When I first became pregnant (ugh, I hate the word), all of these people wanted to tell me their birth stories. I didn't really understand that, and it kind of made me laugh at the time, but now I get it. I do have this strange urge to share my experience - after all, it is by far the craziest, most monumental event of my life thus far (Is that sad? Should I have partied more in my youth?).
Anyway, I also feel like I need to write this all down while I still remember it. I guess Eli might want to read it someday. Then again, he's a boy, so maybe not. But here goes.
We knew for quite awhile that a C-section was likely for us because little man was stubborn and insisted on being face up. I held out hope up to the very end, trying to talk him into flipping, doing ridiculous yoga moves I found on the internet, getting ultrasounds every week for the last month to see if maybe he had changed position. No dice.
Yay for spending $75 on a class that covered mostly labor techniques and pain management!
Anyway, we were scheduled for Thursday morning, early. I was pretty nervous - the extent of my surgical experience being wisdom teeth removal. The nurse began getting me ready, which was really weird, and I hated being the center of attention. She started me on IV fluids which was a disaster - she ended up spilling fluid and blood all over me. I kind of felt sorry for her, but it really made me nervous. She gave Travis some scrubs, and wheeled me down the hall into the operating room - that part was fun.
The lights were super bright, and there was so much activity going on. I started to get a little lightheaded. The only thing I was truly nervous about was the spinal block. I hate needles, and just the word "spinal" makes me feel kind of nauseous. Slice me open - no problem; stick a needle into my back - panic! Anyway, it was really no big deal except that I got so nervous that when they were done and asked me to lie back on the table, I got lightheaded again and ended up almost kicking over a metal table of surgical tools. Then the nurse anesthetist leaned down and told me that my blood pressure had dropped and I would probably throw up. Great! Then Travis came in with the doctor. He had talked her into letting him stand to watch the procedure (usually they make the dads sit down so they don't pass out).
I didn't throw up. It was painless, but really weird. (I'll spare you the nastier details). The nurse anesthetist started laughing and told Travis, "Come here - you have to see this." As they pulled Eli out, he was peeing all over the doctor. She turned him around and he pooped on her. What a way to come into the world! Anyway, he started to cry, which was awesome. Then they brought him around the side to do his apgar scoring (He scored 9 both times - pin a rose on my nose!) and all of that important stuff. It was an amazing moment - indescribable. Travis was mesmerized. He was a big boy - 8lbs 2oz, 20 inches long. 9:26 in the morning.
The worst part of the whole ordeal was that I couldn't hold him right away. Travis had to hold him next to my face so I could look at him while they glued me back together (gross). We had fun laughing at the poor kid because he was trying so hard to open his eyes but the lights were too bright for him.
And before I knew it, we were being wheeled back to the room with a new little human. The nurse bathed him, and then I finally got my hands on him - a cute little thing covered with black hair. I think we just stared at each other for an hour - awesome.
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