Oswald's Birthstory

***I wrote this out weeks ago, but hadn't proofed it for "cleanliness."  I get that my son might never want to know these details, but heck, his future wife might!***

Ozzie,

Tonight, in just under an hour, you will be one month old.  And life with two children has kept me busy enough that I haven’t written out your journey into this world.

You were due on July 17^th.  And I had correctly predicted that you would be born on July 20^th (since I was 3 days late, so was my sister, and your brother), but that didn’t keep me from trying to get you to come any sooner.  I tried every old wives tale there is to encourage you to make an appearance.

Your Grandma Naumann was here to help when you arrived, but we wanted to do fun things with her too, so we got up on a chilly and cloudy Saturday morning and went to the fair.  We walked around and showed your brother lots of animals, carnival rides, and crazy things for about 3 hours.  By then, mama wasn’t feeling very well. I had contractions for about a week (or maybe two) before you arrived, but nothing consistent.  I wasn’t even having contractions when we left, but I just didn’t feel awesome.

It started drizzling on our way home, which made it a perfect day to take a nap.  So I did and woke up about 2 hours later to a contraction.  I had another about 20 minutes later.  For the rest of the afternoon, they were between 15 and 20 minutes apart.  We ate dinner (leftovers and freezer meals) and while we were, I noticed that they were consistently getting closer together.  At 7:30, I told Dad that we needed to make a call in the next hour.  Either I was going to the hospital or we were going to forget it.  Aunt Amber was over – dropping something off – but she decided to stay and see what happened.  I took a shower and we got Audy ready for bed.  Then we said goodbye – that we were going to get his little brother.  He was happy to stay with Grandma and Amber. 

We arrived at the hospital at 8:30.  By then my contractions were between 4-7 minutes apart.  Because I was already 4 cm at my appointment that week, the doctor had told me to go to the hospital when they were 10 minutes apart – which I thought was a bit dramatic.  They checked me into triage and put a monitor, IV, and bracelet on me.  By now I felt like my contractions were stopping.  I told Dad we should have waited.  When she checked me though, I was nearly at 6 centimeters.  She decided it was a 5.5 to keep me realistic. 

I moved to the delivery room.  My mom, Grandma Naumann, and Amber all arrived excitedly.  (Grandpa Davies was with Audy at home.)  My nurse was Angie Beever.  She was so great for me.  We all talked and laughed (while I wasn’t contracting) and things were pretty relaxed for the next hour or so.  Angie didn’t think my contractions were that close together yet either.  Slowly but surely, I felt them move down my back and more into my hips.  The pain was, well, painful, but manageable.  Dad did a great job of pushing on my back and helping me through each contraction – which got longer and longer. 

I felt transition come on just like it says in the text book  - I told them I was going to throw up and I was sweaty and shaky.  Angie had stepped out and Amber called her to come back. The whole time we were in the delivery room – til now – I was standing next to the bed or sitting on an exercise ball.  But when the contractions started into my legs, I couldn’t stand anymore.  I lay on my side on the bed and closed my eyes.  I held onto the bedside, clenching hard.  I don’t remember opening them much after that.  Except PRESSURE.  And eventually it felt like I should push.  I wasn’t really pushing though when something felt like it was coming and then BAM!  Water.  Everywhere.  Like we had a water balloon fight.  It was shocking to everyone, I think, including me.  But the pressure lessened after that for a bit – but the nurse got a bit more nervous and tried to hurry the doctor along.  At this point contractions were coming every 1-2 minutes.  I didn’t feel like I could catch a break.  And so, the screaming started.  I felt animalistic and ridiculous, but there was something cathartic about it too.  The pain was way more intense now and it was hard to breathe through contractions.  Angie had to remind me – after she checked and I wasn’t quite at a 10 yet – that I needed to WHOO WHOO HEE breathe to keep myself from pushing.  That was the hardest part.  But I think it only lasted 10-15 minutes. 

The Laborist came in to deliver you because things were moving so quickly that we didn’t think the doctor would arrive in time.  She did.  She arrived at 11:33 or 34, tossed down her belongings, threw on some gloves and while she was doing that, I flopped to my back.  The nurse and the doctor had to talk me through getting into position to deliver (because there was a head right there), but I was in pain and very tensed up.  They did eventually get me in a decent position and with the next contraction, I pushed out your head and as the contraction was finishing the doctor said to push – and with one final push, the rest of you came out.  At 11:36, they placed you on my chest and told me to open my eyes (yes, they’d been closed almost the whole time). 

And just like your delivery, you have been a simple, mellow, easy baby.  We are blessed!  Happy One Month Birthday!