For those of you who don't know, I decided I was going to have my baby a week early. By decided, I mean I was absolutely determined to have her a week before her due date. November 27th was the perfect day for a lot of reasons. Austin's birthday is the 7th, mine is the 17th, and I wanted this baby to follow suit and come on the 27th. 11.27.2010 just sounds perfect. The number 27 is my 3rd favorite number (behind 11 and 24), and one that I consider to be very lucky. I do
not like the numbers 25, 26, 28, 29 or 30, and because I didn't have her on the 24th, this was going to be my last shot for November (11). It was the last day before the Florida Witas were flying back home, and of course I wanted them to see her! I even considered the fact that I'm an inconvenience to almost everyone, which would play in my favor this day, the day that THE Ohio State Buckeyes played the arch nemesis, Michigan. I quote, "watch me go into labor right in the middle of the big game!"
On Black Friday (the 26th), I stopped in the office at work and told them I wouldn't be coming back to work on Monday. I told everyone! I
knew I was having a baby over the weekend. That night, we met the extended family at the bowling alley for one last get-together before the Florida Witas went back to Florida. I was sure the bowling would throw me into labor, so I made sure to take Olivia, Xavier, and Geovanni for one last hoo-rah before I became a mom. I was so busy running after Xavier to do any real bowling, and I was sure if that didn't jump start the contractions, nothing would. As we rounded up the kids, I say we because it's a group effort, I made sure everyone knew I was planning to have a baby the next day.
I woke up at 4am on Saturday, November 27th feeling super awake, but still very tired. I turned the television on, and because we didn't have cable, I wound up bored and went back to bed. I woke up again at 6:30am with an achy feeling in my lower back. I got on the internet to double check the 'signs of labor' and it wasn't really checking out. Someone linked me to a contraction timer, and by the time I got to the page I realized that the aches were coming and going like contractions would. Sure enough, 3 minutes and 38 seconds apart, over and over and over. I knew THAT couldn't be a coincidence, so I called the labor nurse who suggested I walk around the house. Yeah right! I walked the length of the one room house (maybe 2o feet?), two or three times before I decided it was stupid and worthless. I woke Austin up and told him we were going to Wal-Mart for some exercise.
I had the overwhelming need to dump the entire hospital bag and repack it from scratch. After I finished packing every single hair bow I ever made, I checked my contractions and realized we didn't have time to go walking, we needed to go NOW!
I got to St.Luke's and was admitted at 5cm, contracting every two minutes for a minute. I called my dad and told him I was busy having a baby, and wouldn't be coming over to watch the game. He thought I was joking and hung up. We unpacked our bags while we waited for the pregame show to come on ESPN.
I was in labor all day, but it was the easiest thing I've ever done. I had no pain, no discomfort, didn't even know I was having contractions (and good ones according to the monitors), and of course the Buckeyes won.
Dr. Rexroth broke my water at 6pm, and I wasn't progressing. My nurse kicked everyone out at 10pm so I could get some sleep because I was only 6cm and had a long way to go. An hour and a half later, I was pushing. My doctor was in another hospital, had no idea I was going to progress so quickly, and wasn't going to make it in time. My nurses were freaking out which was freaking me out, and the hospital found some random doctor (plan B) in case the OB didn't get there in time. Just like a Lifetime movie, he showed up for the last few pushes and BAM..
Audrie Claire was born on Sunday, November 28th, 2010 at 0:29am at 7 pounds, 20 inches. Of course she was 29 minutes late, but 7 pounds and 20 inches? 7+20=27!! Coincidence? I think not, she's a keeper.
I'm going back to work on Thursday. I have two main concerns, the first being an unsettling and irrational fear of daycare. The second, insomnia. I haven't had more than a short nap in the last three days. I'm so beyond tired that I can't fall asleep. I thought maybe the TV had my brain too busy, so I shut it off. After an hour of silence, I tried the radio. When that didn't help, I got up and sat in the living room. All of this "day time" that I'm having would be super helpful if I wasn't too tired to get up and do anything. I don't know what I'm going to do when I'm back to work. If sensory hour doesn't put me to sleep, nothing will.
Lori, Jess, Mom, and Eilish all stopped by tonight. They took their turns with Audrie while I folded her never ending pile of laundry. We watched Toy Story 3, Eilish cried :] Made me feel guilty about how I treated my toys. I wrote on them in pen, I cut their hair, I left them all over the play room. I can already tell that Audrie is going to "play nice" with her toys!! Best buds :]
Aaaaand she's sleeping, so I'm gonna head out to the garage and get my old car cleaned out and ready to go to it's new owner!! I'm NOT going to miss that thing. Okay, I always get emotionally attached to my cars. We nearly died together.. you don't forget that kind of thing.
