Note: You'll probably see a lot more boring details than you would care to read, but I want to make sure I don't forget a thing!
At the beginning of July I had gone in to my regular appointment with Dr. Culpepper (she really is the best! I am so blessed to have her as my doctor!) to check on Nolan's heartbeat and to check my blood pressure. Surprisingly, that day my blood pressure had risen to 150/101! She waited to check it again 15 minutes later and it was still as high, so she told me I might be going to the hospital for observation. Oh boy! I was not expecting this at all! I texted Greg and my mom to let them know what was going on and told them I would call them when I knew more. After talking with Dr. Culpepper, she decided to send me home on bed rest and for me to check my blood pressure and I would bring my results the next day to see if I indeed needed to go to the hospital.
So, after checking my blood pressure while at home and on bed rest the rest of the day I came back to see Dr. Culpepper and, thank goodness, she let me continue my bed rest at home!
My initial thoughts were "this would be great!" an actual excuse to stay home and not have to do anything! Those thoughts lasted about a day until I started to go a little stir crazy! Of course, the moment I couldn't go anywhere I had a million things to do! Duh! I was expecting a baby in a month and I did not finish everything off of my checklist! Thank goodness, though, for family! I don't know where I would be without them (and Greg of course ;) Every Saturday my parents and my sister, Michelle, would come to the house to help clean and get ready for Nolan's arrival! What a blessing! The did laundry, the dishes, swept and mopped, and helped finish Nolan's nursery! Whew! I was checking things off my checklist thanks to them!
The rest of the month of July went by with not much excitement. I had biweekly doctor's appointments that I actually looked forward to! It was my time to get out and see people! I also got to see my sweet boy weekly through an ultrasound. Every week we got his measurements and, much to my dismay, his head was measuring 2 whole weeks ahead and he weighed an estimated 8 lbs at the last ultrasound! We were expecting a BIG baby (with an even bigger head)!
Well, fast forward to Monday, July 29th. I was in the middle of my 38th week and we finally get the news that Dr. Culpepper thinks it is best to go ahead and induce. She schedules my induction to begin Wednesday night, July 31.
After going in that Wednesday afternoon to make sure everything is still fine, we are set to go back to Medical City at 5:00 that night. Greg and I decide to have one last dinner together and we chose Chili's (thinking back I wish we had chosen something a tad nicer, but oh well!) After dinner, we have some time to spare, so we swing by Rooms To Go (we were desperately wanting new living room furniture) and browse. I don't think we were really seeing the furniture, atleast I wasn't. I guess I was in shock that we were so close to meeting this little blessing and excited to get things started.
Finally 5:00 pm rolls around and we are at Labor and Delivery at Medical City. I am so excited to get to my room and what do you know but all the rooms are taken! Of course! Greg and I end up waiting another hour in the waiting room. Luckily, one of our favorite shows were on the TV "King of Queens" so we watch until our name is called! Yay! We are taken to our room and get settled for a long night.
Here I am in my nice comfy bed. Poor Greg had to sleep in that uncomfortable green chair next to my bed all night. It didn't even recline all the way! What a trooper!
Once I got settled, our first nurse comes in and starts the cervidil for induction. And then we wait... we waited until close to 11:00 pm for our night nurse to come to give me ambien. I was a little apprehensive about taking the sleeping pill because I get drowsy pretty easily. In the end, I was so thankful I did! Apparently, Nolan moved around a lot during the night and they needed to adjust the monitors all night long. I vaguely remember waking up once during the night when she had to adjust one of the monitors, but don't really remember much else. So I guess it worked and I woke up feeling so refreshed and ready for this day to begin! I woke up around 6:00 am, took a shower, and got right back in bed. Soon after, Dr. Hart (the anesthesiologist) comes and starts the epidural and pitocin. What a weird feeling that epidural was! I could tell I had legs but I just couldn't feel them! My mom shows up around 9:00 and we do a lot more waiting. We snoozed off and on, Dr. Culpepper comes by occasionally to check on things and break my water, and we wait some more in LDR room #10
I had been laboring pretty much pain free all day. Only knowing I had a contraction by looking at the computer monitor. My mom, Greg, and I would take bets throughout the day from family guessing how much Nolan would weigh and how long he was (my brother's guess what 8 lbs and 16 inches long...a little butterball) , what time he would be born (I was hoping for 8:01 pm on 8/01). Anything to pass the time.
Without boring you too much more, we can go ahead and speed up to around 8:00 pm. Around this time I was finally starting to feel some pretty intense pressure and things started happening pretty quickly. Nolan's heartbeat was not recovering very well after each contraction and I had to be put on some oxygen which started to help Nolan. Around 8:15 I was fully dilated and ready for Dr. Culpepper (I am always amazed how much the labor and delivery nurses do, because the doctor doesn't come in until the very end) After pushing for a short time, Nolan arrived at 8:38 pm!
He weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and was 19 inches. Not quite the big boy we were expecting!
Proud Daddy!
Soon after he was born, family started to arrive!
Nolan with Papa (my dad) and Aunt Michelle (my sister)
Once everyone went home they took Nolan to the nursery to be checked out and my mom brought Greg and me Whataburger. I hadn't eaten all day and didn't think I would be hungry after all of the excitement, but once the food came I ate it all in about 10 minutes! I was starving and I just didn't realize it! This day was all it was cracked up to be :) It was amazing and scary all at the same time. Greg's and my life changed in an instant and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Next blog: our first few hours with Nolan.
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