Happy Birth Day to Miles

The day finally came! Rach called me at work in the afternoon and said she was having contractions about 10 minutes apart, but she didn't think she would really have a baby today. When I got home from work they were about 5 minutes apart, and she was still in denial. After dinner, Rach wanted to put the kids to bed before going to the hospital (cause she still didn't believe it was happening). When the contractions were 4 minutes apart, we decided to change the plan. We called the neighbor and left the girls to go to the hospital (we only had to turn around and go back once for something we forgot). At the hospital, she was admitted and they started getting things ready. Before we knew it he was here! Miles Jay Meldrum was born at 8:05 PM and measured in at 7'3" and 20.5 in long! It was a great, peaceful evening!

Rachel's Version of what happened:

 Well, contractions started around one in the afternoon and were 10-12 minutes apart, far enough apart for me to think that I was not in labor, but just having some contractions.  At my appointment the week before, I was not dilated at all, and my doctor said I was not going any time soon and we even scheduled an induction date for the 25th because he thought I was not going to go before then.  

I was playing with Hadley and texted Mike saying that these contractions today were brutal, but I thought I was just going to be dilated for my appointment the next day.  After about an hour I decided I should start timing the contractions because they seemed somewhat regular.  I timed for an hour with an app on the ipad and they were about 1 min long and 10 minutes apart.  I kept keeping track while we got Allie from preschool and I started cleaning up the house thinking that if we do have this baby, I should start getting the house and kids ready.  At about 3, I called Mike and told him they were 10 minutes apart and regular, so he should prepare to not come in the next day just in case.

At home, we were having dance parties to get through the contractions and I was able to just sway/walk through the contractions, nothing too bad.  They were down to 8 min apart and I started making some dinner while the girls watched a show and Mike was on his way home.  Mike came home and asked if I was having a baby today.  I said maybe, still thinking these contractions were going to stop sometime soon.  We had dinner with a few interruptions of contractions that I had to get up and walk through.  At this point, Mike said I needed to call my visiting teacher and let her know we might be calling on her soon to come take care of the girls.  I had talked with her earlier in the day about going to the Relief Society meeting that night.  She was not answering her phone and after about 15 min I called Cyndy Riggs, my neighbor, to see if she could come over so we could go to the hospital.  My contractions had gone down to 5 min apart and after the 4th one at 5 min apart, we decided it was go time.  Cyndy came over and we were off, only to get a mile down the road when I remembered that I didn't bring my wallet with my ID.  

We left at about 6:40 and arrived at the hospital, Banner Gateway, at about 6:55.  I remember because I was texting people who I had made arrangements with to watch the girls the next day and to tell my visiting teacher that Cyndy had the girls.  I had pre-registered so they just had to verify info and I was in the triage room, waiting to be checked to make sure I was in labor.  After like 10 min, or an eternity to a laboring woman, the nurse came in to check me and as she was checking me, I had told her my cervix was posterior and might be hard to find to which she replied, "oh, it is right here, you are an 8 and 80% effaced.  You are a power woman."  At this point, about 4 nurses came in to hurry up the process of taking blood, starting an IV and getting me ready for an epidural.  They whisked me away to a labor and delivery room and the anesthesiologist came in pretty quickly and started the process of an epidural.  There was no time for paperwork, so he asked for a verbal confirmation and I said YES!  He got the needle in, and gave me the test medicine to see if he put it in the right spot.  My doctor arrived and broke my water and said he would be back to come check on me after the epidural  At this point, my contractions were about 3 min apart and quite painful because I had to lay perfectly still to try and get the medicine to go to the right spot.  I think this was the worst part of the whole process!  After not feeling any relief after about 7 minutes, I said I don't care, I have to move to get through these contractions.  I told the nurse I was feeling pressure and that I thought I had to push.   

The nurse said she doubted that I had progressed that far already, but checked anyway.  She said I was right and ready to push.  She quickly called the doctor in and in about 5 minutes I was pushing away which felt much better that just laying there.  After about 3 contractions, he was mostly there, but he was stuck and his heartbeat got dangerously low (just like his sisters) and after an episiotomy, one more push got him out.  He came out crying right away and I was able to hold him on my tummy for a couple of minutes before they cut his cord and took him to get weighed and cleaned off.  He passed his apgar tests with double 9s and was back in my arms in a few minutes to hold and nurse (which he rocked at from the beginning).  He was born about an hour after our arrival, and about 5 min after delivery, I finally felt some numbness in my legs but that was about it.  

I never planned on going without any pain medication, but it is good to know that I can do it!  Those last 2 centimeters were definitely some of the most painful things I have gone through, but as with anything painful, there was an end in sight and once he was born it was instant relief.  

We called parents and family members while waiting for a room to empty in recovery and about 3 hours later, we were moved up to the recovery room just before midnight.  

The next morning Mike went and got the girls and brought them to meet their new brother.  We spent one more night in the hospital and got home Thursday around 11 and my mom arrived at about 1 which was perfect timing.  

Miles is an awesome sleeper, waking up once or twice a night and going right back to sleep.  So far, he has been an angel baby and we love him so much. 

Now on to the good part, the pictures....

First pictures of our new buddy.

At the official weigh in (he is intimidating like all the professional boxers)

Rach showing off her hard work. She still looks good even right after labor! (I totally married up!)

A few good looks during the first few hours.

Me with Miles (starting to finally even the odds in the family, now only down 3:2 and when we get a dog we can be even!)

Allie and Hadley were so excited to come meet their new brother the next morning. 

They both just wanted to hold him all the time.

Hadley just wanted to see his "tiny" face and features. She wanted to touch everything.

Allie just wanted to hold him and look at him.

The first family picture of the new and improved Meldrum family. 

(Over 50% of us are looking at the camera, so we figured that was good)