An Early Arrival

Luke Daniel Call

May 19, 2012

2:05 pm

10 lbs 3 oz

20 1/2 inches

Luke's birth story really begins the night before he was born, now that I think of it.  I was hardly able to sleep that night.  I was so terribly uncomfortable!  But in a different way than I was every other night.  I felt like the baby was wedged way low, so low that I wasn't able to comfortably lie on my side.  But, I told myself that I only had 3 more days until I was done being pregnant.  I could make it that long.

I woke up on Saturday morning, the 19th, very tired.  Danny had spent the night in the girls' room, as Sophie was having a hard time.  I went in to say good morning, and as I sat on the edge of their bed to talk to Danny, I was so uncomfortable I realized I wasn't going to be able to sit there for any amount of time.  I patted Danny on the leg and told him I was going to go lie down for a while in our bed.  I was past the point of attempting sleep, so I played a word game on my phone.

Claire came bounding into our room a few minutes later, asking what time it was.  We had made plans to celebrate her 5th birthday that afternoon so that we didn't have to worry about the baby and I being around people so soon after his delivery.  Claire was counting down the hours until 4:00, and she just had to know how much closer we were to party time than we were the last time she had asked...five minutes earlier. :)  I told her it was 8:05 am.  She came into bed with me and asked if we could plan her party.  As we were talking, I started to remember some of my dreams from the night before.  I realized that throughout my dreams, I had always been looking for a clock so I could time contractions.  I thought that was interesting, but didn't think too much of it.  Then I started to notice that I was experiencing some pain, but not in the way I remembered my contractions feeling with Johnny or Claire.  But, just to be on the safe side, I checked the time.  It was 8:17 am.  I kept playing my word game, while Claire chatted my ear off in her adorably excited way.  I remember thinking to myself that I was awfully uncomfortable, but I figured that we'd get up and get moving, I'd eat some breakfast, and within an hour or so I'd be feeling back to "normal".  Just after finishing that thought, that strange pain came back.  And intensified.  And intensified to the point where I was saying, "Owww, owww, OWWW!"  Claire asked if it was the baby, and I told her yes, it was just the baby.  Then I coughed, and I immediately knew my water had broken.  I glanced at the clock, and it was 8:30 am. 

Thinking back, it's kind of funny how calm I was.  My water has never broken on its own.  Even after all that labor with Johnny.  And I have never gone into labor early!  I was just two days past the 39 week mark!  I got out of bed, very slowly and carefully as I didn't want to make a mess.  Danny was still in the girls' room across the hall, so I started to call out to him as I waddled to the bathroom where the floor was (gratefully) not carpeted. :)  I didn't want to yell very loud, cause any added pressure made more water come out and I was pretty grossed out at this point anyway.  I finally got Danny's attention, told him my water just broke, and saw him wake up quicker than I think he every has before!  He came and helped me check and make sure the fluid was clear and I checked for a prolapsed cord.  Everything was just fine.  Then he shooed the kids upstairs and told his Dad what had happened, while I stood in the bathroom trying to figure out what we were supposed to do next.  Seriously, we had not really considered going early, and certainly had never planned on my water breaking.  I wasn't experiencing any more pain, or having any contractions, so I decided to go ahead and shower and get cute for the inevitable pictures post-birth.  I knew that I was fine, and the baby was fine, so there was no use rushing to the hospital like it was an emergency.  Plus, I had to finish packing my hospital bag.

I also remember feeling so bad that Claire wasn't going to get her party that afternoon.  She was so excited to turn 5, and I was just broken-hearted for her that her party would be delayed.  We talked about it, and she assured me she was fine.  She was going to get the best present of all!  Baby Luke was coming!  I am so blessed to have such sweet children.  We made our way upstairs, and I started to get a bit emotional.  I asked Danny for blessing, which Papa helped with, and then it was time to say goodbye to my kids.  It was hard for me to leave them.  I'm always somewhat aware that there's no guarantee that something won't go terribly wrong.  It is child birth after all, and surgery at that.  But mostly I realize that our family is about to change.  It's the last time I see them the way we are.

My sweet Sophie was the first to come give me a hug.  She assured me that she wouldn't miss me too much, and that she wouldn't cry.  Whenever she says that, I know what she means is that she's going to miss me a lot.  That didn't make saying goodbye any easier for me.

Next was John Boy.  I started crying for reals at this point.  Johnny has been my only son, my little guy, and my special buddy for 21 months.  I have such a special place in my heart for him that I've worried if there was room for another son in there.  I also knew that bringing Luke home was going to rock Johnny's world, and I was worried for him.  I love my sweet Little Guy.

And then there was my Claire.  My sweet oldest child, who was so willing to give up her birthday without a single complaint.  I don't know what I would do without such a special girl for my oldest.  I told her to take care of her siblings for me, and that we'd see her later that day.  

We tried to get a picture of me and the kids before I tore myself away, but it wasn't terribly successful.  It does, however, very much catch the spirit of the moment. :)

And then we were off!  I called my Mom to tell her we were on our way, and that I would let her know when to come to meet us.  I also called my Dad to tell him we were having the baby.  Then, I did what any self-respecting person does nowadays, and I updated my Facebook status! :)  I also sent out some texts to my siblings.

We got to McKay-Dee Hospital and were admitted to the triage unit of Labor and Delivery.  My nurse was very nice, and they did their best to keep me from making too big of a mess everywhere I went.  Which meant sitting in an uncomfortable triage bed with towels stuffed in unmentionable places, while I answered all the health questions, got my monitors strapped on, and got an IV.  It really wasn't too painful...for the first hour or so.  But as Danny and I already knew, Dr. Davis was out of town that weekend.  So we had to wait for the on-call doctor from Circle of Life to be available.  Dr. Bierer wasn't going to be able to do my surgery until 1:30 pm, so there was sat, and sat, and sat.  I tried to make the best of it. :)

My Mom showed up about 30 minutes before we headed back for surgery.  She came to be with me during the time that Danny and the baby spend in the nursery, and as you'll read later, I'm immensely grateful that she was there!  Anyway, she brought some delicious lunch for Danny (of which I was terribly jealous), and after visiting for a few minutes, she left for the waiting area while Danny and I prepped for surgery.  Interestingly enough, we weren't separated for this part.  With my previous sections, Danny always goes in another room to get dressed in his scrubs and then I don't see him again until right before surgery.  We weren't separated at all for this one, and I very much needed Danny's presence.  A tender mercy.  At any rate, right around 1:30 pm, Danny and I and our baby started our walk to the OR.

The worst part of the walk was the still leaking amniotic fluid.  Seriously, this kid was living in a swimming pool!  I couldn't believe there was still so much fluid!  We made it into the OR, and then found out that we were supposed to be in another room.  So, we gathered up my IV and monitor cords and I leaked my way to the second OR.  I feel bad for whoever had to clean up that mess! :)

Shortly after arriving, the anesthesiologist came in and started prepping me for my epidural (which I didn't realize was an epidural until much later, I thought I was getting a spinal block).  I was especially grateful that Danny was there.  I hate that part, and it was comforting to have him there.  To be fair, this was the easiest epidural/spinal block that I have had yet, and before I knew it my legs felt like a million pounds and I was too numb to get my legs back on the table.  The nurse and anesthesiologist helped me lie down on the operating table, and then the doctors arrived.  After some small talk, which is always a bit awkward, they checked my block.  Unfortunately, I was still feeling too much.  So they hit me again, and after about 3 minutes, it was time to start the surgery.

This is when things starting getting interesting.  The first few minutes is pretty much like the other surgeries, except I was feeling a lot more than I usually do.  I wasn't feeling any pain, but I had a lot more...sensation... than I had in the past.  I asked Danny to talk to me about anything in order to distract me, but it didn't help.  Then the assisting doctor told me that I was going to feel some tugging.  I knew we were close to meeting our son.  But then the "tugging" started.  For the next 90 seconds or so, those two surgeons were pushing and pulling and twisting and leaning on my body in order to get my son out.  Apparently, my uterus isn't as pliable as it once was, and Luke was indeed wedged in there.  I honestly thought I was going to die.  I couldn't breathe, and they just wouldn't stop pushing on my chest!  Finally, Danny told me he could see Luke's head and then with one final pull, he was here!  And immediately there was a piercing scream.  And immediately after that I started crying.  He was here!  And I wasn't dead! :)  The assisting surgeon brought Luke to the side of the curtain so I could see him, and I was so happy to finally see him!  And I was especially happy to hear that healthy cry.

Danny left with Luke to an adjoining room in order to get Luke cleaned up and measured and such while they closed me up.  It was at this point that I started to have a difficult time breathing.  At least, it felt to me that I was having a hard time.  I started to get panicky and nauseous.  My nurse came over to tell me that Luke was 10 lbs 3 oz, and I responded, "Really?  That's it?"  She replied, "You sound disappointed, Katie!"  I wasn't disappointed, I was surprised!  After what I just went through, I figured he had to be bigger than Johnny was.  Luke had the best apgar scores of any of our kids, scoring a 9 and a 10.  He pinked up right away, and was perfect.

They finished closing me up about the same time that they finished up with Luke.  And I was seriously having a hard time at this point.  They transferred me from the OR table to another triage bed in order to send me back for observation, and I started to throw up.  Well, I tried anyway.  It is incredibly difficult to throw up when your chest is numb.  I felt like I couldn't get enough air in, and I was seriously panicking.  I thought for sure something was wrong.  But the nurses and doctors assured me that my color was good and that I was just fine.  

Meanwhile, Danny and Luke went to the transition nursery to get Luke a bath and such.  

While they were in the nursery, I was wheeled back to triage and set for observation for an hour.  My Mom met me so I wasn't alone, and for the first little bit, I felt like I was getting better.  My breathing got back to normal, and mostly I just felt very tired.  Finally, Danny and Luke made their way to triage, and I was able to hold my son for the first time.

Honestly, the first thing I noticed was his lack of hair.  He was basically bald!  Something else I just was not expecting. :)  I had a hard time really believing he was mine.  He just didn't look like the other kids did to me.  Nevertheless, I was happy to see him, and it was so comforting to hold him.  After a moment of introduction and a few kisses, I started nursing him.  Luke nursed like a champ!  I could barely believe that it was his first time.  But after a few minutes of nursing, I started feeling quite a bit of pain.  I handed Luke back to Danny and tried to stay calm and collected. 

It didn't take much longer before the pain was more than I could take.  I was feeling my afterbirth pains pretty strongly against my incision, and I felt like it was killing me.  After the nurses gave me two more doses of epidural to no avail, every got a little concerned.  Dr. Bierer was called back to take a look at me, and my sweet nurses tried one more serious shot of pain reliever through my epidural.  The third dose finally took, and my pain started to subside.  It never totally went away, but it started to abate.  What everyone figured, after it was determined that I was okay, was that it must have been air trapped in my abdominal cavity.  Which would make sense for how brutal the delivery was.

During my hour in triage, the pediatric nurse came back for Luke so he could have his blood sugar tested.  Danny went back with him, of course, and while they were there I was transferred to my recovery room.  Gratefully, my Mom was able to stay with me through all of this.  Once I was in my room and comfortable, my Mom and I chatted and I ordered some lunch.  I was STARVING!  And luckily, I didn't have to stick to an all-fluids menu for 12 hours post-op.  It took a while, I can't exactly remember how long now, before Danny and Luke came back to my room.  Luke's blood sugar was a little low, so they gave him some formula and kept him longer than usual to get another reading.  He was fine the second time, and was able to come back to me.  I took some time and just held my beautiful boy, taking in every detail.  I remember feeling how soft his head was, and how perfect his skin was.  I also noticed immediately how much of a cuddler he was.  But, unfortunately, my pain level started to increase as I held him, so it wasn't long before I passed him off.  

Because I had an epidural for pain management, I also had a cute little button that I could push every 15 minutes to get another dose as needed.  I pushed that button faithfully every 15 minutes!  Eventually, my Mom headed home and Danny, Luke, and I had a few minutes to ourselves.  I think we all dosed for a few minutes!  Then we ordered dinner and waited for some very special guests to arrive...

The kids were so excited to meet Baby Luke!  Johnny was wide-eyed when he first saw his little brother, and then was pretty distracted by my water view out the window.  The girls, however, were totally content to gush over their baby brother.  (Side note: Thanks for Aunt Julie and Aunt Katie for making the girls so gorgeous! :) )

Claire is a natural "other-mother", and sang Luke a lullaby.

First, isn't this the most gorgeous picture of Sophie?  Sophie was ready to be the big sister and do anything to help Baby Luke feel happy.

We tried to get a shot of all FOUR of our kids, but Johnny wasn't feeling particularly cooperative.  I knew I was getting a glimpse of the chaotic nature my life was about to embrace. :)

Luke was also introduced to Grandma and Papa, Aunt Julie, and Aunt Katie during this visit.  We've never had so many family members come visit us in the hospital as we had with Luke, and it was fun to see everyone and have them tell Luke how much they loved him.  

Eventually, it was time to get the kiddos home and ready for bed.  Many thanks to Papa, Grandma, and the Aunts for all their help while we were away.  From what I understand, the kids were pretty good.  It was hard to say goodbye to the kids, and I worried about how they would do that night, but by the time they were ready to leave, my pain was starting to get pretty bad.  I realized that even though I had been pushing that button faithfully every 15 minutes, my pain was not only NOT going away, it was definitely getting worse.  I also noticed that my legs still had absolutely no feeling in them yet.  And I was getting terribly uncomfortable in that bed, but had no way to move.  Things were getting pretty bad pretty fast.

By 8:00 pm or so, I was really starting to lose it.  We called the nurses in, and they did their best to make me comfortable.  Unfortunately for all of us, they had to get an order from the doctor in order to switch me from the epidural to oral pain medication.  I had awesome nurses during this time, but the one that stayed on-shift with me for the night was really awesome.  She stayed by my bedside a lot of the time, and tracked my doctor down by every means possible.  It was after 10:00 pm before they were able to get me some very high-powered ibuprofen into my IV.  Those two hours, between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm were quite possibly the worse two hours of my life!  The pain was excruciating, and I was worried that if I was experiencing that much pain then, what was the rest of the recovery going to be like?!  My nurse suspected that there was something wrong with the epidural itself, but again, couldn't do anything but shut it off.  I still had the lead in my back and would until the next morning.  I was supposed to be up and walking by 10:00 pm, but at midnight I still had virtually no feeling in my legs.  

After they got the ibuprofen in my IV, I started to feel much better.  Around midnight, they were able to get an order for Lortab from my doctor, and after that I was finally able to be pain-free.  And sleep.  Around 4:00 am, my nurses came in to check my vitals and offered to help me roll over so they could get me all cleaned up and change my bedding a bit.  I was grateful for their service, and after the were able to move me I almost immediately got the feeling back in my right leg.  It was amazing!  I think I had been sitting on a nerve that whole time.  Ouch.  By 5:00 am, I was able to stand for the first time and walk around my bed.  I felt a million times better after that!

That morning after Luke was born, I was finally able to hold him and take in the whole experience without being distracted by pain.  I looked over at Danny while he was holding Luke and sleeping and I realized something.  Luke's hairline was exactly like Danny's!  In fact, they were basically twins.  And immediately I fell in love with my little Luke.  I knew then that even though he didn't quite look the same as our older three, he was ours.  And I loved that he looked so much like the man I love more than anything in this world or the next.  After a traumatic delivery and a pretty rough night, I finally was feeling a sense of peace.  And love.  I was so grateful to have him here, and to be blessed with such an amazing family.

It was determined later on that morning that my epidural lead got kinked in my back, so I wasn't getting any medication where I was supposed to.  Only into the surrounding area, which was why my legs were numb for so long.  No wonder I was in so much pain!  No pain meds after surgery is just pain torture.  

But Luke was worth every minute of it all.  Through all of the hullabaloo, he was so peaceful, patient, and calm.  We've come to realize that Luke is definitely is own guy.  Everything about his arrival was unique to him.  In fact, even his pregnancy was very much different from the previous three.  We can't wait to see who he becomes.  Welcome to this world and to our family, Luke!  We already love you more than words can ever express.  Happy Birthday, Little Man!