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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Dylan's Birth Story: Part I

This story isn't complete but I want to start documenting Dylan's journey into the world before I forget...

Dylan wanted to make an early appearance into the world.  I had December 30th in my mind for a few days, thinking it would be neat for Marissa and Dylan to be exactly 16 months apart, to the day.  I knew I wanted to get past Christmas before he made his arrival but I had accepted that he may come before the New Year.  I was okay with that, I could compromise Christmas for New Year’s.  Ultimately, I had no decision in the matter. 

Thursday was a normal day.  I went to work, came home and was busy doing my Thursday cleaning routine.  I vacuumed, dusted, did laundry, washed diapers, did some sewing, wrapped a few last minute presents for our 3rd Christmas with Danny’s brother (that we ended up missing most of due to Dylan’s arrival) and I tidied up around the house, just trying to keep busy.  Jokingly, I posted on Facebook that Dylan could arrive anytime because the house was clean.  A few friends commented that it must be nesting, but Danny said it’s not called nesting when you’re OCD.  Anyone who knows me knows that I need order in my home and keeping things running smoothly is just a part of me keeping a little bit of sanity.

Around 10 PM I decided that I better get in bed.  I had work the next morning, though I brought my laptop home with me just in case I should need it.  Around 11 PM I woke to go to the bathroom and started to have noticeable cramps with some contractions.  I brushed it off and went back to bed.  For the next 4 hours I woke almost on the hour to use the bathroom and my cramps were increasingly making me more uncomfortable.  Each time I woke up I would tell Danny I thought something may be going on.  Half awake, he would mumble something barely coherent and would roll over to dismiss my uneasiness.  Finally, at 3 AM I decided I couldn’t take it anymore.  I hopped in the shower and felt a little relief from the hot water.  I got dressed and got back in bed.  I opened my handy contraction timer on my cell phone and started timing my contractions; they were coming between 4 and 7 minutes apart, lasting 45 seconds to a minute long.  I would fall asleep in between contractions and at one point my cell phone said I had a six minute contraction, I guess I forgot to stop the timer before falling back asleep. 

By 4 AM I was pretty certain that this was it, I knew I had to call my mom since she had a 2.5 hour drive ahead of her but I was going to feel guilty if I called her at 4 AM for a false alarm.  Instead, I sent her a text to let her know that we may be heading to the hospital in the morning.  Of course, she decided she would be on her way as soon as possible.  I went out to the couch in the living room, blogged, tried to keep my mind occupied and finally drifted off to sleep around 5 AM.  I didn’t wake until almost 7 AM when my mom arrived. 
At that time my contractions were coming and going anywhere between 3 minutes to 10 minutes apart.  I was afraid I may have called my mom too early.  They weren’t as intense as they were in the early morning.  Danny woke and was a bit confused as to why my mom was at our house at 7 in the morning.  I had told him that I called my mom but I guess he didn’t comprehend that in his sleep. 

For the next few hours we piddled around the house.  We fed Marissa breakfast, watched Mickey Mouse, folded diapers, made a grocery store list, went over Marissa’s routine and where we keep everything for her, Danny showered and I called my OB’s office to see what we should do.  I wanted to get an appointment to see the doctor before going to Labor & Delivery at the hospital, but they didn’t have any openings for the day and said I should go to L&D if I felt the need.  With Marissa I was induced at 41 weeks so I didn’t really know if I should be going to L&D or not.  My mom was pretty certain that we should go, better safe than sorry mentality, I suppose.

We left the house around 10 and I was having contractions along the way.  I knew the hospital wouldn’t let me eat so we stopped at McDonald’s for a quick bite.  I had a sausage and egg burrito, Danny got a chicken biscuit and a mocha latte.  We then checked in to the 3rd floor of the hospital at the Labor & Delivery triage where we waited to be seen and await to see if we would be admitted or sent home. 

Dylan is waking up, more to come soon!

 

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