Monday, July 23, 2012

Introducing...

 Hey Friends!  This is the last picture of my pregnancy...41 weeks pregnant!  That baby NEEDED to come out!  This is me, in labor, in my labor and delivery suit at Calvary John James Hospital.  It was so cold in there that I wore my scarf around my shoulders for a good part of my labor. 

 This is Oliver, after a long and hard delivery into this world.  Weighing in at 3.42 Kilos or 7 lbs 9 oz. and measuring 20.5 inches long with a full head of black hair!  So cute!

I wish I could tell you a sweet and wonderful laboring and birthing story, but this was one of my tougher deliveries.  Since I was over due and my original doctor was on vacation (a blessing in disguise) I met a new doctor last Thursday.  The doctor did a thorough examination of me and baby and decided I needed to have some monitoring done to make sure baby was doing okay.  We went in for the monitoring and the midwife said we could go home.  Later that evening I received a phone call telling me to come on back in for some more monitoring; so off we headed to the maternity ward again.  Matt and I had our bags packed, hoping that Oliver would make his appearance that evening.  We were surprised to be sent home once again with the agreement that my water would be broke by the doctor in the morning if I didn't come in before hand on my own terms.  After nice contractions all evening, I headed to bed to rest up a bit.  The contractions stopped through the night and early the next morning I found myself on the way to the hospital preparing to have my water broke by the doctor. 

Once in my delivery suit, bags unpacked and birthing gown on, the doc came in to break my water.  Guess what...it wouldn't break!  So there we sat, or more like jumped, lunged, squatted, walked around the hospital, star jumps, you name it, trying to get a more active labor going. 

After a long walk (the doctor saw us on  his lunch break as we were walking and was not too pleased with the midwife for letting us go out for a walk), we were closely monitored as the baby's heart rate kept dropping during each contraction.  The doctor came in and gave me a good talking to about the possibility of having to have a c-section in the unlikely event that the baby's cord was around his neck.  We opted to try for breaking the water again and sure enough, this time it broke, but not enough.  In order for it to break enough, the doctor used an instrument that is also used to internally monitor baby's heart rate.  Once the instrument was attached, baby's heart rate was pretty steady so we proceeded with a little help from an inducing drug.  At the mention of c-section, I was happy to try anything to get my baby out with out using a knife!  So off I went, into a quick and hard labor.  Matt was a fabulous coach; he helped me maintain a calm spirit through much of my labor.  He also was there for me in the end when the pressure was great to give in to having pain meds convincing me that I can do this on my own!  What a guy! 

The induction worked quickly and as I neared the pushing stage, we had a bit of a scare.  The heart rate monitor that was being used in baby's head was picking up my heart rate instead of the baby's heart rate.  It was quite the mystery to the midwives in the room and they had to call in the head midwife to be certain that it was my heart rate!  Shortly after that fiasco, I was on my way to pushing baby out.  It was a lot of work and sure enough, his cord was wrapped around his neck.  He is truly my little miracle!  Born a "true blue" Aussie...his skin was blue for the longest time and he waited quite some time to take his first breath, but when he did, we knew our lives would never be the same!  We are so overjoyed to have a little boy in our family!  It's like he was just the piece of this puzzle that we were missing!  He fits in perfectly already! 
 The girls and Grandma meet Oliver.
 Minutes after his birth!  Matt and I named him Oliver Lawrence Ray Sanchez.
 Me and my new baby boy!
 New daddy Matty.
 Grandma Sue!  A special thanks to Grandma for watching the girls during the multiple trips to the hospital, labor, delivery, and recovery!  What a gal!
We are well on our way to getting to know Mr. Oliver.  We are SO lucky and blessed!  What a miracle!
Enjoy today!

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