Small Fry has been here for one week -- and what a week it's been. While there are no pictures today (I know, so sorry...very few precious moments of quiet these days), I wanted to write all this down before it escapes my memory.
Small Fry's arrival was nothing like I'd prepared for or anticipated. It was without a doubt the craziest hour and forty-five minutes of my life. I will spare you the gory details...but let's just say that Small Fry arrived in a flourish! I was worried he would come quickly -- I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks that were pretty steady and lasted a long time. But, I had no idea he would arrive as quickly as he did.
Fawn and I had a wonderful day together last Tuesday. We went to story time at the library, followed by a picnic lunch and some really fun play time at Hidden Park. After his nap, we went to a friend's house to play for the afternoon. Then we picked up a pizza and snuggled on the sofa eating pizza and watching Mater's Tall Tales (Fawn is obsessed with Cars!). Buck was at a church meeting until pretty late, so it was just my little man and me. (Oh, and of course, my sweet mom came by to give Fawn a bath -- the belly was just too huge to bend down into the bathtub!) I stayed up late waiting for Buck, who arrived home shortly before 10 pm, and then Buck and I chatted for a good 45 minutes or so. I share this just to say that of course I would go into labor after staying up as late as I'd stayed up in MONTHS. Poor Buck was up until midnight or so...so he was really running on low fuel when chaos ensued.
I woke up at 2:31 am to go to the bathroom -- figured it was just one of my many pregnancy bathroom breaks of the night. When I got back in bed I felt like the contractions that were starting were more than just the Braxton Hicks I'd been having. I got my iPhone and started timing them on a labor app. I figured that if they were still going on at 4 am, I'd wake Buck up and we'd start preparing for the hospital. By 3 am, I thought it was the real deal and it was happening fast. I got Buck up and we decided we'd wait a few more minutes before calling his mom to come sit with Fawn. (Buck's mom was on Fawn duty and my mom was labor and delivery back-up.) Very soon after Buck was awake I told him we had to call his mom now, but that we didn't need her for 20 or 30 minutes. I got dressed and finished throwing the last minute items into my hospital bag. Buck's mom was pretty speedy getting to our house (thank goodness, looking back!) and we went ahead to St. Vincent's. Buck called my doctor on the way and my mom, who was going to head our way. I flipped on our hazard lights and told Buck to get me to the hospital N.O.W.
We pulled into St. Vincent's at 3:50 am. It was rough for me making it from the parking lot to the labor floor, and when we got there we were put in triage. We stayed in triage just long enough for them to check me at which point they wheeled me to an actual room. The labor room was filled with people setting up for delivery -- and I was confused. My body was telling me that things were happening quickly, but my head was telling me that there was no way the baby could arrive so soon. By the time they got me in the hospital bed I was complete, the doctor walked into the room, and we were delivering a precious angel -- the perfect completion to our family. Yep, he arrived just 28 minutes after we pulled in to the hospital! Craziest 28 minutes of my life.
I have to admit that for a couple days after Small Fry's birth I was simply coming up for air. I couldn't believe what had ensued so quickly and kept reliving the experience in my head (when I should have been sleeping!). I thought about how many things had to go right for us to make it to the hospital in the nick of time -- my mother-in-law living close to us and coming quickly to watch Fawn, living so close to St. Vincent's, and me waking Buck up and getting to the hospital so quickly after labor began. (Since I'd been having so many Braxton Hicks contractions I had this huge fear that I would arrive at the hospital only to be sent home...so I really was resistant to going to the hospital "too soon".) Buck kept assuring me that there was no way this wasn't "real" labor. He was right.
I know that Buck and I will never forget the birth of this angel. And, he is a precious little angel. He is just the sweetest thing. I promise pictures very soon.
