Tinley's Birth Story

Ah little miss Tinley.
She's bringing in the drama already.

born: 3/26/14  //  weight: 7lbs 1oz  // height: 19in

We are so happy to have her in our lives,

and can't believe how much we love her already.

Our little family of three is now a little family of four.

Week 38.

This is the week I had Bronx,

and throughout this whole pregnancy I guess I just expected to have her on the same time table too.

However,

as this week approached and Monday hit,

the less I felt I was going to have a baby at the end of it (bahaha, and here i sit now! crazy).

I didn't feel ready mentally or physically.

Even Kevin kept saying:

"I don't think you'll have her next/this week..."

So Monday:

It was beautiful outside (finally! it has been super windy for the past few weeks),

so we got out and I started jogging...er, waddling...fast.

haha.

But even after that (a little under a mile on our track out back),

I didn't have one painful contraction.

I told myself then that I bet I wouldn't have this baby until like week 41.

Tuesday:

Bronx and I were cuddling in the rocker chair watching Wreck It Ralph,

when I started to have some uncomfortable pain.

Those little cramps.

I thought they were Braxton hick's and tried to reposition myself,

but they didn't go away.

I continued to watch the movie and they seemed to slow down.

Then Bronx went down for his nap,

and I started working on some blog designs.

The cramping continued until I would have to pause what I was doing and wait it out.

I still didn't believe I was in "true" labor at this point.

I guess I just thought these mini contractions would go away. (hah!)

They didn't.

Finally one was so strong that I decided I better go take a shower and pack Bronx's bag...just in case.
Luckily I had packed my hospital bag the day before!

They were getting worse and closer together now.

I tried to get ready after my shower,

but had to ditch that idea and just throw my hair in a ponytail.

dangit.

I heard Bronx wake up and went to get him,

found out he had leaked through his diaper/jeans,

so i threw him in the bath.

I quickly (well, as fast as my "breaks" would let me) scrubbed him down and rinsed him off.

Going back downstairs I had to stop 3 times for contractions,

and Bronx was looking at me like "what is wrong with you mom?".

I had been texting Kevin off and on when all this started,

and here's what some of the conversation looked like:

I wanted to strangle him when he asked if I could have the car seat ready.

I JUST THREW UP BABE, and THESE CONTRACTIONS ARE DROPPING ME. 

But obviously looking back now,

it's funny.

And yeah,

talking about throwing up...that's when I accepted that this was the real deal,

and that I was indeed going to have a baby within 24 hours!

But my doctor's day off is today! the ONE day I didn't want to go into labor was a Tuesday!

Noooooo.
My water hadn't broken (same as with Bronx).

Kevin made it home (it's only like a 15 minute drive to his work),

he loaded everything up,

we dropped Bronx off at my R.S. president's house (who luckily, has the daughter of the only babysitter Bronx has ever known),

and we flew down the road to the hospital.

The car ride went way faster than I thought,

and my contractions didn't make me throw up,

even though I was holding a garbage bag up to my face the entire time.

I remember looking at the clock and it was 6:15pm.

They took us back and had me checked.

I was at a 5/6!

woohoo!

(i was at a 4 when i checked in with Bronx)

We went across the hall to a labor and deliver room and the nurses started prepping me.

Kevin would like me to state here that:
I kind of become a beast/maybe get a little raunchy at this point in my labor.

All I want is the epidural,

and I want it NOW.

Obviously I don't do pain.

I don't know how women "think" through it or whatever they do,

because all I know is that I throw up and want to die each time a contraction hits.

So yeah,

I asked/stated/made it clear about a zillion times that I wanted that dang epidural,

and I wanted it fast...preferably NOW!

Kevin at this point was so embarrassed of me and my behavior that he started apologizing to all the nurses for me,

and told them that I was just like this during baby #1.

That made me like him real lots.

Oh,

and he even started laughing.

sidenote:

I would pay good money to see my husband go through labor.

Good money peeps....just saying.

Then we'll see who's laughing...

Anyways,

so they finally got the proper IVs hooked to me (cuz i had a positive strep B test),

and got that blessed epidural in my back.

Everything was hunky dory then,

and I could finally "relax".

The first thing I thought was:

She still doesn't have a name, or socks, or a beanie!

I still absolutely loved the name Tenley,

but Kevin hated that spelling/pronunciation.

I didn't hate Tinley,

I just loved Tenley better.

So Kevin and I went back and forth and googled a zillion more girl names.

We narrowed it down to:

Pheonix, Paisley, Tayvri, Tinley.

Then got it down to Paisley and Tinley.

We kinda just chilled for a bit then some nurses came in to check where I was at.
She checked then whispered frantically and said:
"Uh, that's not a head, that's a hand. We are going to have to do an emergency c-cection on you!"
At that moment time seemed to stop and I kind of just stared at her and thought
huh? are you serious? this is not happening.
I was too stunned to speak and just stared as 10 other nurses seemed to fill up the room all hustling about getting/doing who knows what.
I remember looking over at Kevin and we both gave that "what the heck, is this happening right now?" type of look.
Finally the doctor came in and checked me then shook her head and said:
"nope, that's a head. we're good."
And that was that.
As quickly as they appeared all those nurses vanished and my nerves settled back down.
Honestly,
I didn't believe she could be breech so I hadn't gotten too worked up over the whole thing.
hah. (oh, and the had broken my water during that whole ordeal)

We hung out a little longer,
thought about some more names,
and Kevin went to grab some dinner.

He also took a nap.
I tried but never can.
I think because I'm too excited?

Around 11pm my nurse came in and checked me.
I was at a 9.
She came in at 11:30 and I was at a 10 and started pushing.
I pushed off and on until 12:51 when she was born.
This time went SO much smoother than when I pushed for 2 hours with Bronx.
It wasn't even bad! (haha, i say that now...)
Nothing hurt and all of a sudden she was here!
They threw her on me,
and she looked scary purple so they whisked her away for clean up and to get her breathing.

She was having a REALLY hard time breathing,
so they kept her by us in that room for another hour to see if it got better.
She didn't (she would start breathing super fast and her heart rate was out of control),
so they took her down to the NICU and I went up to the Mother & Baby unit...without my baby.
boo.

It was about 3am now so I told Kevin to go home and sleep,
because I knew he wouldn't be able to at the hospital with me :)

(proof i looked preeeetty nappy after labor)

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday:
These next couple days were not the greatest.
All of this was so different and unexpected than Bronx's birth.
The actual labor part went faster to me,
and didn't hurt as much.
However the dang cramps after were killer and i think it's totally unfair that they just hurt more after each child.
Shouldn't everything get easier??!
With Bronx I got up and walked around and showered right after,
he hung out with me in my room, and this time they wouldn't let me get up.
And obviously Tinley was down in the NICU.

I tried to get some sleep after Kevin left,
but really only would sleep like 1-1 and 1/2 hours at a time because of all the nurses checking on me.
All day Wednesday I would go down to spend time with Tinley,
feed her,
cuddle her,
get info from the nurses,
then go back upstairs to sleep for an hour.
Oh and I ate.
(i love how great food and water taste after labor!)

WHAT WAS WRONG? // WHY WAS SHE IN THE NICU?
So right when she got to the NICU,
the docs did an x-ray on her and found out that her lungs were filled with lots of gunk and fluids (what we all guessed).
She was put on oxygen and by Wednesday at 3 she was doing great and breathing on her own.
But then a lab test came back indicating a huge inflammation of some sort,
which meant that there could be an infection inside her sweet little body.

So they started her on antibiotics,
and she needed to remain another 24-48hours until they got the new results back.
I was so sad and scared for her and honestly depressed that I was at the hospital all alone.
Kevin had picked up Bronx Wednesday morning,
and those two had been hanging out since then.
(no kids under the age of 14 were allowed in the mother/baby/NICU units because of flu season)
So I had been by myself and was so overwhelmed with all of this,
missing Bronx,
and just wanting to go home to sleep.
I chose to check out Thursday at 4,
went home (don't worry-Kevin picked me up),
showered and my family arrived (yay!),
then we headed back to the hospital at 7.
Kevin and my dad gave her a blessing,
and I was told to call in at 8am the next morning (Friday) to find out the new lab results regarding the infection.

Friday morning I called in and was given the greatest news:
she can come home!!!
We were so happy and relieved.
Driving home without her on Thursday was definitely a depressing feeling,
and it didn't seem real.
Like, didn't I just have a baby?! 
I want her here with me right now!
I know our experience with having a baby in the NICU is actually really mild compared to some of our friend's experiences there,
but I definitely gained a greater appreciation for my sweet little baby because of it.
My heart goes out to those mommy's who spend weeks and months there dealing with much scarier situations.

(WISH i had a better shot than this!)

Of course we were SO excited to have Bronx meet his little sister.

Here's a clip Kevin got of it:

 We love her so much!