May 5, 2006

I remember this day as if it were yesterday, I actually remember the few days prior too but that is for another time.

I was 36 weeks to the day pregnant, only 4 more weeks until my due date...I still had plenty of time to pack my bags and get things ready, right? WRONG!

At approximately 1:30 am, I woke up with the feeling like I have to pee (nothing knew when pregnant). I got up and walked across the hall and into the bathroom. After I thought I was done peeing, some more "fluid" came out, okay so maybe I wasn't finished I was saying to myself. Honestly I knew something wasn't right, but I still had 4 weeks so I went back to into the bedroom. I woke up LOSER Sleeping Beauty, yup that is what we will call him, and said I think my water just broke. Sleeping Beauty mumbled to me, you are fine just go back to bed. I didn't feel "fine", so I got up to go back to the bathroom and then all I could hear feel was a WOOSH huge damn breaking down my leg. I grabbed a towel and sat back down so I could call the doctors office and see what to do. They told me to sit tight and the dr would call me back in less than 30 minutes....so when 45 minutes passed I called back to hear they would be calling me back soon. I was a mess, I didn't know what to do. I hadn't packed a bag. I just wasn't ready for this. Sleeping Beauty wasn't a huge help either....SHOCKER! I finally got a call back from the dr who said to head to the hospital.

Approximately 3 am, we finally left for the hospital. Sleeping Beauty didn't have a license, so I had to drive the car to the hospital, while in labor. Once there, they brought me into the triage room where they checked to see if it truly was my water. While they examined me, they found that I was 4 cm dialated and 100% efaced (or however you spell it). All we had to do was wait for me to dialate more. They couldn't determine if my water did break, but figured that is what it was. They put me into my room, where I decided not to get an epidural because I wanted to walk around and it really wasn't too bad. I was able to walk around the maternity area, stopping periodically thru contractions. I sat on the laboring ball to relieve some of the pressure off of me and did whatever else I could. Finally around 8 cms I decided I needed an epidural because it was getting too much. By the time they came in, it was getting to the sorry too late period, they gave me a small dose. I was still able to feel the contractions and my legs, it was PERFECT! I was finally at 10cm and ready to push. Everyone was to leave the room except for Sleeping Beauty, the nurse, doctor and myself. After 45 minutes of pushing, my beautiful precious little boy was out and laying on my stomach. My first thought, which I said outloud, was he is so tiny. He was beautiful, absolutley amazing and precious.

Camdon Anthony was born on May 9, 2006 @ 2:22pm, weighing in at 5lbs 6 oz and 19 3/4 inches long. He was 4 weeks to the day early but healthy. I was up walking around 45 minutes after I gave birth, even though the nurses kept telling me not to. I figured I might as well get up and moving so I can recover quicker.

My stay at the hospital was good, except for being left there (which is for another day). I kept Camdon with me all day long. I fed him, changed him, held him, napped with him, and took care of myself. If I needed some water, ice, crackers, popsicles, etc I would just put Camdon in his "bed" and push him with me to get it. I never called the nurses, which they didn't understand, because I knew it was going to be only me taking care of Camdon when I got home so why not start when I was in the hospital. The only time I brought Camdon back to the nursery was when I went to bed at night, but as soon as I woke up the morning I was there to pick him up.

I was in the hospital for 3 days (including the day I gave birth). On Thursday, my sister in law came down and brought Camdon and I home from the hospital. One of her neighbors drove her the 1 hour down so that she could drive my car and my brother drove down later to pick her up. What would I have done if Jules wasn't around? Would they have let me leave the hospital on my own? Would I be stuck there? Camdon was 4lbs 13oz upon discharge, even scarier than when he was born.

On friday I was to take Camdon in and get some blood drawn to check his levels due to his jaundice. We were to go to the dr that afternoon to find the results. It was that afternoon that I had to do one of the hardest things a new mom could do.....I had to bring my newborn son back to the hospital to be readmitted into the NICU. His bellirubin levels were at the max for a newborn and he needed to be put under a strong light to get the jaundice fixed. I wasn't able to stay at the hospital since they had no rooms available for me, but I also wouldn't be able to be with my baby if I was in the hospital since he would be under blue lights his whole time. I would go back and forth to the hospital numerous times a day to visit with Camdon. I was able to take him out from under the light when I was nursing him, but he had to go back under as soon as we were finished.

3 days later, Mother's Day of 2006, and I got the call that my son was being discharged from the hospital. I felt like the luckiest mother in the world and couldn't get to the hospital quick enough. From this day forward we have never had to go back for anymore jaundice related issues and I am much appreciative for that.