Eleanor's Birth Story
Sunday, January 27th, we were scheduled to go to the hospital at 8:00pm. We spent the day at church with our family, then out to lunch at Mikato, a great hibachi grill nearby. I was able to shower and get everything together, and later that night we said our goodbyes to Eli. It was such a strange feeling to know it would be the last time we would see him at home as our only "baby."
We arrived at the hospital and checked in right away. They took us to a really small labor room, where we learned we would be until Eleanor was actually on her way to make an appearance. They had me change into my fancy robe... right. And we sat and waited. The time together was nice, and I was incredibly relaxed! What a change from the hysteria I experienced with Eli!!! No tears at all... not even anxiety. I felt like a pro. Ha!
The nurse finally started my IV around 10:00pm. It was once again my biggest fear about the whole day, aside from of course, knowing Eleanor would arrive 100% healthy. But it went really smoothly and I didn't shed a tear. We were really excited about a night of good sleep before I would begin Pitocin in the morning.... but we were wrong. At midnight they began waking me up for various reasons, I'll spare you all the details. I didn't sleep much and began having intense contractions around 4am.
January 28th, my nurses were in around 6am. I woke Zach up and our real adventure was beginning. Pitocin was started, they broke my water, and started me on a mild pain relief. Everything was good, our parents arrived a little later in the morning, with Eli of course. He wasn't so fond of seeing me hooked up to all the machines; in his eyes they were all "boo boo's." around 8:00am I requested my epidural, it went well, and I was finally comfortable and felt as if the hardest parts were behind me!Family came in and out through the waiting game, and around 10:15am, the nurse checked me and said it was safe for Zach to go grab something to eat. She told me that if I felt any intense pressure or anything abnormal to buzz her, but otherwise she'd check on me in a little while. Mom came in and Zach ventured out for some much needed fuel. Mom and I were in mid conversation when my facial expression dropped... I said, "uh, I feel INTENSE pressure. I need the nurse." I began feeling nauseous, and the nurse "checked" me again. She said, "where is your husband?!" I told her he was grabbing food and she told my mom to go get him immediately, that it was time. I started getting sick to my stomach; she told me that Eleanor was sitting on a nerve, ready to make her appearance and that nerve is what was causing me to get sick. I kept telling her I felt like I needed to push. (Let me remind you, I was still in a labor room and needed to make the transition into a delivery room!) She politely told me that I really needed to wait, she phoned my doctor who had just left for lunch, and began paging the nurses that they were bringing me to the delivery room immediately. Chaos doesn't begin to describe it as more nurses ushered into my room, slinging my bags and belongings onto the foot of my bed. Zach came running, panicked as well, and grabbing his things too. We went through the main hallway, as I continued puking into a pan... such a glamorous time in my life, I tell you. They wheeled us into our room at 10:36am, Zach and the nurses were unloading my bed of bags and the nurses continued to prep the room. My nurse kindly told me to keep my legs together, that the throwing up could very well be enough to push her out. I looked at Zach and said, "We need our camera!!!" He turned around for the bag it was in as my doctor came running in, putting on her gloves. Another contraction, she wheeled over and said, "Allyson, push!" Praise the Lord, finally. Zach heard that word and whipped around, shocked and empty handed from his search from the camera, probably still trying to process the fact that he had just been taken from his quest to find some food...
And there she was. 10:59am. One push. Pure and perfect in every way. Screaming her lungs out.
Zach and I looked at each other in disbelief. Wait, already? She's really here? They plopped her onto my chest. I kissed her gooey face. She hadn't even been wiped off yet. I used her blanket to wipe her sweet chubby cheeks. She looked at me like she had known me for years. There was a perfect peace and calm from all her crying. She looked into my eyes. She knew who I was. She was beautiful in every way. I studied her hair, full of all kinds of gunk, and her teeny fingernails that I knew I would paint one day. A little girl. My heart grew another size and turned to mush all at once. There was something so dainty about her, something so girly, already! After we got our first fill of cuddles and loving, I turned her back to the nurses. Zach found his camera and went to watch her across the room as they weighed her and cleaned her up. They brought her right back and I attempted to nurse her for the first time. This time wasn't so scary and foreign as the first, and it turned out that she was a pro. That moment is such a special one, and was for both of my kids. There is no bond like that, and one you cannot simply explain. I had been the one to supply them with all they had needed for the nine months they were inside of me, and I could continue to do so. We were a team. Just me and them. There's something so special in that dependency and that bonding time. A time that the baby will experience with no other person than myself. A gift that I didn't take for granted.
Zach went back out to the waiting room and brought Eli in. It was so important to me that he had the opportunity to meet her first, without a bunch of other people and stimulation. He was so sweet. Just looking at her. The very first thing he did was try to poke her in the eye! He touched and even kissed her head. We tried to make it just as much about him as it was about her, because in reality, it was. He was instantly promoted to big brother and oldest child. He gave up his position to be the baby and to me looked five sizes bigger in an instant. Our parents were next, and then grandparents, and other visitors. I held my Eli as she was passed around. Lots and lots of photos were taken, and I finally got a great meal! They took her to the nursery and the family followed, as they gave her a real bath and did her footprints and all the other fun things. Eli took a very belated nap on a bed/bench in my room and there was just a calm. Later in the day, Eli was able to hold her for the first time. We sat him in the chair with the Boppy and he was really able to look at her well, and kiss her head. He beamed with pride and it was about the most heartwarming thing to watch. It began to sink in that our family was now made up of four.
It was such a beautiful day, and one hat I'll never forget. She came into our lives with determination and without reservation, two traits that I'm beginning to believe are also apart of her personality. I'm so thankful for our Eleanor Jo.
We arrived at the hospital and checked in right away. They took us to a really small labor room, where we learned we would be until Eleanor was actually on her way to make an appearance. They had me change into my fancy robe... right. And we sat and waited. The time together was nice, and I was incredibly relaxed! What a change from the hysteria I experienced with Eli!!! No tears at all... not even anxiety. I felt like a pro. Ha!
The nurse finally started my IV around 10:00pm. It was once again my biggest fear about the whole day, aside from of course, knowing Eleanor would arrive 100% healthy. But it went really smoothly and I didn't shed a tear. We were really excited about a night of good sleep before I would begin Pitocin in the morning.... but we were wrong. At midnight they began waking me up for various reasons, I'll spare you all the details. I didn't sleep much and began having intense contractions around 4am.
January 28th, my nurses were in around 6am. I woke Zach up and our real adventure was beginning. Pitocin was started, they broke my water, and started me on a mild pain relief. Everything was good, our parents arrived a little later in the morning, with Eli of course. He wasn't so fond of seeing me hooked up to all the machines; in his eyes they were all "boo boo's." around 8:00am I requested my epidural, it went well, and I was finally comfortable and felt as if the hardest parts were behind me!Family came in and out through the waiting game, and around 10:15am, the nurse checked me and said it was safe for Zach to go grab something to eat. She told me that if I felt any intense pressure or anything abnormal to buzz her, but otherwise she'd check on me in a little while. Mom came in and Zach ventured out for some much needed fuel. Mom and I were in mid conversation when my facial expression dropped... I said, "uh, I feel INTENSE pressure. I need the nurse." I began feeling nauseous, and the nurse "checked" me again. She said, "where is your husband?!" I told her he was grabbing food and she told my mom to go get him immediately, that it was time. I started getting sick to my stomach; she told me that Eleanor was sitting on a nerve, ready to make her appearance and that nerve is what was causing me to get sick. I kept telling her I felt like I needed to push. (Let me remind you, I was still in a labor room and needed to make the transition into a delivery room!) She politely told me that I really needed to wait, she phoned my doctor who had just left for lunch, and began paging the nurses that they were bringing me to the delivery room immediately. Chaos doesn't begin to describe it as more nurses ushered into my room, slinging my bags and belongings onto the foot of my bed. Zach came running, panicked as well, and grabbing his things too. We went through the main hallway, as I continued puking into a pan... such a glamorous time in my life, I tell you. They wheeled us into our room at 10:36am, Zach and the nurses were unloading my bed of bags and the nurses continued to prep the room. My nurse kindly told me to keep my legs together, that the throwing up could very well be enough to push her out. I looked at Zach and said, "We need our camera!!!" He turned around for the bag it was in as my doctor came running in, putting on her gloves. Another contraction, she wheeled over and said, "Allyson, push!" Praise the Lord, finally. Zach heard that word and whipped around, shocked and empty handed from his search from the camera, probably still trying to process the fact that he had just been taken from his quest to find some food...
And there she was. 10:59am. One push. Pure and perfect in every way. Screaming her lungs out.
Zach and I looked at each other in disbelief. Wait, already? She's really here? They plopped her onto my chest. I kissed her gooey face. She hadn't even been wiped off yet. I used her blanket to wipe her sweet chubby cheeks. She looked at me like she had known me for years. There was a perfect peace and calm from all her crying. She looked into my eyes. She knew who I was. She was beautiful in every way. I studied her hair, full of all kinds of gunk, and her teeny fingernails that I knew I would paint one day. A little girl. My heart grew another size and turned to mush all at once. There was something so dainty about her, something so girly, already! After we got our first fill of cuddles and loving, I turned her back to the nurses. Zach found his camera and went to watch her across the room as they weighed her and cleaned her up. They brought her right back and I attempted to nurse her for the first time. This time wasn't so scary and foreign as the first, and it turned out that she was a pro. That moment is such a special one, and was for both of my kids. There is no bond like that, and one you cannot simply explain. I had been the one to supply them with all they had needed for the nine months they were inside of me, and I could continue to do so. We were a team. Just me and them. There's something so special in that dependency and that bonding time. A time that the baby will experience with no other person than myself. A gift that I didn't take for granted.
Zach went back out to the waiting room and brought Eli in. It was so important to me that he had the opportunity to meet her first, without a bunch of other people and stimulation. He was so sweet. Just looking at her. The very first thing he did was try to poke her in the eye! He touched and even kissed her head. We tried to make it just as much about him as it was about her, because in reality, it was. He was instantly promoted to big brother and oldest child. He gave up his position to be the baby and to me looked five sizes bigger in an instant. Our parents were next, and then grandparents, and other visitors. I held my Eli as she was passed around. Lots and lots of photos were taken, and I finally got a great meal! They took her to the nursery and the family followed, as they gave her a real bath and did her footprints and all the other fun things. Eli took a very belated nap on a bed/bench in my room and there was just a calm. Later in the day, Eli was able to hold her for the first time. We sat him in the chair with the Boppy and he was really able to look at her well, and kiss her head. He beamed with pride and it was about the most heartwarming thing to watch. It began to sink in that our family was now made up of four.
It was such a beautiful day, and one hat I'll never forget. She came into our lives with determination and without reservation, two traits that I'm beginning to believe are also apart of her personality. I'm so thankful for our Eleanor Jo.
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