birth story - part four

 read birth story parts one, two and three.

update: i added a few photos after digging through disks and disks, i found the right ones:)

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brandon decided to try to get some rest in the super comfortable hospital chair they provided for him, while my mom took over "coaching duty". i remember leaning over the counter and just praying that the hard part was almost over. i wasn't ready to give in yet, but i was getting more and more tired as the night drug on. i mean, they don't call it labor for nothing:)

the nurse came in to check my progress for the first time since 11pm when i was at four centimeters dilated.  it was 4am by this time and i had jumped up to 8 centimeters dilated. good news, folks! i was happy to hear that i had made progress. there were too many horror stories rolling around in my brain of women who have regressed during labor. right after the nurse said "8 centimeters" brandon leaped out of the chair in a half awake daze and exclaimed, "8 centimeters?!" like he didn't believe it would happen this fast.

i started to feel like i had to go to the bathroom (number one:)). i really hadn't gone in a few hours which is an unruly amount of time in the world of a pregnant person. i think by the way i was acting, coupled with how far along in my labor i was, the nurse was weary of letting me sit down to use the bathroom. i recall her saying, "i've only had to deliver two babies over the toilet and yours is not going to be my third." which grossed me out entirely, like i was one of those teenage girls on prom night who have their babies in a high school bathroom stall. ew.

my bathroom feeling proved to be right and things went quickly after this. carolyn had rotated with my mom and was now in our room. somehow i had made it from the bathroom to the bed. at this point in my labor, things moved so fast that everything is hazy. it was so surreal. i literally felt like i have having an out of body experience. carolyn later told me that the nurse seemed all calm and collected, until she checked my progress and i was at 10 centimeters and i really needed to push. it was go time! except no one was ready since things moved so fast. the nurse kept telling me not to push yet, but there was no controlling it. my water broke right then, while i was suffering through contractions and literally trying to hold my baby in. um...that wasn't fun.  the nurse got on the phone and called my doctor in a huge hurry. brandon was on my left and carolyn was on my right and all of a sudden, there were eight other strangers in the room. i knew i was close at this point.

my sister, my husband, the nurse and the doctor were all so encouraging. brandon was a calming presence and would hold my hand and help me breathe. carolyn was right by my face and would say things like, "you're almost there....you're doing so good". the nurse and Dr.Lines were both calm and peaceful, but efficient. i remember almost pleading with Dr. Lines "am I almost done?" and she smiled and said, "almost done" in her matter of fact doctor voice. three pushes and 19 minutes later, at 5:04 am, we welcomed our beautiful Peyton Jane into the world! it was an experience like nothing i have ever had. they took her over to the corner of the room to weigh her and wrap her up, and i waited anxiously to see her little face.  i was freezing and shivering, so someone brought me a warm blanket. thankfully, carolyn had her camera with her (i have no clue where mine was hiding the whole time...maybe in the pocket of my bag with all the loofahs??) and was able to catch the very first shots of our little princess. these pictures were taken ever before i saw her.

first breaths of life.

 it seemed like forever (but actually it was about three minutes) before they brought her to me and was able to kiss her tiny face. she had the sweetest little pout and the chubbiest cheeks. brandon and i just stared and stared at her in disbelief. we did this? she's ours? we have a child?

our first picture together.

holding on to daddy's shirt. already her protector:)

brandon laughed that she was born on 9/19/09, because he cannot remember dates to save his life, so she made it easy for him. my mom, jenny and carolyn all came back into the room and just marveled at how much she looked like brandon.

the marvelers. (a dark room, sans flash = poor quality photo...but the moment was captured, nonetheless!)

 carolyn had been updating a few of my close friends via text throughout the night and sent out the last text that she was here. "blue eyes, blonde hair and beautiful" were her exact words. we were all so tired, but i wanted nothing to do with sleep. i just wanted to stare at her. brandon became the master swaddler, but that little monkey would worm her tiny, little arms out the top of the blanket every time. she still hates to have her arms trapped:)

our lives changed dramatically the minute that little girl was conceived. i carried her for nine long months, wondering whose eyes she would have, or what color hair God would give her. i would sit and dream about who she would look like and what she would become some day. on september 19, 2009, she came into my life and shook it to the core. i never knew i could love someone so much. i think that every day.

xoxo,
maggie