Baylor's Birth Story

I guess I should start this story off a week prior to Baylor's birth just to kind of give a back story to it all. I went in for my 37 week appointment thinking I was getting an ultrasound to check on baby boy's growth. Turns out I got a high reading for my blood pressure and the doctor wanted me to go to labor and delivery to be monitored for a few hours and get some tests. He said that if my blood pressure stayed high that I could possibly be delivering that night (Insert terrified/nervous panic here). At this point I was not ready to bring a baby home. Bags weren't packed, house was a mess, I was a mess, and so on and so forth... So I went over to labor and delivery and within a half hour after laying down my blood pressure went back down and all of my tests came back good so they sent me home. The next week is all kind of a blur because I was miserable with headaches and swelling. And of course I was huge and pregnant.

Fast forward to my 38 week appointment I made sure to have all my ducks in a row and the car packed in case we had another scare like the previous week. I didn't get any sleep the night before.. I think it was nerves and I wasn't feeling good plus I had a bout of nesting hit me. I cleaned all night. Took a long bath. And watched tv for an hour or so and then got ready for my appointment that was at 8am. The nurse asked if I was having any problems, I told her about the headaches and swelling. She took my blood pressure and said "well your blood pressure is 181/102 he is probably going to send you back to the hospital today." Yikes! That was the highest it had ever been. Dr. Sarfraz came in for my exam checked my cervix and then tells us that with my blood pressure being so high that I needed to go to labor and delivery to start the induction process. Shane and I just kind of looked at each other with a smile because we knew that we would meet our boy soon.

We drove across the street to the hospital and got checked into the labor and delivery. The nurses explained to me that since my cervix was still high and closed that this was going to be a long and painful process. By then I didn't care. I was so miserable and so ready to meet my son nothing could discourage me. They started me on some medicine to make me contract and bring my cervix down so they could start the induction. I started making phone calls and texting everyone to let them know it was baby time and that we probably wouldn't have a baby until the next day but to be excited! At some point while the meds were kicking in Shane and I realized the room was really cold and eventually learned that our air conditioner was broke so we moved to another room across the hall. By the time we got settled in the contractions were coming often but weren't too painful. I waited for the nurses to come and give me my next dose because they said they would give me these meds every few hours until my cervix was ready to start the pitocin which would start my active labor. Finally a nurse came in to tell me that they weren't going to keep going with the medicine until my doctor could come and check me because the baby was having a decrease in heart rate with every contraction. The doctor finally made it over around 4pm to check me. He said that my cervix was still the same and the meds were putting baby boy under stress so they were going to prep me for a c section. --wait what?!?!-- At that point I had sent every one home to get ready for my delivery the next day. My mom went to her house 30 minutes away.. Shane was in town running some last minute errands. Thankfully my mother in law was there with me and she kept me calm while I tried to process all of this.

I started making frantic phone calls by this time telling everyone to hurry back and that I would be having a baby within the hour. As everyone was arriving back at the hospital they were getting ready to take me down stairs to the OR. I was crying with nerves and exhaustion.. It all seemed to be happening so quickly and I was terrified of having a c section. It was my biggest fear going into it all. I said my goodbyes to everyone and then Shane and I went down to the OR to become a family of three! I was so nervous I was shaking.. I just had to zone out and not think about what was all happening. I hated being alone while they prepped me for surgery. It was the second best moment of my life when they finally let Shane come into the room to be with me. I could tell he was a nervous wreck too and it kind of helped me to know that I wasn't the only one scared out of my mind. Shane was amazing through the whole process he held my hand and kissing my head and kept telling me how great I was doing. It seemed like it took forever but we finally heard the most amazing sound -- our son's sweet cry. I immediately began to cry. I did it. I grew this little person in my belly for what seemed like the long 9 1/2 months of my life. It was the most amazing, happiest, most fulfilling moment in my life. After they got him all cleaned up they brought him over so we could meet him. Our first few moments as a family. It was perfect. I got to kiss him and then Shane and him left out. After that I fell asleep while they finished up with the surgery.

I woke up in recovery asking about my baby boy. Waiting in the recovery room was the longest hour of my life. I kept checking the clock and asking the nurse when we could go. That poor ole nurse was probably ready to get rid of me. They finally took me back upstairs to my room where I met my nurses and they finally brought Shane and my son into meet me. They let us hold him and love on him and enjoy our first moments as a family before all of our family came in to visit with us. At that point we didn't have a name for him but when we saw him we knew what it should be and decided on it. Our families joined us and I was just so full of emotions. Crying and saying how perfect and beautiful he was.

Shane and I are happy to announce that our son, Baylor Jude, was born on February 13, 2013 at 5:22 pm. Baylor was 6 lbs 10 oz and 19 inches long. Absolute perfection in our eyes! Such a blessing. We are loving being parents and fall more in love with Baylor every day.