I wanted to write the story of Isaac's birth for a while now. I mean, the little guy will be 12 weeks tomorrow. I want to write it all out before I forget the little details that made his birth unique to him.
It started out like any other Friday. I was at the end of my pregnancy with a c-section scheduled for the following Monday. I had an appointment the previous Monday, but the doctor wanted to see me again Friday. I asked Josh if he wouldn't mind going with me. I had a feeling that the doctor might just want to do the c-section earlier, and I wanted to be all ready to go.
You see, I had been on bed rest because my blood pressure had spiked towards the end of my pregnancy. I knew that he was keeping a close eye on it for my safety, and also for the safety of Isaac (or lil' dude as we referred to him at that point). My appointment was at 1pm, and I decided not to eat that morning just in case, that way we could not have to wait. When I went into labor with Josie, the nurse told me to eat a cracker to see if that would slow down the contractions. After two bites of a saltine, my doctor made me wait EIGHT HOURS before doing the c-section. Waiting until after my appointment to eat was not going to kill me.
Well, I was right. At the doctor's office he said he would like me to go straight over to labor and delivery because my blood pressure was up again. He said he would be over at three to check me out and see what we should do. When he came at three he said "okay, you are not leaving this hospital without having your baby, so sit tight." He told us he just had to deliver a baby and we would be next.
Josh and I were SO excited! Josh made the call to his parents (who were going to watch the girls for us) and we got a sitter arranged for when they got home from school before Grandma and Grandpa got there. The nurses got me in a gown and that's when it happened.
Apparently everyone in town was going to deliver that night. It was as if a bus dropped off a load of pregnant laboring women! Our doctor was the doctor on call for the weekend, and I guess he is known for having a lot of deliveries on his weekends. Combine that with the fact that this was the weekend before Thanksgiving and you have a very full labor and delivery.
It was so full in fact that we kept getting bumped back further and further down the line. I really didn't mind this since I was not actually in labor like the rest of these women, and by all means, let them deliver first! My only problems were the fact that I decided not to eat (and now was not allowed to) and the fact that I never made it out of the triage room, so I was very uncomfortable on the gurney and Josh was even more uncomfortable on the metal folding chair! Thankfully a sweet nurse finally was able to find a chair a little more comfortable than what he had.
We spent the afternoon into the night there. Getting ready to go, and then being stopped again. I had my I.V. in and was ready to go for a while. We killed time by trying to sleep, which was pretty impossible with how uncomfortable we were, how excited we were, and how often we were told this was it, only to be told to wait again. We also found a Duck Dynasty marathon to pass the time. :)
This whole time we had some of the most amazing nurses we could have asked for. I got to know quite a few of them while going in twice a week for my Non Stress Tests, and they were excited that we were going to have our little one too!
Finally at about 5 AM on Saturday they said it was time. They rushed me to the operating room to get my spinal (they didn't want someone else to take my spot! ha!). I remember being nervous about the surgery. It is really not that comfortable, and now Josh was away in the other room waiting to be called in, and I was all of a sudden terrified. I sat there on the table just praying for God to calm my nerves and help me to enjoy this birth. Praying he would help me remember all the little details.
Josh came in and it was like a happy party. Our doctor was up all night having delivered seven babies before Isaac. The nurses were tired too, but everyone was happy. When Isaac was born I just cried! I told them this was by far the happiest moment in my life, and it was. You see, when Emma was born it was incredible, as with Josie and Addie. This was the best though, because I already had my three girls in my life, and now my son! Each birth of my children kept becoming better and better because the other ones were already with me. Does that make sense?
The doctor and the nurses all said they enjoyed being apart of his birth so much, because Isaac was so loved and wanted by us. Josh brought him to me and I kissed his precious face. He was SO cute!
When my surgery was over, they wheeled me into the recovery room where Josh had Isaac. He was SO proud of his little guy. He gave him to me and I was able to hold my son for the first time. I dreamt of that moment for nine long months, but it was even better than I thought. I was SO happy! He was here!
After I fed him, the nurse came in and bathed him. This was the first time I was able to be there when they gave my baby a bath. With the girls they had already done that while I was still in surgery. I was glad I got to witness this. This is also the first birth where it was just Josh and I at the hospital. That was kind of nice. We spent a nice little time with just Isaac before we called and announced his birth. Such a special time.
I want to share more of his time in the hospital, but I will do that later.
Daddy holding his son. He was so proud!
Not the most flattering picture, but I love it because this is the very first time I got to hold Isaac. I was SO happy! Look how cute he is!
