23 minutes. That was all it took. 23 minutes and my life was forever altered. In 23 minutes, you can almost finish an episode of Friends... You can get from Ellisville to Hattiesburg... You can listen to Michael Jackson's "Don't stop 'til you get enough" 5 times... In my 23 minutes, I had a baby and it flipped my world upside down- just like everyone said it would. Everyone said that there is nothing like it. They didn't lie... The feeling is indescribable.
The hours leading up to my new world:
2:00 am- Woke up with 'cramps' in my back. Khiron was sound asleep.
3:00 am- I'm still awake... Having 'cramps' every 7-10 minutes. Khiron is still sleeping.
2:00 am- Woke up with 'cramps' in my back. Khiron was sound asleep.
3:00 am- I'm still awake... Having 'cramps' every 7-10 minutes. Khiron is still sleeping.
4:00 am- Still up! By this point I have taken a bath, walked loops around the house, and watched tv, thinking the 'cramps' would stop. They didn't. Khiron is still asleep.
5:00 am- Watched some of Patch Adams... 'Cramps' are about 5-6 minutes apart. Khiron is still asleep.
6:00 am- Starting to think my 'cramps' are more like contractions. They are happening every 4-6 minutes now. Khiron? Yup. Still snoozing.
7:00 am-I took a shower (just in case this is the real thing). Talked to Chan and we decided that if I am still having the 'cramps' regularly in an hour, I should probably go to the hospital, just to be sure! Khiron was still sleeping.
7:30 am- Still about 4-6 minutes apart.. Getting stronger but not bad at all!! I wake up Khiron (FINALLY) and fill him in on what has been going on while he slept so soundly. He showered. I finished packing my bag. I asked Khiron about his bag and he said he would just do it later. (What? When?? This might be it, dude! Guess he was pretty confident I was having 'cramps' not contractions!)
5:00 am- Watched some of Patch Adams... 'Cramps' are about 5-6 minutes apart. Khiron is still asleep.
6:00 am- Starting to think my 'cramps' are more like contractions. They are happening every 4-6 minutes now. Khiron? Yup. Still snoozing.
7:00 am-I took a shower (just in case this is the real thing). Talked to Chan and we decided that if I am still having the 'cramps' regularly in an hour, I should probably go to the hospital, just to be sure! Khiron was still sleeping.
7:30 am- Still about 4-6 minutes apart.. Getting stronger but not bad at all!! I wake up Khiron (FINALLY) and fill him in on what has been going on while he slept so soundly. He showered. I finished packing my bag. I asked Khiron about his bag and he said he would just do it later. (What? When?? This might be it, dude! Guess he was pretty confident I was having 'cramps' not contractions!)
8:30 am- We get to the hospital (after Khiron takes a detour, some super bumpy roads, and an extra stop for breakfast. Breakfast for him since I couldn't eat. It was cool though... I mean these were just 'cramps'! Cramps that were happening every 3-4 minutes now.)
9:00 am- I get hooked up to monitors to see if this is the real thing... I'm dilated to 1 cm (which is progress from being dilated a fingertip for the past month!)
9:00 am- I get hooked up to monitors to see if this is the real thing... I'm dilated to 1 cm (which is progress from being dilated a fingertip for the past month!)
10:00 am- It's real! Dilated to 2 cm. The doctor tells me that I will be having a baby today and breaks my water (which was soooooo weird by the way!).
11:00 am- Dilated to 3 cm! Contractions happening every two minutes... I'm laughing, visiting with family and friends, and thinking contractions are no big deal! I got this!
11:00 am- Dilated to 3 cm! Contractions happening every two minutes... I'm laughing, visiting with family and friends, and thinking contractions are no big deal! I got this!
12:00 pm- WRONG! I was so wrong... contractions suck! I do NOT have this! No more laughing and visitors.. Just me begging the doctor for the epidural (Hey! I admit it! I'm not trying to be superwoman! I'm just trying to have my little baby.. As painless as possible!) Bless Khiron... He tried comforting me. I did NOT want comforting. He got the message. And thank heavens the doctor agreed to the epidural!!!
1:30 pm- After I got the epidural (and after I asked the anesthesiologist if I could kiss her bc I was THAT excited to see her), I felt fabulous! At this point, I was dilated to 5-6 cm. My sweet friend Megan gave me a pedicure and then I napped.. while having contractions 1-2 minutes apart! (See! Aren't epidurals fabulous?!?)
1:30 pm- After I got the epidural (and after I asked the anesthesiologist if I could kiss her bc I was THAT excited to see her), I felt fabulous! At this point, I was dilated to 5-6 cm. My sweet friend Megan gave me a pedicure and then I napped.. while having contractions 1-2 minutes apart! (See! Aren't epidurals fabulous?!?)
3:00 pm- I'm dilated to 7-8 cm! Getting excited!!!
3:30 pm- Babylove must have been excited too bc his heart rate started dropping so they put me on my side and gave me oxygen.
3:30 pm- Babylove must have been excited too bc his heart rate started dropping so they put me on my side and gave me oxygen.
4:30 pm- I started feeling hard contractions on my right side. Whoa now! I thought the point of an epidural was so to make me feel nothing! Khiron kindly tried to inform me that my contractions weren't that bad. He could tell by the contraction monitor that I had way worse contractions earlier. I kindly informed him that the contraction monitor lied and I wanted the nurse! He got the nurse and I was fully dilated! Woop woop! (I knew I wasn't imagining those heinous contractions!)
4:40 pm- The doctor was called. Khiron and mom got to 'suit up' (Khiron especially loved this part)! The nurses asked me to start pushing through contractions... Khiron stayed behind me, kissing my head and encouraging me through every push. My mom was in front of me, watching our little miracle happen with tears of joy running down her face... And my 23 minutes had begun.
5:03 pm- My little world was shaken and flipped upside down... And when it settled, the most beautiful blessing was in my arms, staring up at me with eyes full of wonder... He was (and still is) perfection. Hello, Archer Sim Harris! Welcome to our world!