A Birthday Story

Our little T pot will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. I am so amazed at how quickly she has grown up and changed in that short amount of time! I've written down my birthing experience in full detail in my personal journal, so I'll try and keep this one shorter and less dramatic. But let's face it, no one's labor and delivery can be short or absent of drama! It's the beauty of the story!

 (Warning: This story may have a few too many details and is like 5 thousand words too long. I don't expect lots of readers. Its mainly for KC and I.  BUT read at your own risk)

 KC and I were lucky to have had his sisters visit us from the last week of December through the first week of January: Erin, Nicole, Tori and Whitney. Our days had been full of touring London through and through. Our nights were full of crazy things like zumba dancing, being kicked out of our leisure club gym, watching random youtube videos, and eating tradional English foods ie: kebabs, crumpets, and pasties.  Nicole left for home and Erin for Jerusalem. We had a full week ahead with Tori and Whitney and had planed so many fun things for them! One of which was a visit to Hampton Court. Tuesday Jan 3rd we set off to Hampton court. We hopped on the red bus-to the tube-to the train-that took us to the royal palace (about 1.5 hrs).
 It was a really cold, stormy day with lots of wind and rain spells between beautiful blue skies. We all really loved this place. We spent the entire day there and could've stayed longer with much more to see.
As we were making our way back to the train station, we received news from our fellow train goers. The train back into London had been delayed due to a fallen tree on the tracks. The man at the ticket booth was swamped with the travelers asking for refunds/directions for an alternate route. We ended up needing to take an extra bus to a farther train station to catch the right train. So after a long process we finally got to the new train station when all of a sudden I really needed a restroom. Something just didn't feel right and I needed some space to take a breather and have some privacy. We get onto the train platform and look for a toilet (that's what they call a bathroom here). Nothing. There was one across the tracks on the other platform but our train was coming in 4 minutes and we didn't want to miss it and wait 40 minutes for the next train. So I figured I could wait until we got into London. Once on the train, KC and Tori thought it was really entertaining to tease me and get me to laugh because they knew it would make it harder to "hold it". After the 30 minute train ride we get to Waterloo Station in Central London at about 5:30 pm- RUSH HOUR PEAK TIME!

The moment I got off of the train I knew something was wrong. I was completly unable to control (what I thought at the time) my bladder. I couldn't walk normally- I looked ridiculous! Straight-legged/ slightly cross-legged as I walked. I was in a panic to find a toilet. My eyes were fixed on one thing only: that little blue sign with a women on it! I saw the sign and started speed walking- not really mindful of KC or the girls. It felt like I was wetting myself every few minutes. I finally realized that it very well could be that my waters had broken. My eyes got even larger. We were literally pushing our way through the crowds of people toward the toilet (which felt like a mile away). KC eventually grabbed my waist and when he did it felt like even more water came out! I squeezed his hands sooo hard and said I think my water just broke, hold on to me and hold on to the Girls! I was desperate. All my manners flew out the window and I was that jerk in the crowd who everyone looks at like " man calm down lady, you're look like you're gunna kill someone!" I had to get out of that crowd of people  right then and get to the bathroom. Finally we make it to the Bathroom and it's one that you have to pay for. KC starts searching his wallet for 30 p and I rush down and within seconds Im in the bathroom!
YEP! I was right. This baby was coming! I just started laughing in the stall and couldn't believe that any of that had just happened. After I got myself all settled and decent. I came back up the stairs to find KC with a super concerned/excited look. I confirmed that yes my water had broken and this baby was on her way! We started laughing and couldn't really think straight. We took a few seconds to evaluate the best way to get back home. We are in downtown central London in rush hour traffic. A taxi was NOT an option... so our best bet was our trusty Tube and Bus route. As we make our way to the tube, KC makes the connection that my water broke at Waterloo station. Again I start laughing and get mad at him because when I laugh, more fluid makes it way out. ( mind you I am wearing 3 layers under neath my black pants so it is very unnoticeable. I also have a long coat on so I'm pretty well covered).  KC managed to film us a bit on the tube and bus ride home- funny clips!

Our minds are rushing a million miles an hour trying to organize our plan of action. We hadn't packed a hospital bag, taken our birthing class, or frozen any meals yet! haha What kind of a pregnant women am I? haha. So we get home and I call the hospital. The lady tells me that yes my waters had broken and yes I needed to come in that night. However I could take it easy right now and eat some dinner etc as there was no rush to get there. Tori and Whitney make us dinner, bless their little hearts, while we call our families and tell them the news! My Mom freaks out and of coarse we both start crying and laughing. Her and Dad get online to buy plane tickets! KC's Mom is in line at D-land with Brit and the girls and can hardly believe it! They are in complete shock and excitement. I take a shower, pack our bags, try to remain calm. KC calls the taxi, figures out what the plan will be the next few days with Tori and Whitney, and tries to remain calm. Neither of our brains are working: KC forgets my brithday as he is talking to someone on the phone and I pack everything in the bag except for everything I would need at the hospital. ha!

Finally at about 10 pm My contractions start to get a little more painful and I tell KC okay lets go! I was done waiting around and just felt like we needed to leave right then. The taxi would've come anywhere from 10-30 minutes and taken about 30 minutes to get there. A total of about 1 hr until i would've been at the hospital. The Bus would've been about the same but a bit shorter. So I told KC I wanted to get on the bus NOW (10:30). Its late anyway no one would be on it so we'd get there quickly! KC and I were just laughing the whole time we were on the bus. I still can't believe we took the bus to the hospital. We looked hilarious! Picture it: a huge prego and her husband late at night carrying a suitcase and an empty baby car-seat! what a joke! KC also managed to get some of that trip on footage! He really was a fabulous help to me. He would laugh with me when I wasn't having a contraction and then during a contraction he would talk me through it and help me stay calm. He was the perfect birthing coach and hadn't even had the classes for it!
Eventually we get to the hospital  at about 11:30pm and the lady at the desk asks me how far apart my contractions are Etc. She just laughs and says they are braxtom hicks... Boy was I mad at her in my mind! I knew what braxton hicks were- I had been having those for like a month!!! THESE were painful. So they hooked my up to the contraction monitor and heart monitor for the baby. KC and I were in this room for about 2 hours waiting to be evaluated by the doctor. The midwife would come in every once in a while to adjust the monitor and give me water. The monitor wasn't picking up all of my contractions. I would be at the peak of one and look to see what it said and there would be nothing there! It was really discouraging. At this point I'm at about a 4-5 on the pain scale. They Midwife offers me meds.. I gladly accept. She brings in 2 Tylenol with one Codeine. I chuckled in my mind at how that wouldn't do anything for me. But I accepted. She comes back in the room to put the IV in my wrist so I'm ready when they need to give me antibiotics for GBS ( I previously had gotten a UTI - and they found GBS so I was treated it with antibiotics. I was then Negative for GBS but they still wanted to give me the antibiotics in labor as a precautionary action). The IV was pretty painful but I was in the middle of a contraction so it didn't really bother me. I kept telling myself I needed to gear up for the epidural! The doctor came in around 2 am to check my progress. I mentioned to him that I indeed wanted an epidural and he ensured me that yes it was in the plans. He confirmed that yes my body was progressing and if my body wasn't progressing more by morning, they would induce labor further. So I was moved into the Labor Ward ( a room with 3 other women- in labor- waiting until they had further progressed. There were curtains separating all of us into our own little areas) KC and I are so tired and just want to be done. ( our day had been full of sight seeing remember). The night goes on and I am in and out of sleep and painful contractions. by now the pain is at about a 6-7 and I ring for the nurse to come in and ask about the epidural and when I can get it. She explains that I need to be dilated to a four before they continue with the procedure. So I ask for them to check me again and they say that it is too risky and can cause infection if they check often. So I ask for more painkillers and she tells me that she can't give me anymore because I had some 2 hrs earlier. By the end of this conversation I am not liking this midwife. I just give up and wait another hour. By 4 or 4-30a.m. I am at an 8-9 in pain and am emotionally overwhelmed at how painful it is (again the monitors hadn't worked and the doctors and midwives were telling me I wasn't even at a four yet) so in my mind I'm thinking that there is no way that I could do this without an epidural. If Im at the height of my pain now and Im not even dilated to a four, how in the world could I bear the transition phase or the pushing. I dont know how to handle my pain other than squeeze KC's hand, curl up and roll a bit sideways, and bite my knuckles. KC would rub my lower back right after the contraction would start to roll away. This seemed to be the most helpful thing!
At 5 am I couldn't bear it any longer. I was at a 10 in pain and was feeling the urge to push. I called the nurse in once more and pleaded with her to check me! I needed that epdural and I needed it fast!
This was a new midwife and she gladly helped me. Not 10 seconds after she had started checking me she said "Wow, that's the head, You need to start pushing now!" Hallelujah! I knew it! When those words came out of here mouth I felt almost euphoric! They wheeled me into the delivery suite and KC and I were so ecxited. The time was here! I mentioned again getting an epidural and the midwife said "Sorry love it's too late for that now. You've gotten this far and that's the worst part."  For about 5 seconds I was really nervous and then the contraction came. My mind and body synched together and I knew I could do it! The prayers we were offereing all night long and the ones from back in the states gave me the emotional and physical strength to do that. I asked for the IV anitbiotics. The nurse said by the time they get it set up, the baby would be here. That made me really upset! I knew I could go through this pain for a bit longer, but I wanted that precaution for the safety of my baby! The nurse reassured me that I was negative for the GBS and didn't need it.
Again another contraction! They offered me gas and air. I gladly accepted. I dind't feel like it did anything for the pain but It was nice to have that handle to death grip and the mouth piece to bite. It gave KC a break that's for sure! The midwives I had during the delivery were fabulous! They were so incredibly encouraging. They kept telling me to listen to my body and push whenever I felt the urge. I really liked them.  They would tell me things like "brilliant push, your doing excellent" in their cute accents. KC was off the charts fabulous! He called my parents again right when we were being wheeled into the room to tell them I was pushing and to pray for me. He would smile and chuckle at how wonderful I was doing. He kept by my side the whole time and even managed to crack jokes for me in between the contractions and pushing. It was an amazing experience giving birth. It felt like the end of a really long and hard race. I felt like I was at my ropes end and then a flood of endorphins would surge my body and help me give that one push every time. I could see the end of the tunnel and it was so exhilarating. Every push was one closer to holding our little precious daughter and I wanted to give it my all every time!
She finally made her way into my arms at 6:11am on Jan 4th and Daddy cut the cord. We were both in complete awe. It was a sacred place in that delivery suite. The midwives eventually left us alone as a new little family and the spirit of the lord was there in abundance. The feeling of love and relief had never before been stronger in my life.  My gratitude for so many things grew so hugely in that short time span. I love my Heavenly Father. I love my KC. I love my Tate. Life is such a miracle.

(I'll admit that this was not an abbreviated version nor was it free of drama... I apologize only a little)