Bottom line?
That Lila is a good listener.
We really wanted her to be born on Father's Day - and low and behold, she listened.
Here's a brief synopsis.
Sunday 6/21 (The day after The Lionel's Birthday/Father's Day) - Contractions. Dilation. Checked into hospital around 11 am. Moving along perfectly. Contractions didn't hurt in the beginning.
(See? I was smiling.) Contractions hurt like
all hell toward the end. She was in the Panama (i.e. the birth canal) - ready to go. I was dilating. Craig was amazing.
Craig was amazing.
Craig was amazing*.
(*We were both really interested in what kind of going-through-labor woman I'd be. Would I scream? Would I swear? Would I want him to touch me? Would I want him in the hallway? As it turns out, he just
knew what I needed. And oddly - I just needed him
near me. I just needed to feel his hand, his arm, his pant leg, his shirt, something... Just knowing he was there helped.
I tell you what. He's a good one.)
Moving on.
So we're at the point where the Dr. could absolutely
feel.her.head.It was approximately 10:30 p.m., I was dilated to six, still no epidural.
I had made it clear that I was now, "READY FOR THE EPIDURAL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH."
(I kept putting it off. Why? I have no idea.)
Any inhibitions I had regarding showing my body, moaning, crying or
dealing were completely erased at this point. Luckily, only Craig and the Dr. and the non-English speaking (!!!) nurses were the ones who got to witness this.
During all of this I put into practice my "child preparation class breathing" and promptly hyperventilated. And lost my up-close/near vision. That was terrifying. I kept thinking, "OMG. I'm not going to be able to see my baby."
There comes a time in labor, or at least my labor - that one's body starts shaking uncontrollably because one's body has never, I repeat
never, encountered that much pain before.
That was really somethin'.
My Dr. was there for an HOUR with me before I gave birth. (Again, go Mexico.)
So, I get wheeled into the operating room in preparation to deliver my child. Who is stuck somewhere in my vagina.
Who I can
feel is stuck in my vagina. Think bowling ball in a straw. That's what it felt like. (Sorry male readers.)
(Holy wow. It hurt.)
We get in there, I'm moaning. Eyes closed. Begging the English-speaking anesthesiologist to, "Please, please, please hurry up. Please? Please can you hurry? Please. Hurry. HURRY UP."
(Such a lovely man.)
Craig, meanwhile, is putting on scrubs. Has his camera in his hand and is ready.to.go.
We're just minutes away, right?
Then - maybe what, three minutes later I felt better. All because of the epidural.
My abdominal-area - particular my "area" was pain-free! In fact, better yet - I couldn't even FEEL from my middle abdomen to my knees. (Or so.)
It was heaven. Bliss.
Craig was there.
The Dr. was there.
I was dilating like a crazy woman.
THEN...
Well, then my heartbeat dropped.
Consequently, Lila's heartbeat dropped.
The optimal heartbeat for a little one during labor is between 120 and 140 bpm. Throughout my labor and contractions pre-epidural, Lila was a strong 117 - 120. Which was good enough!
When our heartbeats dropped, she dipped to about 86, 87, 89, 84 bpm.
I remember hearing my Dr. say, "Ok. If she doesn't rebound within 3 minutes - we need to get her out."
I go silent.
SCARED silent.
Not even two minutes later, she dipped to 78 bpm.
I closed my eyes. And shook.
I remember repeating, "Please just get her out. Please. Please. Please."
Not even two minutes later, the Dr. said, "I know this is not your birth plan, but we are going to get her out now."
So, a curtain went up between myself and my lower-half. I waited for what seemed like an eternity (but was less than 5 minutes) listening to C. and my Dr. calmly tell me exactly what was happening... (Craig watched it all.)
--
Less than 5 minutes later - at approximately 11:55 p.m. on Father's Day - Lila Ross was born.
Healthy.
And screaming.
And sucking on her hand.
And not covered in any of that icky
vernix stuff.
Dear friends. I was terrified. I was scared. I remember just praying, "Please, Lord... please... please... please... protect her."
And He did.
I will tell you what - there is
nothing...I repeat
nothing better than hearing your baby cry as she enters this world.
--
And that is how I came to have an emergency
c-section, as opposed to the "vaginal, WITH DRUGS, birth" that we had preferred and was duly noted in our "birth plan."
I had not expected to have a c-section. In fact, I had skipped over the c-section facts in all of the books. However, at that moment - when we were all watching the monitor - it didn't matter. Birth plan be damned - get that baby out.
(
Note: Yes, you can feel them tugging out the baby. It's crazy.)
--
Post c-section, I was briefly introduced to my cupcake.
Then, I promptly fell asleep on the OR table as Lila was whisked away by the pediatrician (named, Lupita. Awesome.) and Craig. She was cleaned and weighed and tested. She did perfectly on her
APGAR test and did indeed have a cone head.
Craig picked out her first outfit (you bring your own clothes to the hospitals here), dressed her, helped bathe her and bonded with her for the ENTIRE time that I was out. Yay.
--
Again, after about 45 minutes I was placed back in my room. My husband went across the hall to the baby-toaster-ovens and came back in holding our daughter. As if he had been meant to hold this particular being since
forever. As if for years and years and years he was just supposed to be Lila's Daddy. He was so calm. So confident. And so in control.
It was the moment I had been
waiting to see.
He placed her in my arms and I said hello.
And it was like we were old friends, meeting up again - this time in a new place. With Lila on the outside and in my arms - where she belongs.
I cried.
She is beautiful.
And perfect.
Then we fell asleep.
--
The three of us stayed in the hospital all day Monday (Fergie's birthday) and until about 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
We took pictures of her before we left. This one is meant to show scale. :) (However I hope she loves technology as much as I do.)
And then it was time to leave. Here's C. and his daughter.
I'll be honest, I was pretty loopy after the epidural - it didn't sit well with me. The residual effects were a bit tough. My body felt like it had just played in 2 Super Bowls, sans pads or protective gear.
In Mexico - you don't get a choice, the baby rooms in with with you. (Which we preferred.) My only job was to nurse her - Craig handled everything else. The burping, the swaddling, the cuddling, the diaper-changing. He was amazing. (And continues to be.)
(That's Lila's on her Daddy's lap the day after she was born.)
The experience of having my baby in a Mexican hospital was fantastic. The Dr.'s were great. The nurses were different. There were some cultural differences that were annoying - and definitely some language barriers - but we made it through with flying colors.
She weighed just 6 lbs, 8 oz. (1 oz. less than I weighed at birth) and was 20.5 inches long. She looks nothing like me - but instead is a spitting image of her Daddy. (The Dr. was right.) She
might have my nose - but everything else seems to be all Craig. Which he loves.
A week later, she's still wearing preemie clothes, which I love. She could stay like this forever, if you ask me.
And, we cannot forget Ferg. She loves her sister. She kisses her all the time. Here they are meeting for the first time.
Ferg loves checking out Lila's accouterments. Here she is in the boppy. And no, we didn't pose her like that. It's Ferg. She thinks up the poses -- we merely take the photos.
So, dear friends - that is how La-La-La-Lila came to be.
I am happy. I am
so happy.
So is Lila.
Now, we're ready to have some fun and see what this new chapter brings.
Clearly, Lila's ready, too.
kbP.S. Thank you for all of your kind words and comments this past week. I've loved reading them. Your support means so much...
--
And
Trophy Life - your guesstimate on Lila's birthdate was the closest. :)
"Born June 21, 2009
Weight: 7 lbs, 8 oz., 19.5 inches long"
Just let me know where you'd like that donation to go. :) Email me, sista.
In honor of our 12-year-anniversary, C. and I went on a date the day before Lila was born.
Bottom line?
(See? I was smiling.) Contractions hurt like all hell toward the end. She was in the Panama (i.e. the birth canal) - ready to go. I was dilating. Craig was amazing.
--
Craig picked out her first outfit (you bring your own clothes to the hospitals here), dressed her, helped bathe her and bonded with her for the ENTIRE time that I was out. Yay.
--
I'll be honest, I was pretty loopy after the epidural - it didn't sit well with me. The residual effects were a bit tough. My body felt like it had just played in 2 Super Bowls, sans pads or protective gear.
(That's Lila's on her Daddy's lap the day after she was born.)
So is Lila.
And Trophy Life - your guesstimate on Lila's birthdate was the closest. :)
Ok, first Ed McMahon.
I don't get it.
It was two years ago that little Señorita Fergie Lupita came into our lives to fill a huge void.
Dear T -
All is well, though. I'm at home just hanging out with some contraction-itas. ;)
This is Fern.
Today I received my first email of the season from the National Hurricane Center. We've got a bit of a tropical storm on our hands. :)
Recently we went to dinner at El Chilar and spied this treasure on the side of the road. (Pardon the camera phone pic.)
(I hope you just read, "herbs" like Martha says it. Pronouncing the "H". Didn't you know? Martha determines which letters in the English language are silent and which are not. She is that powerful.)
And, here I sit. And wait for Lila. ;) Welcome to 38 weeks! (Check out the creepy floating baby at left. Whoa.)
*Note: The windex got the other two off.
It's all so overwhelming; the silent judgment from the other "mommies-to-be" and the TOO MUCH INFORMATION that is thrown at you like torpedoes. All this talk about episiotomies, drugs, c-sections, natural births, vaginal births, perineal massage (yes, I said it) and more... well, it's too much.
--
