Barrett David Hunt
Born at 12:11 am on May 29, 2010 at Depaul Hospital
5 lbs 10 oz
20 inches long
and the sweetest, most perfect gift we have ever received!
I have been wanting to write out our little boy's birth story before the details start to fade as each day is filled with him growing and changing! It may be boring to some, but I just want to remember the details... and its much easier to type! :) May 28-29 is a time I will never forget... My life changed forever in the most beautiful way!
I must start out with Thursday, May 27, Ray and I celebrated our 11 month anniversary. I had extra energy that day (should have know that was probably "nesting"). I cleaned the house and prepared a nice candlelight dinner for us. It was such a sweet evening... we laughed and talked and just enjoyed each others company (not knowing this would be our last night as 2!)
The next morning I woke up bright and early at 6 am and took a bath. I awoke feeling great. I layed back down in bed... Ray and I were talking (well, I was talking and Ray was trying to sleep... hehe) and I heard and felt a "pop". I was thinking, that was weird... and suddenly I felt a painful contraction. I tried to calm my mind... all I could think about was being that "first time mom" showing up at the doctors office and finding out I had peed on myself or something. So, I was actually rather calm the whole morning. Ray only had to work for 2 hours that morning, so I just cleaned up and tried to rest. I was having all the typical symptoms of going into labor... which I won't go into all that. :) My contractions were painful, but still very irregular... but I had been having gushes of water all morning. Finally I decided that it just might actually be my water breaking, so I called the doctor. They told me to come on in... so Ray and I packed the car (hoping that we didn't forget anything major) and headed to the doctors. His family was already aware that we were headed to the doctor. We called my parents on the way just to prepare them in case we ended up at the hospital. My mom was pretty certain that my water had broken, so they packed the car and started on their way here. On the way into the doctor my water completely broke and was confirmed in the office. They said I was 2 cm dilated, 90% effaced, and the baby's head was low! So they told us, "you guys are gonna have a baby today." It was all very surreal... totally excited and totally unprepared mentally (seeming that I was only 36 weeks and 6 days). Thankfully, most of the baby's things were ready and set up at home.
So, we settled into our room... still have irregular contractions... the midwife asked if we wanted to walk and try to get me into stronger labor. So we walked, and walked, and I was only at 2 cm when we got back. bummer! The contractions were definitely getting stronger, but it was so hard to get comfortable at the hospital :( After my antibiotic finished infusing, I got in the shower on the birthing ball (which felt amazing in comparison to being in a hard chair in the room). I was in the shower for as long as they would let me... Ray was a champ... getting soaked with water from the shower and talking me through each contraction. I think I about squeezed his hand off. I got settled back in bed (they made me get in bed to be monitored for a few minutes) but the contractions were getting harder but I was still not dilating. :( At 7 pm they started Pitocin... BOOO!! The contractions were getting harder and harder and I was miserable.
My family finally arrived. I couldn't even talk to them when they poked their heads into the room to say hi. My mom and Ray stayed with me through the contractions until the anesthesiologist finally arrived at 8 pm with my epidural! THANK YOU LORD!!! :) It hurt so bad having contractions and getting a needle in you back... but the result was amazing! I had an awesome anesthesiologist! I asked them to try to give the smallest amount possible to start off.. Ultimately the epidural took the horrible pain away so that I could focus on getting the baby out. I could still feel pressure and could move my legs (weakly). The midwife said that she would be back around midnight to check me... well, thankfully my nurse checked me and I was already 7 cm. Things were finally progressing. Checked me again 10 minutes later and I was 9 cm! I had a very sweet nurse and my favorite midwife working with me! And, my main doctor was on call. I was very thankful for that!
I started noticing my nurse kept coming into the room and watching the monitor... Then, the midwife came in and said, lets start pushing. I pushed a few times, the baby's head was low but the heart continued to drop with each contraction. The midwife said that we needed to quickly get me up on my hands and knees to push... thankfully, my strong hubby helped get me up. I was starting the "shakes" really bad, so they felt I needed some oxygen. I was annoyed to have a face mask of oxygen on, but I just had to remember that it was for the baby too. So, at 9:45 pm the pushing started and lasted what seemed life forever.... Ray, was at the head of the bed encouraging me with each push! He was my rock... and there is no one else in the world I would have rather had next to me in that moment.
Finally, after pushing for almost 2 hours, the midwife decided that we need to get the baby out now. His heart rate kept dropping and they were uncertain if it was the cord, etc. So, they called my doctor in and she had to use the vacuum for the last 2 pushes... The scariest part was hearing my precious boy's heart rate drop to barely nothing with the contractions, so as much as I was upset about them using the vacuum I knew that we needed to get him out. It only took 2 little pushes and then it was that moment that you dream about for 9 months... the moment where they put your baby in your arms... the baby that has done everything with you for 9 months... all the anxieties I had about everything seemed to fade as they placed him in my arms... I counted the little fingers and toes, saw the beautiful eyes looking straight at mine, as if he really did know I was his mom, noted his perfect features in my arms... all I could think was, Thank you Jesus! They grabbed him after a few minutes to make sure that he was good... and let me just say, my boy's apgar score was 9 and 9! Yeah! :) I guess its because I'm a nurse... hehe.. They wanted to rush him to the nursery, but I begged them to let him stay just for a little bit... at least long enough to meet Grammy and GG! They let him stay :) Both grandmas were so excited... I later learned that they had listened outside my door during my pushing! I am so thankful for the sweet moms the Lord placed in my life! Ray kissed me and headed off with the baby. I laid there getting stitched up... my heart felt empty with my little guy. He has been with me for 9 months. I was so relieved when they gave him back to me and let me breast-feed him... which he was a champ at from the start!
So, yeah, thats all the little details that I can think of for now. But I must say that it was one of the best days of my life. :) Oh, and Barrett was born on his grandpa Barrett's birthday! So special!
Thank you Lord for our beautiful little boy. Thank you for your sovereign love and care for us the past 9 months. Thank you for the grace that you have already begun to lavish on us in these first few weeks as parents! Thank you that you are with us... Our hearts are forever grateful to you, our Savior!
