My blog has, yes been lacking entries. But I have a good excuse. On August 28, 2007 our beautiful son Jack graced our lives with his entry into the world. And it was not an easy entry.
I've been scared. I've been the pure adrenaline scared when I went cliff jumping a few years ago. I've been to haunted houses and the crazy goat man terrorized me with his evil menace. My husband and I were living here in DC during 9/11 and that was a scary time. But on August 28 I learned what it was to be truly terrified.
Our second little one decided that he wanted to be very, very late. And being pregnant in August is no picnic. Because our little one was 2 weeks late that meant I needed to be induced. We went into the hospital on Sunday night very excited that sometime on Monday we would be holding our little bundle of blue joy in our arms.
We checked into the hospital and they started me in my induction process. My husband and I settled in. We got a decent night sleep which was unusual being we were at the hospital Monday morning came and I was still only dilated 1 cm. They started me on ptosin at about 11 AM. At 3 pm the contractions were becoming really intense and at last the relief of sweet epidural. Though my contractions were on the magnitude of a huge earthquake I was only 4 cm. The doctor stared talking C-section which I was adamantly against. So we waited...
At 6 pm I was 5 cm. Talk of the c-word started again.. At 8 pm I was 8 cm. Finally at 9:30 pm I was 10 and could start pushing. I was so excited to finally meet my little guy....
But alas, he was not going to meet us so easily. I pushed for 2 and a half hours to no avail. Jack did not want to come out. At this point his heartbeat was racing and it was becoming clear he had to come out as soon as possible. Respecting my birth plan my doctor told me we would do forceps, vacuum and if he still was not coming we would have to do a c-section. I had been in labor so long at this point my epidural had worn off. It wasn't pleasant.
The forceps failed, but finally after the second vacuum attempt, Jack was out. But he wasn't crying- and the fear took over my body. I saw them take him to infant area of the delivery room as the NICU team raced in. But that sound a new parent waits to hear was not echoing the room. I was screaming "Why isn't he crying?" My OB told me the cord had been wrapped around his neck and he had breathed in some amniotic fluid. And than at last I heard his beautiful cry. I was able to hold him for a few brief seconds before the doctors took him to NICU to observe him. Jack had to stay in there for a week. Once his breathing stabilized and they could take him off the respirator. But he had to stay for observation for infection as his white blood cell count was high. He also developed Jaundice and had to be under the burger lamp. But that was the least of our worries.
I hardly ever left his side that week.
That was 6 weeks ago. He's home now and is a very healthy boy. The other night I put my face close to his as I often do, and as we shared the same air, I thanked the universe for my beautiful boy and for the air we both share.
