The Grand Finale!

The much anticipated (maybe not, but I will pretend like it is!) part 3!

So the last post, I left it where we had to get baby out.  Honestly, this was the first time I had PAIN.  Jordan and I (and several others) were praying that we would have a pain free labor.  Up until this point, I was aware of my contractions, but they didn't hurt.  When I was told that I HAD to get my baby out, I became fearful...and as soon as I did, I realized that I then believed it was my job, on my time, to get this baby out...and I was overcome by the amount of pain I felt.  I knew I had to refocus, but I was having an incredibly hard time!

11:15ish - I feel my next contraction starting, and Donnellyn reaches over and takes off my oxygen.  I hear her say, "Alright sweetie...take a big deep breath and push with everything you've got."  I take a big deep breath and start to push.  I feel like I am pushing for EVER.  I have to stop and catch my breath.

** I don't remember a whole lot here, but I know that I was almost in tears because I didn't feel like the baby was moving down at all.  I was worried the baby wouldn't come out and something would be wrong. I remember saying, "Come on baby, you have to come out!"  Inhaling again, and pushing...and screaming.

11:20pm - I hear the words I have been waiting to hear!  "I can see your baby's head!  And look at all that hair!"  Donnellyn tries to get me to look, and all I want to do is push one more time and HOLD the baby!

11:21pm - Probably one of the coolest parts for Jordan, is with this next push, he gets to catch the baby.  As I push, Donnellyn directs him on where to place his hands and how to guide out the rest of our little one.  As he guides out the baby, Donnellyn then helps hand the baby directly to me, and asks Jordan if he wants to tell me what we have.  I open up my eyes and see the huge smile on his face and he says, "We have another little boy!"

Having delivered my other babies in a hospital, there were two major differences I noticed and was unprepared for.

#1.  How long it would take for Grayson to cry.  Because he was still attached the umbilical cord (at a birth center they wait for the cord to stop pulsing before they cut), he was still receiving his oxygen from the cord rather than having to use his lungs.  In the pictures, you can see my concern (especially since he came out purple!), then my relief when he finally cries, and my concern again as he doesn't cry again for several minutes.

#2.  The rush of hormones after.  Because I was all drugged up with the other two, I don't remember much.  This time, my body was shaking so badly I needed three people to help me to the bed.  This is coming from the girl, who after having an epidural and delivering Nolan, 10 minutes later got up by herself and went to the bathroom!

Back to the story....right after the delivery, they noticed I was losing too much blood too quickly.  Grayson was handed to Jordan and I was moved to the bed to be monitored.  Within moments, I received two shots of pitocin, 2 glasses of water, and a pill to slow the bleeding.  By the time it became manageable, I had lost 2.5 times more blood than Donnellyn wants.  I had to drink several more glasses of water, 2 large glasses of chlorophyll water, and a protein shake.  Only then is when my color started to return.

Donnellyn and her staff were wonderful!  While they fixed me up, one of the assistants went to IHOP and picked Jor and myself up some food.  We sat on the bed enjoying pancakes, while Donnellyn did Grayson's newborn exam.  I love the "old school" way they weighed him...even though he HATED it.  He hates being naked...so unlike a boy, right?? After this, they prepared an herbal bath for Grayson and me.  It was only when he got in the water that he uncurled from the fetal position.  Grayson will be my water baby for sure!

We climbed back into the bed for Donnellyn to check my vitals.  When she declared I was good, we were essentially free to leave.  She wasn't kicking us out, don't get me wrong.  We could have stayed all night, but we figured, why not sleep in our own bed??  Jordan took the two older tweedles (who had FINALLY passed out sometime around 2 am) to the car, and then came back for Grayson and myself.

When J and I climbed into bed, around 4:45am with Grayson sleeping in the crib next to us, it finally sank in that we were a family of five.  And we are incredibly blessed!

P.S. Here is a video I put together of the pictures that Erica took!  The song, Unending Love, is the song that was playing when Grayson was born :)  Perfect.