First Few Days of Life

Becoming a parent is a totally mind-blowing experience. Hearing Jessica’s first cries as she exited the womb and entered the big new world brought tears of joy to my eyes. Her birth was definitely not the experience I thought it would be though. Caution: Labor details to follow. Skip to pictures for those who get faint.

James and I arrived at the hospital at 5:30 AM Friday. After signing the paperwork and getting the IV installed, the Pitocin started about 7:30 AM. At that point, I was 3 cm dilated. My doctor came and broke my water about 8:30 AM. I have to say, the water breaking was definitely a weird sensation, especially since it doesn’t all come out at once. As I moved around and Jessica moved around, more “water” (amniotic fluid) would leak out. I was hooked up to portable monitors that monitored baby JAM’s heartbeat and my contractions. During the labor process, I walked laps around the maternity wing, sat in the armchair in the room, and bounced on a birth ball. The moving around along with the breathing techniques that I learned in the birth class James and I attended worked very well to get through the contractions. At 11:30 AM, my nurse came to check my progress and she said I was dilated to 8 cm. I thought, “Wow, 5 cm in 4 hours.” Then she said she was going to have another nurse check. So the other nurse came in and checked and said, “I don’t know.” This discussion made me a little nervous. They both left and a few minutes later, the nurse and my doctor came in with a portable ultrasound. The doctor checked and then did a quick ultrasound and said, “Well, she is butt first, the little turkey, so we’re going to have to do a C-section.” So the nurse prepped me and then she walked me into C-section operating room, as I was still having contractions and did not want to be rolled in. The anesthesiologist did a spinal and then I laid out on the table with my arms out. From the chest down, I got all numb. It was weird sensation to fill the tugging and pulling of the C-section, but no pain. Then baby JAM was born at 12:16 PM. Hearing her crying as she was born, was one of the happiest sounds of my life.

First Family Photo

Jessica and her Nanny

Jessica and her Papa

Jessica's Hearing Screening

Sleeping Babe

Jessica and her Daddy

Jessica with her Nana and Grandpa

Getting Ready to Leave the Hospital

In the Car on the Way Home