Here I am! Don't I look pretty after birthing my baby?
My poor little guy was a little purple from the fast decent out of mommy.
Well, Owen Henry was born on May 26th, at 9:06 am. He weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. and was 20 inches long.
It was a labor that I will never forget, for all the trouble it gave me seeming never to start! It was so fast and intense! I couldn't sleep that night, and I was wake at 3 am eating Dorito's Chips. I was feeling some contractions but I figured that this was just some more false labor. So I just continued eating my chips and read a magazine. After a time, the contractions were getting a little annoying, so I decided to take a bath. That was pretty nice, the contractions seemed to stop and I thought, well now I can go to bed.
I was toweling dry when the contractions returned. I struggled into bed, hoping that laying down would lessen things... only, it got worse. So I got up again. At this point, I am on all fours, on the floor, pretty much just panting through some painful contractions. I can't move, can't talk. IT HURTS!
This must be it! Yay! So we grab up all of our stuff, get Paddy dressed, call the hospital and then Jackie--she's the only one I can handle calling since the pain is too hard to talk through.
We arrived at the hospital at around 5 am, got checked into a room, again, and waited. The sisters arrived, then my mother... The nurse checked on me from time to time.
I was going a bit crazy. It hurt and I wasn't handling it as well as I did with Padraic. I was unfocused, and I guess unprepared. All that false labor is to blame I think. Thank God for my sister Jackie, though. She kept me focused. Made sure I was eating my ice chips, wiping my brow with a cool wash cloth, reminding me to breathe during contractions--otherwise I'd just forget and hold my breath. Did I already mention that IT HURT?! Poor Terry, I am surprised that I didn't permanently bruise his shoulder where I had a death grip during contractions.
Anyhow, things were moving along, FAST. The nurse kept telling me that I could get something for the pain if I wanted. But heck, I didn't know what I wanted, I was so out of it. It was finally Jackie who talked me into accepting what the nurse was offering. I remember thinking and saying that I just couldn't do this anymore, I was exasperated at the pain, and I am sure that I remember uttering a few swear words! But boy, was I happy when I got that little bit of pain meds! I remember being a little 'dopey' and sappily thanking Jackie for getting me to take it. So I had a bit of a reprieve from the intensity.
Towards the end, I was having a very hard time not to push. The pressure was just so intense. I couldn't ignore it and with every contraction I had to battle not to give into the urge to push...I didn't always win. Of course, the nurses kept telling me not to push. I remember thinking, "Are you crazy!?" They'd check me, and tell me that I wasn't quite ready. I kept asking for the doctor to come. I told them, "it's time. I HAVE to push!" Finally, after I asked and asked, the doctor did come in and that was that. He told the nurses to get ready but they weren't, something from their cart was missing. The Doctor said they'd better get it, because we were having a baby, right NOW.
And there he was, after just a few hard pushes, Owen was born. The doctor asked me what his name was, but I was so out of it, I couldn't answer. I could barely keep my eyes open to even look at my little baby, much let speak his name. The next hour or so was just a blur for me.
But no matter. My baby finally did arrive and he's wonderful!
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