Brooke's birth story

My pregnancy with Brooke, though it was physically an easy one, was not marked by the "glowing" memories that the other two were. We'd just lost my grandmother the year before, Jeff still wasn't recovered fully from his surgery and still suffering from Crohn's, we were experiencing so much financial difficulty, I absolutely HATED my job and I was depressed A LOT. So much so, that my doctor put me back on my prozac at 5 months. She was not a planned pregnancy but I guess God knew better and in a lot of ways, I was thrilled to know I was going to have another little girl. How great it would be to have sisters so close in age (even though age doesn't matter much. My sisters and I are far apart in age but pretty close still)

Brooke's birth experience was very similar to Kayti's. She was VERY easy. The day before I had a doctor's appointment and he said I was 2 cms. He told me the exact same thing that he'd told me with Kayti--if I hadn't gone by morning, they were going to induce. But you know my kids--they don't let anyone tell them what to do or when so she decided she'd go ahead and get started on being born herself! My contractions started that night. I stayed home though since they had already scheduled an induction for the next morning and just waited to go in until then. I wanted to do most of my labor at home not strapped to all that mess! (this is what makes me think I could pretty much do a home birth!)

When we got to the hospital the next morning, I was dialated 3 cms. A few hours later they came in and did the epi and maybe an hour or so after that, she was on her way out! I remember feeling like she was coming and the doctor taking his sweet time just standing there fussing that his stuff wasn't set up right! I remember fussing at him telling him he better not let my baby fall onto the floor!

He told me to "calm down" in typical man-fashion so I reached down there and pretty much got her myself. I remember holding her and seeing her big blue eyes and thinking she looks just like Jeff (and she still does!) and that she was so tiny (so much for babies getting bigger the more you have, mine got smaller!) I nursed her in the delivery room and then we went up to the post-partum room.

Dylan and Kayti came up to the room a few hours later to see their new baby sister. I think they were more excited about the presents the new baby "brought" them though! But Kayti was so cute asking about "Book-a-win" and then when she saw her she just said, "Baby, oh!" (of course, the day we came home from the hospital though, she slapped her! *sigh* she had a horrible case of terrible twos!) Dylan was an old pro at 5 years of age by then. He knew exactly how to hold her and everything. Yep, Brooke is a living testimony of how God laughs when you tell him about your plans! I cannot imagine one day without her making me laugh when nothing else can.

Kayti's birth story

Kayti was MUCH easier than Dylan! lol Although she was SIX days overdue, I went into labor with her shortly after my exam that day. He'd told me I was 2 cm's and if I hadn't gone by the morning to come back in and he would induce. Well, the contractions started around lunchtime and all I could think was "my house is a mess and my nails are not done!" I wanted everything to be absolutely PERFECT! lol

So I ran around cleaning and went to get my nails done. I took my little sister with me and sat there and got my nails done while my contractions where about 8 minutes apart. Got home and around 4 or so, they became about 6 minutes apart and Jeff was telling me I oughta go ahead and call since I was already dilated this time and all so I did and the doc told me to come on in. I called my best friend to tell her they were 6 min apart and we were going to the hospital and while I was talking to her she said, "Honey, I think they are closer than 6 min" and she was right. They had become like 3 minutes! 

So we got to the hospital and I was already 5 cms! They asked me if I wanted the epi. Now after my horrid epi experience with Dylan I had decided I was going to wait as long as possible and try not to have one at all because with him, by the time I got it and it took and all, the worst part was over with anyway and then I couldn't walk for 2 days! But....I caved to pain and got it. This time though, everything worked like it was supposed to and I just relaxed and watched the Braves' game and went it was over, I was at 10! I pushed for about 15 minutes and at 10:08 p.m., she was here--all 6 lbs 14 oz. of her! She was so beautiful! And such a good baby--she hardly even cried, only when my MIL was holding her! LOL

I got to nurse right away and Dylan came into the delivery room and he was so sweet! We had let him pick out one of her names and he had decided on "Sara" after "Cera"--the little dinosaur on The Land Before Time! He walked in and I asked him what her name was and he said, "Hey, Sara Kaytlan!" Then he wanted to see the "special place" where the doctor took the baby out of mommy! LOL

Dylan's birth story

Okay, keep in mind this how long ago this was! lol I always watch the tape around his birthday--I can't believe it's been so long. So with him being my first baby and me being only 22 at the time, I was scared to death! And yes, I went to all the classes, read all the books, etc. and knew that my body was supposedly able to perform this miracle of birth blah blah blah but I still failed to comprehend how something the size of a watermelon was going to squeeze through there. NO way was I going to give "natural" childbirth a shot! (Funny how much I've changed over the years. If I were to have one now, I'd totally go for the whole home birth thing! Doula, midwife, all naturale, the works) I wanted to be medicated all the way--even put to sleep if possible! lol

Well, I started having contractions about 9 p.m. on a Thursday (during L.A. Law) but they were only about 10 minutes apart and not very strong so I knew better than to call anyone. About 1 a.m. they got a little stronger and about 5 minutes apart so then we called the doc and went to the hospital. A few hours later, they stopped! Now I was 3 days overdue so they told me to walk around the hospital to see if that would get everything started again and the doc would be in at 6 a.m. and maybe he would induce.

Around 7 a.m. he broke my water and started the pitocin. The doc thought Dylan would be a big baby and said I might need a C-section but they were going to let me try anyway. I had Jeff and my mom with me the whole time. An hour or so later, the contractions started becoming unbearable! I remember my sister and cousin coming up there and me telling my mom not to let my sister back. She was only 8 at the time and I didn't want to scare her! But even though the contractions were stronger, I still wasn't dialating properly. I stayed stuck at 3 centimeters for the longest time and of course, they kept telling me I had to be 4 to get an epi! They finally let me have that drug--Nubane, I think is the name of it--that just takes the edge off so I napped a little but it wore off quickly. I got a shot of demoral but it just made me spacey and groggy.

Around 3 p.m., they finally came to check me again and I was at 7 cm!!! Time for the epi. The anesthesiologist came down and put it in (Jeff said that was the only part that made him want to faint!) but it didn't take. They thought I was just being a wienie and told me they would give me a little "boost" but after they did, I told them I could still feel my left side! So he finally came back, took it out and put it back in in a different spot on my spine.

By that time, I was at 10 and ready to push. I pushed and pushed for about 1 1/2 hours. I was so exhausted! They gave me some more demoral, I was so tired. Then finally I had the most uncontrollable urge to push again and it's on tape me saying "I want to push I want to push" and the doc saying, "don't!" because he was coming out himself!!!

Of course, most of you already know this but there is NO feeling like it in the world, the first time you become a mom. It was so awesome, I was so emotional and it was all so worth it! I ran a fever shortly before he was delivered so we both had to have antibiotics so I didn't get to nurse him right away.But it wasn't a problem with him latching on or anything. He wasn't allowed to come to my room that night because of the antibiotics and I was exhausted anyway but I got him early the next morning! I think Jeff my mom were pretty amazed at the whole experience, too! Also-- he was NOT a big baby after all either--only 7 lbs 1 oz. But good thing he wasn't a whole lot bigger!