A Proper Introduction (FINALLY)

Let's not waste your time by telling you how busy we have been what with the house, and the one car for two people, and the cleaning up of taxes, and the no computer access, and juggling one income between nearly 3 people and their pets, and the having of a baby and all. You know, typical stuff. Just yer run o' the mill taking out the garbage and tending to the EVERY need of an infant who doesn't speak a lick of human. Oh, did I forget to introduce you? Pardon me!

Week 38
How am I doing? Oh, I'm feeling alright. Hot, bored, and a tad uncomfortable. Anxious? Nah, I wouldn't say anxious. Why? Do I look anxious? Well? Tell me! Am I coming off as a bit "on edge"?


Week 39
Us? Just waitin' and sittin'. Getting a bit over it now. Want to meet the baby. Now. Or now would be nice. Would also like to stop compulsively cleaning. I actually took q-tips to the refrigerator. Once the house was immaculate, I shined Curtis up like a new penny. You could eat soup out of his ears. But please don't because then I'll have to stay up all night to clean them again and then help you brush and floss your teeth. And clean your bedroom. And car. And attic. Nesting is weird.


Week 40
Official due date: July 22, 2009. Status: No baby. Some contractions throughout the week but nothing too consistent. We start tracking them at our last dinner out as "just us" at the Rivers' Edge. Dustin gave me at beautiful sterling silver bracelet with the word "Breathe" inscribed on it along with our induction date of 7/23/09. It reminds me during labor (and now) that we are in control even if it doesn't feel that way.


As of midnight on the due date, it doesn't appear that the baby is coming. I admit that I was a bit disappointed because I despise being late for any event and because I wanted to get the show on the road already! With optimism and relief, we could go to bed knowing that, no matter what, tomorrow we were going to the hospital to be induced around 5 p.m.

The Parents-to-be

Last meal before we get to work. At this point I have a cervical catheter in and have a steady drip of pitocin which is pushing the contractions into a steady pace. There are monitors for both my and baby's heart beats as each contraction fades into the next.

This was sometime between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Friday July 24th. We had "rested" after the Grandmas-to-be left around 10 p.m. the night before only to be awaken with a huge start. I had officially moved from light labor (read: notable contractions that I could still talk through and catch a little bit of sleep) to what I call "Pause, grip, and stare" labor. Dustin was fantastic at keeping calm for me and for himself. Calm even when my catheter came out on it's own and fell on the floor or when my eyes rolled back in my head from the breath taking pains that would capture my body.

Around 6 a.m., it was clear that we were nearing the beginning of the end. I was still able to move around, pace, be held by Dustin, go to the restroom on my own, etc. but the pain was making all of that extremely difficult to do. I required constant reassurance from Dustin and couldn't grasp the level of pain and just how much higher it was going to get. Breathing techniques and different labor positions were only getting so much relief and I was sick with pain. The contractions were seemingly on top of each other and I was panicking. Our Doctor suggested a mild pain aid that would be dripped into the i.v. or an epidural. I cried at the thought of doing the latter and had so not wanted to use any drugs but my body was at a point of exhaustion and I felt like I wouldn't be effective pushing later if I didn't get a bit of help now. I opted for the temporary pain aid and was so grateful I did. I was able to fall asleep (or pass out rather depending on your terms of sleeping) between contractions after my waters were broken. The edge wasn't taken off by my standards as the more beefed up contractions made me actually writhe in pain. I did lose my cool and thrashed a bit and said desperate things like "Holy Shit" and "You've got to help me!" and "Why are they not any better?"
I wasn't sure the urge to push that every woman had told me about was EVER going to come. But when it did, it was undeniable and completely exhilarating. The nurse that had been helping us stepped out for a cup of coffee but was immediately screamed back in as that urge hit me like a sledge hammer. I had to wait through 3 full urges as the Doctor readied herself before I could finally push! And push I did. It was a terrifying new kind of pain that had burning involved but it was like a cool drink of water compared to the crazy shit I had been feeling up to this point. The burning and stretching sensations meant I was getting somewhere. I was accomplishing something. The baby was coming soon. Upon reviewing the birth video later, my mom and I were able to count 14 rounds of 3 pushes per round before that baby did actually arrive. Dustin and I were sure it had been less than that as our whole world swirled before us in this fantastic, life changing event. But it had been 14 hours of labor and 14 three-part pushes that brought us our very own BABY BOY!




Dustin cut the cord while I held our fresh new baby. To think this whole time that I'd been carrying a little boy around! We were just delighted. We ARE delighted. Alden Grey Hardin! Welcome to the family! Dustin went out to tell the news of "It's a BOY!" to the grandparents that had eagerly awaited (the grandmother's had spent the night in the waiting room)this very special moment. He told me later that everyone looked like puppies at a pet store... big, curious eyes, perky ears and wet noses all leaping up and over each other to hear the news.

Footprints


First Bath



First Day


Getting ready to go home



Snoozy Alden

Snoozy Mama Eddie

Snoozy Captain


Yes. We are that couple that saved their placenta in order to bury it with a tree in honor of their child. We chose an impressive Crimson King Oak tree and planted it in a barrel for now. Relax, we didn't save any of it to condition our hair with or anything.


Up close (our days in a nutshell)



Best. Angle. Ever.


So. There you have it.
We have a third member in our family.
His name is Alden and his is extraordinary.
Dustin's head did not explode during the delivery.
I do not have a bugina.
We are very proud of ourselves and have learned a lot about each other in these past 9 months. I can't wait to see what else Alden will teach us!