Bringing Home Baby Part 1

  This is Anna Beth's story...(minus the ghorry details)
  June 6, 2008 = my due date. When my doctor told me 3 1/2 weeks prior to that she thought I would go early, I really doubted her.  I mean, I'd heard of people walking around dialated and "ready to deliver" for weeks, only to be induced a week after their due date.  I was sure this was our fate to meeting Anna Beth, too.
  May 22 = Dr. C told me she would see me that weekend and to make sure my bags were packed.  "Okay, okay, whatever", I thought.  I already had some clothes in my bag, but I didn't rush home and finish packing by any means.  The next day I had a pedicure appointment and the girl insisted that it would probably send me into labor because she massaged my ankles...yeah, right! 
  Saturday, May 24 = Jacob and I were looking forward to our friend's baby shower that night...well, I was, anyway.  We were going to play Bunko!  We went to the shower, it was ridiculously hot, and I was almost miserable.  But I was still having fun so I stayed. Everyone was just hanging out under the pavilion at Sunshine Park and all of a sudden Jacob looked at me and asked if I was okay because I looked like I was about to freak out.  I realized then, that no, I did not feel well at all.  So, I got the keys, went home, ate some cereal, showered, and went to bed.  I thought the heat had just worn me out!!  Jacob got home just a few minutes after I got in bed and he came to bed, too.
  1:30 am = I woke up thinking I had just wet the bed...seriously.  I went to the bathroom, cleaned up, and got back in bed (sheets were still clean, btw).  I was almost back to sleep when I did it again.  I thought, "Seriously - I am an adult! I don't care that I'm pregnant and there's a baby on my bladder, there is no room for this!"  I get back up and repeat the above process.  Then I realized that maybe, just maybe, I hadn't wet the bed and maybe my water had broken.  I woke Jacob up and told him.  He said, "Well, maybe you should call the hospital."  I called, explained what happened, they told me to come on in.  I still wasn't feeling any contractions, though...praise the Lord!!
  2 am = a quick e-mail to Jacob's parents (in Africa) and a call to my parents (in Tennessee), we were out the door.  When we got to the hospital, they told me that my water had broken and I was admitted.  "Holy cow. She was right.", I thought ("she" being my doctor). 
  7 am = I'd had a few contractions, but they hadn't done anything to move along the delivery, so they gave me some pitocin to try to get the contractions to do something...they still weren't even hurting me, really.  The pitocin worked, I asked for my epidural STAT, got it, it began to wear off, and I started pushing that little button as often as I could to get those meds in me!! Finally, the anesthesiologist came back and gave me another dose and this time, it took.  Praise the Lord!  I was in no mood and had no desire for a drug-free labor and delivery. 
  8 am  = called our friends to let them know we were at the hospital.  My friend, Candace, was going to be in the delivery room with us until my mom got there.  She and Brent arrived soon after we called and she gave Jacob a break from the room while I took a nap (Aren't epidural's great? Ahhh, sweet relief and a nap!). 
  11 am = Dr. C arrived and said it was time...I said, "Time for what?"  Yes, I really did.  We called my mom to see how far away they were and they were still 30 minutes away.  I really wanted my mom there, too.  My doctor said we still needed to go ahead, so we did.  Turns out, Anna Beth was a stubborn little thing and my mom made it there in time.  Anna Beth kept turning to the side (which apparently she wasn't supposed to do) and my doctor would turn her the right way for me to push, then when the push was over, Anna Beth would go back to the way she wanted to be...funny how that little "I wanna try it my way, myself" determination is still existent today :)
  11:30 am = Mom got there while I was still in the L&D room, but AB was not budging.  After talking with the doctor, we decided for me to push a few more minutes, then we'd have to head to the surgery room.  She wanted to try to the forceps (ahhh!) before having to do a c-section, but she didn't want me to use all of my energy before we got in there.  After a few minutes and still no progress, we headed down to the surgery room.  It was a much different atmosphere and I was thankful I was not alone! Jacob doesn't do well with hospitals and stuff, and he just was not able to come into the surgery room with me, so my mom came in.  It was completely okay with me because I knew that Jacob wanted to be by my side, but couldn't - and I really didn't want to worry about him while I was trying to deliver our baby!
  12:19 pm = I gave three good pushes and little Miss Anna Elizabeth Coleman finally graced us with her presence.  When they laid her on my chest, she literally looked at me and smiled.  I am not exaggerating.   She smiled.  I have the picture, but I will not post it for "ghorry detail" reasons. 
  That was the day I met my sweet Anna Beth, held my child in my arms for the first time, and felt my heart explode with more love than I honestly believed it could handle.