D is for Delivery!

At my 39 week appointment they told me. The words were not a shock but it felt like a sledge hammer hit my in the face. They were going to induce me. I knew this would happen because of the "sugahs" but I guess I had not really accepted that as my fate. Dr. Robinson sat with me in the lobby of the doctor's office and scheduled me to come in on November 3rd in the evening to start the process. I think the look on my face told it all. I was scared and I was nervous. After all this time we were finally going to meet our little sweet cheeks. What was it going to be like to be in labor? What was it going to be like to give birth? To hold her for the first time? To bring her home? Wow. Wow was all I could think. We made it through Halloween and I actually made it through one more Monday of work. That day (11.01.10) I told my principal that today was my last day because I was being induced on Wednesday and Tuesday was election day. The very next day I started noticing more and more contractions. Technology was on my side. I had downloaded an app for timing contractions that timed them and kept track of them. How 2010 was I? I decided to have lunch with Missy and her daughter Ashley at Salsarita's then head over to Target. I had to get one more trip in before I had the baby. I was having contractions the entire time. But I was confident that I was going to keep that up until induction day. Like I said before, it was the day of election day. I was waiting on Alvaro to go and vote since this would be his first big election to vote in. By 6:00 I could wait no longer as the polls were closing soon and he was still at work trying to tie things up knowing he would be out after Wednesday. As I am driving to the polling place I tell myself that I probably should not be driving since each time I had a contraction, I needed to close my eyes and breath deep. But, I made it. I voted. I fulfilled my civic duty while contracting the entire time. I called the doctor's office and asked how close together they needed to be and they told me. We had not even considered that I would go into labor all on my own. This was not in the plan. That evening as we were getting into the bed it happened. My water broke!!! I instantly started crying and shaking. This could not be happening. I was going to be induced tomorrow not go into labor tonight! Alvaro decided to brush his teeth before getting all of our things together for the trip to the hospital. I thought that was a random thing to do and it was the absolute last thing I would have done, but to each their own! It too us about 30 minutes from the time my water broke until we go to the hospital. I thought we would NEVER get there.
It was a long night of pushing and I never appreciated an anesthesiologist as much as I did that night! Thank goodness my mom was there as Alvaro was very squeamish the whole time. It was funny to see them sharing a couch to sleep when sleep was possible. I ended up pushing for about an hour and a half before Dr. Benson came in for the big show! As soon as I saw him I started crying because I knew this was it!!! I don't know how much longer I pushed for, but I do know that baby girl did not want to come out! She was stuck!!! After some more good pushes she was out! I was not prepared for how swollen looking she would be! But I loved her the second I set eyes on her purple, swollen, full-cheeked body! She was who we had waited so long for. She was our sweet baby. Our daughter. I could write about this day forever but I will paraphrase the rest.
I have two wonderful friends that I have known for most of my existence: Betsy and Julie. In true girlfriend fashion they both came up separate nights to stay with me and Sophie. Alvaro was able to go home and get some rest and they even took baby duty during the night when they could. We had lots of visitors and a great experience!! We finally came home that Friday and i cried the whole way home. I was so excited, scared, and overwhelmed with so many different emotions. It was great! Let the games begin!!!!!