Unto Us A Logan Is Born

I find myself having enough energy to re-live the birth of my son, Logan Michael Milleman.


Monday Jan 11 2010:
This day started out as any other day. I woke up, got dressed, and took naps until Kevin came home. We had some stuff to do. Went to Koles so Kevin could exchange a jacket that was a little too big. Saw an old friend's mother, talked to her for an awkward bit, and then went to the hospital for my last stress test. The appointment was at 4:45. As I was in the appointment with Kevin, the nurse was asking how things were going. I told her that I was SOOO ready to have this baby, and Thursday couldn't get here fast enough. I was going to be induced Thursday Jan 17. The nurse said that there was something she could do to get me to go into natural labor, and if I was comfortable to let her strip my membrane. Stripping my membrane means that she releases the hormones that make a woman go into labor. Kevin and I looked at each other, and Kevin said that as long as it's okay for the baby, and me, he was up for it. I said, DO IT! I'm READY!!!!!! My back was hurting, I wasn't sleeping very well, so I was tired, SOOO tired. So as she was stripping my membrane she told me that she did a study on this and that 95% of women who did this went into labor within 24 hours. This turned out to be very true in my case. After the appointment Kevin and I went home, it was around 5:30. Kevin made dinner. This is when I started to feel some contractions, but it wasn't bad, rated on a pain scale from 1 being nothing to 10 being the worse pain in my life, I would rate it a 4. It wasn't anything out of the norm for me. I had been feeling contractions for several weeks. Kevin's friend Jenny was on her way to our house to drop off some baby items for us. I was walking around the house because the pain was getting worse, but not yet bad enough to call labor and delivery. So I went to change into PJ's, as I was doing so the pain got worse really fast. Went from a 4 to a 6. I started moaning and Kevin came running in to help me. I couldn't finish getting dressed. After changing, Kevin helped me to the couch where the pain was still getting worse and fast. The contractions were about 25 seconds, and about 2-3 mins apart. Kevin's friend Jenny arrived, and dropped off the stuff, but she didn't hang out because Kevin pushed her out to call labor and delivery. I couldn't talk, the pain was getting to be too much when I was having contractions. The nurses said to come to the hospital, it sounded like I was in labor. Kevin got the car ready. He was so calm, I couldn't believe it. He helped me to breath through the contractions, because you really do forget to breath, and everything you learned in all your classes just goes out the window!!! Kevin started calling the family. His mom and my mom. It was about 7:30 by the time we got to the hospital. They checked me. I was in pain now. Could hardly walk into the hospital, I had to hold on to Kevin several times before we even got into the building. Thank GOD Kevin was there! I really could not do this without him! After I was checked in and the nurses determined that I was in full labor, they got the room set up for me. As we were waiting for that to happen, I thought my water broke several times, and the nurses told me that it hadn't. Then my mom showed up. She stayed with me while Kevin paid for the labor. When she was with me she was tiring to lighten the mood, I gave her the dirtiest look, and she looked surprised that I could do that, she said, "OH, I guess you don't want to laugh" Or something along those lines. Then we wheeled me to my room. The nurses asked if I wanted my epidural. Kevin suggested not to get it yet because we didn't know how long my labor was going to be. The nurses said that I was 3 centimeters, and that if the pain was really bad (which it was, I would give it a 9) that it would be a good idea to get it now, and that it will last for the entire time, I said GIVE ME! The nurses were super nice. The woman who did my IV did a great job, didn't feel it at all. Then the man with the drugs came into the room, his name was Kevin!!! How funny! So they set me up for the epidural. I had a nurse help to hold me up and to not move. I was having bad contractions, they were very intense, lasting about 30 seconds, and they were only about 1 min apart, so I didn't have much time between to relax. As I was getting the epidural, and having contractions, I was looking at the nurse with the same dirty looks as I was giving to Kevin and my mom. In my head, I knew I was looking at this nice lady with deadly force, and I was thinking to myself, 'Natalie, soften your look, she is tiring to help you, and you are looking at her like I'm going to kill her, soften your face!' But I couldn't, I was focusing on getting through the contractions. Once the epidural was in, and I was on my side, I stated feeling better. However, because my body was working so hard, I got the shakes. Meaning, my whole body was shaking like I was a little old lady. There was nothing I nor anyone else could do to stop it. Just one of those things. The epidural kicked in, and I could now see people. Kevin's mom and dad came in, took some pictures, my mom came in, Valerie and Rick came to see me. I felt very loved, and couldn't wait to meet my baby.
Tuesday Jan 12, 2010:
By around midnight Kevin and I were exhausted, and took a little nap, I was 8 centimeters! They also had to break my water, because the baby was starting to get stressed, and they wanted to move along the labor. Boy did they! At around 1:15, it was time to push, thank goodness for the hour or so nap I took. The doctors and nurses got the room and myself ready. Kevin was at my side the entire time. I asked the doctor about how long I would be pushing for, she said about an hour I think. Oh that didn't sound bad at all. When the next contraction came, they told me to push, I pushed like a champ. The nurses couldn't believe that this was my first child. After two more pushes, Logan came into the world. they put him on my chest, and the love I felt, I will never be able to explain. I looked at Kevin with tears coming down my checks, and saw the tears in his eyes. It was the most magical moment of my life. My son was born at 1:44 AM. He was 6 lbs 14 oz and 18.5 in. Labor was 7 hours, and only 3 pushes! How lucky am I?
He is perfect. No marks, pink, with a round head. SOOOO cute! Kevin saw the whole thing, and he also cut the cord. They washed him up and bundled him up. Everyone who was at the hospital saw Logan, and everyone was so happy, and so tired! Me...I was on cloud nine, not tired at all!
I stayed at the hospital for 2 days, and then they sent us home. Logan did lose a little too much weight, but he has gained it all back and then some. I am breast feeding, he has never had a bottle. He is a joy to have. Not too fussy, he sleeps about 4 hours at a time. When he is awake, he just looks around and coos. He is holding his head up now, and he uses his legs when we play jump. He is the most wonderful child ever! I love him so much, all I do all day long is look at him. He is soooo adorable.