39 weeks/Quinton's Birthday!

Quinton Reid Hodges

 Born on Thursday March 6, 2014 at 9:28pm.  Weighing in at 7lbs 11.8oz, 20.25in long, and his head was 14.25in (long big headed babies are my specialty)

He was born at exactly 39 weeks, making me pregnant longer then I've ever been pregnant!  It was a really strange week leading up to his birth.  I was suffering from false labor BIG TIME.  I'd have periods of 2-3 hours where I'd get contractions down to 6 minutes apart, sometimes just uncomfortable sometimes painful, and then they would just go away.  To say I was frustrated was an understatement.  I was pissed, sad, sore, exhausted, just flat out done with being pregnant.   I had to keep reminding myself that he'd come eventually, can't stay pregnant forever, and technically I wasn't even "due" yet.  It was just all the maybe's and taunting with that false labor that was getting to me.  Not to mention my lack of energy to be a good mommy to the girls.

So Thursday (39 weeks) rolls around.  I wake up fine, but around 11am I start getting contractions again.  The usual 10 minutes apart but some of them are starting to get really painful.  Thankfully I had a doctor's appointment that afternoon.  I was anxious to get to it because I knew how shocked Dr. Schroeder was going to be when she saw me.  I get Natalia off to preschool, Lydia down for her nap, and eat lunch.  I decided to lay on the couch and see if I relaxed if the contractions would do anything.  Still ten minutes apart.  Because I didn't expect to be needing this appointment I hadn't set up babysitting for the girls so Charlie and I worked out a plan for him to leave work early, grab Lydia from home and go pick up Natalia from preschool.  I thought I'd be in and out at the appointment and would head home to replace him so he could go back to work.  At the doctor's office I'm still contracting but they are hurting more and I start to get really hot and flushed.  In comes Dr. Schroeder and of course she was surprised.  I told her what had happened over the week and how frustrated I was.  She did my cervical check and to quote her, "How has this baby not fallen out yet?!?!?"  I was 5cm dilated and she was shocked my water hadn't broken because the bag was right there and his head was at zero station.  She scraped my membranes again and said she thought it would be that night.  She also said that if I still happen to be pregnant Friday to give her a call and she'd have me admitted and she would pop my water to get things going.  At this time I'm super crampy and the contractions have really kicked in.

On my way out of the doctor's office I saw Crystal who was waiting to go in.  It was fun because in all the years we've been pregnant together we've never ran into each other at the doctors.  I sat with her and told what was going on and what Dr. Schroder had said, and at this point I'm realizing how much my contractions hurt and how flushed I am.  I get into the car and call Charlie and tell him he probably wasn't going back to work.  I had wanted to try to walk for a bit to be sure the contractions were going to stick around.  So I called my mom to meet me at home to watch the girls.  On the way home my contractions jump to 4 min apart and they HURT.  I was breathing through them but holy crap.  I get home and start just pacing around, rocking back and forth, and I realize a walk isn't going to happen.  We get our things together and wait for my mom to arrive.  I let her know that she should probably call my grandma Gladys soon to replace her so she could come to the hospital once we were admitted. So back we go to the hospital.  Contractions are still 4 minutes apart, painful, but I'm breathing through them.  I'm starting to question if I really can do this natural if they hurt this much already.  We get up to labor and delivery and get checked in.  In the little triage room she checks me and I'm at a 6.5cm already.  The nurse goes to start our paperwork to be admitted. (woooo no walking the halls!!)  At this point I pulled out the little BSU hat I had for Quinton to squeeze in my hand to help me focus.  As we were leaving the triage room to head to our labor room we run into Crystal again!   I got a quick hug from her told her I felt like I was dying and we were off.  Charlie had called the moms to let them know we were being admitted so they showed up shortly after we got to our labor and delivery room.  I went straight for the Jacuzzi tub hoping to relieve some of the pain.  Charlie brought a chair in there and started to read so I wouldn't be alone and I could squeeze his hands if need be.  At one point I squeezed his three fingers with his ring on too tightly though and felt awful for it.  After about 30 minutes I start to bawl and realize I can't do this anymore.   I was in so much pain and the contractions felt like they were back to back.  I was struggling to keep up my breathing and keep it steady.  Charlie asked me if I was really done and if I wanted the nurse.  With a huge sigh of frustration/feelings of failure I say yes I'm ready to ask for and epidural.  So he helps me get out of the tub and back into the bed.  I'm seriously bawling at this point.  I'm so disappointed in myself for giving up, but felt like I had done my best.  The nurse came in and asked if I felt "pushy" and I said no the pressure to push wasn't there, so she said it wasn't too late and got the anesthesiologist.  (Thankfully he came right up  and wasn't with other patients) We talked to him about how my other epidurals had failed and about my scoliosis and he seemed very knowledgeable.  The hardest part was holding still for him during my contractions.  Id gotten it earlier on with the girls so there was more time in between the contractions to get it done.  Thankfully he was very quick and it really didn't hurt getting it in.  I felt one more contraction before it did it's magic.  And oh was this epidural magic.  This time around it was the perfect amount of numbness.  I couldn't feel the pain of the contractions but just the pressure.  My legs were tingly but I could still move and lift them myself, where as with the girls they were dead weight.  Right after they were sure I was numb the doctor came in to check me and break my water.  I was at a 7.5cm (woo I at least made it that far right??) and he broke my water.

Then things REALLY moved!  Within minutes I was at a 8.5cm.  My nurse was amazing, she could tell just by the strength of my contractions and Quinton's heart rate that I was progressing.  She had us call the mom's back (who had gone to grab some food) because she said it was going to happen pretty soon.  Then all the sudden his heart rates started dropping every time I would contract.  She had me wear an oxygen mask to help and told me not to panic (which thankfully I stayed calm, I'd never had that happen before, but knew what the oxygen did to help etc)  I tried to rest and relax and focus on the pressure.   At one point she decided to check me again and said I was complete!  Seriously, I was shocked I was at 10cm already.  She had me do a couple of practice pushes and then said she was going to have me "labor down" a little.  Basically just do what I'd been doing already just rest/relax and let my body naturally push him down with each contraction.  About 30 minutes later I could really feel all the pressure down on my tailbone and so it was go time.  We pushed for about 20 minutes and she called the charge nurse in with a question.  Charlie and I aren't sure what she was asking but thought maybe he was caught on my pubic bone (Lydia got a little caught there for a bit)  but after one set of pushes with the charge nurse present they called the doctor in.  I was SHOCKED!!  seriously.  This whole time I had been pushing I was almost frustrated with myself thinking I wasn't giving it enough or doing it right.  Charlie laughs at me now saying why do you think we were all telling you you were doing great?!?!  I thought it was just encouragement to try harder and keep going... but apparently he was there and about to crown.  ha ha ha.  The doctor gowns up and the nurses break down the bed for delivery.  Another set of pushes and his head was out!  The doctor tells me to stop at this point and I thought maybe he was trying to prevent tears.  Little did I know the chord was wrapped around Quinton's neck twice and Charlie's mom says the doctor was amazing because within a couple of seconds he had his fingers in-between Quinton's neck and chord and was cutting it off.  I hear screams at this point (seriously only seconds had passed from when I heard stop) and he's telling me to push again.  Out comes our handsome little man and we are all bawling.   I got to hold him on my chest for a long time while he was cleaned up and the doctor did his business down there for me.  I did end up tearing and needing stitches, but not nearly as bad as I tore with Natalia.  They left a long portion of the chord still attached so Charlie still got to cut the chord at the base.  Immediately I see the resemblance between him and his sisters and just keep staring at him in awe.

They weigh Quinton and get him bundled and hand him back to me.  After a while I share him with daddy, and the two grandmas.  We make all the important phone calls/texts and take tons of pictures.  Poor kiddo was tortured by the flash and I just kept telling him he's in a picture happy family that he'll get used to the flash.  =)  The grandma's head home so it's just us three left.  I get cleaned up and the nursery nurse comes in to do all the assessments on him and measure him.  She comments on how long he is and how big his head is and we tell her that both sister's were that way too.  We get moved to our post partum room and get settled in.  Then they take Quinton to get his hearing checked and get a bath so I sent Charlie with him so he wasn't alone.  Our first night I didn't sleep much at all from the adrenaline and getting used to the newborn noises next to me again.  I kept popping up thinking he was awake or going to be awake.  I finally zonk out for maybe 45 minutes around 5am and then a nurse comes to check on us.  Again I zonk out about 45 minutes and the doctor comes to do his rounds.  Another 45 minute nap and another nurse comes in.  I finally give up and call it a night.  Then our visitors start! 

First up was Grandpa Rick.  Then my mom came with the girls to meet baby brother. (grandma Gladys came for a bit in here too) They were hilarious at first.  I thought they would be so excited to see him, but instead they were pretty shy and unsure of what to make of him.  Pretty soon Natalia warmed up though and was ready to hold him.  She even managed to hold him without our help and support his head all on her own (big girl!!!) When we asked Lydia if she wanted to hold him she said NO! ha ha ha.  While my mom held Quinton and Charlie entertained the girls I took a quick shower and got out of the hospital gown into my comfy clothes.  I hate the maternity gowns because they have holes for breast feeding so I am constantly checking to see if I'm exposing myself to our visitors.  Anyway we gave the girls their gifts from Quinton (an Elsa doll for Natalia and a Stuffy/dr kit for Lydia) Natalia being too smart for her own good asked Charlie how Quinton bought the presents for them if he was a teeny baby ha ha ha. When it was time for the girls to go,  Lydia clung to Charlie saying "I go with you, I go with you" (she meant stay) it was heartbreaking.  We finally convince her that she can go home, with a little ice-cream as a bribe.  I ask for loves when she is saying goodbye and all the sudden is bawling and screaming "I go with you I go" with you to me with her arms out.  All restraint is gone and I'm bawling I can't handle it.  We finally get her calmed down saying she needed to go check on Switch and giant mickey with her doctor kit. 

After the girls left, we had Grandma Debra stop by.  Along with Ashlee and the boys for a few minutes.  Then Steph, John, and Cypress.  It was a busy day!  next up was Alison, Jocelyn, and Adam. They brought us a fruit bouquet thing and it was delicious.  Charlie and I devoured it in a matter of minutes.   My friends Amy and Cheryl left work early so they could come by as well.  then Crystal and her husband Jason came by.   My mom brought the girls back one more time to say good night.  Lydia got brave right away and sat up on the bed with me and asked to hold baby brother.  It was seriously the cutest thing, she was rubbing her cheek on his.  Natalia sat on my other side and they took turns holding him for a bit.  I thought Lydia was going to melt down again, but she only asked once to go with me.  I told her I'd be home tomorrow with baby brother and she would be a big sister to help me take care of him.  That seemed to satisfy her and away they went. 

At this point it was 8pmish so Charlie just ran to subway and got us dinner, I scarfed down my foot long and bag of chips (I ate tons all day long!!) and the nurse was super sweet and brought us in some delicious cookies.  we Just snuggled Quinton and watched TV the rest of the night.  About 10:00pm or so I was starting to fade and head bob so I had Charlie take him while I zonked out for about an hour.  I heard Quinton start to fuss so I woke up to feed him.  After that we all tried to get to sleep and Quinton was still fussing a little.  I tried a few times to get him down but no luck.  He would be asleep but then would stir a lot and make lots of noises waking me back up.  So I finally gave in and called the nurse to have him go to the nursery for a little bit.  I made sure he was fed and diaper was clean before sending him off.  I hate doing that but know it's good for all of us.  He slept the whole time he was there thank goodness and I got a good 2.5 hours of sleep.  They brought him back to me when he started to fuss for food.  He ate a ton (I'm supplementing with formula until my milk comes in and I can start pumping for him).  I got him back to sleep and put him back in the bassinet. This time he was kind of rolled up on his side and he stayed zonked out.  I got another 2.5 hours of sleep in there.  I actually woke on my own just before 7am starving.  I see Quinton still sound asleep on his side and realized maybe he actually prefers that to his back and that's why he's been stirring so much in the bassinet.  especially because it felt like he was always laying on his side in my belly.  Light bulb clicked in my head!  ha ha ha. 

We got to leave the hospital around noon today and I'm feeling tons better and a lot less sore then I was yesterday.  I'm hoping that means I'll have a fast recovery like I did with Lydia.  We're home now and getting settled in.  My mom took the girls over to Grandma Gladys's house for a slumber party so we'll be just us three for our first night home.  I'm a little nervous, but happy to be home in our own bed with our own things.  Now to get this pumping show on the road so he can have breast milk and we are set.

I'm so very thankful for such a smooth delivery and a very happy healthy little handsome baby.  I had the best support team (hubs and mamas) and awesome nurses and doctors.

I've already posted a million pictures (it seems like anyway) on Instagram and Facebook and that doesn't even include the pictures on our big camera.