When the day came...

March 13, 2013 

 
  March 12th started off like any normal day.  I got Nathan off to school, played with Jovie, and set up a play date with our friends Patsy and Libby.  The only thing that seemed "different" was the fact that I had this internal feeling that I wanted to spend as much time with Jovie that day as I possibly could.  I couldn't explain it, it was just a feeling I had.
  After I dropped Jovie off at Auntie Patsy's, I headed to my 11:00 OB appointment with the intention of hanging out with them after my appointment.  My Dr. told me I was dilated to a 4 and effaced 75%, and he said he was going to "help me along" so to speak, by doing some stretching of my cervix...  Well, sure enough before I could even leave the OB department at Essentia, the contractions started kicking in.  I ignored them, thinking that it was just irritable from the exam.  But I soon began to realize that these contractions were just more than Braxton hicks..  I had to stop at least 3 times before I could get to my van to breath through the contractions.  I got to Patsy's house, and she had to drive Jovie and myself home as the contractions were really painful and disrupting to my driving.
  Dan and I dropped Jovie off with the Stromgrens, set up for my parents to take Nate after school, and off we went to the birthplace.  However, as soon as I got hooked up to those darn monitors, the contractions stopped!!  2 hours of painful contractions, and they just STOP!?  At this point I was pretty frustrated because of all the start/stop labor I dealt with with this pregnancy.  Dan and I walked the floor in hopes that the contractions would kick back in... But they only did while I was walking.  As soon as I stopped, so did the contractions.  My friend Holly came to the hospital and took over for Dan.  We walked the floor, then snuck off to climb the stairs. (I think my nurse got upset with me)  We climbed a lot of stairs considering I was 38 weeks pregnant!  But, the contractions decided to fizzle out.  I only dilated .5 cm so I was only at a 4.5 and I needed to get to a 5 for them to break my water.  Well, it didn't happen.  I literally sobbed out of frustration.  I began to wonder if I knew anything at all about my body anymore.  Were these "contractions" all in my head?  And of course, as soon as I was discharged, the contractions started up all over again.  This time, I ignored them to the best of my ability.  Dan and I went to Burrito Union, where I wolfed down a two fisted chicken burrito (I was so hungry!)  and we picked up Jovie.  Although I was still having the contractions, I just didn't believe that I could possibly be in labor.
  I went to bed around 11pm still feeling the contractions, but since they were only lasting 45 seconds, I didn't think they were "real."  By 2:30 AM I decided I needed to actually start tracking my contractions as they were waking me up and pretty painful.  Did I wake up Dan to tell him to call into work?  Nope! Because I still didn't believe that I was in labor!  By the time he woke up for work it was 4 am and my contractions were every 9 minutes.  Since the paper from the hospital said to wait until they're every 5 minutes for an hour before coming in, and I didn't want any more false alarms, I told Dan just to stay by his phone and sent him off to work.  45 minutes later, I sent him a text to come home because I didn't want to be alone anymore.  The contractions were really getting painful and it was just me and Jovie at home. (Nathan stayed with Grandma and Papa)  20 minutes later, they were every 2 1/2 minutes apart.  I couldn't help but cry through them.  I called Dan again, thinking he'd be home by now.. When he didn't get home at 5:30 I could barely move through my contractions.  Luckily, Jovie woke up happy and I was able to get her and myself ready.  We rushed out the door and decided that it would be best to skip dropping Jovie off and to go straight to the hospital.
  I walked (barely) into the ER at 5:45 AM.. They immediately put me in a wheel chair and brought me upstairs... The Dr. was waiting at the elevator for me (I called ahead) and the nurse and resident were waiting outside the room they had ready for me.  Apparently they knew I was going to go fast.. Which at this point, I was still hoping for the epidural!  They checked me before putting any monitors on me and I was at a 6 and almost fully effaced. I thought to myself,  A SIX!?  That's it!!??  All of those contractions only dilated me 1.5 cm?! What the heck!? So I thought for sure I'd get my lovely epidural.  Yay!! WRONG!!  My contractions were right on top of one another... The nurse knew right away that there was no way that was going to happen.
  Dan came up to the room with Jovie and announced "look who I found!"  And in walked Dr. Pete Olsen.  I was relieved to have someone there who I somewhat knew, and who I knew I could trust.  He was there when Jovie was born and we planned to have him deliver her... But she came out way too fast.  At least he did get to witness her birth and be there for support afterwards. I was happy that he would be able to deliver Annabelle. (It was actually an answer to prayer)

She found her thumb right away!

Anyway, Pete and the OB talked and they said to me, Jen, if we break your water, this will be over a lot sooner.  You're probably not going to have time for the epidural.. I knew they were right, but I was scared to death.  I looked Pete right in the face and said, Pete, I'm scared.  And boy, was I scared!  I knew as soon as that water broke, my pain would sky rocket.  I didn't think I could handle it.  Pete told me, he knew I could do it.... I again mentioned how scared I was.  But agreed that it was the best rout to take.  Pete and Dan both prayed for me before another contraction could hit..  And boy did it HIT me!  Felt like my back was going to snap in half.. literally!  I screamed bloody murder!! Then I apologized for screaming.. Again, thinking I was weak and couldn't handle the pain.. Dan grabbed Jovie and went to the family area, and Pete flew back into the room.. They checked and sure enough I dilated 2 cm's from that 1 contraction.  Before I could even shake that one off, the next hit, then the next.. As soon as I felt that I could push, I started pushing.  I didn't even wait for a command other than when they told me they needed me to stop for a second..  I gave 1 big push when I felt her crowning, and out she came!  9 minutes after they broke my water, Annabelle was in my arms. She was born at 6:28 AM.. My body was shaking from the shock.  I couldn't even give her my full attention because there was so much going on.  Here I wanted to look at this baby and love on her, but all I could do was catch my breath and reconnect myself to reality.  It wasn't like my other births where I could mostly focus afterwards.  My head was spinning and my body was trembling.  I was in so much pain and there was so much talking going on that I just couldn't focus.  It made connecting with her difficult at first.  It wasn't until I had some alone time with her that afternoon that I could really connect with her.  For the first 30 minutes after her birth I couldn't move from the position I was in when I birthed her, I was so sore.  It wasn't until the meds kicked in that I was able to finally get in a comfortable position.  But even after that, I was still so uncomfortable..  (see photo below.. My face says it all!)  Jovie was adorable with her bed head and happy smile!

Don't mind the nursing!  

Through this amazing, yet terrifying experience, God transformed so much in me.  I can't believe how much healing I received during this pregnancy and delivery.  From the very beginning, God provided... He answered prayers, and he changed how I view myself as a person..  I promise to blog about that tomorrow.  But for now, it's off to bed!  Goodnight!

Big brother Nate!

Jovie is a big sister!