Birth Story: Lydia AnnaLee

Lydia 3 days old

Lydia is our honeymoon baby. She was born 9 months to the day we got married, we were married the first weekend in March and she was born the first weekend in December. She is very strong willed but very loving from the beginning and always a Daddy's girl. But she always does things on here own time.

On the last day of our honeymoon Alex and I decided to stop for Pizza, while there he asked if I would like some buffalo wings. I HATE buffalo wings. HATE THEM. He ordered some for himself and we decided to go to the beach and eat. On the 5 minute drive to the beach they smelled SO GOOD. I asked if I could try just one. And then another. And another. And before we got there I had at the whole dozen. Alex didn't even have one. I apologized over and over telling him I really don't know why I ate them, I really like don't like them usually but these just tasted amazing. Alex will tell you that is the one and only time he has ever seen me eat buffalo wings in our almost 7 years of marriage.

Prior to our marriage Alex had convinced me to join our local Fire Department with him. They are also the first responders for medical calls in our area and working as a nurse in a Doctor's office this interested me very much. I had been trained on their procedures, putting gear on in under a minute, and how to "catch" a hydrant. In the last week in March I finally qualified for my own gear. We went together to find some that would fit. The gear was used but in good quality but as they continued to fit me I found myself feeling more and more sick. I finally had to have Alex take me home. The guys at the station were joking I was pregnant but we just blew them off. 2 days later, the day before Easter we found out we were expecting. Or should I say Alex told me we were. He stole the test because he was so excited.

We told everyone. Grandpa Nana was very excited. Grandma Nana was a little more nervous. Her only daughter had just got married and now she was going to be a Grandma. It didn't take long though before she was buying cute outfits and toys for you.

I found myself talking to you quite often, I also found my self sick multiple time a day. It was so bad that the Doc's at work made me get and IV for dehydration. Water made me sick but Gatorade wasn't much better. Alex was very supportive, he would hold my hair, pull over while we were driving, and would stand in the bathroom door eating apples while I would lose my lunch. He also bought me Olive Garden because I was craving it (it was a stretch on our newlywed budget) and didn't complain once when I took one bite and lost it.

Once the sickness subsided I found myself once again craving foods unusual for me. Anything smothered in BBQ sauce. We use to by chicken nuggets and sit under our tree. Another favorite was Carl's Juniors Western Bacon cheese burger and root beer. When we found out "it" was a she Alex and I had been fighting all day. But after that we couldn't stay mad. We went to dinner to celebrate our little girl.

Daddy and Lydia, 1 week old

Summer turned to fall and we started to get her room ready. Winnie the Pooh themed. Alex would stand by the crib every night and turn the Mobile and pretend to put her to sleep. It was so precious. I found myself sleeping on our couch to help with back pain and Alex would push the love seat against the sofa so we could sleep together. It was so sweet. Our lease was over on October 31 and we found a house to rent. So while I was at work Alex moved us into our new place and redecorated your room.

With just weeks left I was getting more nervous, but then a unexpected sad event gave me hope. (For more on that click here to read about the passing of Alex's birth mom.) Thanksgiving came, then my due date. December 1st. That evening we waited. And waited. Nothing happened.

December 2nd I walked a mile, googled ways to induce labor and tried every one of them. Castor Oil, Prim Rose oil, bumpy car rides, exercise, and jumping on the bed just to name a few. We even watched Father of the Bride part 2 where she has the baby. Nothing happened.

December 3rd 2am.
I awoke with severe back pain, which wasn't uncommon but this was different worse. It came and went and I just couldn't get comfortable. So I got up and started cleaning. I dusted, organized and every 5 minutes would double over in pain unable to move. I thought labor was always in the abdomen, I never realized it could be in your back so it never even crossed my mind. I knew I was starting to "nest" though which was a good sign. Nesting is cleaning and preparing your home most pregnant women go through this close to their do date.

5am.
Alex gets up to go to work and finds me on the floor leaning over the dishwasher trying to load it. Thinking we must of killed the baby trying to induce labor he insists on taking me to the hospital. It was snowing and several cars were slid off the road. I would squeeze his hand with every pain and they were about 3 minutes apart. Luckily the hospital is only 12 minutes away.

6am
We are told we aren't going anywhere, I was 5 cm dilated and could have my epidural at anytime. Yes Please! However the doc who did it is old fashioned and doesn't numb your back first. It took him 20 minutes and 4 insertions to get it right. I was in tears squeezing my mom's hand (Alex the fireman he is was curious to how it was done) I learned later when it was time for the epidural to wear off and one leg was more numb than the next that the nurses call it Patel Syndrome after the doctor who did it. Apparently I wasn't the only it happened to.

I labored all day with slow progression even with pitocin and breaking my water. I was having trouble keeping my oxygen and blood pressure up so I was made to lay down with oxygen on most of the time. Family and friends would stop by and see me wondering how close I was coming. Delivering at the hospital I work in their was quite a few.

4pm
I was allowed to start pushing. I pushed long and hard. Alex and my nurse were great with encouragement. My Doctor though seemed more content chatting it up with the student he was training about volleyball and Hawaii. It frustrated Alex very much.

5pm.
I am exhausted, not wanting to go on but knowing I had to started to wear me down. I was so close to saying "That's it! I am done! Take me to the OR and get this baby out!" But I just kept asking how close, how many more pushes. To which the answer was always no more that 15 minutes. I can do 15 I would tell myself.

6pm
Still pushing, doctor is still chatting away. I am almost delirious from exhaustion. Family outside was beginning to worry. Once again I asked how close. A few more pushes.

6:11pm
Lydia AnnaLee enters the world posterior (head first, body just facing the wrong way) with the cord around her neck with help of a vacuum. 7lbs 5oz and 20 inches long she was beautiful! But most of all even the long delivery and the cord caused no problems she was perfectly healthy, so worth all of the work and waiting. I was so weak and shaking so bad it was hard to hold her. Which was okay with everyone else because they couldn't get enough of her.

Lydia and Mommy, One week old

I loved having her at Christmas time! I would sing her Christmas songs for lullaby's and change her under the lights of the Christmas tree. Some of my best memories. She is an angel. My Christmas Angel.

Happy 6th Birthday baby girl! I can't imagine my life without you!
Love Mommy