Reflecting - Part 2

I never really did a "birth story" post, so I am doing that now!  This is LONG and I ramble.

I remember everything like it was yesterday!  I was induced on the morning of May 23, 2011, but we checked into the hospital at 7 pm on Sunday, May 22.  We went to church that morning and then came home and did a few things around the house.  On the way to the hospital we stopped at Texas Roadhouse to get a big, filling dinner!  I remember thinking how funny it was that the rest of the world was just eating their dinner like normal and we were about to go have a BABY!  The drive to the hospital was really exciting.  For some reason I remember hearing Blake Shelton's new (at the time) song "Honey Bee", so now every time I hear it I think of us driving to the hospital and smile. :)  When we got to the hospital, parked in the parking garage, and started heading for the hospital with our (entirely too much) luggage, it really hit me.  I remember every single feeling I had as we walked in.  Once we got inside we had to wait a few minutes to check in.  Eventually we got to our room and I changed into my robe to settle in.  We had a really sweet nurse that night who did my IV, hooked up my monitors, etc.  The IV was the thing I was most nervous about.  After all of the initial things were done, Chris and I watched a little Fox News and talked baby names.  We still hadn't 100% decided on our girl name and we were still going back and forth on the spelling of Reid's name.  The anticipation of finding out if we were going to have a son or a daughter was SO EXCITING.  I just had butterflies every time I thought about getting to hear those words the next day!  Before falling asleep that night (with the help of a sleeping pill), I remember praying that God would take away all of my anxieties and fears about the next day and just help me to be completely in the moment during the entire process.  He completely answered that prayer and so  many more!!!

When I woke up the next morning I was ready to get things going!  I had told myself ahead of time that I would have no expectations about how things would happen.  I knew I couldn't control it anyway.  In the back of my mind I think I assumed I would end up having a c-section.  The nurse started the pitocin and shortly after that Dr. Levin came in and broke my water.  That was BY FAR my least favorite part.  Goodness gracious.  I want to cry just thinking about it.  The contractions eventually started, but were manageable.  Our families started arriving mid-morning.  I was glad to have my family there to talk to and help pass the time.  I got my epidural around 10 am.  I was nervous about that too, but it wasn't bad!  I was not a fan of the anesthesiologist at all, but loved everyone else we came in contact with all week.  My epidural kicked in, but it was very uneven!  My right side was so numb that it almost hurt and the feeling in my left side kept coming back.  She kept coming in to adjust it and eventually it almost evened out.  Dr. Levin had come in a couple of times to check me and I wasn't progressing.  She came in around 2:00 and said that if I hadn't progressed when she came back at 3:30, we would plan a c-section for 6:00.  I did cry when I heard this, but I also completely trusted my doctor.  When she came back in at 3:30, I hadn't progressed.  She said we were going to head straight to the OR because they had a no-show for a 4:00 c-section!  Can you imagine just not showing up for your scheduled c-section???  What in the world?  Anyway, I started crying at this point because things just happened really fast!  They ordered my parents to leave and threw (literally, across the room) Chris his scrubs.  I know they were just trying to be efficient, but to me it felt kind of dramatic when it didn't really need to be.  Once we were on our way to the OR, I felt a peace come over me.  I was about to meet my baby!!! I closed my eyes as they wheeled me in and didn't look at anything until the curtain was up.  That was some great advice from a friend!  Once Chris got to come in, I was READY!  I couldn't wait.  I didn't even know when she started.  I couldn't believe how fast it happened!  Dr. Levin's exact words as she was pulling him out at 4:09 were, "Why didn't you want to come out?  You aren't even that big young man!  Yes, it's a young man!"  Hearing those words was absolutely AMAZING.  Reid Preston Sciba was here and he was ours.  I was able to talk to Reid and kiss him for a couple of minutes before going to recovery.  Chris got to take Reid to meet our families.  I am so happy we have video of their reactions.  My family came back to check on me and tell me all about Reid.  I hated that I had to wait three hours before getting to see him again.  

Our families stayed for a while loving on their grandson/nephew.  I know they couldn't wait to come straight back the next morning!  The rest of the night was kind of a blur.  While I don't remember every single detail about our first night as a family of three, I do remember how absolutely, over the moon, happy we were.  I will never forget that feeling.  That first night was spent getting to know each other and it was so, so special.   

We had a lot of sweet friends and family come visit over the next couple of days.  I was so proud to get to introduce them to our SON.  I actually really enjoyed my stay at the hospital, but the day we came home from the hospital was one of my very favorite days ever!  It was a really wonderful day.  Our first night at home was exhausting and a little stressful, but so much fun.  I laugh when I think about how clueless we were!

As I think back over this year, I have such sweet memories from each stage.  When I remember the first month, I think about the outpouring of love from family and friends.  I think about not leaving my house for three weeks (except to the pediatrician) and spending all day lying on the couch with Reid on my chest.  I think about sitting in bed in the dark with my baby and thinking how blessed I felt to get to be a mother.  I think about how I cried ALL THE TIME because I was so happy.  I think about how Chris was, and still is,  such a precious new daddy and wanted to be right there doing everything with me.   I think about how I would just look at him in awe of every single inch of his body.  I think about how many times we laughed until we cried during a diaper incident.  I think about what proud parents we were when we took Reid on his first outing to Target. :)  I think about how time seemed to just stand still and we forgot that the rest of the world was going on around us.  When I remember the next couple of months, I think about how relieved I was when we finally got the hang of feedings.  I think about how nervous I was to take Reid anywhere by myself.  I think about how I would spend all day just staring at him and talking to him on the couch.  When I remember the next few months, I think about how I slowly but surely started to gain confidence as a mom.  I think about how I was actually a little sad when he started sleeping through the night at 7 months because I would miss him at night.  I think about how fun it was to watch him learn or do something new.  That will ALWAYS be fun!  Finally, when I remember the last couple of months, I think about wanting time to slow down!  I think about how great it is now that we are able to really play together.  I think about how much I have loved seeing his personality come out.  When I look back, I can honestly say that I cherished every single day of this first year.  Not every day was easy, but it has been a ball learning to be Reid's mommy!