AW: Payton turns 3!

pixelvixen · August 2010

I can't believe my little girl is three! Oh my gosh, how time flies. She had an incredible birthday party this past weekend (photos by J. Shelton Photography coming soon!) and while it was a lot of work, it was worth every single moment when she came running over to me when she got to the park -in total awe- and said "it's my birthday, I love it! It's all mine!" My heart melted 10x over.

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And just 'cuz I can, my walk down memory lane.....

Thursday, 8/16/07 - I wasn't feeling well, my hips had been hurting for the past week but I went on my nightly mile and a half walk around the neighborhood. When I got home, I was sore but ok... Still no baby. Andy and I watched tv and kept it mellow... my sister told me that pineapple was supposedly a natural inducing agent, so I cracked open a can of pineapple chunks and ate about a cup of them, just for giggles.

Around 9:30pm, I decided I was going to try to go to bed -before Andy- because it took so long for me to get comfortable. When he came to bed at 10pm, I was crying because I was so miserable... no position was comfortable, and still no baby.

By 11pm, I was bawling my eyes out downstairs on the couch trying to get comfy. I was talking to my belly telling -errr begging- her to come out - her mama needed sleep and comfort! I think I dozed off watching Leno but it was short-lived, I was having contractions! Nothing serious, but they were consistant and kept me awake. After a little while, I timed them and they were 2-3 minutes apart!! I continued timing for another 45 minutes as my contractions got stronger and stronger. This HAD to be labor I kept thinking... It had better be!!

My water broke when I went to the bathroom so I called the hospital and they told me to take my time but to come on in. So at 2am I woke up a snoring Andy, he was SO surprised but he jumped out of bed, packed the car, and off we went.

We got to triage at the hospital around 2:30 am and the nurse checked me - I was already dilated to 4cm!! It was a total shock because at my appointment the week before, I wasn't dilated at all (my OB was actually planning to insert a foley cathetar the next day)-- the nurse told me she was admitting me and to prepare myself to become a mommy. I immediately asked for an epidural and she said absolutely... BUT the anesthesiologist was in surgery and I'd have to wait.

We got checked into a room around 4am and my contractions were continually getting stronger and stronger and I swear I was going to die. My nurse checked me and I was dilated to 9cm. OMG. The on-call doctor was paged, and the room was prepped for delivery. Apparently, there were some issues with the baby (swimming in meconium) that the doctor wanted to monitor, so they called neo-natal to be there for her arrival. At one point I think there were 10 doctors and nurses in my room (oh, and a janitor??) - so much for any type of modesty!

My nurse kept telling me I wasn't going to need an epidural, but I was insisting. I was having such bad back labor, nothing but my lower back hurt... The anesthesiologist was still in an emergency c-section and by the time he'd get there, it'd be too late. Around 5:30, I felt the need to push and within 30 minutes my baby was here. No epidural ever came. Payton came out screaming! Her lungs were a little mechy but within a few minutes, she was perfect.

Payton Jean arrived on her due date of August 17th at 5:58am weighing 7lbs, 12oz and 21 inches long. She's got big blue eyes and some thin reddish-brownish hair. She's the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen and she's mine!!