bee updated

Friday, January 19, 2007
Went to lunch with Mary Ann today and had Chipolte. Getting anxious... Finished the hat I knitted. And it was not bad, if I say so myself. I started on a new one, black with yellow trim. It will look so cute on Derby.

4:30 PM~ Had a really big contraction. I was in a lot of pain. Didn't know if I would be going into labor, but I felt it might be coming soon.

5:30 PM~ Had a couple more contractions, but nothing near like the first one. Then all of a sudden, I had a really BIG one and my water broke (or so I thought maybe). I told Karl to get everything in the car. About 10 minutes later and after many of debating on whether to call, I finally called the OB office and talked to them about what was happening.

6:30 PM~ Dr. Bubier (my OB) said to come on in to the hospital. It took us about 5 minutes to get the last minute things packed and off we went to the hospital. I call our parents and tried to tell them that we were going, but my contractions were hard and fast, it was very difficult for me to talk, move or breathe.

7 PM~ Arrive at the hospital. In so much pain, I had to have a wheel chair and get wheeled up the maternity ward. I immediately gave them my birthplan and I really just couldn't talk. Although I was getting contractions, I was really in a lot of pain throughout. At this point, I was 100% thinned and 4 to 5 cm dilated.

8 PM~ Dr. Bubier came to see me and told me to prepare because the baby was coming. She asked me about pain medication and I immediately said, "AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, HOOK ME UP!" I got hooked up to the monitors and started watching the baby's heart beat and my contractions. Karl told me how well I was doing breathing through them, but boy did they hurt.

9 PM~ I got hooked up with an epidural. I did get some immediate relief, but I started to feel some sharp pains in my lower left pelvis. I was still so very uncomfortable. So after moving positions several times, the pain doctor came back in to the room and fixed me up. Karl and I sat around and just tried to rest as much as possible. At this point, I was 6 cm dilated.

10 PM~ Contractions were irregular, so Dr. Bubier put me on Pitocin to help regulate my contractions.

11 PM~ Nurse came in to check on me. Felt around to see how far along I was. She became very silent and rushed out of the room. When she came back, I asked her to be very honest with me. She told me she thought my baby was now breech. I got an ultrasound and it was confirmed. Derby was upside down and I was 10 cm dilated and the baby was trying to get into my pelvic with absolutely no hope of going down. Dr. Abman (another doctor at my practice) came in to the room to help make sure things were happening like the nurse thought. After confirming that Derby was breech, she told Karl and I that we needed to do an urgent (emergency) C-Section. And that there was no time to try to turn the baby. Karl's face was so sad.......I told him not to worry. I know it was important to us to have the baby normally, but that God had a different plan.

11:30 PM~ I was immediately wheeled into surgery and was cleaned up and started on more pain medication. I was longing for Karl. He came in what felt like 10 minutes later, holding the camera and sat down right next to me.

11:44 PM~ Baby Derby arrives. It was extremely important to me that Karl tell me the gender. So the doctor's held up the baby and said, "Dad are you going to tell her the gender?" and Karl looked at me and said, "Are you ready for another Karl Paulson in the world!". So Karl Christian Paulson II it was. Then the baby was moved to the heater and wheeled right next to me so I could see him. What a beautiful sight. I was so happy to see him. After a couple of minutes and he was clean, the nurse put Christian right upon my chest. I got to hold him for what seemed to be 5 minutes. Then they started working on stitching me up and I had to give Christian to Karl because the pain was beginning to set in.

Midnight~ I started feeling major pain. They gave me a shot of morphine to help me and this is all I remember until about 2 hours later.

2 AM~ The next thing I remember, I was in the recovery room and started asking for the baby. Karl and Christian were right next to me and I got to hold him and began to nurse. I was so happy. I couldn't tell you how long I was awake before they wheeled me into my postpardum room, but it was nice to be settled when I did. I held Christian ALL NIGHT while Karl was getting some much needed sleep.

Grandma Karen arrived in the hospital room at 11:30 am. I stayed in the hospital until Monday, January 23, 2007. Karl stayed with us every night.