David and I headed to the hospital and they put me in triage to monitor my BP. It stayed in the normal range for over an hour and then started creeping back up, but it never hit the reading that I took at home. The decision was made that I was to be observed overnight and do the 24 hour urine test. Let me just tell you how much that sucks. I had to do it a lot with Reese and only once with Rowan. What makes this horrible is that a pregnant woman wakes up a million times at night to pee. To actually collect it and then store it in the fridge just really stinks! Anyway, David and I got checked in and ate dinner and watched Cake Boss. My 24 hour urine test was due to be over at 8PM on Sunday. I had a feeling they would either send me home or go ahead and deliver her on Monday morning. Sunday morning David and I were awakened (for the hundredth time) by the nurse. I thought it was just another BP reading but she actually came in and said that I would be having the baby at 10AM. That was in TWO HOURS! I asked to take a shower and she gave me the go ahead so I started to get ready. She immediately came back in and told me that I couldn't and that I had to hook my IV up. I was on Magnesium Sulfate due to my BP and this was to prevent seizures. I get all hooked up and close to my scheduled time she came back in and said that another patient of my doctor's had come in and her baby was breech and was in labor. So, she took my spot. All this time I was having contractions because I was so freaked out. :-)
The time came where it was my turn to have my body ripped open and they wheeled me back to the OR. I braced myself for the huge needle in my back (wasn't bad). The weirdest thing was feeling the tingle go down my legs and the medication took effect. I kept waiting for David and I was afraid that they were going to get started with out him because everything was set up. They finally bring him in as they make the cut. The anesthesiologist nurse offered to take pictures and stated that he had become quite the photographer over the years. I told him sure but I absolutely wanted NO pictures of my body or anything gross. This was the first picture that he took. I can't believe that I'm actually about to share it. Rowan came out screaming and the midwife mentioned that she was way down in my pelvis. This doesn't surprise me as she caused me a great amount of pain!
Getting all cleaned up before she is weighed
Notice how her little nose is all smooshed and crooked :-)
She weighed 7 pounds 8 1/2 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long and was born at 12:17 PM. She and Reese weighed almost the same (Reese was a few ounces bigger) but Reese was much longer at 20 inches.
I finally got to meet my baby girl!
David stayed with Rowan in the recover room while I was stitched up.
I had big plans for my scheduled c-section. I was going to have my hair done and my make up perfect. Yeah, that didn't happen. I didn't even get to take a shower!!
Reese was very excited to meet her for the very first time. She was very intimidated by me though and refused to come anywhere near me. She did blow me some kisses :-)
Rowan with my coworker Sue. Now I have a funny story about Sue. When I was in labor with Reese the nurses in the hall told Sue to go into my room that I wasn't pushing yet. Sue walks in while I was starting to do my very first push. A similar thing happened with Rowan. Sue walks into my room as they are wheeling me to the OR. She's got great timing! LOL!
First sponge bath
Rowan in her Halloween outfit. As my mom and I were washing Reese's old clothes we came upon Reese's Halloween outfit. My mom kept telling me to get rid of it and I said "you never know". And well it happened. I'm glad that my mom remembered and brought it to the hospital. The nurses all loved it. I named Rowan from a character of an Anne Rice book called "The Witching Hour". The main character was named Rowan Mayfair and she was a witch (a good one). It seemed only fitting that Rowan be born on Halloween!
My girl friend Heidi graciously offered to take Reese trick or treating that night with her family. I was very sad that I didn't get to experience it with Reese but she had a great time. Her is a picture of our "Super Girl".
It was a whirlwind of a day and night. The night was very long since I was under special care since I was on Magnesium so I was checked every hour. I had IVs every where and at one point during the night they had to be redone and so they gave me two lines. I was a bruised pin cushion!
With Rowan's arrival comes a new name for my blog. It will now be called "A Little R&R" and it doesn't stand for rest and relaxation! HA!
