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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

"this is so... surreal..." -Andrew realizing he'll be a daddy in less than 12 hrs...



So here I was, working my 12hr shift. I have dated this picture January 6, 2010, you know, for the purpose of comparing (you new moms out there know what I'm talking about!). Handling 7 patients and 15 days away from the due date (Jan.21, 2010)... or so we thought...

Monday Jan. 11, 2010





So we decided to finish setting things up in the nursery. You know for the heck of it (also known as "nesting" maybe?) :P Given we were only 10 days away from the supposed due date. Washed all her clothes, do a little organizing, and set up swings, bouncers, strollers, etc. We didn't have a crib at this point because we have planned a bassinet to go in our room for a couple or so months. I also have already packed my "hospital bag" a week earlier as my mom and aunts have suggested seeing how my belly was about to "pop" any minute. So it was safe to say we were "ready".

Tuesday January 12, 2010

I had one of my weekly visits this day. I was STILL 2cm dilated and have been for a couple of weeks at this point. My midwife even suggested to start thinking about a good date to have an induction if my due dates comes and goes. She suggested a few things (raspberry tea, walking a mile, etc.) to speed up the process. I never did try to "speed up the process" figuring she'd come out whenever she was ready! So I called up 3 people after the appointment, Andrew and my mom for them to start thinking about a day for possible induction and that she wasn't quite ready yet, and called up work to have me scheduled to work that week since I havent really had a set schedule anticipating she was coming in the next couple of weeks. They scheduled me Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

...then... clock tolled midnight...

Andrew and I didn't get to bed until 11:30 Tuesday night, watching American Idol and shows here and there. Around midnight something woke me up... it was a contraction.. nothing new, I've been getting them the past week. 10mins later.. ouch.. another one.. then 5 mins... OUCH! And another. I was in and out of the bed trying to get comfortable and it woke Andrew up and asked if this was another one of those "Brax hickies" contraction (as you all know referring to braxton hicks 'false labor' contractions). And I wasn't so sure, so we called up the midwife. She called back saying, based on your breathing I think it's time to go to the hospital. She offered we can stay a couple hrs at home to wait out the labor just as long as my water hadn't broken. So we called up our parents and updated them with everything.

2:30 a.m. Jan. 13, 2010

Everything had gone quickly (or so it felt like it to me) from this point. We checked in at the hospital at 2:30, got triaged, found out I was only 3cm dilated but we were so excited when the nurse said "we're having a baby today" based on how often my contractions were going. She called up the midwife and only after less than an hr at triage we were in the labor room. (Needless to say I went ahead and called work and let them know I wouldn't be working that night!) They got me started on IV fluids and we walked around the unit, and yes I did agree on an epidural. I was dilating about every hr or so and pain was of course minimal or none at all. Mom came at around 6, her and Andrew grabbed breakfast because I was only 5cm at this point and by the time they came around they've broken my bag of water. We started calling family up since the midwife let us know it'll probably right after lunch we'll be having this baby. So they suggested we rest up before the pushing begins.

9:00 a.m.

So the pressure was building up and I asked to see the nurse. Sure enough I was fully dilated and ready to push! We were all back on the phones again letting everybody know it was SHOWTIME! My dad skipped half a day and so did Andrew's family so they can be there! I pushed for a little less than a couple of hrs and out came...




MALAIA LEIGH STEPHENSON, 8 LBS 1 OZ., 19.25 INCHES. Born at 11:19 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2010


It was such an awesome feeling... hearing her cry, seeing her pink and healthy. All throughout pregnancy all I wanted to do was to hold her in my arms and the day finally came and it was overwhelming... all great feelings of course! It was great seeing everybody hold her, everybody telling her that they love her.. specially Andrew :) Family were in and out that day and it was such a great day... but the story does go on...

So as they whisked her away for initial assessments they finished working on me. With her big size I unfortunately had to have an episiotomy. It's not uncommon, but everything that had happened after the birth was anything but uncommon. To make the long story short I have developed a bleeding under the skin "down there" (a hematoma). And they only found this after I have soaked the bed, the floor, and the bathroom with blood and fainting on the way back to bed. They had to take me to the O.R. 8 hrs after having her to evacuate the blood and peek at where I was bleeding from. I was fixed, but had to have 4 units of blood over the next day. It was such a scary experience... and I'm grateful for priesthood blessings and the support that my whole family had given us that day. It was heartbreaking being taken away from the room, seeing my baby girl in her lil bassinet, Andrew watching over her and my parents talking to my doc about all that was going on. I felt so much better after, I was finally able to enjoy my time with my little family, to hold her, to feed her, and to soak in that I AM A MOTHER!

Yet the story doesn't end there...

...to make another long story short, my baby girl had jaundice. Again, not uncommon, she had to be under the photolights, we had to stay an extra night then we went home. BUT THEN,... her 48hr check up with the pediatrician yielded very high bilirubin,... the jaundice came back but the levels are scary. They asked us to check into the hospital AGAIN so she can be under the lights. Another heartbreaking experience to watch her get poked and stuck for a couple of nights and since she had to be under the lights the only time I could hold her was to feed her. But it was all for her own good,... she got well and we got to go home.

We are now finally settling down, TRYING to get into a routine and enjoying every day of it. I'm so grateful for Andrew and the support and help that he gives. Especially through my longer than normal recovery time. He is such a good daddy! Her first 2 days of life he changed her diaper most of the time! I love him so much and it is an unexplainable feeling, the love that he gives and shows our little girl. So grateful that families can be together forever...



She'll be 4wks tomorrow and still growing. We've had to figure out a couple of "huh's" about her and we're both still learning. We are all taking it a day at a time and just feel blessed for what we have brought into this world...

we be singin'


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