And then there were THREE!!!

2009 was one of the best years of my life.  We were blessed with so many things and so many wonderful experiences.  Thank you 2009 and Welcome to my little one who is sleeping peaceful with his dad, watching football. 

Here's the story:
Wed: 12/30.  I got up, got dressed, went to work.  Just like any other day. I met with a few clients, answered  a lot of calls (Ben was out sick and Delia was out on vacation), scanned a few documents, and by the end of the day, felt like I was sort of peeing my pants.  Not the kind of pee your pants where you are embarrassed to walk around because everyone can see the wet stain down the front of your jeans.  More the kind of peeing your pants that only you know has happened.  Your underpants are wet and your pants, in certainn spots are dotted with wetness.  Hmmm.  The first thing I do?  Email Jen.  "Do you go to the dr when you are 9 months pregnant and feel like you are peeing your pants?"  Jen calls Em, they call me on 3 way and tell me to go to the dr.  (they tell me this after reading lots of articles on the internet about how it really can mean you are peeing your pants or it can mean that you are leaking water and are going to have a baby.) I finish the days' work, Scan a few files, file a few cases, and still debate going.  One last email from Jen and Em telling me it can't hurt to see what is happening and I am on my way to the nurses station at Providence Hospital.

5:30 - Nurse: "what brings you here?"  Me: "I feel like I am peeing my pants."  Nurse:  "that is not normal, let's get you back." 

6:30 - Lying in some strange emergency room bed, hearing that they are checking the liquid that has been "peeing" out of me all day for ferns.  Apparently, when you put amniotic fluid on some disk, it makes crystals that resemble ferns.  Anyway, Steve finally arrives (I told him to take his time because this could be a false alarm).  Outside of my emergency room curtain I hear a nurse say to her friend, "well, I have one patient that I am pretty sure is NOT in labor, and one that I am pretty sure is in labor."  Which one am I? 

8:30 pm - Still lying on the emergency room table talking to the nurse. She says, I am pretty sure you are not in labor (depite the leaking fluid and the contractions to the contrary.)  She says they are waiting for lab report, but I could either go home or wait to hear what they say.  Steve and I decide to wait.  Why not?   About 1/2 hour passes and the nurse comes back to start taking off monitors and get me on my way (still no lab results).  She says, "Lets get you ready to leave and then when the results come, you will be set."  Me: "I cannot believe that it is not water breaking - what else would it be?"  Her:  "when your water breaks, it isn't like peeing your pants.  You will know." Monitors are off, papers are about to be signed.  KARATE CHOP comes from the small guy within my belly and water starts gushing all over the bed.  Me:  "um, I am definitely gushing something right now."  Nurse (hesitant and not believing me) - moves the sheet from my legs and says, "OH YES! you are in labor!"

10:00 pm - checked in, in my delivery room, talking to Jen (who is talking to Em), and waiting patiently.

12:00 am (ish) - things are progressing nicely.  No drugs are necessary to help the contractions or the dilation, but drugs are definitely necessary for the pain.  I am not brave enough to battle this without the epideral.

5:00 am - Nurse comes in and says it is time to start pushing.  Here we go.

6:00 am - Pushing

7:00 am - Pushing

8:00 am - Pushing

8:15 am - Nurse decides that we should take a 20 min break and consult with the doctor.  Thank you for the 20 min!  I literally turned on my side and passed out!

9:00 am - It has been longer than 20 min. and now all I can hear is the baby's heart rate decreasing with each contraction. (they say this is normal, but for a nervous nelly like myself... this is more than I can handle).  Steve gets the nurse and 30 more min. of pushing ensues.

9:30 am - dr. comes in and assesses.  Assessment #1 - baby is turned semi up.  He is not up or down, but sort of looking to the side.  Assessment #2 - baby is a true Neeleman.  Head is not likely going to fit past my pelvic bone.  Assessment #3 - C-Section is the best option for a healthy baby at this time.

10:00 am - I am strapped to a table, Steve is dressed in dr. clothes, I can't stop shaking, and the anestesiologist is asking all sorts of questions that he doesn't care the answers to, but is trying to keep me calm.  I start yoga breathing and answer appropriately when asked, "Does everyone here agree that we are here for a c-section for patient Angela Neeleman."  Dr: Yes.  Nurse: Yes.  Anesthesiologist: Yes. Me: Yes.  Here we go.

10:31 am (12/31/09) - Evan Benjamin Matthes makes his debut and I am in love with him!  He was 8 lbs. 4 oz.  20 in. long with his head measuring at 15!  The dr. sewed me up (after announcing, to my dismay, that he had my uterus OUTSIDE my body!), and then confidently announced, "good decision, mom.  That baby was not going to come out easy with that size of head!" 

After that, things are kind of a blur.  I was so tired from being up all night and from pushing, shaking, crying, the drugs, etc.  I talked to a few people on the phone, don't really remember what I said, texted a few people, visited with Steve's dad and with Jen.  Jen said I was repeating myself and was not really with it by the time night came, but I am happy that she and Greg, Ivy, and Owen were able to come by.  Owen said he loved his cousin (we were worried because he said that he didn't want to see my baby because he had been in my stomach so long and would probably look scary.)  Owen asked if he, first, could pet him.  Sure.  Then, second, could he hold him.  Then he said, "I just love him so much, I can't even stand it." 

Me too.