The Third Time's the Charm

Ahh, this one... our surprise. After nearly a solid two months of feeling like junk, and my doctor scratching his head when his tests came back normal, I finally took a pregnancy test because I had one left over for whatever reason. Knowing that we "didn't get pregnant without intervention" and "had no medical need for birth control" we hadn't rushed to get back on the pill after the girls were born. We were waiting to see how the endometriosis would play out to see if I would end up going back on it or not since we weren't using it for actual birth control in the first place. Let me just say this: I had been pumping for several months and had one very sketchy i-wouldn't-even-call-it-a-period period since giving birth. And the test came back positive. Steve was outside and I pounded on the window and slammed the test up to the window and made him come over to see it. Well crap. How in the world does that even happen? (yes, folks, I get the birds and the bees. My birds and bees aren't supposed to work that way!)
It gets better. I called my OB the next day to let him know I had taken the test. The nurse said not to worry, that there was no way I could be more than 5 or 6 weeks since I just thought to take a test. I said, well, I haven't had a period in months having just had a baby, etc. She went to speak with my doctor and called me back and they got me in the next day instead of at the end of the month. Well duh. We went in to this appointment and I was expecting to see the little peanut on the screen, but I suppose I knew better. There she was, fully formed - 12.5wks already. OOPS! I had just missed my entire first trimester. A bit further and I could have been on the "I didn't know I was pregnant" show. Just a week later and they could tell us that we were having another girl! We were just in panic mode the entire time. A state of constant shock. At this point we were still taking Eden to frequent doctor visits herself and I was barely back to work. Pretty funny stuff God! ;) (side note - the actual due dates were 10 months apart!)
This pregnancy was pretty smooth though. We were monitored like a freak show again, of course, so we got all kinds of pictures and of course I got shots every week in the bum to prevent preterm labor. Because of the classical/transverse cut (the up and down cut) on the uterus prior, they would not let me go past 36 weeks in this pregnancy, so we had a c-section scheduled for 36 weeks. I actually ended up in the hospital at 34w4d with contractions and when they didn't slow down and nothing changed by the time we got to 35weeks, they decided she was ready to come. They couldn't send me home in that condition, and she was eager to come out it appeared. They also couldn't keep NOT feeding me "just in case!". BOO! so lets just do this already!
Prior to this, My OB had arranged a consultation between me and the anesthesiologist who would be working with the team during the procedure (since it was scheduled, he knew who was on call). I walked him through the horror story of Josiah's birth and the repeated pokes by the student, and then having to be put under with the twins, and I said I needed some options so this would not happen again. We talked through a whole list of things that he could do so that being put under would only happen if there was an emergency - but there were so many other things to try first, I knew that wouldn't happen. And he assured me there would be no students allowed. Its a teaching hospital, but you can request that there not be a student, and I didn't know that the first time around. I felt SO much better! And he did a total exam of my spine and made all kinds of notes so he knew going into it what he would need to be looking for too. Peace!! Even better - he happened to be on even though we went a week earlier than planned :)
So the whole team came into our room to talk with us before the operation. It was a Saturday night - very slow on the floor. This is a group of people that I have known for a few years - isn't that weird? I could name them for you, but it wouldn't mean anything to you, I suppose. They know me on a first name basis - they were students when I started, now they have moved on to being fellows or chief residents or whatever, and then the actual staff physicians, they all know me personally. I love that feeling! And here we were all just chatting and laughing so comfortably around the hospital bed talking about the procedure before they prepped me and took me down. One last time making sure I knew what was going to happen. Tubes being tied? Check! Spinal? Check! Give me the warm blankets and I'm set! What an amazing difference from the previous experiences I'd had.
The OR was the same atmosphere. The spinal went in on the FIRST TRY. I don't remember any pain at all. I'm sure it hurt, but I blocked it out or something. It took instantly! Praise God for that. They laid me down and the laughs began. Seriously, this was just the best time you could imagine being had in an OR. Probably people have had better, but it was great. Maybe that was after the baby was out and the important stuff was over, probably, now that I think about it..

Delia Grace 8.28.2010 

Steve checking the measurements

We decided on her name just shortly before being wheeled down. We tossed around so many names and finally this came out of left field - Delia Grace. But by the Grace of God! She came into this world 5 weeks early weighing in at a hefty 6 pounds, 11 ounces!!! 19 inches long... and the best part?? Breathing all on her own! I keep telling my doctor he may have been off on those dates, but he is certain he wasn't - she is just that big. (And I suppose if you look at her now, he's probably right). She was chubby and beautifully red when I kissed her. Steve immediately left my side and went to love on her and snap pictures and I got the amazing nurses to cover me with the warm blankets and make me laugh while the tubes were tied. I think she asked me at least 5 times before she went and actually tied them. It was just a bunch of girls left in the OR and it was maybe the drugs or maybe it was just being giddy about never being pregnant again? but I remember it being fun... strange.
The best part about that night was that because because she was doing so well, they let me snuggle with her in the recovery room for over an hour before she had to go up to the level 2 nursery for the night. She had these amazing cheeks, even then, you just wanted to squeeze them.  She was trying so hard to open her eyes and stare but she was so sleepy - you could see her fighting it.  And such a relief after my most recent experience - having the spinal this time - I had pain meds flowing through me and I could just enjoy her! LOVED this time with her!

Snuggling with my fresh babe

From there, she spent 10 days in the nursery because she was a pretty lazy eater.... it was rather frustrating just because she was a full sized baby and it was so hard to fathom why on earth she wasn't walking out the door with us! But she eventually got her act together and clearly got the eating thing figured out ;)
The moral of the story? You live and learn I suppose. But perhaps even more so, you really must learn that life doesn't always work out the way you want it to. There are so many things that we don't end up having control over - the way our kids come into this world might end up being one of them, and HA - our child spacing just might end up being another! For my second delivery, I didn't have the opportunity to have input or make any choices - it was an emergency situation and those choices get made for you by people that you just have to trust at the time. I'm glad that I didn't fight that, as stubborn as I am. But for my third delivery - I'm glad that I did ask questions and get certain things done differently. It was a much more peaceful experience than the first go-round, and I wish I would have known what questions to ask going in to the first one.

PS - I feel a bit guilty that Delia doesn't have a lengthy story.... but I suppose its a good thing that hers isn't as drama-filled as the previous one was, right? This one was really smooth sailing. We literally got through the pregnancy in shell shock and then the delivery was a dream. She has, however, made sure that she has a voice amidst the chaos of our family ;)