Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
9:45am: I had an appointment for another ultrasound to see how big Andrew was measuring. There was some concern that he was a big boy, so since I was 39 weeks, they wanted to look one more time to see what steps, if any, they should take. They estimated him to be about 7 pounds 14 ounces, so he was no longer on the large side...he seemed to be right on track. It was funny looking back on things to know that I saw him and got pictures of him that morning on the ultrasound and would meet him face to face later on in the afternoon. One funny picture in the ultrasound showed that he actually had his lips poked out in a pouty face. We would later learn that he enjoys making that face a lot!
11:20am: I had a follow up appointment with Dr. Nater for my 39 weeks. I was already 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced from week 27, so I was hoping for some change. When she checked me, I was overjoyed to find that I was 5 cm dilated and in labor! I immediately asked if she was going to send me to the hospital, and she said yes! I was really excited!!
12:00pm: I called Brian and family to tell them to get things together because it was time to head to the hospital. Brian was dropping the girls off at our friends Corrie and Brandon's house and then going to meet me at the hospital. My parents were driving over from Alabama and were going to pick up the girls from Corrie and Brandon's house. Since it was lunchtime, and I knew they were not going to let me eat, I ran downstairs and got a Chick-fil-a sandwich and a sweet tea in order to hold me over! Then I checked in upstairs to Labor and Delivery.
12:30pm: Brian joins the party and I get changed and hooked up to all the monitors and other equipment.
1:00pm: Dr. Slade comes in and checks me, which I was still 5 cm. She suggested that we get up and walk around for about an hour and see if that would get labor moving a little faster. So Brian and I made the rounds around on the floor to see if we could speed things along.
2:00pm: Checked again and still 5 cm. I was beginning to wonder how long this process was going to take. Dr. Slade decided it would be best to start the pitocin and get things moving along.
3:00pm: Started pitocin. I also got an epidural to go with the pitocin. I had had pitocin before and knew that it kicked my bottom the other two times, so I went ahead and opted for the epidural.
3:00-6:00pm: Brian and I waited around...not much was happening. At 4:00, the nurse checked me again and I was 6 cm. Not the progress I was hoping for, but I knew it was going to happen sometime in the near, hopefully not too distant future.
7:00pm: Dr. Slade came back to check me and broke my water. At this point, I was still only 6 cm and at a -2 station, which means baby is still really high up. She told me that with third children usually breaking the water really sped things up. After she broke my water, my parents brought the girls by to see Brian and I. They were pretty excited to be there, but wasn't too sure about the things I was hooked up to. While they were there, I started wondering if my epidural was working on both sides of my body. One side was completely numb, while the other side wasn't completely normal, but I could move my leg and feel pretty much everything that was going on. My nurse rotated me back and forth from side to side to try and get the epidural to even out. I really started feeling the contractions on the right side of my body. I was really nervous and wondered if it was going to feel like that when I was finally ready to push.
8:00pm: Brian's parents and Mary came by. At this point, I was really feeling the contractions and was not feeling to peachy. Around 8:45, Dr. Slade came in to check me again. I was fully dilated and ready to go. Apparently what I was feeling was Andrew moving down. It must have been like a slip and slide because she had only broken my water about an hour and a half before. Dr. Slade asked me to give a little push to see where he was and if I was able to push. Apparently, she saw what she needed to and asked me not to push and that she would get ready. When she was all geared up, she told me to give a big push, and out he came. Brian and I were so shocked!! None of the baby nurses were in there or anyone. I had told myself with this pregnancy, I was really going to pay attention and try to remember everything I could about the delivery. I didn't have much time to think about anything because before I knew it, he was laying on my chest. It was unbelievable!! I've added a few pictures from that day and also some that my sweet, sweet friend, Mary Faith took for me at the hospital.
Andrew Ryan Franklin was born on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 8:51pm.
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