Well, there certainly is a story with this one. So here goes...
After not packing our hospital bag until Blake's due date (July 2006) and during regular contractions (you can guess the story with him, can't you?), we decided we should get a jump start on things this time around: a couple weeks should do it.
Because our due date wasn't until Sunday, July 27, I didn't think too much of Stacy's infrequent, mild contractions that started on Tuesday, July 22. I also didn't think anything of staying up late working on my dad's river trip DVD. So around 11:15 we said our prayers and got into bed...or so I thought, as I was barely able to tell Stacy to try to get some sleep through her now more frequent contractions before I zonked.
July 23, 2008
1:45 am - "Mark." Zzzz. "Mark!" Zzzz. "MARK!!" Huh, what? Sleepily I discovered that my legs were getting me downstairs to the all-too-familiar scene of Stacy on the couch having contractions.
My brain functioned well enough to understand that she hadn't gone to sleep at all and was handling herself fine until now and needed my help. I helped her through her contractions, which I realized were 5-7 minutes apart and lasting usually over a minute. It's baby time. No problem. Back and forth: gathering items on the 'last-minute list' (contacts, glasses, toothbrush, etc.) and administering relief through
effleurage (light circular motions with my hands on her stomach).
2:30 am - OK, things are definitely progressing, so let's call our backup babysitter (Thanks, Tiffany!). Left a message, got a call back shortly after. She's on her way over. Great!
2:35 am - It's also time to call the doctor. We left a message and got a call right back. "I'll meet you there" we heard. The reply was something like "Nah, we're still a couple of hours away, so the hospital should call when we're close to giving birth." "Are you sure?" "Yeah."
Before 3:00 am - Tiffany arrives. Do you want to eat anything Stacy? No. Mark does. Hang on while I have a small bowl of cereal (in between contractions, of course.) Yum! Meanwhile, contractions are getting stronger and effleurage isn't cutting it. "Rub my legs" she says. (This is about the time I think it could be a girl because this is what she wanted with Kayla and hated with Blake.)
3:15 am - All right, bags are packed, we're in the car. Contraction. Rubbing legs. Go a few minutes. Contraction. Pull over, rub legs. Go a few minutes. Contraction (big ones now!). Pull over, rub legs.
3:30 am - Finally at the hospital! First set of doors open for Mark, but the second doesn't. Nobody appears to be around, either. Hmmm. How do I get in here? Force open the sliding doors of course. "Hello, anybody here? My wife's having a baby." Nothing. OK, run to the women's center (third floor). "Hello? Anybody here?" Whispering in one of the patient rooms, but no response. Two or three attempts are equally fruitless. Ah-hah! Leave a note while I get Stacy out of the car. Found a paper towel and rummaged through their drawers to find a pencil. Wrote "My wife is having a baby. Please call Mark @ xxx-xxx-xxxx [censored] 3:34 am" Ran down to get Stacy, found an employee and asked for a wheelchair. She brought one back with a guy and he told me to go in through the ER after I parked. Parked. Ran just in time to be graced with the helpful question: "May I have your insurance card and ID?" What?! Stacy's contractions are minutes apart and my fingertips are about worn out from rubbing so hard! So naturally I gave them to her. (By the way, we had already pre-registered, so this seemed completely unnecessary...) After several hard contractions, the lady came back and somebody had finally come down from the women's center to take us up. But then...
3:50ish - A security guard wanted to talk to me for 'a second'. HELLO! MY WIFE'S HAVING A BABY!
"Did you write this note?" Yep, that's my note he's showing me.
"How did you get up there?"
"I opened the door because nobody was there."
He looks as if he's asked me 20 times today to clean my room and I still haven't done it. (I know how to do this look.) "Now, I understand the urgency of the situation and all with your wife having her baby, but this can't happen again. This is borderline criminal trespassing."
Criminal trespassing for trying to get some help at a hospital?! "I'm sorry, we had the tour a week ago and nobody mentioned where to go after hours..."
Blah, blah. I didn't hear past that point. He finally let me go and I had a few more obstacles getting to the delivery room as the security points were working properly for the employees. But, all things considered, that was minor.
4:00ish - I get to the room and jump on the bed to help rub Stacy's legs and help her breath properly. Nurses are scrambling, Stacy's asking if our doctor is there yet, how far she's dilated, if she can get ice chips, etc. I ask for lotion as I'm about to peel off her legs. Stacy wants to push, the nurses say no. Breath, Stacy, breath. Don't push, you're not ready. Is the doctor here yet? She's on her way. Stacy wants to push. Breath, Stacy, breath. The doctor's coming. They're trying to give her an IV just in case there are any complications later, but never get it in as her contractions are almost constant now. Instead, the nurse just let Stacy squeeze her hand. Thanks!
4:12ish - "WHERE IS THE DOCTOR?! I'm having this baby now!" The poor nurse looked so nervous, but replied that she would be here any minute. "Can you deliver this baby without her?" The nurse responds affirmatively and Stacy, relieved, starts pushing. The head's on its way out! The doctor shows up just in time to deliver the baby from the neck down. Woo!
4:13 - As I had previously stated our wish for me to declare the gender (as it was a surprise to us), I was filled with excitement to declare "It's a girl!" (Complete coincidence that Stacy, previous to the hospital gown, was wearing the shirt she bought with Kayla, as seen in the picture above. They were just her pajamas for the last little while.)
So there you have it: Our third birth story. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I had writing it. With stories like this, I think we'll have to do it again. ;-)
