It has been a year...and all I can think about was what we were doing this time last year. So since I didn't do it a year ago I decided to write about our delivery story.
I remember after the walk...feeling pretty good. Of course there was all kinds of pressure everywhere. But by that time...that was nothing new! I remember getting a burst of energy and started nesting at home...I was on the move the whole day. I had a doctors appointment that afternoon after school to see if I had started to dilate more. Sure enough, I had. I was at a 1 and a half by this time! I was so excited when I left the doctor. I knew she would be coming that night! But she didn't...
Saturday, December 18th: This day was a normal day...well I say normal. All day Chris was asking me, "You going into labor yet?"..."What about now?"..."Now?" Dr. Ryder told us Friday afternoon that if we do not go into labor that we would for sure go to the hospital Sunday night...to start the laboring process...and be induced Monday morning. So Chris and I both were waiting on pins and needles. Saturday afternoon, I started to get REALLY nervous! We were picking up last minute things we needed to take with us at the hospital...doing last minute details. Saturday night we were invited to go to a celebration dinner. My good friend, Lauren, had graduated with her Masters that day...and wanted Chris and I to get a good last dinner! At dinner I started to cry...how's that for prego drama queen...crying at someone else's celebration dinner. I think it all hit me sitting there thinking about what my body was going to go through the next day. So I started to have a meltdown! Thank goodness I have friends like Lauren...because her and her sweet family dropped everything and prayed for me. That is a moment I will never forget in our journey...close friends and family standing around me praying for my delivery. I remember after that thinking..."Ok, Tiff get it together...you can do this!" So thank you so much Lauren, Clint, Ann, J. Paul...you are so special to me! After dinner, Chris and I went home and had our last night of a full nights rest!!!!!!!! Gracious, I don't even remember what that feels like...LOL!
Sunday, December 19th: On my To-Do list it said...DO NOTHING...which the night your going to the hospital to have a baby...doing nothing doesn't happen! Instead we were again doing last minute things and get the little details ready for Christmas...because believe it or not we didn't know what day we were going to come home...we just knew right when we get back from the hospital, it would be time to celebrate Christmas. After getting our I's dotted and T's crossed...I had to do a very important thing: get a pedicure! I knew my toes had to look cute...especially if they were going to be "up in the air." Sitting at the nail salon with Lauren...I will never FORGET how uncomfortable I was. OMGracious...I was having contractions pretty close together...and little did I know I was already in LABOR! Lauren was cracking me up...she was just like Chris asking... "Tiff, do we need to go?"..."Should I call Chris?"..."You sure?" The ladies that were working on me kept asking me too..."Would you like some water....a hospital?" Here is a picture of my huge ankles...I swelled BIG time the last week before delivery:
So after getting my toes pretty...My mom and Kepi made me a cool ribbon mobile. Well they made for Tinley, but were determined to have it in the room before she came home from the hospital. So they came over and worked way to long on getting it straight and perfect. Chris was so ready to get to the hospital. I on the other hand was hurting and contracting...so was not doing a lot of talking.
Chris and I headed to our favorite restaurant to get a good steak, everyone said that I would need a good last meal before going to the hospital. With Tinley being my first baby, we planned on being in labor for a while...and since you can't eat during labor, we decided to get something good! Chris got the steak...I was to scared to eat anything heavy...because I heard of the horror stories about things that come out when you push. :) So I stuck to salad and bread!
With our bellies full...we headed to the hospital. That was the craziest feeling...driving there...knowing the drive back home would be SO different. Once we got to the hospital at 7:30 PM, they had me get into the HOT hospital gown:
We had to monitor Tinley for at least 30 minutes before they would insert the cervidil. A cervidil is something that helps you go into "natural" labor...and if that doesn't work they start induction. With what the nurses said..."This is your first baby, so you will probably be induced in the morning...push for several hours...so your baby should be here this time tomorrow night!" Tinley was always a busy body in the womb, so after having to move the monitor around on my belly several times. Finally after an hour of finding little active Tinley Kay, the cervidil was inserted at 8:45PM. After it was inserted I could not get up AT ALL for two hours...so we waited...waited...and waited...
About 10:45, nothing was really happening...nothing I had not felt before. Contractions yes...harder contractions yes...pressure OH YES. One thing I was waiting on was after 2 hours of the cervidil was inserted I finally got to have some apple juice and got to get up to go potty. I was SO thirsty...which I think it made it worse knowing I couldn't drink anything while the cervidil was settling. I remember having Chris go get TONS of juice for me...because once it hit midnight...I could not have anything else to drink. The hospital only had those little shot glasses for juice, so Chris made several trips back to the frig to get more. At 1:30, I started feeling my contractions harder than I have ever felt them. With contractions...I was also having horrible indigestion! That was worse than the contractions...I remember it would BURN so bad in my throat! I really never had a lot of this during the pregnancy so it was bugging me that it was starting up. Bugged me enough where I could not rest. I was talking to my mom on the phone and had to hang up on her...because all of a sudden I got sick because the sting was so bad. After that the nurses brought me some milk of magnesia...one word for that GROSS. Next time I have to take that I will remember to shake it first. Gracious...I can still taste that nasty stuff! 4:30am rolls around, I was almost at a 7 and decided I was ready for my epidural!!! Which the stories I heard...everything would be Heaven after this was inserted. I just knew it didn't hurt horrible yet, but again...the stories were get your epidural in enough of time...you don't want to run out of time to get it. So I knew I would rather do this and get over with.
Monday, December 20th: After I pop and jump there...I was set. I waited and waited for my contractions to go away... waited...waited...this was NOT Heaven! My contractions were not gone! UGHHHHHHH!!! On top of the contractions now so hard I could not talk...I also had an air bubble in my neck and shoulders. Come to find out every time I pressed the bottom for more medicine for the contractions...I was adding to the air bubble. I remember the nurse basically saying, "Tiffany, until Dr. Ryder gets here you need to choose...contractions or air bubbles." So I choose air bubbles...so I stopped pressing the button to the epidural and was feeling those contractions every 2 minutes. By the time I would catch my breath another one would come. It was fabulous!
It was about 6am and I told Chris to call our parents and tell them to get up to the hospital NOW. Because I knew it wouldn't be very long...and plus I was secretly pushing. Chris started to do his "I promise I'm calm..I just like a walk back and further to one wall the other walk..." Finally my parents showed me...which made us feel a lot better. My dad was sweet..he would prepare me for when another contraction was coming. My sweet Daddy watching the monitor in the labor and delivery room...
Chris' parents got there...which then is when I felt like I could really start to push. I had all the family there and was ready. Asked Chris to the Dr. Ryder. Which before my parents got there I was told she was in the building. Then after everyone was there about 6:30, the nurses said she was her my way. UGH...I was complete, hurting and ready to meet our Tinley.
Dr Ryder finally made it to the room all pretty with her hair and make up. Sat on the bed crossed her legs and said, "Okay let's push." Between every contraction I remember her trying to talk to be...and with me not listening to whatever she was saying my mom would answer for me. I remember catching about every other word and then feeling another contraction so I would then go back into the "zone." Dr. Ryder then started wondering why in the world I had an epidural and was able to feel when the contractions were coming. Her words were to a nurse were, "What is up, she is basically doing this naturally!" I do remember those words! We pushed for about 45 minutes...and with no movement at all...decisions needed to be made.
After discussing with Dr. Ryder, she felt that a C-Section is what needed to happen. Tinley's head was not moving passed my pelvic bone...and she felt that it would the safer route to go ahead with the C-Section. So I was prepared and wheeled away to the OR.
I do remember several things while I was in the OR. I remember the OR table being about 5 inches wide and thinking to myself, "I'm supposed to fit on that?" I remember the anesthesiologist getting me ready for surgery and asking me to lift my left leg. I remember lifting my left leg about 40 degrees. He stood up in shock! He said, "Tiffany left up your right leg." I lifted my right leg higher...it went passed 90 degrees. The anesthesiologist started looking through my chart...was asking me questions...wanting to do know times...where I can feel it...about the air bubble...while I was having CONTRACTIONS. I remember starting to cry because I knew this wasn't right. So after sitting up AGAIN and having ANOTHER epidural, we waited for this one to start working. Gracious sakes...that last epidural really kicked in strong! I couldn't feel anything from my neck down! The rest is a blur...after feeling so much better I fell asleep in the OR. I woke up right before surgery started with the voice on Dr. Ryder asking me if I was ready...and Chris in all his scrubs. Hello Dr. McDreamy...
After about 20 minutes she was here, Dr. Ryder said the first cut on me, Tinley's chin popped out. Hearing that first cry was the most amazing sound in the world. I remember thinking in my head, "Something really was in there!"
Hello sweet Tinley Kay! 8 pounds 10 ounces...at 9:54 AM...
You can see her red mark all the way across her forehead. The doctor said that is where her head was pushing against my pelvic bone. Poor baby...!
Here I am finally awake and meeting my baby girl for the first time. Such a special and sweet moment!
Her Daddy with us in recovery meeting Tinley....she already had him wrapped around his finger...
Finally to the nursery to get cleaned up and of course a bow on the head...our Christmas baby...beautiful and perfect...
Yep...one of the best parts...she has my toes...the second is longer! YAY!
Three days in the hospital...we made it home with whole family there to celebrate Christmas...
Friday, December 17th: It was Jingle Bell Run at my school. Which I LOVE this day...I love getting all my babies out and running! So since I had not gone into the labor yet my doctor had me just wait to see if I would over the weekend. I was almost at one, so wanting the show to get on the road...I decided I would walk the mile with my class. Here is a picture a mom snapped of me as I was coming out of the school. Crazy to think that about 72 hours after this picture...our life changed forever!
I remember after the walk...feeling pretty good. Of course there was all kinds of pressure everywhere. But by that time...that was nothing new! I remember getting a burst of energy and started nesting at home...I was on the move the whole day. I had a doctors appointment that afternoon after school to see if I had started to dilate more. Sure enough, I had. I was at a 1 and a half by this time! I was so excited when I left the doctor. I knew she would be coming that night! But she didn't...
Saturday, December 18th: This day was a normal day...well I say normal. All day Chris was asking me, "You going into labor yet?"..."What about now?"..."Now?" Dr. Ryder told us Friday afternoon that if we do not go into labor that we would for sure go to the hospital Sunday night...to start the laboring process...and be induced Monday morning. So Chris and I both were waiting on pins and needles. Saturday afternoon, I started to get REALLY nervous! We were picking up last minute things we needed to take with us at the hospital...doing last minute details. Saturday night we were invited to go to a celebration dinner. My good friend, Lauren, had graduated with her Masters that day...and wanted Chris and I to get a good last dinner! At dinner I started to cry...how's that for prego drama queen...crying at someone else's celebration dinner. I think it all hit me sitting there thinking about what my body was going to go through the next day. So I started to have a meltdown! Thank goodness I have friends like Lauren...because her and her sweet family dropped everything and prayed for me. That is a moment I will never forget in our journey...close friends and family standing around me praying for my delivery. I remember after that thinking..."Ok, Tiff get it together...you can do this!" So thank you so much Lauren, Clint, Ann, J. Paul...you are so special to me! After dinner, Chris and I went home and had our last night of a full nights rest!!!!!!!! Gracious, I don't even remember what that feels like...LOL!
Sunday, December 19th: On my To-Do list it said...DO NOTHING...which the night your going to the hospital to have a baby...doing nothing doesn't happen! Instead we were again doing last minute things and get the little details ready for Christmas...because believe it or not we didn't know what day we were going to come home...we just knew right when we get back from the hospital, it would be time to celebrate Christmas. After getting our I's dotted and T's crossed...I had to do a very important thing: get a pedicure! I knew my toes had to look cute...especially if they were going to be "up in the air." Sitting at the nail salon with Lauren...I will never FORGET how uncomfortable I was. OMGracious...I was having contractions pretty close together...and little did I know I was already in LABOR! Lauren was cracking me up...she was just like Chris asking... "Tiff, do we need to go?"..."Should I call Chris?"..."You sure?" The ladies that were working on me kept asking me too..."Would you like some water....a hospital?" Here is a picture of my huge ankles...I swelled BIG time the last week before delivery:
So after getting my toes pretty...My mom and Kepi made me a cool ribbon mobile. Well they made for Tinley, but were determined to have it in the room before she came home from the hospital. So they came over and worked way to long on getting it straight and perfect. Chris was so ready to get to the hospital. I on the other hand was hurting and contracting...so was not doing a lot of talking.
Chris and I headed to our favorite restaurant to get a good steak, everyone said that I would need a good last meal before going to the hospital. With Tinley being my first baby, we planned on being in labor for a while...and since you can't eat during labor, we decided to get something good! Chris got the steak...I was to scared to eat anything heavy...because I heard of the horror stories about things that come out when you push. :) So I stuck to salad and bread!
With our bellies full...we headed to the hospital. That was the craziest feeling...driving there...knowing the drive back home would be SO different. Once we got to the hospital at 7:30 PM, they had me get into the HOT hospital gown:We had to monitor Tinley for at least 30 minutes before they would insert the cervidil. A cervidil is something that helps you go into "natural" labor...and if that doesn't work they start induction. With what the nurses said..."This is your first baby, so you will probably be induced in the morning...push for several hours...so your baby should be here this time tomorrow night!" Tinley was always a busy body in the womb, so after having to move the monitor around on my belly several times. Finally after an hour of finding little active Tinley Kay, the cervidil was inserted at 8:45PM. After it was inserted I could not get up AT ALL for two hours...so we waited...waited...and waited...About 10:45, nothing was really happening...nothing I had not felt before. Contractions yes...harder contractions yes...pressure OH YES. One thing I was waiting on was after 2 hours of the cervidil was inserted I finally got to have some apple juice and got to get up to go potty. I was SO thirsty...which I think it made it worse knowing I couldn't drink anything while the cervidil was settling. I remember having Chris go get TONS of juice for me...because once it hit midnight...I could not have anything else to drink. The hospital only had those little shot glasses for juice, so Chris made several trips back to the frig to get more. At 1:30, I started feeling my contractions harder than I have ever felt them. With contractions...I was also having horrible indigestion! That was worse than the contractions...I remember it would BURN so bad in my throat! I really never had a lot of this during the pregnancy so it was bugging me that it was starting up. Bugged me enough where I could not rest. I was talking to my mom on the phone and had to hang up on her...because all of a sudden I got sick because the sting was so bad. After that the nurses brought me some milk of magnesia...one word for that GROSS. Next time I have to take that I will remember to shake it first. Gracious...I can still taste that nasty stuff! 4:30am rolls around, I was almost at a 7 and decided I was ready for my epidural!!! Which the stories I heard...everything would be Heaven after this was inserted. I just knew it didn't hurt horrible yet, but again...the stories were get your epidural in enough of time...you don't want to run out of time to get it. So I knew I would rather do this and get over with. Monday, December 20th: After I pop and jump there...I was set. I waited and waited for my contractions to go away... waited...waited...this was NOT Heaven! My contractions were not gone! UGHHHHHHH!!! On top of the contractions now so hard I could not talk...I also had an air bubble in my neck and shoulders. Come to find out every time I pressed the bottom for more medicine for the contractions...I was adding to the air bubble. I remember the nurse basically saying, "Tiffany, until Dr. Ryder gets here you need to choose...contractions or air bubbles." So I choose air bubbles...so I stopped pressing the button to the epidural and was feeling those contractions every 2 minutes. By the time I would catch my breath another one would come. It was fabulous!
It was about 6am and I told Chris to call our parents and tell them to get up to the hospital NOW. Because I knew it wouldn't be very long...and plus I was secretly pushing. Chris started to do his "I promise I'm calm..I just like a walk back and further to one wall the other walk..." Finally my parents showed me...which made us feel a lot better. My dad was sweet..he would prepare me for when another contraction was coming. My sweet Daddy watching the monitor in the labor and delivery room...
Chris' parents got there...which then is when I felt like I could really start to push. I had all the family there and was ready. Asked Chris to the Dr. Ryder. Which before my parents got there I was told she was in the building. Then after everyone was there about 6:30, the nurses said she was her my way. UGH...I was complete, hurting and ready to meet our Tinley.
Dr Ryder finally made it to the room all pretty with her hair and make up. Sat on the bed crossed her legs and said, "Okay let's push." Between every contraction I remember her trying to talk to be...and with me not listening to whatever she was saying my mom would answer for me. I remember catching about every other word and then feeling another contraction so I would then go back into the "zone." Dr. Ryder then started wondering why in the world I had an epidural and was able to feel when the contractions were coming. Her words were to a nurse were, "What is up, she is basically doing this naturally!" I do remember those words! We pushed for about 45 minutes...and with no movement at all...decisions needed to be made.
After discussing with Dr. Ryder, she felt that a C-Section is what needed to happen. Tinley's head was not moving passed my pelvic bone...and she felt that it would the safer route to go ahead with the C-Section. So I was prepared and wheeled away to the OR.
I do remember several things while I was in the OR. I remember the OR table being about 5 inches wide and thinking to myself, "I'm supposed to fit on that?" I remember the anesthesiologist getting me ready for surgery and asking me to lift my left leg. I remember lifting my left leg about 40 degrees. He stood up in shock! He said, "Tiffany left up your right leg." I lifted my right leg higher...it went passed 90 degrees. The anesthesiologist started looking through my chart...was asking me questions...wanting to do know times...where I can feel it...about the air bubble...while I was having CONTRACTIONS. I remember starting to cry because I knew this wasn't right. So after sitting up AGAIN and having ANOTHER epidural, we waited for this one to start working. Gracious sakes...that last epidural really kicked in strong! I couldn't feel anything from my neck down! The rest is a blur...after feeling so much better I fell asleep in the OR. I woke up right before surgery started with the voice on Dr. Ryder asking me if I was ready...and Chris in all his scrubs. Hello Dr. McDreamy...
After about 20 minutes she was here, Dr. Ryder said the first cut on me, Tinley's chin popped out. Hearing that first cry was the most amazing sound in the world. I remember thinking in my head, "Something really was in there!"
Finally to the nursery to get cleaned up and of course a bow on the head...our Christmas baby...beautiful and perfect...
Happy Birthday angel Tinley Kay Ann. We love you very very much!!!
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