It will be a year on Friday. That morning, getting ready for work, I decided to take a test that would bring so much joy into my little world. I've only known you 16 weeks, but I feel like I've always known you. So, my little Holdie, just in case you ever wonder about your birth story and your birthday, here is the gist of it. The gory details I will save for if you really want to know.
Don't be offended little one, but on October the 27th, I woke up ready. Ready to get you out. I had already tried spicy food, raspberry red leaf tea, eggplant, walking... today, I was going to try vacuuming and cleaning. I had heard many stories about women cleaning and nesting- and pop! Evacuation day! I started with the kitchen. About halfway through cleaning the kitchen I felt you move and push against my bladder and immediately had to go to the restroom. Afterward, I resumed cleaning, and became extremely frustrated with my progressively worsening bladder control. Looking back now I should have realized that it was my water breaking, but at about 1pm I decided it was time to go to the hospital because I was sure this wasn't a bladder issue.
When we arrived at Banner Desert I went through all the tests to make sure it was amniotic fluid (slide, pH strip, and then a swab). For some reason it didn't come up on any of the tests until the very last one. Then, we were admitted. At this time I was 3cm and 80% effaced. I was in my room in labor and delivery by 3:00.
I was under a time constraint of 6 hours, then they wanted to give me Pitocin. Your dad and I walked around the hospital in laps trying to start labor, but after four hours I had only dilated to 4cm so they decided to put me on the lowest dosage of Pitocin (which was a 2, later they bumped it up to 4).
Prior to this, the contraction and heart rate monitor showed some contractions happening but there was still no pain. Your little heart rate would increase whenever a peak on the monitor was displayed.
It was a little after 7:00 when I actually started feeling some contractions and they got stronger and stronger every minute. I remember being checked for dilation as my contractions were happening; it was super painful being on my back during the contraction, so I didn't want to ask her to check me again until I had a good amount of contractions in-between. By about 9:30pm they were about a minute apart and very intense. As the contractions progressed, I started to have 2-3 back-to-back. I couldn't catch my breath and started to feel faint, so Ron rang for the nurse to have her check on me. They ended up giving me oxygen so I wouldn't hyperventilate. At this point everything happened super fast. My amazing nurse, Mayra, offered me calming smelly oils, but they really didn't help, so she gave me a really long foot rub instead. When my body was starting to tell me to push I had her check to see how I was dilating, this time I was at 9cm. About 20 min later I was a 10 and ready to push! It was about 11:45pm when I started pushing and took you about a hour and a half to come out. At 1:18am you decided to come swimming out with your hand at your face.
You were a gorgeous newborn. I know we're biased, but you were not what Dad and I were expecting. Instead of a goopy little baby, you came out radiant and pink. Like you were just as ready as I was for this moment, you were as amazing that first minute as you are now.
I'm so lucky God blessed our family with you.
Your smiling face is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
Love,
Mommy
