Well, I've got a few minutes to tell the story of Will's birth. Things have been hectic around here, even with Drew home. Everyone was right when they told me that's it's hard to go from 1 to 2 kids. Matthew has had a few adjustments to get used to... like Mommy not being able to play with him whenever he wants. Slowly but surely, we will all adjust, and it will become normal again... Anyways, here's Will's Birth Day story...
On Saturday, September 11, I was really feeling yucky. Very emotional, VERY uncomfortable, and I could hardly walk normally. I laid in bed pretty much all day long watching old episodes of Friends, and some of Matthew's movies (when he wanted to rest with Mom). I was having contractions, but none of them were regular, AT ALL. I didn't even worry about trying to time them... I knew that they weren't the real thing. Come Sunday morning, Sept. 12, I realized that I was having contractions a bit more regularly. So I decided to carry around a mini notebook with me all day. In the morning, the contractions were anywhere from 10-15 minutes apart. They stayed that way all morning and early afternoon. I ran some errands alone while Drew stayed home with Matthew. Once I got home, I ate, took a bath and then plopped down on the couch to watch the Packer game at 3:15pm. Literally, at 3:15, my contractions started to get stronger, and also were noticeably closer together. For the next hour they were 3-5 minutes apart. I remembered from my childbirthing class that if the contractions are consistent even when you change positions, and walk around, then it's reall labor. I sat, I laid down, I walked around the house... they continued to be 3-5 minutes apart. At that time, I realized that this *may* be "it". I decided to wait until 4:45pm to call the on-call doctor to let them know about my contractions. The after hours nurse told me that the Doctor on call would be getting back to me shortly. She called back and since I was mid-contraction, Drew had to talk. She advised us to come in since they were only 3-5 minutes apart. We packed up the rest of our stuff, waited for my mother in law to arrive to watch Matthew, and we were on our way! We arrived at the hospital at 6:30pm. They put me in a labor and delivery triage room where they checked me and hooked me up to the monitors. I was "contracting up a storm" as the nurse said, and was a little more than 3 cm. dilated and 80% effaced. They wanted to keep me there to see if I would progress before really admitting me into labor and delivery. So Drew and I walked the halls, sat on the yoga ball, and tried to get labor going... contractions started to hurt... the resident on the floor checked me at 9pm and said that I wasn't quite 4 cm. yet, and if I couldn't get to that point before 10pm, that they would send me home. I walked more, bounced on the ball more, and by 10pm I was "just about" 4cm... so thankfully they admitted me into a labor and delivery room! I continued to labor, with the contractions getting stronger and stronger, until about 2am. At which time, I decided to get into the shower fro comfort. I got in for about 30 minutes, then got back into bed and FELL ASLEEP! I woke up 30 minutes later and realized that I wasn't really having any contractions.. I started to panic a little. I called the nurse in, she checked me and I was still at 4cm! She told me that she'd wait until 4 or 5am to call my OBGYN (Dr. Webb) to see what to do next. Well, I waited, and waited... 5am came and went and the nurse still hadn't come back. I called her in and she said that the floor was super busy so they were playing the "waiting game" with me. Uh, seriously?? The waiting game? I started to get pretty pissed. At 7am, the resident came in (whom I really didn't like from the get go because she was convinced that I was 4cm in the labor and delivery triage and almost sent me home the night before), and told me that since my contractions had subsided, and I was still at 4cm, that she believes my OBGYN would be sending me home because she would be in her other office today which is 30 minutes from the hospital and wouldn't be able to get there on time. I started to cry... I wanted my baby! I had been almost ready to get an epidural hours before because the contractions were starting to hurt so bad, and now they were telling me that they were sending me home? Well, come 7:30am, the nurses changed... my "new" nurse told me to walk around a bit and then see what happens. So , we did. Drew did everything in his power to gear me up for the worst - telling me that maybe I could be induced the next day and he and Will could share a birthday. As we walked, we saw our nurse talking to my OBGYN in the hall. Dr. Webb told me that she was going to be changing and then heading right to my room to talk to me. I fully prepared myself for her to send me home and then have me come back in the morning and be induced. Dr. Webb walked right in, looked at my monitors and said "Well, I think it's time I just break your water." I was in shock. I thanked her repeatedly, and then asked why she wasn't sending me home like the resident had said she was going to. She told me that the resident failed to tell her I was having regular contractions on my own all night long. How can you fail to tell my own doctor that? I was dumbfounded, but ecstatic that I wasn't going to be sent home when I was 4cm, and 80% effaced! My doctor then broke my water around 9am, which at that time I was 5m dilated. By 10am, my contractions were so strong, and I was VERY ready for an epidural. I got my epidural in by 10:30am. I laid on my side, and took about a 20 minute cat nap while Drew ran to get something to eat. Once he got back, the nurse came in around 11:00am to empty my catheter, and said that Dr. Webb would be here shortly to check me. She arrived in my room around 11:15, and to my suprise said "You're complete!" I was shocked that it had happened that quickly! I started bawling (tears of joy, of course) and think I said something like "I've waited 10 years for this baby!" (referring to having Drew's baby) The nurses got everything prepped, and had me push. I pushed a total of 3 times, and at 11:39am on September 13, William Andrew Zimmerman was born. He was covered in vernix but was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Drew was giggling, and I was crying. It was a moment I will never forget. After holding him for a while, and nursing him for the first time (he's a pro!) Drew took him over to get weighed and measured. Will was a surprising 8lbs. 6oz. and 19 inches long. It was such a whirlwind of a birth - once it got going, it was so quick! He apparently wanted his own birthday too - not to share with Daddy, cousin Maggie, or great aunt Patti...
I feel so incredibly blessed to have a healthy baby boy - let alone a healthy family! Matthew has been a wonderful big brother, showering him with kisses and hugs. And Drew as a Daddy... WOW. That's all I have to say. This past week, I've cried numerous times just watching Will with his Daddy. It's amazing and I am so lucky to have the family that I do.
More on Baby Will and the Zimmerman's to come...
