miles richardson

adam has taken the older two on a bike-ride on this gorgeous fall day, so i'm going to try to get the birth story in real quick before i forget while sweet miles sleeps next to me in the bouncy seat. this may be more detailed than you care to read, but i'm mostly posting so i can remember the details later:)

thurs, oct 14 around 6 pm i started having more regular contractions...say every 5-10 minutes. i've been contracting a lot in the last month, but this was the first pattern i had noticed. because i knew i was dilated already some, it was my 3rd pregnancy, and i was gbs positive this time and needed to get 2 doses of antibiotics in before delivery (taking at least 4 hours), i did not want to wait around at home for too long. we put the kids to bed, adam's parents came and we went to the hospital around 9. i was monitored for 2.5 hours and my contractions did not increase in strength or frequency during that time and i did not dilate any further so they sent me home around 1130. i felt so dumb..."this is my 3rd pregnancy and i don't even know if i'm really in labor!" we checked in with char who took over for adam's parents and decided to spend the night at our house since it was so late. we went to bed.

at 1am i woke up in agony with serious total body contractions every 2 minutes. adam said, "just lay down honey." ha! i probably said something mean and told him we had to go back to the hospital NOW. we are SOOOO thankful char decided to spend the night! we quickly left and the same nurse (who helped deliver marit 3 years ago) quickly admitted us. by the time we got there i was shaking uncontrollably and throwing up. i always do this when i hit transition. things moved much faster this time, i was given the first dose of antibiotics i needed, checked and was 7cm dilated, 90% effaced, contractions continued to increase in intensity and poor adam was getting squeezed (i was probably digging my nails in too) so tightly each time. it is amazing how quickly i forget the pain...graham was only two years ago. i was thankful that i had already consented for an epidural the first time we came to the hospital, so the doc was able to come a place it quickly (though i told him it could not be soon enough). i realize there are lots of schools of thought on pain-control and the epidural is the only one i have used...had 3 great ones and i'm always amazed at how the pain is relieved, but i don't get loopy (nothing in the blood stream), the baby is unaffected, and i can still feel enough pressure to push. the contrast is incredible. but then, i am a nurse and adam a doctor so we don't worry too much about embracing many aspect of traditional medicine. once it was placed, i stopped throwing up and adam and i were able to relax for a few minutes. the baby's heart rate started to decelerate with contractions, so the doc (who happened to be a 4th year resident and did a great job as my doc was on her way back from mexico) was going to check me again expecting me to be complete, but she lifted the sheet and said "oh, there's the head! don't move!" we prepared for delivery and he was out in one contraction with three tiny pushes. adam said "i think it's a boy...it's a boy isn't it?" it was 5:02 am and we rejoiced! miles was a little purple (apgar of 7) so they bulb suctioned him a minute and wrapped him up while i was stitched up (same type of 2nd degree tear i have had with all three). he weighed 8 lbs 11 oz...my biggest baby yet! marit was 7, 6 and graham 8, 8. then he nursed like a champ for nearly an hour while they prepared for us to be transferred to the post-partum unit. i was immediately starving so adam went and got a celebration breakfast including coffee...somehow we always miss an entire night of sleep with the births of our babies.

we did not get the 2nd dose of antibiotics in so we had to stay in the hospital an extra night, but it was sweet time for miles and i to just snuggle and get acquainted. my parents came to help out with the older two and they visited miles a couple times. both marit and graham are big fans, but marit was in denial that it was a boy for a few days. she finally calls him miles instead of lucy (our girl name). graham is soooo loving and wants to help hold him constantly, which is rather frightening and requires LOTS of supervision. i can see that this transition is going to be crazy-hard, but we are trusting the Lord for just the grace we need moment to moment.