the night an olive was born

well, none of that went as planned.

read at your own risk.

one day you're taking your 37 week maternity pic and the next day you're holding this tiny human who was living inside of you. still so weird to me. i mean, mind-blowingly amazing, of course, but yeah, weird.

i feel like there's a well-deserved "i told ya so" going right here. i mean, i told everyone since the beginning that i was having this baby at the end of may--even referencing memorial day weekend-- even though my given due date was june 7. 

so...

i told ya so.

now down to the deets:

it was a dark & stormy night...

no.

once upon a time...

no.

it was a thursday...

...may 21 to be exact & i was going to my 37 week check-up. i saw my doc. still at 2 cm. i was told they no longer induce before your due date. (oh no.) i was told to wait and see. apparently i don't like to wait...

so i go home. notice a contraction (braxton hicks? real? idk.) around 1:48. realize i just had one not that long ago. (make mental note of the time). 1:58 another contraction. hmm...exactly 10 minutes apart. (make written note of the time). 2:08 another contraction. crackers, exactly 10 minutes apart. 2:18 another contraction. could this be it? no, it's too early, right?? and they're not getting worse, just steady. 2:2-something another contraction. 2:3-something another. 2:42, 2:49, 3:03, 3:09, 3:19...i'm texting my mother.

long story short(er), i text hubs to get home as soon as he can because i've decided to head into hospital for monitoring. i mean...my other deliveries were all so quick. each quicker than the last. wouldn't it be terrible to wait around & have this baby like on my new couch or in the minivan (or without an epidural). nope, don't feel like making the evening news.

hubs gets home about 5 p.m. i pack up (just in case). i have my mother-in-law come stay with the older kids. we get into labor & delivery around 6 p.m. with me "ouching" the whole drive there.

flash forward:

i'm strapped into the contraction monitor thing. yep, having contractions & they are getting worse. nurses give the go-ahead to start an IV & give me some pain meds to help take the edge off (although i'm convinced all they do is make you dizzy). my water breaks. ON ITS OWN (it's never done that before). i am actually relieved since they kept telling me they could do nothing to help me along since it wasn't my due date. i am sure to tell them of my plans to have an epidural as soon as possible since i didn't get one in time for our son's delivery (that was no fun).

enters anesthesiologist.

he proceeds to break the bad news to me. she's coming too quick & we won't be able to do an epidural. again. meeeeh. (except in reality i am yelling at everyone so it's more like "AHHHHHH!!!!"). i think this is about the time when hubs was calling our family & while on the phone with his dad i start in with the whole wife-in-labor cliche & start yelling at him to get off the phone. i mean, what was he going to do to help, but still, it seemed unfair that while i was being tortured slowly & painfully (maybe not slowly) he could just chat on the phone.

anyway, intrathecal.

google it. i did. 

the anesthesiologist tells me that it will only take him 30 seconds to get it going. (continues screaming through contractions)

it did not.

20 minutes later...(after lots more screaming into nurse peggy's chest) he gets something going.

still yelling Jesus' name, i start to sob. my mom walks into the room. and well, when your mom arrives, you fall apart, right?? even at almost 30.

the nurse checks me again & holy moly there's a baby coming out. (hence all the screaming people!)

my mom leaves the room. hubs takes his position. it's about 10 p.m. i push 3 times. and there she is. with her perfectly tiny, round head. (i really think we deserve a refund on that anesthesia.)

Olive Deering Shamblin

May 21, 2015

6 lbs. 13 oz.

19 1/2 in.

10:16 p.m.

(i'm glad i'm typing all this out because i will undoubtedly forget it all in a matter of months. our poor other kids.)

awww, so sweet. it's all over now. rainbows & unicorns & newborn babies. 

unfortunately, no.

and i'm sorry if i'm ruining childbirth for anyone else. EVERY BABY & DELIVERY IS DIFFERENT. i had 4 & they were all different. 

so apparently, there's this thing called a spinal headache that you can get from anesthesia or you get it from an anesthesiologist stabbing multiple needles into your spine or something. anyway, i got it. 

(i guess i was in the 2% of people who have trouble with an intrathecal or whatever. the anesthesiologist kept telling me over & over & over how this never happens to him & how he's done over 2,000 of these & never had a problem...blah blah blah. i will not be sending him a christmas card. sorry.)

and the worse-headache-of-my-life lasted for a week straight. for the first 48 hours, i couldn't even be upright plus i had this pounding in my head & the sound of running water/marching bands in my ears. oh & 12 hours after delivery i got some kind of terrible virus & was throwing up/having diarrhea for 24 hours (tmi??) & had to get a shot for the nausea. but then i was already dehydrated & unable to nurse & i barely remember any of the visitors that came by & had to spend the 2nd night away from baby girl. yeah, it was a bit of a rough start.

flashback to our 1st night in the hospital with our sweet girl (before everything hit):

hubs & i stayed up most of the night staring at her. really unable to believe that she came so early. and that all of that just happened. and that she was really there. it's a bit of a shock--even with the fourth--no, especially with the fourth. i'll never forget...

it was about 5 a.m. & we were in our recovery suite on the 3rd floor of the hospital. the east-facing wall of our room was a wall of windows & sun was just rising over our town. i was laying next to hubs in the king size bed with our new little squish between us. we were acting like it was our first baby. staring at her. giggling whenever she moved or made a noise. and i looked into hubs sleepy eyes & whispered...i'm done. ;)

yes, 4 sounds like a good number. and i know you never ask a women right after delivery if she wants to have more, but i really feel like we're done. i haven't had this feeling of completeness after any of the other babies. but now, i feel pretty maxed out...physically, emotionally.

so she's here & we're all gaga over her. brother doesn't stop kissing her head. little big sis loves to burp her. and big sis loves to hold her & feed her. dad's an old pro at diaper changes. everything just comes back to you. i'd say it's like riding a bike, but maybe it's more like riding a unicycle because that seems a little harder...like you should pedal fast & balance would be important. (i've never rode a unicycle.)

let the ridiculous amount of picture taking commence.

(i'm so glad we got that nursery done.)