Baby Emma's story

Well I figured I should finally get around to telling about how little Emma came into this world before I forget all the little details so hear goes... Long post ahead....

I had spring break April 1-5th and I had planned to get lots of my school work done so I wouldn't have to bother with it when I got back to school. I did start a few assignments but I just wasn't feeling it. I pretty much just sat around all weekend and just relaxed. Monday night I thought I should use my last day and get some things done so I went grocery shopping, made a lasagna and bread sticks, cut Brandon's hair, cleaned up a little... I don't even remember what else but we got to bed around 10pm and I was pooped! I got up at 2am for my normally potty break and while I was in there I just thought...hmm... that doesn't feel like I'm peeing, but no way is that my water.... so I went and crawled back into bed and told Brandon I wasn't feeling too well and maybe I wouldn't go to school today. He was half asleep so he just agreed. I still just wasn't feeling right so I lay on my side to feel her move... I couldn't feel anything so I feel my belly and think hmm that feels pretty tight maybe thats a contraction. So I hit Brandon and tell him I can't feel the baby and he puts his hand on my belly and says yeah she just moved and he goes back to sleep. So I sit there awhile longer, no, no I think this may be labor. So I hit Brandon and tell him we might have to go into L and D. He was finally starting to wake up more and he just looked at me and said serious? I get out of bed to go pee again, yep, I think I'm serious. So I go mosey into our room and put on some sweats, go back in the bathroom grab my make up bag and tooth brush, yeah Brandon is still in bed. So I tell him he's got to get going so he gets up puts on his sweats and we get ready to go.

Brandon - Should we let Nollie out? No, no time.

Brandon - Theres snow all over your car should we switch them around? No, no time.

So he has me pop the trunk that has 5 or more inches of snow on it and it won't open so he cant get the ice scraper out, so I'm there brushing the snow off with my arm. Brandon gives up on the trunk and joins me in brushing the car off. We get to the hospital

should I get you a wheel chair? No, I can walk...

so I hobble onto the elevator and we go to L and D.

Nurse - So what makes you think you're in labor? Oh I think my water maybe broke, I don't know.

Nurse - Are you having contractions? Oh I don't know maybe.

Nurse - Do you have a pediatrician? No thats on my list of things to do this week.

They just look at us like, probably a false alarm but lets get her checked in. So we get into our room, I change and all that. They check me.

Nurse - Yep your water broke and your at a 3, your having a baby today.

A what? She isn't suppose to be here for another month. I have tests and clinical's and who knows what else left to do before she comes!

By now its almost 3am. Holy cow! How exciting I'm having her today!

I was in shock/disbelief for awhile I just had not even let myself think what if she comes early. Brandon and I were both very excited but slightly nervous because after all I was only 35 weeks and 6 days along. They warned us she may or may not have to go to NICU but I just was really calm and felt really good about everything.

We called our parents around 5am and let them in on the news. No one was expecting that we were at the hospital about to have the baby. and on second thought no one thought it was that weird we were calling at 5am, come on whens the last time we called our parents at 5am for a little chat? haha.

I got my epidural around 8 and had her by 1012. Now some moms out there might kill me, but I honestly thought the whole thing was going to be so much worse than what it really was. I don't know if its because I just had the mind set that this would be such a painful, difficult thing, that it was easier, or maybe that I had just been on labor and delivery a week before at clinical and the moms I watched have babies just made it look so dang easy... I don't know. But it was such a great experience, and it couldn't have gone better...Well I say that, I mean after the epidural my blood pressure did drop to 70's/40's and the babies heart rate went down as well, but I had awesome nurses and I knew that is a somewhat normal response to the epidural.

My postpartum experience was less than steller, but once again, wasn't really expecting much. I was pretty hungry by the time I got up there after being in labor and all, and what do I get for lunch? Sweet and sour meatballs and some yucky looking potatoes... not what I was hoping for but hey. And yes breakfast was tooooootally not what I ordered, but I also know the kitchen pretty much sucks at the hospital. (notice my complaints are about food haha) I went home at around 4 the day after I delivered. It was so nice to be at my own house. Our friends brought us dinner and we have been pretty much fed dinner every night since then, we are so spoiled!

I enjoyed my week with my new little one, she is such a great baby! Then I went back to school that following Monday, not so much fun, but I didn't really have much of a choice. I've got tests to take and clinical's to stay caught up with so I can graduate. Brandon luckly switched to swing so he gets to be at home all morning with Emma and I get home around 2:30 and have her the rest of the time. Wednesday when I was at clinical I started feeling crapy, I thought it was just that I had a baby one week earlier. It didn't help that I forgot some of my breast pump stuff, and started crying because no one seemed to know where I could get replacement parts (a very nice nurse on postpartum hooked me up with a new kit, SWEET). So then I was feeling a little better but then I started getting the chills. I left clinical's early cause I thought it was better to take it easy. I got home and Brandon left for work, then I really started to shiver and shake. I layered up and got under a blanket and curled into a ball and just wanted to die. Poor Emma started to get hungry and the last thing I wanted to do was move. I called the doctor and they said sounds like mastitis we will call in a script for you. So my sweet mom picked that up and brought it over to me. Ugh, mastitis is no fun just in case you were thinking of getting it. So I skipped the next day of class cause I knew we had Friday off so I took it easy all weekend and I am feeling SO much better now.

Wow looong post, if anyone is reading or just skimming through I hope you know this is mostly for our memory, but glad you read along.

So that brings us to today. I've got clinical tomorrow, and class on Thursday and Friday. Then next week we have a test or two and I have clincal's Wednesday and Saturday, another test that Monday and clincal's on Wednesday, then (drum roll....) GRADUATION on Friday. Holy buckets batman I'll have made it! Then I get a glorious two weeks off from everything, then its back to working my whole one day a week... I know I'm such a complainer, but I really would spend every min of everyday with little Emma if I could.

So thats all folks. I don't know if I am going to have much time to update until graduation but we will see. It won't be a novel like today thats for sure! Sorry for anyone still reading....