Reflecting

Asher will turn one year old tomorrow, so I am writing this now because I know I'll be busy tomorrow! My baby is growing up so fast! He is developing his own strong willed personality! I'm so proud of him! I'm so lucky to have such happy healthy babies!
Just a year ago tonight felt like just another night! According to my orginal due date I was 2 days early. According to my ultrasound date I was 5 days late!! It was 5 long days of walking, walking and more walking. August 31,2006 Mat had parked the car up by the gas station by our apartment because our complex flooded so bad you couldn't drive in or out. So for some reason we were out and came back to a flooded complex. We waded thigh deep through the parking lot...me being 9 months pregnant...not an easy task. But we made it safely into our apt and went to bed that night listening to Tropical Storm Ernesto.
I woke up about 5:30am to a contraction...nothing big. I had another one like 30mins later...still nothing big. They would come and go. Mat kept telling me he wasn't going to go to work but I assured him I would be fine and get some hours in. My labor with Aidan lasted 2 days. So I wasn't worried and knew this was going to be a long drawn out affair. I would rather labor at home as much as I could rather than in a stiff hospital bed!
Aidan had a bad diaper rash that wouldn't go away, so I had made him a doctor's appt for that morning. I got him up and ready to be at the doctor by about 9:30AM. Contractions had almost diminshed by then so I fiqured they were Braxton Hicks. So we did the whole doctor's visit thing and was walking out to leave. I swung open the office door and my water broke. So I'm picturing the movies right now and expect to next see the baby's head! LOL! NOT what happens at all! So I called Mat and he was workign nearby and told him I was coming to pick him up. I thought contractions were supposed to come right away but no nothing. So I felt comforable enough to drive. When I pick Mat up I call my mid-wife to tell her I'm going to the hospital because my water just broke. She says there's no reason to hurry and to go home till the contractions start getting bad. I'm thinking that the baby has lost some amniotic fluid and it's coming but she's the doctor so I did as she suggested.
I start feeling some sharp contractions as we drove home and called Grandma. We got home and started doing the "real Packing" for ourselves, the baby and Aidan. Of course I had my bag packed at 5 months ready to go but this was all the last minute stuff! By now I'm having to stop packing every 15 min or so to get through a contraction. Grandma comes over to help out and possible take Aidan. We are sitting outside talking and Aidan is playing. Contractions are coming faster and closer together. Grandma had to go back to work so we decided to take Aidan to daycare while she finshed her day's work.
It's about 12:30pm now and he has missed lunch and Mat was about to have a long day so we stopped by the McDonalds drive through to get some lunch for the two. OK by this point I have the seat laid back and gripping onto the "OH SHIT" bar trying to breathe through contractions while cussing out the McDonalds employees for not getting their job done faster!! So we drop off Aidan at daycare and preceed to the hospital because I couldnt take it anymore. Mat called my Mid-Wife and let her know to meet us there.
We arrived, got rushed through the back elevator and up to the "check-in" floor. I see one of my customers from work, who was about to have twins, and tried to be as polite as I could. So I get settled into a bed and for all of you soon to be moms out there....USE A MIDWIFE!! She stayed by me the entire time and was so supportive. Unlike my first pregnancy...I was 10cm dialated and the nurse goes "OK so I'm going to go on my lunch break, so you hang tight and we will push when I get back"....HHUHH?? WHAT??....mind you lady that my statol (sp?) only lasts 2 hours!!
SO ANYWAYS with Asher...I am 5-6cm dialated and didn't get my statol until 8cm. It was heaven!!!!!! A first epidural try with Aidan didnt work on my body so I tried the alternative. I laid there talking, joking and excited...unlike a few minutes ago I was wishing for the good Lord to take me now! ok to back up before I got the drugs...the only thing I remember about Mathew is that he kept wanting to go to the car to get the damn camera!!! I DIDNOT want him to leave me!! Of course once the baby came out the camera was not even used....thanks hunny! :-P
OK back to the story....if you've read this long thanks for keeping with me I know it's long....so I've reached 10cm and ready to push. I had the best nurses cheering me on....15mins went by...30...1hr...ok there! an hour and a half later the head was there!! Mat's crying and I have so much adrenline running through me I think I was going to explode! All of the sudden panic comes over everyone. The baby's heartbeat drops and I'm still trying to push. I see one of the nurses literally push Mat out of the way. Another nurse hurdles over me and starts pushing on my stomach. Asher is stuck in the canal. Finally with the help of everyone, he comes out!! No crying, which I've NEVER felt that kind fear before. They had to quickly cut the cord and take him to the heater. With a little "beating" and massaging he starts crying. They were a little worried about his breathing because one of his lung didnt fill correctly because of getting stuck. But after 30 minutes of monitoring he was fine and we had a BEAUTIFUL healthy baby boy!! All 9pounds 3 oz of him born at 7:30pm on September 1, 2006!! Asher Mathew Sallese we love you!