the t.m.i. timeline

I figured the easiest way to do this was in a timeline, so here we go...

Tuesday, March 3
5:00 pm - Noticeable contractions begin
12:00 am - Contractions continue coming every 7-9 minutes

Wednesday, March 4
1:00 pm - A call to the doctor's office results in him wanting me to come in before my 2:30 scheduled appointment time.
2:30 pm - Dr. Casanova tells us it's time to go to the hospital. I am 100% effaced and 4 cm dilated.
4:00 pm - We check into the triage center and are moved over to the labor and delivery area.
5:00 pm - Sweet relief! The anaesthesiologist administers my epidural.
7:00 pm - My mom and dad arrive at the hospital.
8:30 pm - Jon's mom and dad arrive at the hospital.
9:00 pm - Dr. Casanova checks and I am 10 cm dilated and ready to go.
10:00 pm - Push session #1. This lasts for an hour but results in our baby girl getting her head stuck in the birth canal. They lay me back down and roll me from side-to-side in hopes of backing the baby out so she can straighten up.
11:30 pm - Dr. Casanova has to leave as he is not the physician on call.

Thursday, March 5
3:00 am - Push session #2. Baby looks good at first but manages to do the same thing. I am now under the care of Dr. DeRiese. She is ready to attempt a foreceps delivery but warns me a c-cection may be the end result. She tries to get the baby out 2 times with the foreceps but is unsuccessful.
4:03 am - The 3rd and final attempt with the forceps is successful and once she crowned, I was able to complete the delivery on my own.
It's standard protocol that a NICU team is present in the room because of the delivery method, so Presley is handed off to them for analysis but not before she lets out her first high pitched scream. Somehow I think she knew her mama needed to know she was okay before she disappeared from my sight. Jon cut the cord and she is taken to the side. The next few minutes are actually pretty close to what you see on TV and the movies with me asking what's going on and not getting much information. Luckily Jon was able to step over and be with Presley and update me. She was doing good but had lots of dents and marks from the foreceps. She had a few episodes of apnea when she stopped breathing so they put her in an incubator and took her to the transition nursery to be monitored. I got to spend a few minutes with her before they took her and can't begin to describe the connection.

Getting our little one here was tough but she's amazing and the perfect addition to our family.

I wanted to take a minute and thank my amazing husband. I couldn't have made it through labor and deliver and the first few nights without his constant love and support. He truly is my rock and the anchor of this family. His two girls love him very much.