One Year Ago Today

I was admitted into Labor and Delivery and anxiously awaiting for tomorrow to come. They gave me Cervadil around 8pm, to help thin out my cervix. I was 39 weeks and 1 day and I was HUGE! I had polyhydramnios and I was induced because my doctor said it would be best if my water broke in a "controlled" environment - it was going to be a gusher!

The parents-to-be anxiously waiting to go to the hospital.

The next morning my doctor took the cervadil ribbon out and said I was 1 cm dilated and my cervix was thinned out. She suggested I shower and then she'd be back in an hour to start the pitocin. I showered and as my sister was in the bathroom talking to me as I toweled off - the flood gates opened!!! I hopped on the toilet quickly, screamed for help, still releasing amniotic fluid. And, then decided to make a run for it to the bed... leaving a trail of amniotic fluid for the nurse to clean up. Hopped in bed and still it wouldn't stop!!! Now, this is where I think Audrey got in the position that she was in... The fluid came out of me so quickly that it pulled her down into my cervix face first.

Once I was in bed, the contractions hit me hard!! Now, I thought I was going to be prepared for that type of pain but I discovered something about myself that day... I'm a wimp!! I think I went through 3 contractions and then requested my pain-go-away medicine. During my pregnancy, I started to show at around 4 1/2 months and I started having braxton hicks contractions. At around 6 months they were pretty much every 30 minutes and I would call the doctor on a weekly basis (almost) asking her if this is normal. Audrey wasn't much of a mover or a shaker while she was in my tummy (she had a lot of fluid to wade in) but whenever I'd have a BH contraction she would thump me a little.

My pregnancy was very different than other women, I never got a kick to the rib, a jab to my bladder - she just floated peacefully. And, my feet would swell up so bad they'd be the size of thighs. I waddled more when my feet and cankles were the size of tree trunks because I lost the ability to move my ankles and knees.

I slept the entire day on May 12, 2008 to prepare for the big push. My doctor came in around 2:30 pm to check on me and discovered Audrey was face presentation. She worked on her a couple of times to try to get her to tuck her chin under - Thank God I decided on an epidural - this probably would have been a little more than uncomfortable for me... I was dilated to a 7 (and I dilated every hour prior to 7). At about 4:15, she came in again to check to see where I was, but I was stuck and Audrey was starting to become a littles stressed in her environment. That's when we discussed a Cesarean. It was the best decision for our situation, it wasn't my first choice, but it was the right choice. Entering the world face first isn't an easy task, this banged her up pretty badly and our doctor warned us she was going to swollen and bruised.

She came into this world at exactly 5:12pm on 5/12/2008 - her timing was impecable!! And, that's when she sent my world a whirling and completely swept me away.

Audrey sweeping Mommy away into motherhood.

Tomorrow, I will post her 1 year pics in her birthday outfit!! you're in for a treat!