On Sunday Jenn and I walked around the base a few times. I was having contractions, but nothing too crazy. It gets dark around 10pm here so we stopped and went back to our room. We played some Wheel of Fortune (a game I found at this awesome thrift shop) and then timed the contractions. There were some hard ones, but they weren't consistent. I would have a really hard one about every 14 minutes and then some easy, no pain ones between. After a while we decided to just go up to L&D and have me checked, not expecting them to keep me. We didn't tell Denver I was heading in to get checked (he was still at home in the Azores, his flight was leaving Monday around 10am). I walked in and asked to be checked. It wasn't busy at all (I think there was one other woman in the labor and delivery unit). The nurse checked me. It took FOREVER. She couldn't tell how far dilated I was or something so a second nurse came in and checked me quickly. I was dilated to a 5! I also found out that I was GBS positive, which the Dr. who never checked my chart failed to tell me at my last appointment.
So, before I got my epidural, they had to give me at least one IV bag of penicillin for the positive GBS. I also had to get my blood drawn before and get the results to see if my platelet levels were high enough for an epidural. The girl (not a nurse, just a tech) getting my blood took about 20 minutes trying to get blood out of one of my veins! I was bruised for days after from her trying. Finally the nurse anesthesist did it and got the blood in seconds! After that was done, they started the IV. I did my laboring standing up which I really liked. It's much better than sitting in a bed. When I stand, I can sway back and forth during contractions. Too bad I never realized that about labor until baby #5!
The penicillin IV bag took about 30 minutes to be empty. By this time I was worried about getting an epidural. I am a very fast laborer and knew that I go from a 6-10 in a couple hours. My blood results came back and I was at 125,000 so plenty high for an epi. (The reason Lakenheath wouldn't take me was because my platelets dropped to under 100,000. They don't normally rise so I think in the Azores, they were not counted manually so they clumped together making it look like I had less than what I really did have.) Finally I got the epidural.
Here I am in bed after the epidural showing that I was 5 centimeters when I came in. About 20 minutes after the epidural I was ready to push out the baby. One of the nurses wanted me to push laying on my side. I wasn't so sure about that. She said it would lessen back labor, which I was experiencing. I wasn't completely on my side, but it was different than any other delivery I had. Jenn was my coach through all this, and then she had to help hold my leg while I pushed. On the 3rd contraction, I pushed him all the way out and didn't tear! That was awesome to me. I've torn or had an episiotomy on all 4 previous babies. This time, no tearing and no stitching! It was great and my recovery phenomenal! They gave me the baby the instant he came out, which was another first. I've had some quickly after, but usually wrapped in a blanket and cleaned off. This time I got him straight out of the womb. Jenn got to cut the cord :).
He weighed 6lbs 7oz and was 20 inches long. A little peanut.
He had a cone head coming out, the only baby with a cone head. I was surprised at how quick it went down to looking normal.
It's so bright!
Thanks to Jenn for taking all the pictures while I waited in bed NOT being stitched up :).
The scale. It was in Kilograms, I think. It read 2.92 kg which is 6lbs 7oz
Baby Deacon and his favorite aunt, Jenn.
His open eyes.
Getting his first bath.
This darling hat was donated by an older woman from one of the Dr.'s church to give to the brand new babies. Guess what church that would be? The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I've been going to the same dr.'s ward and have seen this lady knitting during sunday school and relief society.
I asked the nurse what time we had come into Labor and Delivery. She went and checked. We came in at 1am Monday morning, June 18, 2012 and had him at 3:02am Monday morning, June 18, 2012! That was quick. At around 4am my time, 2am Denver's time, I called his cell phone. He woke up and answered it thinking it was morning-time to get up. I nonchalantly asked him if he would skype me. He said yes and then went downstairs to skype. He checked the time and thought it was odd that I called at 2am his time. The first thing he saw when he skyped me was a brand new baby :). He was shocked and excited. He would've liked to be here, but Deacon wouldn't wait. He was very glad that Jennifer was here to help me through it all. He arrived a little after midnight, maybe more like 1am Tuesday morning and got to see the baby before he turned 24 hours old.
I had 2 friends from the ward come and visit me. Kari Bodkin came and gave me these treats.
I loved these. Oh so good.
These were okay, a dark chocolate so a little bitter. People that like dark chocolate would love them.
And these waffle things were delicious!
My other visitor was Jeanie Kartchner. She brought 2 Doner Kebab sandwiches, which Denver ate gladly after he arrived.
Meeting Daddy for the first time. I was so exhausted. I hadn't slept the whole night before because I was having a baby and then Denver came in Monday night around midnight and I still hadn't really slept. I think the next 3 days I got a total of 6 hours of sleep. I had to stay in the hospital for a full 48 hours because of the GBS positive and not getting enough penicillin.
Deacon was almost born on father's day.
Loving his new son
It was good to see him. We hadn't seen each other (except Skype of course) for 3 weeks.
We hung out in the hospital, played wheel of fortune, watched movies and hardly slept.
Sweet baby Deacon. Looks like Daddy and Maelie. He has the same cowlick, lucky boy.
My room. It could be shared if needed. That would be horrible because you'd be facing the other person the whole time if the curtain wasn't drawn. The worst part about the hospital was a shared bathroom. We didn't have our own personal bathroom. We had to walk down the hall to use the bathroom and take a shower! That's something I've never had to do.
My recovery was great-no tearing. The only pain I had was my uterus contracting while nursing. That's painful!
Here is another couple from the Azores, storknesting too. She is due in early July with her 5th as well. The funny thing is when I posted this picture on facebook, all her friends thought it was her baby and kept congratulating them. Oops, I never thought that would happen when I tagged them in this picture. Greg and Chyrece Campbell:
Deacon in his 'going home' outfit. More like in his 'going to TLF' outfit.
blowing bubbles.
I bought this sleepy wrap from a friend in the Azores. I LOVE it. It is so nice and Deacon loves it too. It's like being back in my belly.
Hanging out in the TLF. Denver went home on Friday. I was sad to see him go, but knew he needed to be with our kids.
The last few nights he has slept great. Last night he went 8 hours straight! It was very nice. The 2 nights before that were 6 hours and 7 1/2 hours. Way to go Deacon!
Now I'm just waiting for the passport. I can't wait to get him home. The kids really want to meet him and hold him. Hopefully I'll be going home soon.
I was able to give Silke, the storknesting coordinator a Book of Mormon. I really felt strongly that I should give her one. She's such a great woman and has helped me so much while i've been here.
