Olivia's Birth Story

On Wednesday, July 4th our baby girl was born at 4:04 in the afternoon.  Her name is Olivia Hazel Madore and she was 6 pounds, 13 ounces and 20 inches long.  And this is her story.

On Tuesday, July 3rd I knew that I was not feeling as good as I had been during the day, but figured that working hard was catching up with me.  Came home and decided that cereal was about all I could handle for dinner and Paul knew that was never going to be enough for him, so he called his mom and they went to the Outback for dinner.  After the dinner of champions, I went into the bedroom to relax and try and get some rest.  At about 8:30 I felt like I needed to use the restroom, so I started to get up and then felt this gush of fluid come out and for a moment thought I had peed my pants.  I went to the bathroom, and at that point I knew that it was my water breaking.  Not wanting to freak out and just assume I was right, I found the number for Labor and Delivery at Kaiser and called to confirm what to do next.  The nurse on the line asked me a bunch of questions and said that we should head over to the hospital to get checked out.  Well too bad Paul was still not home...  So I called hime and of course he was driving and put me on speaker, so I knew that his mom could hear what I was about to say.  I asked when he was going to be home and he said that he was 10 to 15 away, and then asked why.  When I said that I think that my water broke, he sort of freaked and said he would be here in 10.

After a frantic couple of moments at home gathering all of our stuff, we headed to the hospital.  Checked into the labor and delivery triage and they quickly got me into a room so that we could figure out where I was at.  After a quick check, it was established that my water had in fact broken.  Fun fact, my water did not break all at once but continued to break pretty much for the next couple of hours... So you can imagine the feeling of liquid just leaking out of you with no way of stopping.  The mid-wife wanted to wait to examine me so as not to risk infection with too many exams just to find out where I was at.  I was then moved to our delivery room and we were told that the mid-wife would be in by soon.  Well soon turned into hours later.  She was hit with multiple deliveries all at once, so we just hung out and waited on family to arrive.  I was starting to get contractions, but nothing too bad so I was feeling pretty good about where we were at in this process. 

And then the mid-wife arrived and once she had time to assess where I was at, she was not thrilled.  I was at 2cm and 50% effaced, not quite the progress we were all hoping for after six hours.  So she said the best thing to do is start the petosin.  I was dead set against this route but I did not want to argue with someone who knows better than I and since my water had broken, I knew that there was only so much time before other complications become an issue.  So we started the petosin and the contractions started quick, too quick.  I began to have such intense contractions/pain in my back that I thought I was going to die.  They were on top of each other and all in my back.  The nurse came in and said that they should only be 2-3 minutes apart, not every other minute.  And then the baby's heartbeat dropped and about 5 people came rushing in, and starting pressing on things, giving me oxygen and working to get her back on track.  Whatever they tried was not working and they decided that the baby was under too much stress so they gave me a shot to stop my contractions.  This seemed to do the trick, but then once the shot wore off, they started up the potosin again and the contractions started again and they were just as intense.  I knew there was no way I would be able to manage this pain for too long and decided to get an epidural.  All of this was the exact opposite of our birth plan, something I had wanted to stick to no matter what.

The epidural was administered and almost immediately things became manageable and I felt so much better.  I was checked and I had gone from 2cm to 4cm, so we were making some progress.  We were able to get some rest, which helped alot and when the mid-wife came back hours later I had gone from 4cm to 8cm, almost 9cm and fully effaced, so they were happy about that.  The nurse said that we should be able to look at pushing in about 30 minutes.  But then 30 minutes turned into an hour, because they did not like her position, and then another 30 minutes.  After about an hour and a half of waiting, the nurse said we could start pushing.  And so we did.  And we did some more and we really were not making the progress that was needed, but we were progressing.  The midwife showed up and took a look and said that we should start pushing some more.  So we did and at some point a ton of people came rushing in again, and once again they threw the oxygen on my and starting looking at machines and throwing out medical terms that meant nothing to me, except that something was not right.  Another shot to stop my contractions was administered and I was told that the baby was under too much stress again and that we needed to get her to relax before we progressed. 

Once we ready to push again, the epideral was all but worn off so I was starting to feel the contractions again.  It helped with regards to pushing, to be able to really feel what I was doing, but they were tough to manage.  After what was about a total of an hour and a half to two hours of pushing the midwife called in the doctor to take a look at where the baby was at.  We pushed some more while they were figuring out what to do next.  From what they could tell my pelvis had an arch that was not allowing her to come down and she would need about 4 more cm's of space to get out.  The doctor said that we had some options, we could try pushing and it might take an hour with no guarantees where we might end up.  OR we could do a c-section, which is what the doctor was recommending.  I took one look at Paul and said let's do it.  At no point in this process was my birth plan going to interfere with the health or safety of my child.  All I want is for our baby to be okay, so whatever they have to do to accomplish that we will do.  Don't get me wrong I was crying the whole time we were talking about this, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

They wheeled me into the OR and took Paul to another room to get him dressed.  I was still experiencing contractions the whole time that I was waiting to get set up for surgery.  I have to say that was the most alone I had felt in so very long.  I was just sitting on the table in such pain, with complete strangers all around me ignoring my pain and more or less me.  And then Paul was still not in there, which was absolutely unnerving.  The anastesiologist (sp?) came in and starting working miracles and within minutes I was not feeling the contractions anymore and they started moving to start surgery.  I started to panic, it seemed like they were going to start and Paul was still not in the room.  I asked if he was coming and they assured me they would call him in just a bit.  Soon enough he was called in and arrived by my side.  Seeing him made me feel so much better and just knowing that we were doing this together made it seem like it was going to be okay. 

They began the surgery and I could feel pressure from where they were working, but no pain.  The anastesiologist was talking to me the whole time, making sure I knew what to expect and what was going on. And then it happened, they pulled out our little one and within moments we heard her cry.  At that moment all was forgotten, all the pain, the mishaps and turns in the road and all that mattered was Olivia.  Paul and I shared a very emotional moment and waited to see our baby girl.  Paul was able to cut the cord and see his lady for the first time, which was amazing.  And then they brought her to me and put her up against my face and for a moment I knew all was well.  They moved Paul and Olivia to the recovery room and started to work on closing me up.  They gave me something for the pain that would make me pretty sleepy and moved me into recovery.  I found Paul sitting in the room with Olivia, looking more in love than I have ever seen him.  It was beautiful and I was so glad that he was able to have that moment with her.  I was too nervous about all the drugs in my system and being able to really hold onto to her, that I did not get to hold her till we were in our actual room.  And when that moment finally happened... well there are no words.

I know that there are other details that I will never be able to remember, and some that I will never forget but there is one thing that I will say, I have never done anything more amazing in my entire life.  She is beautiful and perfect in every way and I don't know what we did before she got here.  My life will forever be changed.  For the better!

My To Do List

Here is a list of things I cannot wait to do once this baby makes her way into this world.  Please be advised this is a purely selfish list, having nothing to do with the baby.

- Eat sushi
- Drink wine, drink anything I want for that matter
- Lay on my stomach
- Sleep on my back
- Have normal looking feet
- Wear my closet full of clothing that I have had nothing to do with for months
- Eat deli meat
- Walk normally... I cannot wait to be able to speed up and not waddle
- Shave without getting pooped
- Bend over and not get winded
- Get up from the sofa, bed or ground without assistance
- Sleep through the night without getting up to pee (this one may take some time)
- Workout (yes this is something I could have been doing all along, but alas too tired for that)

I am sure that there are other things, but this is what I can think of right now.

PS - I am also looking forward to holding my baby girl. ;)

The Time Has Come!

Well not really, but we are at ten days and counting till this little lady is set to arrive.  Which really means that she could come any day now, a thought that is not lost on me at any point during the day.  I am so excited and ready to get this started, but all I get to do from this point on is wait.  Wait for something to happen that will signal that it is time for us to move, one way or the other.  Plus this part of the pregnancy is starting to wear on me.  I know I have not been the best at this, but this last month or so has been trying on both my body and my mind. 

Last night we had a scare.  Nothing that resulted in a hospital visit, but it definitely worried me.  In the last couple of weeks, I have felt the baby all day and all night.  There is so little room left at this point, I can feel her move, kick, stretch, pretty much anything she does, I feel.  But for some reason last night it felt like it had been a couple of hours since I could remember feeling her move and once you realize you don't know when the last time she moved, you freak.  So I drank some juice, laid on my side and started the kick counts.  Basically you are supposed to lay on your side and wait to feel the baby move or kick or do anything and keep track of how long it takes to get to ten movements.  Normally it takes ten to twenty minutes, if that, but last night it took almost 45 and I cried through most of it.  I admit I was a mess and ready to call labor and delivery to have them tell us what to do next.  But she did it.  Took longer than I wanted it to, but it happened.  And the whole process made me realize how nervous I am going to be about tons of things in her life. 

I definitely think that this part is rough, with not knowing if she is okay because she is on the inside and not the out, but what awaits us might be scarier.  I will have no control over anything once she gets here, not something I think that I am ready for as well.  Maybe I am not ready for any of this, but I am excited all the same.

One random moment of last night, Moe slept by my head all night.  This cat has been super wierd with me since I got pregnant.  He bites me every chance he gets and then follows me around like I might disapear into a wall.  But when I am hurting or sad, he is there.  He even sniffed/licked my tears last night.  Paul was a little freaked out by this move, but it was sweet.  Even now, he is by my side.  Hopefully this is a sign that he will be good with the baby... Here's hoping!

Oh yeah that is my belly.  Hard to hide at this point and why bother really!

The Last 3 Weeks...

When I picked the title of this blog I had in mind the idea of going over the last 3 weeks since I had blogged, but then I realized that it could also be about the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy.  Yes folks, we are in the final stretch and I am starting to get VERY anxious for this all to be over.  And quite frankly I want to meet Olivia.  It's sort of cruel that you find out that you are pregnant and then you have to wait nine months to actually get the real reward of that moment.  But then again, who is really ready to have a child in thier arms right after they find out they are pregnant, I am guessing that I was not.  Regardless we are now and the last 3 weeks should prove that point.

On June 2nd, my sister, mother and aunt threw me an amazing baby shower.  It was complete with games, gifts and wonderful people, all done up with the cutest decorations and greatest food.  I am a very lucky and loved girl and could not have planned or asked for a better day.

These are cute a few photos from the shower, there were tons more but this computer is taking forever to load, so this will have to do for now.  We received a ton of wonderful things, mainly clothes but also a few key items that have helped to round out the list of things that we needed before this little lady came into the world, such as the carseat, the bassinet, the diaper genie and bath items galore! 

The following weekend we went to part II of Katie and Rodger's wedding, the Chinese Banquet.  Part I required more help on all our part, but this one was a show up and enjoy kind of day, the best if you ask me.  Rodger's sisters and cousin helped Katie out with all the details and I know that it made a world of difference.  It was a wonderful event and we had a great time celebrating with Katie and Rodger once again and trying out new cuisine and customs.  Ten courses of food, an "interesting" MC and a dress change rounded out a really nice evening.  Katie is a really lucky girl to come from such a large supportive family and to have married into one as well.  Rodger's family and friends are the nicest people, who have been so accepting and great not only to Katie but to us, her family. 

And now we are up to Father's Day weekend.  We were able to get four tickets to the Angels Game from my work for Saturday night and we asked Katie and Rodger to join us.  We worked on the nursery in the morning and then Katie and Rodger came down and brought us the crib, which was WAY TOO GENEROUS of them, but very much appreciated.  Once the crib was set up, we hit up dinner and then the game.  Great seats and a great time had by all.  Then Sunday was Father's Day with my dad.  It was good to see my dad and spend some time catching up.  And finally after a long weekend, we came home and I took a well deserved nap.  With everything going on, its hard to find time to just sit and relax, but I really need to do it more often than I am.  We have been so busy during the week, with work and what not and the weekends have been jam packed as well.  So next Saturday when Paul is working, I plan on doing a whole lot of nothing.  The 23rd of June is going to be my day... So there!

I guess that is all for now.  Just finishing up some stuff in the nursery and getting ready for the greatest thing that I will ever do... No pressure or anything. ;)

Palm Springs... Just what the doctor ordered!

Last weekend Paul and I took a much needed trip to Palm Springs.  It was considered to be a babymoon, but really it was more like a much needed weekend of R&R.  We headed out on Thursday and stayed till Sunday, which was just enough time to feel like a mini vacation, rather than a weekend away.  We stayed in Palm Desert at the Westin Desert Willows Villas, which is part time share, part hotel and part amazing.  It has all the ammenities of home, plus a pool that is open 24 hours a day, with a kid/family section that includes a slide and then an adult section that is quiet and relaxing.  We hit up the pool every day and it cooled down a bit on Friday, so we were able to stay out there for most of the day and really soak up the sun and relazation.

For the most part when we go to Palm Springs we are there to relax and eat.  We only plan our meals ahead of time, making reservations at a couple of our favorite places like Ruths Chris and LG's and do not make plans for anything else, so that we don't feel bad when all we end up doing is lying by the pool or sitting on the patio reading.  I love Palm Springs. But I have to admit this was a little rougher of trip, since I was 33 weeks pregnant and it was hot and I have a hard time moving very quickly at this size.  But we made the most of it, and had a wonderful time. 

This was the most flattering shot of me and my baby bump.  From the waist down it's a whole 'nother story.

Floating... First time I have been comfortable laying on my back since I got pregnant.  It was very nice to feel weightless for a moment.

Me in the pool...

Date night at The Cliffhouse.  It worked out that we had a dining room all to ourselves for most of the meal.  So nice!!!

Amazing baked artichoke at The Cliffhouse

Happy Mom's Day

I spent a wonderful day with two mothers I love dearly and a sister who will be a wonderful mother someday!  We went to brunch at The Langham Hotel in Pasadena, which was lovely and then we did a little shopping at the mall.  It was a great day.

And here is my Jessica Simpson dress... Though I have to admit I like the photo, I am starting to feel like I have been pregnant for a year and a half and after a couple minutes of walking, I am done for.  But we are in the final stretch and with only 8 more weeks... I am going to try and relax and get ready for the road ahead.  Very excited to meet this little lady and be a mother!

A Photo A Day - The End

Well it has taken me six months, or so it feels, to finish this but here are the last of the Photo A Day Challenge photos...

DAY 27: LUNCH

Yesterday Paul left for Las Vegas for a few days for a seminar/convention and so my mom came down to stay the night with me.  It made me feel a little less stressed being 31 weeks pregnant and not having to think about spending 4 days by myself.  Normally I would love a couple days alone, but being this big has made pretty much everything dificult these days, so my mom being here was both reassuring and a good way to spend the day.  Anyways... Once she got here we headed down to Old Town Orange, which is seriously the best place.  They have a ton of antique stores and little restaurants and is just a great place to walk around...which is what we did.  And we ended up at this little Italian place, called Francoli Gourmet, which was AMAZING.  We ordered this beet salad with pine nuts and goat cheese.  I cannot lie it was one of the best things I have ever had.  Shaved yellow beets, which were strange but delicious.  We started with that and then I had the salmon penne and my mom ordered the pesto penne.  Both we great.  So happy to find a new place and especially when it as by chance.

DAY 28: LIGHT



To end a really nice weekend with my mom, we went to Tortilla Flats in Mission Viejo.  They built a lake in Mission Viejo and did the most amazing thing, put some restaurants around it so everyone can enjoy the place.  When we left my house it was over cast and not looking so good, but the second we got down there and sat down on the patio, it was sunny and light and beautiful out.  We enjoyed a lovely brunch of avocado and sour cream omelets, with potatoes and beans.  So yummmm!!!!!

DAY 29: INSIDE MY FRIDGE



This is what my refrigerator looks like at this exact moment.  We have a lot of juice and soda adn what looks like a lot of leftovers, which means I need to clean this mo out.  Maybe I will do that tonight... Not much else going on, unless you count watching a ton of crappy tv something.

DAY 30: NATURE



Well I hope that this counts, since technically this was at one point out in nature but is now making my kitchen lovely.  I love fresh cut flowers and especially tulips.  I would love to have flowers in my house at all times... They make a room such a better place!

AND THIS ENDS MY PHOTO A DAY CHALLENGE... FINALLY!