Isaac's Birth Story

On Monday November 14th we had our very last doctor's appointment at 39 weeks and 4 days. Isaac was still not here but I was 3-4 centimeters dilated and 75-80% effaced. We scheduled an induction for the following Monday, November 21st at 5:00am. All that week we were on pins and needle knowing that Isaac could come any day. At first I was convinced that he would come before the next Monday and we would not need to be induced but as we inched toward the end of the week, I knew that Monday would probably be the day. I was still off work all that week and Noah was busily preparing schoolwork in advance knowing he would be taking the next two weeks off. On Isaac's due date on November 17th we went with Mom to Decatur to watch her direct the Decatur All-City Honor Choir. We were glad Isaac held off just a little bit longer to go and see the concert. On Sunday we went to church as normal knowing we were just 24 hours away from having our baby. Noah's family came into town that Saturday for Thanksgiving holiday and we spent several hours with them at Mrs. McQueen's house that Sunday.

On Monday November 21st I hadn't slept much the previous night. We went to bed at about midnight after making sure we had all the last minute items put away in our hospital bags. I woke up that morning at about 1:30am with some pretty intense pain and I was scared that I was going to go into labor after I had been counting on our induction. They pain went away after drinking some juice though and I feel back asleep. At 4:00am that morning the alarms went off and we woke up. We showered, dressed, took one last photograph and headed out the door.

We arrived at the hospital just about ten minutes after 5:00am. There was one couple already in the waiting room and one woman signing in at the hospital desk ahead of us. We went to the other side of the desk and signed in, filled out the forms, and paid our hospital co-pay. We went back into the waiting room and more and more couples began coming in and signing in. I noticed that everyone else had packed some pretty massive hospital bags and my little green and white bag was very small in comparison. There was an animated owl movie playing on the television. I had brought a tall glass of juice into the hospital with me and I sipped on that as we waited to be called back. Two other women were called back before we were and the waiting room was getting very, very crowded. Then my name was called. Noah was told to wait there and she would come and get him soon.

As the nurse lead me back to the labor and delivery room, she told me congratulations because I was getting the very last labor and delivery room. She said that everyone was scheduled for an induction that day and she didn't know where they were going to put everyone else. I felt so extremely blessed that Noah and I had arrived when we had and not a second later! When we entered the room, I went back to the bathroom and changed into the hospital gown and got in bed. She asked tons and tons of questions and typed them into the computer. She also did a check and I was the same as I had been last Monday on November 14th. Noah came on back and we waited.

We were in the labor and delivery room at about 5:30am and by about 6:00am we were by ourselves and we turned on the television to find the news. Mom and Emily arrived not too much later and we all watched the news and then Good Morning America. Mom left to go to an assembly at about 7:00am.

They had me on a pitocin drip and the paid was really not very bad. The doctor came in at about 8:30am and did a check and broke my water. They increased the pitocin drip to where I received a full bag at a very quick rate. At this point I wasn't in too much pain and didn't want to ask for the epidural too early but I went ahead and asked for it then just to be safe. It was a good thing I did because after this, everything happened so fast. I went from feeling fine to feeling horrible very quickly. We were waiting on the anatheseologist and everything felt very chaotic. The pitocin made the contractions very painful and my arm very cold. When the anetheseolist arrived I was ready for the epidural and wasn't even scared anymore. They told me I would feel pressure or a prick or a bee sting here and there but I didn't care, none of the needle pricks or pressure was nearly as bad as the contraction pain. It didn't take too long for the epidural to start making me feel better and my legs quickly became very numb. My right leg reacted much more strongly to the epidural than my left leg and I could not move my right leg at all.

Everything calmed down after that. Emily and Mom came back in. We watched The View on the television and I was feeling much better. Not long after that Patti and Gwin arrived. We were all talking and I started feeling bad again. I was feeling an increasing amount of pain on my left side. The nurse came back in and everyone left so she could do another check. While she was checking, she told me I was 100% effaced and was ready to push. She called back the doctor and on the next contractions she told me to push three times. She had turned on the baby warmer and all I could think is that if she had done that there would be a baby to put in there soon.

It was quite a shock to the system. I didn't know we were that far along and I wasn't mentally ready for the delivery yet. I hadn't expected it to happen that fast. The whole morning had passed in a blur. I had read so much about how you should bring books, movies, ipods, and such to pass the long hours of delivery but hours felt like minutes to me that morning.

As I was pushing, she became concerned because the baby's heart rate was dropping when I pushed. The doctor came back and checked over everything and because his heart rate was dropping when I was pushing, they wanted him our as quickly as possible. At first I was worried they would give me a c-section and I felt bad because we had come so far and were soo close. They could already see his head and told me he had a full head of hair but they didn't want a c-secion. The doctor got out the vacuum to use. I pushed a few more times and then he was here.

David Isaac Hoppe-McQueen was born at 11:55am. He weighed 8 pounds and 2 ounces. He was 20.5 inches long.

As soon as he was out, they put a blanket on my chest and gave him to me. I would like to say it was an overwhelming feeling, but honestly I was so dazed, I didn't feel anything at all except extreme chaos and confusion. Noah was deliriously happy and Isaac was screaming so loudly (which he hasn't done again yet).

Noah and the nurses took him over to the baby warmer to clean him up and measure him. The doctor continued to work on me and deliver the after birth and give me my stitches. Because they wanted him out so quickly, they gave me an episiotomy.

They put a hat on his head and wrapped him in a blanket and the doctor and nurses left. Mom, Emily, Rush, Patti, and Gwin came back in and everyone took turns holding him. Mom needed to leave to go back to school and the rest of us waited in the delivery room for an additional hour before it was time to head up to the well baby floor.

Noah had to help the nurse put me in the wheel chair because I still could not move my right leg after the epidural. After I got situated in the wheel chair, they handed Isaac back to me and the nurse wheeled us up the the well-baby floor. When I got into my room, they took Isaac to the nursery with Noah to receive his first bath. When they brought him back, he had on a diaper, a shirt, and a hat, and was wrapped in a blanket.

The first two weeks of Isaac's life were very overwhelming but he was an absolutely wonderful baby. I am so thankful for such a supportive family who love Isaac so much and for Noah who is the absolute best husband and father. He took very good care of us!

November Update No. 3 Definite Finish Line Date Set

Today on November 14th we had a doctor's appointment. I am 39 weeks and four days pregnant. Baby's heart rate was 144 beats per minute and everything with me was good as well. Baby's head is down and low still ready to go. Last week I was 1 centimeter dilated, this week we were almost four centimeters dilated!! Good progress! We are also about 75-80% effaced, so we're really ready to go. The doctor said the baby is ready to drop on out and could come at anytime now, any day, even tonight maybe.

Even though the chances are very good, he'll come this week, instead of scheduling an appointment for next Monday November 21st (ha ha) we have scheduled an inducement. We didn't even have to ask, the doctor just recommended this for us because we will be four days past his due date and he doesn't want us to go too much over that. He also said that because I was so effaced, inducement is a good option because it greatly lessons our chance of a c-section.

So...should Isaac not come sometime this week (which we're still hoping he will) come 5:00am Monday morning November 21st we will show up at Women's and Children's hospital and have a baby!!! Maybe Isaac and I will share a birthday, it's still anyone's guess as to whether I'll be a mother at age 26 or 27 but we DEFINITELY know that Isaac will be celebrating his first Thanksgiving in 2011!!!!!

Since I stopped working last Wednesday, I have been walking, walking, walking. Last Wednesday I walked around the mall for about an hour and then on Thursday I took Ein on a forty-five minute walk around the neighborhood. Friday and Saturday I only did some light walking around the mall and such though. On Sunday, Noah and I took Ein and Gustav to the creek walkway behind the Target center. Today I did twenty minutes on the elliptical and forty-five minutes at the mall. So my goal is to keep it up and keep on walking, walking, walking!

39 Weeks and 4 Days

November Update No. 2

November 4th began Under the Christmas Day which was an incredibly, incredibly long day but a good one. All the bands and choirs performed and did very well. I think I made three or four trips to the VBC and back and literally had a one hour long break between 7:30am and 9:30pm when the First Baptist Crafts and Conversations night ended. I was pretty much beat by crafts and conversations but I managed to make my fabric Christmas ball ornament and it looks alright, I'm excited about the prospect of making more. We went back to UTCT on November 5th and the children's chorale sang and did very well. Noah and I finished decorating our own Christmas Tree and our house for the Christmas holidays. The nursery is complete. The living room is clean. The kitchen could use just a little bit more clearing out and our bedroom isn't perfect but things are reasonably in order.

On November 6th our Lifepoint Sunday School class gave us a baby shower after church. We had a lot of fun with everyone and were once again overwhelmed at everyone's generosity. I think we are as set as we can be.

I had a doctor's appointment on November 7th. No new news really. About one centimeter dilated which is new but not much at all, still very soft but I've been really soft for three weeks now but the doctor said that's a good thing, it should make the actual labor process easier. My next appointment was scheduled for Monday November 14th but like last week, he said they'd cancel it if I delivered before then.

Friday November 4th was my last official day of teaching but I still went in on Monday and Tuesday November 7th and 8th. I am now on maternity leave and just waiting to have a baby. I've planned and organized for school as much as I can and now it is just time to let it go. Since I'm now no longer working as of today, my goal will be to walk, walk, walk (oh and write all of those thank you cards before baby gets here). Last night Noah, Ein, Gustav and I took a pretty long and brisk walk and I'll go to the mall today to walk since it should be raining (hoping the barometric change will also help get this labor started). It would be really super nice if Isaac would come this week instead of next week, but I know you can't force these things to happen. Noah's family begins coming into town at the end of next week and I know everyone is expecting to meet a baby. Here's hoping there's a baby for them to meet.

I had crazy labor and baby dreams last night. I can't really remember most of it, I know there was a lot in there about getting baby to eat. One thing I do remember vividly is that I kept carrying the baby around with me and then putting him down, walking away, and forgetting where I had left him and then having to search all over for him like one does with their car keys or sunglasses. (or is that just me?) oops.

November Update No. 1

On October 28th Noah and I celebrated Halloween! Noah dressed up as the latest Doctor from Doctor Who and I had a cute little pumpkin t-shirt. I don't think my belly was quite round and big enough to truly pull it off though. My thighs have actually gotten much bigger than my belly has. :( Noah carved the tardis into a pumpkin at church that night after school. On October 29th we went to Tate's Farm with my family. It was really nice. It was the first time I had been during the day and the weather was perfect. We can't wait to take Isaac back next year!

On October 30th we had a First Baptist Baby Shower. It was a lot of fun. Everything looked so cute and once again everyone was so extremely generous and baby Isaac received lots of wonderful new things! We are very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. We are busily organizing everything in his nursery and putting everything away so it will be ready for him.

On October 31st I had another doctor's appointment and this one was back with my actual doctor. Yay! Still no real progress but baby is definitely head down and very low. We are now to the point that Isaac could be born any day and still be healthy. The doctor said he is probably right on schedule for weight so about 6.5 pounds give or take. The examination was pretty painful and that night we had a pretty big scare. I knew that you could spot after an examination but when I got home after children's chorale that night I was bleeding. We called the emergency line at the doctor's office and the nurse said that bleeding was pretty common and that it should die down and go away in about 24 hours. It was reassuring that everything was ok and the bleeding did stop after 24 hours. We have another appointment scheduled for Monday November 7th but the doctor said they would cancel the appointment if we delivered before then. ;)

On Wednesday November 2nd I went to the hospital and had the car seat professionally installed. Honestly, there was nothing to it but we now have our car seat in our car and ready to go. I've packed Isaac's diaper bag with some cute onsies and blankets to take to the hospital and my bag is ready to go as well.

My sub plans for school are all ready to go. My desk is filled with stacks of books, binders, and papers all labeled with sticky notes. I've left my planner and grade book at school so that anytime they are ready to go. I'm not going to worry any more about school because I have been really thorough and detailed and that's all I can do.

Under the Christmas Tree begins tomorrow and Noah and I have already started decorating our house for Christmas. We have put away all our fall and Halloween decorations. It's disconcerting to have everything out in our living room right now because it had been so neat and tidy but once we get our tree put together and decorated things will be neat and tidy once again. We figured we wouldn't have time to decorate once Isaac was actually here so we will just celebrate Christmas for two months this year! Hopefully by this weekend everything will be spic and span once again.

36 Weeks



37 Weeks


38 Weeks

Halloween!

Baby Shower