The Day you arrived...

Dear Ainsley,

So... I know one day you will probably ask the question "what happened the day I was born?"

Well... Sit back for this long story on "How you met your Mommy"... (one day you'll understand why I made this reference.)  

I actually think Labor started around 11:30pm on Sunday (July 10). I was having some strong Braxton Hicks. Daddy was joking that you were getting ready because you were going to arrive that Wednesday (the 15th). I just laughed. Daddy went to bed as much as I tried... I couldn't sleep. I tried laying down but my mind was racing. So I got up and went to the living room... Then it hit. Its like I had a surge of energy. So around 3am I cleaned out the fridge and did a few other things. I made myself a cup of Calm tea at 4:30am trying anything to get sleepy. All the time you were having a party in there. It's like you knew... I finally fell some what asleep around 5:30am. I remember lying there around 7am and hearing this pop. It was like you kicked something... my water broke! I shouted "OMG" to your Daddy and he jumped up to help me get to the bathroom... After I took a shower we headed out for the Hospital.

Your daddy was so funny... Trying to find his keys (they were right on the counter) and rushing down the hall (and I couldn't walk fast).

By the time I got to the hospital (a little before 8:30am- I kept telling Kevin we had to leave by 8am thanks to rush hour traffic) I was dilated to 3 and I had actually only had a partial water break. I could only imagine what a full would be like. Funny thing is at our triage unit they have a test to see if your water broke. The nurse took me in the bathroom as soon as I arrived and had this strip that is supposed to change colors to show water breakage. I had 5 negative strips... Maybe from the shower. But at this point I realized that this is not the time for modesty.

They admitted us to the delivery room and set me up with our nurses. This is when we found out that Dr. Perez was the Doctor on call. Of all Dr's... The one we only saw 2 times. Dr. Perez said she wanted to start me on potosin (sp?) to kick up the contractions. I am so thankful for that. She said she really wanted you to be delivered in 18 hours. I kept thinking to myself... 18 hours of this?!?! But she was hoping you would be here by the end of TODAY!  

TODAY!!!  We would have you in our arms by the end of the day!  I started to think back on the day Daddy and I walked to Panera.  This day seemed so far away and we hoped we would make it!  And here we are getting ready to meet you!  This made us very excited!  

Any way back to the hospital.... The nurses then started asking me if I wanted the epidural now... I said I really wanted to do this Naturally. One of the nurses said I would be the 2nd woman she had seen do that. And that other lady was on child #3! The odds were against us.

Anyway, everything was going great! I even made your dad go down stairs and get some food for himself. We called Grandma and Grandpa (who left right after we called to come see you) and Nana! We texted our close friends "Thunder Cats GO!" (you'll get that reference one day too)... And they were all excited that you were on your way.

Anyway... Back to the labor. For me it was like having really bad cramps or strong Braxton Hicks... till I dialted to 8. I was sitting there watching Friends till I got to 8. At moments Janice was a bit annoying and I finally had to ask Daddy to turn it off... The nurses kept asking what level of pain was it... I would half laugh and say 5-6. I mean 10 had to be the end right? And I still only reserved the 10 for the very end... I think I even said there has got to be worse pain out there (even when I was in pain). I mean having your arm chopped off has got to hurt, right?!?! Yeah, that's what I was thinking while in labor.

Then I reached 8... it got more intense... So intense that I actually didn't think I was going to make it. They told me I probably had another 2 hours... So I quickly did the math in my head... 2 minutes between contractions... 60 minutes per hour... 60 contractions till I was done. And I just started a count down starting at 60. Somewhere around 40-something I lost count. I think at that point I was breaking down and wanted to get something... There was no way I was going to be able to do another 2 hours. (Thinking back- this was probably when I was going through transition. Or in your terms "you were making your way down".) But then Daddy told me that they were getting the room ready for delivery so I only had a little more to go. The intense part was only for an hour (maybe an hour and a half). And it was the worst when I felt the urge to push and they kept saying not to. I actually had a rough 15 minutes where I sort of lost control. I just wanted the pain to stop. I kept saying I wanted to go home.

(*** note: I did not swear, yell, curse out Your Dad, toss stuff around the room at this point. I just stopped breathing, whinnying at the pain, and stopped listening to Daddy when he would "coach".  I actually had to say something to him cause he would stop coaching when the nurses were in the room. I had no idea of where the contractions were on the machine. And that became frustrating!).

The nurses were ready to get the epidural but I told Daddy I didnt want the needle... The idea of the needle and having to have Daddy leave the room was not happening I was actually debating getting narcotics... Thinking you wouldn't be in there long enough for it to effect you. I have an issue with needles. I dont like them! I actually said I was more afraid of idea of the epidural than the pain at one point. Then I heard that Dr. Perez was being called, and that my only other choice was the epidural or buck down for 30 more contractions. So I refocused and started another count down. Breathing through the pain and the urge to push.

Then it was magic time... Dr. Perez walked in and announced we would be pushing soon! Everything started to look better. It was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  Then pushing was nothing compared to that previous hour... I just pushed through the contractions. I think I pushed for 20 minutes.

And then Dr. Perez said that we could see your little head and I mustered up all my might and before I knew it you were here.

You arrived at 3:31pm. 

(Some day we will have to tell you the strange link between You and your cousin Jayden and how Aunt Amanda guessed the day you were born and exact time) 

You were so quiet when you came out... I was worried that something was wrong with you. I kept asking if you were ok. "she's perfect... And beautiful" was all Daddy kept saying.

There are not a lot of pictures of you because we were both so wrapped up in the moment. I'm sorry... (That's where having Nana or Grandma would have been nice.) It wasn't until the nurse told your daddy to get the camera and come over to cut your cord that the camera made it out.

I'll tell you a little secret... when we were taking the birthing classes he had said he didn't need to cut the cord. But the nurses really didn't give him much of an option.  They just put the sissors in his hand.  He told me later he was so glad that he did and not just once... He helped do it 2 times. 

I only had a few minutes with you on my chest before they took me away. Everything went really great till it was time for the placenta to come out and that's when the complications started. I ended up having to have a DNC to remove the placenta. I knew something was up when they sent the cord blood lady away. We were planning on donating the cord but when Dr Perez sent her away I knew something was wrong. Then everything went to blur... Kevin said that's when the started hitting me with everything they had to prep me for the procedure.

I didn't get to do anything but hold you for a bit.  You were so little... and cute.  You looked up at me and didn't make a sound.  I didn't want to let you go... then they passed you over to Daddy and that was when I started to cry.  Seeing you in his arms... We were a Family!  I wanted you to have a name before I left the room. Daddy said we could wait till I got back... But I needed you to have a name... We were torn between Ainsley and Madigan. We decided on Ainsley because you were so quiet and peaceful like a meadow.

They had your Daddy take you down to the Nursery while they took me to the OR.

In the Nursery they weighed you and gave you a bath. Daddy stood by that window the entire time.

About an hour and half later I came out of the OR. The recovery was tough... They knocked me out with some hard stuff. I was in the recovery room till around 8pm... But I really wasn't with it till the next morning.

That night I asked Daddy to ask the nurse if it would be alright if you stayed in the Nusery for the night. I wanted you to be with us but I was still very much out of it. I wasn't really able to hold you or feed you. And to have your Daddy take care of you and me was too much. It had been such a long day... the idea of you sleeping alone in the nursery made us sad... But you were in a safer place with great nurses!

And at 7am your Daddy asked for you to be brought in. And from that point on you have been by our side!   

So... That's the story of how you got here! And "How you Met your Mom" (and Dad).  And I'm so glad you are here.

Love,

Mommy