, I would grab a side rail and lean my head against the wall, and Hank would rub my low back really firmly to ease the muscle pain. I had finally walked my hour, and it was now almost 6AM, and they checked my cervix once more. I was now dialated to a 4, and told that I would be having this baby today! I was so excited and relieved that these pains were finally for my labor and for a purpose! By 7AM they had called the anesthesiologist and he was headed in to the hospital. The contractions were getting stronger and more intense, closer in timing as well. He finally arrived at 8:30, and I began signing my consent forms to recieve an epidural. I then sat up and turned sideways in the hospital bed, leaning over onto a food tray and arching my spine. I held Hank's hands, and my whole body was trembling in fear of the needle. I felt a quick pinch, and it was over. I then could feel him inserting the epidural and the tube; it was the weirdest sensation to be able to feel it in my spine but not feel any pain. From then on I began moving up in dialation every hour, and then my OB (Juliette) arrived. My mom, dad, and sisters had made it up, and came in to greet me. My dad was watching the monitor and was trying to guess each time a contraction was coming on. They then went to the waiting room so I could rest before I started pushing. Juliette came in and before I knew what she was doing, I realized she had broken my water, and then dressed for delivery. Hank, Juliette, and an RN named Nichole were all in the delivery room, and we got ready for his arrival! I began pushing at 4PM. At first I was pushing 3 times each at 10secs, then at 4 times for 8secs. Even though I couldn't feel any pain, I was shocked how physically exhausting it was. After pushing and pushing with little progress at the end, we finally decided to use the forceps. She pulled him out and placed him on my chest. He was absolutely perfect, just perfect :") I held him against me to regulate his temperature and both Juliette and Nichole rubbed him vigerously with a towel to get him breathing. I remember looking at him then looking up to Hank with such pride in Henry, and a sense of accomplishment for bringing him into this world. Hank then cut the cord and was escorted with a nurse over to weigh him and check his vitals. "Henry is 7lbs 11oz, and 20inches long! and cute as ever!" The nurse announced from across the room. I looked over and saw Hank leaned over with Henry grasping onto his finger, and that just thrilled my heart. They dressed him in a white hospital outfit with a blue/pink striped hat and blanket, and Hank brought him back to the bedside by me. He gave me a big kiss and told me he was so proud of me, and that I did a great job. He was my rock, he was so wonderful to have by my side. We then spent a few moments recooping and bonding as a little family for the first time, and Hank pulled out the video camera that we had just got for Christmas from my parents a few hours earlier. We recorded him looking at us, taking in the world and his new parents, and our first moments of parenthood. Since then I've watched the video several times and it gets me everytime, it is the most special moment in a lifetime. The intercom came on and a nursery rhyme was playing announcing over the hospital that a new baby was born. My mom and dad, and Kaitlyn came in to admire and meet Henry. They instantly fell in love as well. My grandparents happened to be passing through town on their way home from Portland with my cousin Shaiden, so they stopped in and met him as well. Hank soon went out and called and updated all his family, and they were all eager and proud for us as well.

I cannot begin to describe the profound love I have for Henry, and what a memorable day it was bringing him into this world. That boy is the boy who made me a mommy, and I am forever changed and grateful for that. December 27th will be a day I remember for the rest of my life, and I plan to live from that day on giving him my very best. I love him forever, I love him for always, as long as I'm living, my baby he'll be. :)

XOXO, Kess