More than we bargained for

Saturday May 10th, 2008 started like any other Saturday morning, except I was one day past my due date and axiously awaiting (actually more like fearing) the onset of labor. May seemed so far away when we found out I was expecting back in September and if you asked any one around me, I had been declaring for weeks that I was done playing this game and was ready to be a mom, but as my due date came and went I actually realized that I was totally petrified of the future, not that I would let anyone in on that secret, least of all my husband Garrett. Anyway, it was Saturday morning, Garrett was at work and I was basking in being able to relax in bed as long as I could. But, that would not be the case, I decided I should probably get out of bed and do something with the morning because we were supposed to go to a dance concert in the evening. I got out of bed and as soon as I stood up, my water broke. I thought to myself, well, your plans for the day just changed in a big way. I was about to call Garrett at work and tell him what was going on, but I think he must have sensed something because before I could get to the phone, it started ringing and it was Garrett just calling to check in. So before I knew it, Garrett was home from work, I called the hospital and they advised me to come in after lunch if contractions hadn't started, which at that point they hadn't. I was feeling amazingly energetic so we quickly tidied up the house and then headed for the hospital over an hour away. While enroute we called everyone we had to and let them know what was going on and I guess about half was to the hospital I started having mild contractions. No more than a little discomfort ten minutes apart.

We arrived at the hospital at around 1 in the afternoon, checked in and waited to get examined. So, I get examined by two nurses and a resident, one of the nurses thought that the baby may be breach but the other nurse and resident dismissed that and assured her that everything was fine, the baby was right where he needed to be. I was convinced that everything was fine too, my last prenatal was three days before and my OB was sure he was head down. So, off to the low risk delivery suite for me. The room was awesome, private room, bathroom, nice view, Garrett would get to stay the night and best of all everything would happen in that room and I wouldn't have to leave it until it was time to go home. Everything was going good, contractions were now 5 minutes apart and intensifying greatly. Whoever said labor was easy is lying.

Fast forward to approximately 8:00 PM, contractions are now 2 to 3 minutes apart and hurt like a bugger, the anethisiologist is in doing a c-section and will get to my epidural when he gets to it. Okay, I can handle this, just breath through the pain and then BAM! the urge to push. Garrett calls the nurses and tells them that I feel the need to push, only they say I can't push yet. What do you mean? But I need to. Out comes the happy gas, let's just say I love the person who discovered nitrous oxide, they are my hero. Within five minutes of that, here comes my epidural. All is good in the world. I'm numb, I'm high, and I'm going to have a baby. No such luck. My nurse decides to check how dialated I am and is kind of perplexed at what she feels, so she gets the doctor to check. The next 15 minutes seemed to blur by in a matter of seconds. The nurse that examined me first at 1 in the afternoon was right, my baby was breach and he was coming soon. Quick decisions had to be made as to whether we attempted a normal delivery with increased risks to the baby or do we go with the C-section and reduce the risk to the baby. I took one look at Garrett, looked at the doctor and said, "C-section", do whatever is best for the baby.

And off we went to the Labor and Delivery ward. Goodbye nice room, hello Operating Room.

Fast forward again. This time to 00:41 on Sunday, May 11th, Mother's Day and the moment my son Linden Alexander Gottfried was born. As numb as I was from the epidural and probably still feeling the effects of some of the happy gas, that is a moment I will never forget. It was the moment that me and Garrett went from a couple to a family. I always thought when people said hearing your baby cry for the first time was the greatest moment ever were exaggerating but now I know that every word of that is the truth.

So even though the labor and delivery weren't exactly what we had signed up for. Okay, they were nothing like what we had signed up for. The outcome was totally worth it. And if you asked me if I'd do it again I'd have to say, maybe in a couple years but right now I just want to enjoy my beautiful and perfect baby boy.