Here are a few pictures soon after she arrived! Notice how fiesty she is!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Lexi Arriving! What a day!
CJ sleeping in the back seat on the way to the hospital!
Joey and Sarah in the delivery room!Lexi Marie arrived on May 21'st at 11:58 pm! She was 7 pounds 0 ounces, and 19 and 3/4" long. Her head was 13 and 1/2" and chest was 12 and 1/4". She was born in room 313 at the Sentara Obici Hospital in Suffolk, Virginia. Dr. Lepore was the delivering doctor.
Series of events as told by the father: On Friday morning, May 21st, Sarah had a routine doctor appointment at 10:30 a.m., just like any other Friday morning. I drove her to her appointment, and while she was there, the doctor had ordered her to be monitored due to a deceleration in Lexi's heartbeat. We were worried, but we were familiar with the monitoring process, as we had done this three or four times previously. We knew that being monitored was pretty much an all day process to go through. We hurried over to the maternity ward, and were promptly given a room. Sarah was then hooked up to all types of machinery and equipment with flashing lights and loud noises which was enough to make anyone feel uneasy.
We sat.. waited..sat..waited.. sat..and waited some more.. and by then I knew one thing was certain.. I was hungry. I took Sarah's fast food order and made my way to the closest McDonalds, brought back some food, and we ate.. the nurse came in, and let us know everything was normal and ok.. and it was ok for us to go home (this was around 4:45 pm by this time).. we knew we had to pick Sarah's son up (CJ) at 5:30, so we were relieved to keep that appointment.
We drove to pick up CJ who was in Yorktown at the time (this is a good hour or so car ride for anyone who knows the area), and he was one happy camper when he got in the car. His happiness grew from the fact that he knew that the new RED DEAD REDEMPTION game came out for the xbox 360, and he knew he was about to hit up the video game store and get a copy. (He had been waiting 6 months for this game to come out). After taking him to the local "Gamestop", we then drove home, CJ couldn't wait to play his new game, (secretly, I couldn't wait to play it with him either) and Sarah just relaxed the whole ride home, little did we know what the night had in store for us.
As soon as we arrived home, CJ hustled into the house, and popped his new game into the xbox console. His smiled wider and wider as his excitement grew as he learned the controls of his new game. He had gotten about 10 minutes into his game when Sarah laughed. I pause there because.. when Sarah laughed.. something happened.. she rushed into the bathroom. I asked her if she was ok.. two or three minutes later, she popped her head out with the "I think my water just broke" statement. She called the hospital immediately, and the nurse said to come in right away. CJ was devastated..the game would have to wait. We then explained to him that .. we might be coming home with his sister, in which his mood changed to a very happy and pleasant demeanor.
Off to the hospital we went.. arriving around 7 p.m. or so would be my guess. We then checked into room 313, and when I walked into this room, I knew that this was no joke. This was one of the famed "delivery rooms", so I just knew I was gonna get my little girl in a few hours.
Sarah went right into the bathroom, and apparently her water broke again, or was still breaking, or never stopped breaking.. (for the life of me, I never figured out how water breaks, but that's what was happening). She then came out of the bathroom and "broke more water" all over the bed. The nurse came in, and said "yep, your water broke"..
Sarah then started having major contractions that were very, very painful. We called CJ's dad who lived in Williamsburg to come pick CJ up so that he wouldn't have to see his mom in pain. From Williamsburg to Suffolk is a little over an hour drive, and CJ's dad is a trooper, after a quick joke of "I dont care if your water broke, my water is just fine", he was happily on his way. Sarah's pain only intensified, as she had some minor bleeding. CJ looked at me with such sad eyes and asked why his mom was bleeding and if she was ok. I assured him that she was ok, but I know that didnt satisfy him, especially as Sarah was writhing in pain at this time. This went on for a good hour or so, and the nurses checked Sarah's cervix and reported that she was dialated to a 6, they gave Sarah 2 types of mild pain medication into an IV. CJ's dad and his girlfriend Cheryl arrived at about that time and took CJ with them.
Sarah was asking for a doctor repeatedly when the nurse informed us that all of the doctors were "off" this weekend and that one doctor was "covering for everybody".. the only problem was.. that one doctor...he was giving an emergency C-section in another room.. Sarah had previously requested an epidural (If I spelled that right, I really deserve a pat on the back), but there would be no epidural because she was dialated past the stage to receive it.
Sarah laid on the bed, writhing in pain, crying. She was hiding her face, laying sideways, covering her head with her arms in agony.. requesting anything for pain.. the nurses were whispering to themselves as I watched and stayed tuned in to what they were talking about. They were talking about delivering the baby themselves, because there was no doctor around. One of the nurses said "im gonna check your cervix again Sarah".. I watched as the nurse checked, then I saw a clump of blood fall out onto the bed.. The nurse looked shocked as she quickly threw her rubber glove in the bin and tried to hurry out of the room.. Sarah said to her "did you just check me? whats going on".. the nurse looked at her and said "your at a ten right now"..
apparantly a 10 means something.. cuz Sarah got really upset at that point. All this time, I was starting to get angry. I hated to see her writhing in pain, with no doctor to help... I started feeling faint..and nauseous as the 3 nurses gathered around with their rubber gloves on. I started to feel like I was in a weird movie. I asked the nurse to clear the way to the bathroom "just in case".. I didnt want them to put any of their machines in the way to the bathroom in case I had an "emergency".. they kept telling Sarah to breathe.. they whispered to themselves that they called another doctor who was a half hour away, and that he was on his way, so we had to keep Sarah calm for another half hour.
This was the longest half hour ever, between Sarah's yells of "Im gonna push", to my bouts of nausea and dizziness, to the nurses cracking jokes to lighten the tension.. I thought this was never going to end.. when to our surprise, in walks a doctor.
His first statement was .. " I see you guys are already ready" as he wiggled on his gloves... (umm dude, we were ready like an hour ago) .. he lifted Sarah's leg up... and all of a sudden I saw Lexi's head coming out... and he then pulled the rest of her out.. he cut the umbilical cord (I guess this guy didnt get the memo, that was my job!).. he cleaned Lexi's nose and mouth out, and ushered her to a table across the room where I moved to so that I could touch her.. Lexi was crying, but it made me happy to hear it, this little cry was a life changing moment. I made sure Sarah was ok and then focused on Lexi.. I put my finger on her hand and she grabbed my finger tightly and squeezed....she was the most beautiful thing in the world, and I helped create her...I stroked her hair and touched her face, fighting back tears, I felt like I was going to burst with love inside.. I can't really explain it, but its like the feeling of love over takes your body and it really can't be put into words...
This was quite a life changing experience, and I know a lot of my friend and family want pictures, so the easiest way to get pictures to everyone was to simply create this blog. Feel free to right click and save the pictures.
Series of events as told by the Mother:
As Joey started his "series of events" I will start mine...
10:30am - Our Friday on May 21st started like every Friday did after the 35th week of our pregnancy...on the way to the doctors for a routine doctor's visit. I was 39wks pregnant so I knew Dr. Jones was going to check my cervix to see if there was any change from the previous week and talk about any questions or concerns. So when I got into the room and started talking to her. She asked about Lexi's movement and with my reply of "she's slowed down her movement here recently," Dr Jones decided to check things out. She preformed a cervix check (which was REALLY rough and uncomfy) and informed me I was a little passed 2cm. Afterward, she did an ultrasound to check the fluid around Lexi and said it looked great. Then had me hooked up to a machine to preform a NST test (this is where contractions and Lexi's heart rate are monitored). As soon as I was hooked up, my contractions started coming stronger and more frequently and during one contraction, Lexi's heart rate dropped dramatically. Dr. Jones didn't like this at all and sent me over to the labor and delivery ward to be monitored over a longer period of time. So...off to a day full of sitting in a hospital bed...
Noon - Sitting in a hospital bed listening to Lexi's heart beat, my contractions keep coming...but they're bearable. Poor Joey is starving and wishing he brought a book to read because he KNOWS it's going to be a while. After a couple of hours, Joey runs out to pick up some McD's so we can eat.
4:30pm - The doctor FINALLY comes in to tell us that Lexi's seems fine and everything is A-OK! She checked me and said I was still the same as earlier but we may be back before the weekend is out due to my contractions.
5:45pm - We make it to Yorktown to pick up my son, CJ, from his dad's girlfriend and head out to the game store to get CJ the new Red Dead Redemption game he's been wanting for months. I had this nagging feeling, though, that he wasn't going to get much time playing this game because my contractions just weren't going away.
7:00pm - We get home, I make dinner as CJ and Joey jump on the game so Joey can teach CJ how to play his new game.
7:30 - 8pm - We (CJ & I) eat some dinner and settle down. CJ was on his game for about half an hour when Joey says something funny about CJ's game playing...I laugh and "WHOOSH"...I feel a gush coming out. I run to the bathroom as Joey calls behind me "BABE! What's wrong?!" I poke my head out to inform Joey that my water may have broke. I call up the doctor as Joey begins to get things ready to go...just in case. Doctor calls back and says to head up to the hospital.
830pm - 9pm - We make it to the hospital and get our room. The nurse has me get prettied up in one of their hospital gowns (Ha Ha!). As I'm getting ready I feel some more gushes. I make it to the bed when all of a sudden one good gush of water comes out. I look at Joey and give him that "Yup..tonight's the night!" look. The nurse checked things out and informed us that my water indeed did break. CJ informed me around 9:30pm he wanted his dad to come pick him up. So I call his dad, who lives over an hour from the hospital, his some wants him to come pick him up. I get on the horn to get his dad up to the hospital ASAP and with his comedic response of "That's not MY problem your water broke...mine's just fine!" we chuckle and he heads our way.
10 - 11pm - My contractions are getting stronger and WAY more intense. I tell Joey our baby girl isn't going to wait until morning...she's on her way tonight.
11pm - CJ's dad makes it to the hospital and meets Joey on the maternity ward because Joey doesn't want to go far because he sees how much pain I'm in and knows it's going to be soon that his daughter will be here. As he walks CJ out, the nurse finally checks my cervix and informs me I'm @ 6cm dilation. I inform her that I want an epidural because I know I don't have much longer before I can't ask for one. Her response? "It may not happen honey. Both anesthesiologists are caught up in an emergency c-section which may keep them for another half-hour. Joey comes back in the room and I tell him how far I'm dilated and how I have to wait for an epidural and start crying because the pain by this point is so intense! Joey stands next to me and rubs my back and sighs because he knows how much pain I'm in and feels SO bad. He constantly checks to see how I'm doing and if there's anything he can do. He gets a nurse because he can't take my being in pain anymore knowing I want an epidural.
11:30ish - The nurse comes in and checks me...9cm...she offers to give me a pain medicine in my IV to ease the pain because the doctor was still caught up in the c-section. I cry and agree to it because I KNOW this is going to be a natural birth. She administers the drug and I get REALLY light headed as I ask the nurse "What the HELL did you GIVE me?!"
Most of what happens after the drug is put in my IV is somewhat of a blur. I only remember contractions and how much they hurt. At some point, Lexi starts pushing herself out and I fight her with everything I have because the nurse is behind me is telling me not to push and breathe. This happens through 3 contractions...by the 4th one I was done. Lexi won the battle and I tell the nurses that this is it...I can't help but push and she is coming NOW. I feel someone grab my leg and throw it over and with one push, Lexi is out. I know I don't mention much of Joey, but after the drug was given to me I couldn't remember anything. My head was spinning and the only thing that brought me to was the pain from the contractions. I look at Joey after Lexi came and told him to go see his daughter. I knew the only reason he was next to me was because he wanted to make sure I was ok...but I knew how much he wanted to touch her and talk to her.
I am so glad Lexi is finally here. She is so beautiful and perfect..I can't thank God enough for such a wonderful gift. I know how much Joey has wanted to be a father and be able to hold his daughter and I'm so happy he can finally hold her and tell her how much he loves her. She definitely has the best family ever!
10:30am - Our Friday on May 21st started like every Friday did after the 35th week of our pregnancy...on the way to the doctors for a routine doctor's visit. I was 39wks pregnant so I knew Dr. Jones was going to check my cervix to see if there was any change from the previous week and talk about any questions or concerns. So when I got into the room and started talking to her. She asked about Lexi's movement and with my reply of "she's slowed down her movement here recently," Dr Jones decided to check things out. She preformed a cervix check (which was REALLY rough and uncomfy) and informed me I was a little passed 2cm. Afterward, she did an ultrasound to check the fluid around Lexi and said it looked great. Then had me hooked up to a machine to preform a NST test (this is where contractions and Lexi's heart rate are monitored). As soon as I was hooked up, my contractions started coming stronger and more frequently and during one contraction, Lexi's heart rate dropped dramatically. Dr. Jones didn't like this at all and sent me over to the labor and delivery ward to be monitored over a longer period of time. So...off to a day full of sitting in a hospital bed...
Noon - Sitting in a hospital bed listening to Lexi's heart beat, my contractions keep coming...but they're bearable. Poor Joey is starving and wishing he brought a book to read because he KNOWS it's going to be a while. After a couple of hours, Joey runs out to pick up some McD's so we can eat.
4:30pm - The doctor FINALLY comes in to tell us that Lexi's seems fine and everything is A-OK! She checked me and said I was still the same as earlier but we may be back before the weekend is out due to my contractions.
5:45pm - We make it to Yorktown to pick up my son, CJ, from his dad's girlfriend and head out to the game store to get CJ the new Red Dead Redemption game he's been wanting for months. I had this nagging feeling, though, that he wasn't going to get much time playing this game because my contractions just weren't going away.
7:00pm - We get home, I make dinner as CJ and Joey jump on the game so Joey can teach CJ how to play his new game.
7:30 - 8pm - We (CJ & I) eat some dinner and settle down. CJ was on his game for about half an hour when Joey says something funny about CJ's game playing...I laugh and "WHOOSH"...I feel a gush coming out. I run to the bathroom as Joey calls behind me "BABE! What's wrong?!" I poke my head out to inform Joey that my water may have broke. I call up the doctor as Joey begins to get things ready to go...just in case. Doctor calls back and says to head up to the hospital.
830pm - 9pm - We make it to the hospital and get our room. The nurse has me get prettied up in one of their hospital gowns (Ha Ha!). As I'm getting ready I feel some more gushes. I make it to the bed when all of a sudden one good gush of water comes out. I look at Joey and give him that "Yup..tonight's the night!" look. The nurse checked things out and informed us that my water indeed did break. CJ informed me around 9:30pm he wanted his dad to come pick him up. So I call his dad, who lives over an hour from the hospital, his some wants him to come pick him up. I get on the horn to get his dad up to the hospital ASAP and with his comedic response of "That's not MY problem your water broke...mine's just fine!" we chuckle and he heads our way.
10 - 11pm - My contractions are getting stronger and WAY more intense. I tell Joey our baby girl isn't going to wait until morning...she's on her way tonight.
11pm - CJ's dad makes it to the hospital and meets Joey on the maternity ward because Joey doesn't want to go far because he sees how much pain I'm in and knows it's going to be soon that his daughter will be here. As he walks CJ out, the nurse finally checks my cervix and informs me I'm @ 6cm dilation. I inform her that I want an epidural because I know I don't have much longer before I can't ask for one. Her response? "It may not happen honey. Both anesthesiologists are caught up in an emergency c-section which may keep them for another half-hour. Joey comes back in the room and I tell him how far I'm dilated and how I have to wait for an epidural and start crying because the pain by this point is so intense! Joey stands next to me and rubs my back and sighs because he knows how much pain I'm in and feels SO bad. He constantly checks to see how I'm doing and if there's anything he can do. He gets a nurse because he can't take my being in pain anymore knowing I want an epidural.
11:30ish - The nurse comes in and checks me...9cm...she offers to give me a pain medicine in my IV to ease the pain because the doctor was still caught up in the c-section. I cry and agree to it because I KNOW this is going to be a natural birth. She administers the drug and I get REALLY light headed as I ask the nurse "What the HELL did you GIVE me?!"
Most of what happens after the drug is put in my IV is somewhat of a blur. I only remember contractions and how much they hurt. At some point, Lexi starts pushing herself out and I fight her with everything I have because the nurse is behind me is telling me not to push and breathe. This happens through 3 contractions...by the 4th one I was done. Lexi won the battle and I tell the nurses that this is it...I can't help but push and she is coming NOW. I feel someone grab my leg and throw it over and with one push, Lexi is out. I know I don't mention much of Joey, but after the drug was given to me I couldn't remember anything. My head was spinning and the only thing that brought me to was the pain from the contractions. I look at Joey after Lexi came and told him to go see his daughter. I knew the only reason he was next to me was because he wanted to make sure I was ok...but I knew how much he wanted to touch her and talk to her.
I am so glad Lexi is finally here. She is so beautiful and perfect..I can't thank God enough for such a wonderful gift. I know how much Joey has wanted to be a father and be able to hold his daughter and I'm so happy he can finally hold her and tell her how much he loves her. She definitely has the best family ever!
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