Saturday, March 7, 2009

Kaela's birth day...and a little more.

I know I've been a disappointment to the blogging world (thanks to my friend Cat for reminding me lol) so I thought I better get on this before I disappoint even more :) I was thinking this morning about how I wanted to write about the day I had Kaela. I know we are going on 2 years in June so this is a bit late to be writing about, but I wanted to write before it's so late that I can't remember all the details....this is something I should have written about a long time ago, but after having Kaela we were so busy with just taking care of her and all the doc appointments it just never happened. Then we got busy with life with these two little rug rats and once again it was not on the top of the list of things to do.  
Kaela was due on July 2nd, and I had not been working full time in the last few weeks of my pregnancy for a few reasons.  I woke up on Thursday, June 21st early as always.  I had been having contractions (minor) for a few days and I just wasn't feeling the best. I called my boss, Katherine, and told her I didn't think I was going to come in because I wasn't feeling the best.  While talking to her I asked her to hold a sec. while I had a contraction, but it was really nothing.  Later she told me she didn't think much of it either because I was talking and sounded fine. I got up and started doing things around the house. I went to the bathroom around 9 a.m. and thought I felt a pop. I wasn't sure, but I thought maybe my water broke. When my water broke with Will I knew it...nothing really happened this time.  I went and woke Matt up and told him I thought my water broke. Will had been sick (throwing up sick) and was laying in bed with Matt.  I just told him casually that I thought my water might have broke. He started to get out of bed, but I went to the bathroom again to check and see if I could tell if my water broke. I came out of the bathroom and said I was pretty sure that's what it was since I had some leakage (sorry to gross anyone out). I called labor and delivery at the University of Michigan hospital and they said they'd have a nurse call me right back.  The nurse called me within 10 minutes I would say and by the time she called back I was in severe pain.  I was having the most intense pain I'd ever felt, up until that moment at least, and I knew something was not right.  When I had Will I had an epidural and loved every minute of my labor.  This was different and I didn't like it one bit.  The nurse told me I needed to come in right away.  What was the hold up? No one was available to come watch Will who at the moment was throwing up in my arms as I'm having a contraction that is making me double over in pain.  Matt had called his mom a few times by this point, but she was in a meeting or something and didn't get the call. We called my mom who was also in a meeting and kept asking Matt if we could bring Will to her.  I was in the background screaming at Matt to hang up the phone and tell her to get here NOW! Matt called his dad at some point to come watch Will.  I had a moment where I felt like my sugar was really low because I got really dizzy.  I had gestational diabetes with both pregnancies so I had to check my sugar regularly and remember when I was in labor with Will I had the same feeling. They checked my sugar then but told me it was fine and it was just a feeling you can get during the last stages of labor. I thought of this while I was in my bedroom, at home, waiting for someone to get here and watch my kid so I could get to the hospital, where you are supposed to be when you have a baby. I checked my sugar anyway to be sure and to my horror it was fine...I knew what this meant....labor was progressing way too fast and I was going to have this baby here. I had to of said this 100 times to Matt and heard him say about a 101 times that I wasn't going to have the baby here.  He later told me he thought I was just exaggerating and being a baby...This goes to show you, you should always listen to your wife!! I asked him for an epidural several times, but he just couldn't help...he did offer me Tylenol :)
Finally I told him through my screams of irritation, pain and fear I was serious. This baby was going to born at home. He said he'd pack Will in the car and we could go, but I told him it was too late he needed to call 911. He called 911 (finally) and they told him to get a bunch of towels and something to tie the umbilical cord with.  Matt went and got the towels and a shoe lace from his shoe and brought them in the room. At this point I was on the floor by the side of our bed on my hands and knees trying to relieve the pain.  Matt left the room for a minute to put a video in for Will so he was distracted and not worrying about what was wrong with mommy when my mom walked in the room and asked what was going on.  I cried out that I was having the baby.  I didn't see her face because I was in too much pain to look up but I can only imagine what she looked like walking in and seeing me there like that.  The 911 operator asked who was there and told her to look to see if she saw the head crowning.  My mom had to take my pants off for me because I was truly in so much pain I couldn't move. She tried rubbing my back which caused me to snap at her "don't touch me." I couldn't believe the pain I felt in that moment. My mom looked and said I don't see anything and at that very moment I had the strongest urge to push I've ever had and almost before my mom could finish saying she didn't see the head, the head was out.  He told me not to push too fast, but again, I wasn't in the mood to listen to anything anyone else had to tell me about what to do during this. I think I pushed 2 maybe 3 times within 1 and a half minutes and Kaela was out!  What the hell just happened here is basically all I could think about. I didn't know if I could move, if I should move, all I could think was MATT!  He was still in the other room...(this was a mater of minutes). I screamed his name and he ran in to see our little Kaela in my moms arms. The 911 operator told us to rub her down with the towel.  My mom dried her off but we didn't understand that she really needed a good rub down to get her going. Matt took her from my mom and listened to the 911 operator as he told him to tie the shoelace around the cord...he tied it, tight, to which he then heard about 6 inches from the body.  He had tied it much further away so imagine Matt trying to untie a not from this to retie it closer to her body. (quite funny to listen to him say this).  Kaela wasn't crying or making much noise, but the EMT's showed up about 3 minutes after she was born, got her to cry and gave her oxygen.  She finally had some color and off to the hospital they took us.  Just as they were taking me out of the house, Matt's dad showed up, wondering what had just happened :)  The houses across the street were being built at the time so let me tell you how much fun it was being taken out after that with all these builders looking at me :) Kaela was born at 10:40. We found this out at the hospital when they nurse told us that the 911 operator logged it.  
So Kaela's birth was incredibly fast and intense and scary, but luckily she came out easily and nothing happened during the labor that required medical attention! I was terrified and would NOT recommend this to anyone....ha :)  I guess if you plan it, that's one thing (I might still consider you a bit crazy....) but if we have any more kids, I will be at the hospital at least 2 weeks before the baby is due....living there...even if I'm in the waiting room :)  You think I'm kidding?? 
At least we got a beautiful baby girl out of it and a great story to tell!!  I still cringe at the pain when I think about it though.  One thing Matt learned during this experience? He will listen to me from now on when I tell him to do something (at least when it has to do with me). 
There's not much new around here.  I guess winter tends to be a boring time of the year since we are always locked up in the house.  The kids are doing great. Kaela is adding new words all the time, getting to be bossier by the day, which I think she's learning from Will, and has quite the attitude too.  She is very sweet though at the same time.  Will is changing all the time too. I guess that happens around these ages (3 and 20 months).  Will's talking a lot more and is just so funny! I love having these two crazy little kids around!!
Kaela has an appointment with the Orhtopedic surgeon on Wednesday. I'm a little nervous about the apt. because I know her back has curved a significant amount since the last time we were there.  We will just do whatever we need to though to be sure she gets the best care for what she needs.
We did have a great, sunny and nice day here on Friday.  Which is great, because I have Friday's off, so it was so nice to be home with the kids and get to enjoy the nice weather.  We went out a few different times. We went down to the park in our neighborhood to play which the kids loved. I'll leave you with some pictures of the kids since that's what everyone really cares about :)

I love this face! It's her sucking her breath in and going haaa...like she's surprised or something. It's so funny!





Kaela loves her stools. Here's one use for them...
And proof that she's not always so sweet :)

13 comments:

Jennifer said...

Oh Sarah! First time I've really heard that story all the way through!!! WOW. I can't even imagine how scared you guys were. The part about Matt having to unite the shoelace is surreal. Kaela was definitely worth it!

Mandy said...

So glad that you got back into the blog game again. What a great birth story you have. It will be great to tell when the kids are having children of their own.

Anonymous said...

Sarah - wow - that is an amazing story! I can totally understand why you want to be in the hospital 2 weeks early the next time. I am glad that it all turned out ok in the end and that you have the beautiful Kaela to show for it! Hope the orthopedic visit goes well.

Unknown said...

What a birth story! I always feared something like that would happen to me...let me tell you that there was nothing quick about my first born. Kaela is a beautiful girl and worth every minute of it. Hope the ortho appt. goes well.

Mike Mallinson said...

What a dramatic story! Cherylle came close to having Evan in the hospital parking lot - he was coming fast as heck, and when she got out of the car at the hospital she doubled over in the parking lot and just sat down and refused to move! Fortunately we had a birth coach for Evan who had shown up at exactly the same time, and Cherylle was willing to listen to her when she said "come on, honey, you don't want to have your baby in the parking lot" which of course is what I had been telling her - but did she learn to listen to her husband? Of course not... LOL

Anonymous said...

Like Jennifer, I had heard parts of the story but not all of the details! You were so smart not to get into a car and "make a run for it"! Did you ever send a pic of Kaela to the 911 operator? The pics are adorable!
Love Aunt Shell

Melissa Swartley said...

Wow! I would have been absolutely terrified if that happened to me! I can imagine your mom's jaw must have dropped to the floor when she walked in! Kaela was determined to get out! Worth every minute though I'm sure!

Kim said...

I cannot believe that birth story! WOW! I was captivated. That will be a great sotry to tell her when she gets older! I never went into labor so I cannot relate to the pain.
As for your beautiful kids-I cannot believe how fast they are grwoing. Will and Preton would certainly be the best of friends. I love all the new pics of Kaela even if some don't like crying pictures I think they are so patheticlaly cute. I also like to now take pics of Preston crying to show him how ridiculous he can be crying over everything (does Will do that too).
Again-good job Mommy!

Rachliedel said...

I don't appreciate you putting that last picture of Kaela on there. She could have stubbed her toe, fell down, Lost her binky, who Knows! YOU TAKE IT DOWN!!I was driving to work this morning and I started missing her and William so much! I really miss you guys and I want to see you soon! I love you!

Destini said...

Oh. My. Goodness. What a story. When I was preggo with Taylor, the guys at work used to tease me that they were going to deliver her and even went as far as bringing in towels and stuff - which is when I decided that I shouldn't be working anymore..lol! What a miracle Kaela is! I love the pictures, especially the crying one - they are my favorite - raw emotion! Will is so handsome too!

Greene Family said...

Wow - what an amazing birth story! I would have been scared out of mind! I'm so happy that everything turned out well and that you have a beautiful little girl now! I'm glad Matt listens to you now too!
Simon's godmother chose to give birth at home with her second baby, and I still think to myself . . . who in their right mind chooses to give birth at home?! I didn't go into labor with Simon (emergency C-section), so I don't know the horrible pain, but I do know that I would want some meds. :)
Adorable pictures! They are growing up so fast! I love the picture of Kaela saying "haaa"!

Anonymous said...

Sarah,

That's a day I'll never forget. What a gift. I love you.

Mom

Tonya said...

I still cannot believe you gave birth to her at home! How strong you are!! How you managed to get through that, I will never know, how scary, joyful and amazing!! Kaela is adorable and she has a great mom to give her everything she needs!! Wow!