What a week! Keifer is HERE!

What a week! Its been probably the most emotional week of our lives around here! Keifer Lynn arrived on Tuesday - a very healthy girl who was very stubborn in coming out of her mama!
I was one week overdue on Tuesday, so we had a scheduled induction set for that day. I was to go in on Monday night for my "cervical ripening", and Tuesday I was first on the books for my induction to start. As my previous posts indicate, we went in on Monday night, after getting our last belly and "family picture" with the furkids.

Well, CJ and I got our stuff unpacked, settled in, and we went through all our paperwork with the nurse. Then she did her cervical check, and realized that my body had already started contractions and labor on its own - I was already at a "3"dilation, and the doctor (OB) on call that night decided to send us back home, with instructions to come back in the early AM.

We arrived bright and early for our induction, and everything was started. I got hooked up to the Pitocen, and contractions immediately started getting more intense for me. Labor was going great - I had an epidural around 10:30 or so, and sped up to a up to a 5-6 in dilation. Then, at around 1 PM, the nurse checked me again, and realized I was at an 8, almost a 9 dilation. She asked how I was feeling and I told her I was feeling lots of pressure in my bowels. She said this was a good thing, as the baby was starting to bear down, and she guessed we'd be pushing and in active labor in about an hour or so. About 20 minutes later, I was dilated to a 9 and BAM: I stalled out. The pressure I had started to feel in my bowels turned into the most horrific pain in my whole back (I've never felt pain like that eve). Ironically, CJ had been the most awesome "coach" ever and was so supportive of me through all this. He decided to run out to the car and get himself a pop (soda), and ran into his parents in the lobby. He talked to them, told them we'd call when things got going, and came back up 20 minutes later, only to find me writhing in pain, throwing up, and completely miserable.

The nurse kept me moving from side to side - which was a chore because 1) I was numb from the epidural and it was almost impossible to move my legs, and 2) whenever I moved, I wanted or did throw up. If I even attempted to rest on my back for a split second, I was intensely SICK. Poor CJ- he didn't know what to think. Then the contractions started to become intense for me again, even though I had the epidural in. They upped my epidural, and I could STILL feel the contractions as if I didn't have any meds in my system at this point. CJ could feel the contractions in my back.

At this point, the nurse had realized I was stalling out at a 9 dilation, and things didn't change. I had the pleasure (not) of hearing the next -door-neighbor in labor - and for almost an HOUR she was screaming with obvious pain. I couldn't even move without throwing up, and had also started having the chills and shakes so bad, they had piled on heated blankets to no avail. I told CJ I didn't think if I even got to the point of pushing, I'd be able to do it. The screaming was making me unhinged, I was trembling uncontrollably, having contractions in my back that felt like I had no medications, and kept having to throw up. My labor that had started out a 'breeze' quickly turned into a stall -out of misery.

The doctor came in and also noticed that my blood pressure and Keifer's was going up and I also had a 101. something fever, and they were worried I was getting some type of infection--so a decision was made after me being stalled at the 9 for almost 3 hours (*!!!!*). We were heading into the OR for a Cesarean section. Not what I had hoped for, but at that point, I couldn't even open my eyes from the pain, and I just wanted this to be over with. They threw the scrubs at CJ to put on, and quickly wheeled us down to the next floor for the procedure.

The C-section was miserable getting into position for -I was in so much back pain that I kept apologizing for being so dramatic and crying. They had to lift me from my bed onto the operating table, and I knew I'd throw up if I moved, plus I had to lie flat on my back and that was next to impossible from the pain. So it was pure hell. I don't even know what they gave me to get me into position. CJ came in after they had started the procedure, and I told him to use our camera to video tape the whole thing. Now, I am one who cannot stand to watch shows or health type shows that show any type of medical procedure. However, I've watched the birth of Keifer via my belly, and it really isn't gross. What is intense and freaky to me is that:

1) The doctor had to request a stool for her to stand on so she could get more leverage into my belly. She was literally up to her ELBOWS inside me.

2) They had to get the vacuum machine out to get Keifer out of the birth canal - she was so far down and stuck, it was quite the chore from the looks of it.

3) Keifer came out and had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck 2 times. Whoa. Freaky. Scary.

They then quickly whisked her out of me and over to the table to get her cleaned up, and do their checking of vitals. For me it was a "here she is, Carrie, she's beautiful", and then I didn't get to see her. I sent CJ with her with the instructions to get as many videos and pictures as possible, as I was obviously not going anywhere. It took the doctor another 20-30 minutes to finish the work on me, and I was so out of it - I barely remember it, other than CJ coming to kiss me goodbye and him feeling so sorry for me that I "did all the work, and he got to go with our baby and leave me".

Ironically, CJ had run into my parents in the hallway right before the C-section was performed - as they were lost, having taken the wrong elevator in hopes to find the labor and delivery floor. So they were waiting outside in the OR waiting room, and when they were done retrieving Keifer, my parents were lucky enough to be able to go with CJ and Keifer up to the post-partum room and take part in recording all her vitals, etc.. My dad and CJ both took a lot of video clips and tons of pictures, so that I was able to see them all later, and see what I missed out on.

When they were finished cleaning me up, they brought me to the recovery room, only to find out that they brought me to the wrong floor, the wrong room, etc.. It was a disaster. I got to listen in my drugged up state to the nurses complain to each other about some other nurse that had them running me all over the place. I finally got to recovery, and the nurses were so sweet to me in there, as I was crying and in pain, and so miserable about the fact that I had just labored all day, only to not be able to even touch or see my baby after the C-section.

I finally was wheeled up to my post-partum room to be reunited with my CJ and Keifer after a little over an hour. I knew I was being brought back to them, and as the 2 nurses were bringing me up in the elevator to my room, I started bawling. When one asked me what was wrong, I just said I hadn't been able to see my daughter, and I just wanted to see her and hold her. They brought me into the room, and the nurse cleared my family out, leaving just CJ, Keifer and myself.

Afterwards was a blur of medications, and tiredness, and love, and laughter, and a huge range of emotions after such an intense day. But, my daughter had arrived and I've never felt so much love in my life. Even CJ got choked up watching me be reunited with Keifer.

We stayed in the hospital until today, and it has been a painful healing process for me physically so far. I do not tolerate pain very well, and its hard to be in so much pain, while trying to take part in taking care of the infant you just carried inside your belly for 9 months. CJ has been the most fabulous father I've ever seen. He's had to take over all the care of Keifer and wouldn't dream of not doing it. The first night in the hospital, we brought her to the nursery so we could sleep, and he literally went down every hour to the nursery just to see how she was doing. He is infactuated with Keifer and the love they share already just melts my heart.

We came home today and the furkids are confused as to what this cooing, crying, mumbling, little creature is, especially Sager. They were very gentle in their welcome home this afternoon, and so far, Sage has been very confused as to where this "thing" is going and why we are holding her, and just plain old question marks above her head whenever she looks at us with Keifer.

So wish us luck our first night at home. It'll be interesting to see how each day unfolds now that we've come home with the angel we prayed for. I am so excited to be a mommy!