You'll have to forgive me for being about a month behind on my blogging. I promise, it's been for a very good reason. Let me see if I can pick up where I left off last time.
On the morning of Friday, Sept 23, 2011, I woke up early, showered, then packed my hospital bag. Shortly afterward, Shelby came over because she was going to follow us to the hospital. The drive to Ochsner was surreal. I couldn't believe that we'd FINALLY gotten to our daughter's birthday. I remember telling Kyle repeatedly that he'd better drive safely. I also remember looking up "This Day in History" on my cell phone. I wanted to be sure that Evie had some fun facts.
We checked into the hospital at 8, even though I wasn't scheduled to have my c-section until noon. There was a small chance that we'd get to go early, and that's what we were hoping for. Needless to say, that didn't happen. We stayed in the family waiting area until about 9 or 9:30, at which point I was called back to the shared triage room. I changed into the horribly unflattering hospital gown and got settled in as best I could. Kyle was pretty disturbed because there was a woman with intense contractions near us, and I think her moans freaked Kyle out.
My time in the triage area was pretty unpleasant. First, I hadn't had anything to eat since 9:30 the night before, and my surgery kept getting bumped for emergency cases. It was scheduled for noon, but I didn't go back until 4:30. I begged repeatedly for the nurse to allow me to eat or drink something, and she eventually agreed to give me a tiny amount of ice. I was really worried about the lack of nutrition, especially because if mommy doesn't eat, baby doesn't eat either. I figured that it couldn't be good for Evie. Secondly, there was no TV or entertainment. Thankfully, Kyle was able to bring his laptop back, so we ended up watching Father of the Bride 2 on Netflix. (Comedic movies about childbirth seem to be a theme with me during my delivery days. I watch Three Men and a Baby the night before Nile was born. I think it helps to calm me.) The biggest problem with my triage stay was that the nurse blew out 2 veins - one in my left wrist and one in my right hand. It was absolutely miserable to have to go through the pain repeatedly, and STILL not have a successful IV line run. The hospital eventually had to have the anesthesiologist come to place the IV line, and he did it with no problems in my left inner elbow.
By the time I got called back, I was very tired and out of it. It's easy for people to say that I should have slept. You try sleeping when you know you'll be meeting your baby in a matter of hours! My spinal block was placed without any issue, and I was quickly prepped for my c-section. I remember feeling extreme fear while I waited on Kyle to be brought back. I knew that the surgery would be dangerous due to the possibility of placenta accreta, and I knew that there was a very real chance that I could end up with a hysterectomy or massive blood loss. Honestly, I think the fears clouded a lot of my birth excitement once the surgery started. Still, I prayed and knew that it was in God's hands. I wish I could say that I had a sense of calm, but the truth is more that I felt resignation to whatever my fate would be.
The surgery started and progressed very quickly. My overwhelming concern once it started was that I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I felt that I really had to focus on making myself breathe, but the doctor assured me that the feeling was a result of the numbness spreading to my diaphragm area. I remember that I felt absolutely no pain or pressure with Nile, but I knew the exact moment that the doctors pulled Evie out. I remember telling Kyle, "I'm empty." I heard her cry shortly thereafter, and it brought tears to my eyes. My baby was out, alive, and healthy! To God be the glory.
They cleaned her off and Kyle went over to cut the cord. I'm glad he was able to have that experience with both of his children. I'd told Kyle before surgery that I wanted him to stay with Evie after her birth, so he followed her to the nursery while the doctors stitched me up.
I was very curious about how the surgery went, and my OB informed me that I'd actually lost less blood than an average first time c-section. My placenta ended up being a non-issue since they were completely prepared.
If there's one lesson that repeatedly gets pounded into my mind, it's that God knows what He's doing even when I don't. I knew that I'd had a lot of unexplained anxiety about waiting to have a vaginal birth. My OB informed me that I'd made the right decision about having a c-section. She said that Evie's cord was wrapped around her neck tightly, and that if she'd descended into the birth canal as I had previously hoped, it would have been life threatening for her. I thank the Lord that He kept my baby safe and helped to guide me to the right decision. God is good.
Meet Evie Faith Arrington, born at 4:55 pm on Friday, September 23, 2011. 7 lbs, 4.6 ounces and 21.5 inches long. She was born with a full head of dark brown hair.
