Our son finally vacated the womb on July 27th at 5:39pm after overstaying his eviction notice by 8 days! And we couldn't be more over the moon in love.
On the 27th, I woke up at about 1am with contractions that were lasting about 45 seconds and coming every 7-8 minutes. After an hour or so of making sure they were actually real contractions, we made a few phone calls to our moms and drifted in and out of sleep for a few more hours, knowing we'd probably need the rest! At about 5:30, we got up and started tinkering around the house... making coffee, eating breakfast, picking up around the house. James' mom got to town about 6:30 and my mom came over at about 8ish and we just hung out, enjoying each other's company. Nothing was progressing. My contractions were the same.
We were starting to wonder if maybe it was false labor. James' mom even contemplated going back to Wenatchee! Good thing she didn't.... ;) So, our mom's took off to run errands. My contractions started to get even further apart and shorter. I was getting discouraged. James drug me out of the house at about 10am for a walk... in the 85 degree heat! Still, no progress. So, when we got home, he made me a smoothie and I took a nap.
At about 1:30pm, I woke up with really strong and intense contractions. They were lasting about a minute and a half about every four minutes! I knew this was it. We called our moms to come back over and called our doula, Mary. An hour later we were still waiting for Mary and James' mom to get back and the contractions were so intense that I was already having the urge to push. James made an executive decision to pack up the cars and leave. As he was getting things ready to go, Mary showed up. She hung with me through one contraction and we got in the cars and took off.
The birthing center is about 10-15 minutes away from the house. During the drive, the contractions got even closer together... about every 2 minutes. We got into our birthing room at about 3:30 and I worked through a few contractions with James, my mom, Mary, James' mom and his Aunt Kim. Then my midwife, Heike came in to see where we were. I was dilated to 6 centimeters and during my exam, I had a contraction... and that took me to 8. I had a short break before another contraction started and my water broke with that one. One more check and guess what?! I was fully dilated to 10 centimeters. I went from 6-10 in about ten minutes, which is pretty uncommon... general rule of thumb is one hour per centimeter. Yeah, it was crazy intense.
After that, we started the pushing! James was right by my side, as was Mary. My mom was right in front of me and I honestly don't know if I could have done it without her there. She was my focal point after contractions... and it was hard to come back and focus after pushing. An hour and 40 minutes of pushing and Maxwell Dean Barnett was born at 5:39pm! He weighed 8 pounds and half an ounce and was 20 inches long. He has ten fingers and ten toes. Two ears and a bellybutton. He has his daddy's big head (yeah, that was fun for me... lol,) feet and nose. He has a ton of brown hair like his mommy, my eye shape, ears and maybe the Montemayor chin. We still don't know what color his eyes will be, but they're blue right now. He is absolutely perfect in every way.
They immediately put him up on my chest for me to hold and I can't even describe the feeling. To have him inside me for ten months and then to suddenly, in one instant, be here with us was the most euphoric and surreal feeling I've ever known. Everything else in the world faded away and it was just the three of us all crying together. He came out screaming... he was probably pleading with us to not ground him for being so late! ;)
Things didn't go exactly how I'd planned. I was planning a water birth, but because things were progressing so fast with labor, every time I had a contraction, Max's heartrate would slow down. It would immediately pick back up afterwards, but Heike wanted to be able to constantly monitor during each contraction. No tub for me. But, that's okay. I remember it being full when I got there, but I had no intentions of getting in... My mind was in another world.
I had to use oxygen because of, again, the intensity of it all... I didn't have much time in between contractions and the oxygen helped Max's heartrate stay up. After the birth, I was also bleeding a little more than they were comfortable with. They never once used the word "hemmorage" but I did have two shots of pitocin in my thighs to get my uterus to contract to control the bleeding. After everything, I was the happiest girl in the world. Even if it didn't go exactly as planned, I couldn't be any luckier or pleased with the experience. It was beautiful.
We went home after about three hours and we're all doing great. Max is such a blessing and a joy. He is my favorite person after James. I just can't imagine being any more in love with my boys. I didn't think I could love James any more than I already did, but seeing him with our son and I fall even deeper in love with him... Almost like we're falling in love all over again.
I feel like a different person. I guess I am now. Like a better version of who I was before. I just can't believe that I created this little person. That he's healthy and strong and beautiful. He gives my life new purpose and new meaning. I can't wait to teach him things and to watch him grow up. I never thought anyone would ever have steal my heart again after James, but I was wrong. I feel like I could burst with happiness. Life is good. Thank you God for this incredible gift you've given us. We are blessed!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
10 hours into official overtime.
Go figure!
Yesterday was my due date and no baby! I know the statistics, so I was prepared to go overdue, but I was really hoping that since both James and I were early that maybe Max would be, too! Nope. No such luck. So, we are officially 10 hours into overtime right now.
James and I both got some serious nesting done yesterday. He got the yard all cleaned up, I got the bathroom spotless (except for the tub and floors... I can't bend like that right now.) I'm almost done with all our laundry and will work on the kitchen and the rest of the house today. Not much left to do, I just have the urge to have everything perfect.
Our birth bag is packed, the birth plan is written, my labor music is downloaded and I just need to get it transferred to the iPod, food for labor is bought and ready to go, the cradle is all set up in our room, so now we're just waiting! I really hope he joins us this week! Yes, I want my body back, but I'm so incredibly ready to meet my little boy and to move forward with our new journey! I can't wait to see James holding his son. To explore his little face and tiny fingers and toes. To hug him and smell him and love him. I can't wait to be his mommy!
We don't even know what we're in for, but I'm ready for the unknown. I do know that this is going to be the hardest adventure we've ever embarked on and it will be the most trying and rewarding job we've ever had. Like my dad said yesterday, the hardest job you will ever do is raise your kids to be respectful of others and to not hate you. ;)
So, I go in to see my midwife tomorrow and we might have her strip my membranes. Hopefully this isn't too much information, but what it is is basically a pelvic exam where she will use her fingers to separate the bag of water from the cervix, essentially causing prostaglandins to be released. We'll probably give that a shot. I was going to take castor oil yesterday, but my midwife advised against it. She said that it might just make me uncomfortable and not help bring labor on... and then labor could slow and I might need to be transferred to the hospital. So, we won't be doing that. I'm going to work with some acupressure today and see if that might help.
That's where we are. Just taking it one day at a time and trying not to focus too much on being overdue. I don't want to force my body to do something that it's not ready to do yet, so I'm trying to be patient! I think James is more ready for him to be here than I am... which blows me away! I think maybe he just wants that week off of work.... lol! We just can't wait much longer! We want to meet our little prince!
And I know he'll never read this, but I do just want to thank James for being there every step of the way. He's been so incredibly understanding and forgiving... I haven't exactly been the easiest person to deal with at times. But, he continues to love me and prove to me how important I am to him. I am so blessed to have him as my husband and the father of my child. If I went back 4 years, I would do this all over again... not a doubt in my mind. So, James, if you do ever read this, know that I love you so much. You are my rock. My best friend. My world. My everything. I would be lost without you and am so glad you chose me. We might slip and fall, but we definitely have it all! I will love you forever.
Yesterday was my due date and no baby! I know the statistics, so I was prepared to go overdue, but I was really hoping that since both James and I were early that maybe Max would be, too! Nope. No such luck. So, we are officially 10 hours into overtime right now.
James and I both got some serious nesting done yesterday. He got the yard all cleaned up, I got the bathroom spotless (except for the tub and floors... I can't bend like that right now.) I'm almost done with all our laundry and will work on the kitchen and the rest of the house today. Not much left to do, I just have the urge to have everything perfect.
Our birth bag is packed, the birth plan is written, my labor music is downloaded and I just need to get it transferred to the iPod, food for labor is bought and ready to go, the cradle is all set up in our room, so now we're just waiting! I really hope he joins us this week! Yes, I want my body back, but I'm so incredibly ready to meet my little boy and to move forward with our new journey! I can't wait to see James holding his son. To explore his little face and tiny fingers and toes. To hug him and smell him and love him. I can't wait to be his mommy!
We don't even know what we're in for, but I'm ready for the unknown. I do know that this is going to be the hardest adventure we've ever embarked on and it will be the most trying and rewarding job we've ever had. Like my dad said yesterday, the hardest job you will ever do is raise your kids to be respectful of others and to not hate you. ;)
So, I go in to see my midwife tomorrow and we might have her strip my membranes. Hopefully this isn't too much information, but what it is is basically a pelvic exam where she will use her fingers to separate the bag of water from the cervix, essentially causing prostaglandins to be released. We'll probably give that a shot. I was going to take castor oil yesterday, but my midwife advised against it. She said that it might just make me uncomfortable and not help bring labor on... and then labor could slow and I might need to be transferred to the hospital. So, we won't be doing that. I'm going to work with some acupressure today and see if that might help.
That's where we are. Just taking it one day at a time and trying not to focus too much on being overdue. I don't want to force my body to do something that it's not ready to do yet, so I'm trying to be patient! I think James is more ready for him to be here than I am... which blows me away! I think maybe he just wants that week off of work.... lol! We just can't wait much longer! We want to meet our little prince!
And I know he'll never read this, but I do just want to thank James for being there every step of the way. He's been so incredibly understanding and forgiving... I haven't exactly been the easiest person to deal with at times. But, he continues to love me and prove to me how important I am to him. I am so blessed to have him as my husband and the father of my child. If I went back 4 years, I would do this all over again... not a doubt in my mind. So, James, if you do ever read this, know that I love you so much. You are my rock. My best friend. My world. My everything. I would be lost without you and am so glad you chose me. We might slip and fall, but we definitely have it all! I will love you forever.
Friday, July 10, 2009
It's almost time, right?!
No baby yet. He's still as snug as a bug in a rug. ;)
I'm 38 weeks and 5 days along today... I can hardly believe that he'll be here in no later than 3 weeks (although I'm hoping he comes sooner than that!) It's so exciting and I just can't wait to meet him! I can't wait to hold him and make sure he's okay. To hear his cry and to see his little face.
I can't wait to be able to roll over in bed again without it being a major production. To look at my feet and recognize them again. To be able to bend over to wash my own legs. I want my body back... even though it won't be back to normal, having this big ol' hard belly gone will be nice.
Pregnancy has been such a journey! The first four months pretty much sucked. Between the "morning" sickness I had and being absolutely exhausted, I was pretty miserable. Crying all the time. I thought it would never end. Then, the second trimester came and things eased up. I was able to eat again, even though I couldn't stand the thought of ground beef or pizza (and still can't.) I had lots of energy and was pretty happy, for the most part! Started to feel him move around... What an incredible feeling! I watched my belly get bigger and bigger and my hips wider and wider (didn't think they could GET any wider!) I watched my husband get a bit of a sympathy baby belly himself and learned just how much I depend on him.
Now that we're so close and that Max is running out of room in there, we don't get kicks as much as we get pushing and rolling. I mentioned to James last night how cool it was when we were first able to feel him from the outside... How hard we had to concentrate to feel him, at first. Now, I'm begging him to get those feet out of mommy's ribs or I'm pushing his little knee back from my side. I swear, I'm worried that this kid thinks he can get out by poking a hole in my tummy! No sense of direction... just like his daddy. ;)
I can't help but wonder if he's going to have the hiccups as much on the outside as he does on the inside (that must be from mommy.) If he's going to be a night owl, considering he tends to get active right about the time we bunk down for the evening. I wonder how big he's going to be and how tall... I think he's going to take after his dad and papa. I still wonder every day what he's going to look like. My ears? James' button nose? The dimples that I've loved on his daddy from the day I met him?
It's just this waiting game now. I still have to pack our bag and get it ready, because he could arrive at any time now. His clothes are all washed and put away. We will install the carseat tonight (how weird is that going to be... driving around with carseat and a "baby on board" sign?!) We'll do a slight rearrangement of the bedroom so we can get the cradle in next to our bed. I'll get our birth plan written up today. Next week will be our last prenatal appointment until we're officially overdue. We'll have our last date night this weekend (to celebrate our wedding anniversary!) So, we're going to be 100% ready after this weekend.
It's still so surreal that I'm here. Finally. I can't wait to be Max's mommy. I can't wait to see James as a daddy. I can't help but smile when I think of the moments when we'll have Max tucked in between us, watching cartoons on a Saturday morning. The look on his face when he meets Santa for the first time or the first time he sees the snow fall. Feeling his little hands explore my face, learning who I am. Comparing his little face to the face of the man I love more than anything in this world. Imagining the first time James is able to slap a helmet on his little head for his first ride on daddy's motorcycle... and worrying myself sick, I'm sure!
Max, mommy and daddy love you so much. You are a blessing to us and we're so lucky to have you. You will never know just how much you mean to us already. We can't wait to meet you and welcome you to this big, crazy world!
I'm 38 weeks and 5 days along today... I can hardly believe that he'll be here in no later than 3 weeks (although I'm hoping he comes sooner than that!) It's so exciting and I just can't wait to meet him! I can't wait to hold him and make sure he's okay. To hear his cry and to see his little face.
I can't wait to be able to roll over in bed again without it being a major production. To look at my feet and recognize them again. To be able to bend over to wash my own legs. I want my body back... even though it won't be back to normal, having this big ol' hard belly gone will be nice.
Pregnancy has been such a journey! The first four months pretty much sucked. Between the "morning" sickness I had and being absolutely exhausted, I was pretty miserable. Crying all the time. I thought it would never end. Then, the second trimester came and things eased up. I was able to eat again, even though I couldn't stand the thought of ground beef or pizza (and still can't.) I had lots of energy and was pretty happy, for the most part! Started to feel him move around... What an incredible feeling! I watched my belly get bigger and bigger and my hips wider and wider (didn't think they could GET any wider!) I watched my husband get a bit of a sympathy baby belly himself and learned just how much I depend on him.
Now that we're so close and that Max is running out of room in there, we don't get kicks as much as we get pushing and rolling. I mentioned to James last night how cool it was when we were first able to feel him from the outside... How hard we had to concentrate to feel him, at first. Now, I'm begging him to get those feet out of mommy's ribs or I'm pushing his little knee back from my side. I swear, I'm worried that this kid thinks he can get out by poking a hole in my tummy! No sense of direction... just like his daddy. ;)
I can't help but wonder if he's going to have the hiccups as much on the outside as he does on the inside (that must be from mommy.) If he's going to be a night owl, considering he tends to get active right about the time we bunk down for the evening. I wonder how big he's going to be and how tall... I think he's going to take after his dad and papa. I still wonder every day what he's going to look like. My ears? James' button nose? The dimples that I've loved on his daddy from the day I met him?
It's just this waiting game now. I still have to pack our bag and get it ready, because he could arrive at any time now. His clothes are all washed and put away. We will install the carseat tonight (how weird is that going to be... driving around with carseat and a "baby on board" sign?!) We'll do a slight rearrangement of the bedroom so we can get the cradle in next to our bed. I'll get our birth plan written up today. Next week will be our last prenatal appointment until we're officially overdue. We'll have our last date night this weekend (to celebrate our wedding anniversary!) So, we're going to be 100% ready after this weekend.
It's still so surreal that I'm here. Finally. I can't wait to be Max's mommy. I can't wait to see James as a daddy. I can't help but smile when I think of the moments when we'll have Max tucked in between us, watching cartoons on a Saturday morning. The look on his face when he meets Santa for the first time or the first time he sees the snow fall. Feeling his little hands explore my face, learning who I am. Comparing his little face to the face of the man I love more than anything in this world. Imagining the first time James is able to slap a helmet on his little head for his first ride on daddy's motorcycle... and worrying myself sick, I'm sure!
Max, mommy and daddy love you so much. You are a blessing to us and we're so lucky to have you. You will never know just how much you mean to us already. We can't wait to meet you and welcome you to this big, crazy world!
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