The Story of Sasha

So I went into the doctor's office Thursday, the 8th. I was at 3cm and my doc stripped my membranes (more painful than I remember), so we were all sure that this baby was coming within 48 hours. Well, silly us!! I still hadn't had any real contractions as of Saturday morning, so we went walking... Costco Saturday morning (oooh, samples) and the mall Saturday night, during that really awesome storm (which tore down a tree in our backyard-thankfully Bowser was away at Ammon's brother's house). The timing wouldn't have been so stressful except Ammon's brother Rylan was due back from his mission Wednesday, the 14th, and I really wanted the four of us to meet him at the airport... well that was not in the cards I guess.

So that stormy Saturday night comes and goes.. and still nothing. I wake up feeling great Sunday morning, so we go to church and I give a fantastic lesson for my new Sunday School class (involving several rounds of hangman), all the while I'm worried my water is gonna break right then and there. Well it didn't, of course.

So that afternoon, after I haven't been able to nap and I'm getting more and more anxious (and cranky... and emotional), Ammon and I decide to have a yummy, unhealthy dinner of bacon, fried potatoes and cream of wheat... Mmmmmmmmm.

***This is where it starts getting a little more graphic, so TMI Warning***

At bout 7pm, I'm just finishing my cream of wheat when I feel a... what can only be described as a small gush down there. Just enough to make me wonder if it was really anything, but when I stand up, more comes out, and as I start heading to the bathroom, more is coming. So I stop, turn to Ammon who was engrossed in the TV, and say, "Uh, I think my water broke." His head almost flies off as he turns with a bewildered expression and chokes out, "What?!" I wasn't sure so I kept heading to the bathroom to assess the 'damage.'

Sure enough, there was plenty of something all over me, but not enough for me to be sure my water had broke, so Ammon, like the classic TV dad starts rushing around, grabbing bags, making phone calls. I decide we should wait for my mom to pick up Kaleb, not only to keep Kaleb calm, but also so we have a few minutes to gather everything. Within a half hour, Kaleb is with my mom and we are at the hospital. Another hour later, they determine my water has broken, there's a small amount of meconium in the fluid, I was at 3cm, and I get admitted.

Since I'm still no having any contractions (seriously wonder if my body was broken), they set me up with fluids (the nurses thought I was a little dehydrated since I was running a slight fever) and get the Petocin started. After a few hours on the Petocin, I got to my epidural point (6 on the pain scale) and order up. Since my first epidural didn't go well, I was desperate for this one to be like everyone says, so the anesthesiologist was very thorough. Unfortunately, in medical terms, thorough means "takes longer than usual" so by the time he has me set up, I'm at an 8 on the pain scale.

BUT it finally worked like a charm, the pain subsided, I started getting nauseous, dizzy and shaky all at once, all of which is "totally normal." They give me meds for the nausea, oxygen for the dizziness and have me lay on my left side for the shakes.

The nurse checks my progress and says I'm at a 5/6 and that my water is still intact. I must have sprung a leak somewhere higher in my uterus. Funny that the triage nurse didn't tell us that. Anyway, because of the loss of amniotic fluids, the nurse wanted to have me keep switching sides to keep pressure of the baby during contractions, so that was a fun workout with an epidural!!

A little while later, I'm starting to feel a little pressure down there, and I was about to call the nurse when she walked in and said, "I just paged your doctor. She will be here in about 15 minutes to break your water and it shouldn't be too long before you need to push." Sure enough, my doc comes in shortly thereafter, pops me and says, "Okay you're ready to push."

{Now here is the funny thing, even after I had been wanting to have this baby for the past week and doing all I could to get her here... at that moment, I was thinking "wait, what, I'm not ready." Go figure}

Anyway, so about five minutes later, my doc is gowned up and I'm in position, raring to push! My body is shaking as badly as ever, but I bear down once and the head all but comes out. Two pushes later, out she comes. IT WAS AWESOME!!! Virtually pain-free and only three pushes, um yes thank you!!


Sasha Lynn was born 9/12 and 4:12 at 7 lbs, 13 oz and 20 inches.

They cleaned her up before I could take a look at her, but the whole time, Ammon is describing her to me, and the first thing out of his mouth is "You should see her fingers and toes!! They're freakishly long!!" This isn't the best pic, but believe me, her toes are as long as her fingers, and her fingers are really long!! Plus she had a full set of long fingernails (which explains the tear in the sac I think)

Here we are with my doc, she is so awesome!! Not even on call, but specifically gave us a note to give to the hospital staff to make sure no matter when I was admitted that she would be the one to take care of me! Love her!!!

Daddy and daughter!

The rest of our stay was pretty uneventful. We only stayed the one night since she was born so early Monday morning (and who wants to pay more hospital bills?)

We had a bunch of visitors that day, but of course the most important was big brother Kaleb, who absolutely LOVES her!!!!

Already smiling!

Going Home!

Um, Daddy, a little tighter please!!

Kaleb gives Sasha kisses all the time, but they're so quick we have a hard time photographing it, so this is the best one of both of them together. We will keep trying!

Snuggle-time!!

Love those little smiles!

My favorite feature of Sasha's is her eyes!! She just has the prettiest eyes. They're blue right now, but I'm crossing my fingers that they will turn brown so they will look just like Ammon's!