Birth Day!!!

I have thought about blogging several times this week, but there is just so much to tell I don't know where to start! So I'm going to start at the very beginning...a week ago today. Last week at this time I was a nervous wreck...scared that they would not have room for my scheduled induction on Friday. I still managed to enjoy the day and spent time with my friend Jaime picking out things for the house they are building (right across the street from us!!!) and just relaxing. I got my hair shampooed and styled and prayed for patience all day long! Kyle had softball game that night, but I stayed here to rest. He came home and gave me a beautiful diamond journey necklace. I was not expecting this at all considering he called me Saturday from the mall to ask where he could find some "cheap but nice jewelry" to give me for having the baby. Ha. Gotta love Kyle. It sounds cheesy, but we talked a lot about how much fun we have together and how rich and fulfilling these last first five years of our marriage have been. On one hand I felt a little sad to be leaving this chapter that we started together on June 7, 2003. On the other I was filled with so much joy and excitement to be adding another Silvio boy (because one just isn't enough) to my life to love and take care of forever. The sadness about the old chapter being over quickly went away and I was filled with so much excitement I could hardly sleep. I think we slept two hours.

Here I am right before we left for the hospital around 4:50 AM. So excited and HUGE!
Once we got to the hospital and the nurse showed me to my room I could not stop smiling. It was the best feeling in the world to know that we were going to meet our baby that day! They started giving me Pitocin (to induce labor) at 7 AM. I was already having contractions, but they became stronger very slowly. I kept telling the nurse to kick it up a notch...I was ready to get the show on the road. Around 10:15 AM my water broke. The nurse had just turned me on my side to get me in a position that Jackson would like better (his heart rate was dipping with each contraction when I was on my back, and she said sometimes they don't like a particular position you are in), and I heard a "pop". I thought it might have been my water breaking, but nothing followed, so I forgot about it. A few minutes later the nurse made me laugh, and I said "I'm so embarrassed but I think I just wet the bed!" Well it turns out my water had broken and then we knew we were DEFINITELY on a time frame to have the baby within 24 hours!!! How exciting.

Waiting patiently...
Brittany & Ryan were the first visitors to arrive around 11 AM with a baby tiger and beautiful flowers! Amazingly they made it from Baton Rouge to Houston in 3 1/2 hours...haha...Britt was a nervous wreck that I was going to have Jackson before she got there. I think the baby tiger was meant for Jackson, but I held him most of the day. Britt and Ryan were able to visit with us for about 35 minutes before my contractions got a little stronger and they gave me the epidural. I would have to say the most pain I had the whole day was when I was having contractions and Britt would make me laugh! It was so funny.

I had about 25 minutes of strong contractions before I got my epidural. I was only 2.5 cms dilated, but the anesthesiologists were going to be in surgery for an hour and a half, so the nurses didn't want to risk me going too long since I was dilating so quickly to that point. I was nervous about the epidural, and I moved every time he poked me! It didn't hurt at all; I was just jumpy. I told the anesthesiologist later that my biggest fear was jumping during the epidural and being paralyzed. He explained to me that that wasn't even within the realm of possibility for the type of epidural I was having. He said there is a tiny tiny risk of paralysis with spinal anesthesia if something doesn't go right, but the epidural is not placed directly in the spinal column ('epi-' meaning around) but in the area around it. Had I known this before, I would not have been nervous at all. After the epidural, I wasn't crazy about not being able to pick up my legs at ALL, but I'd rather have that minor discomfort over going without anesthesia!!!

PS--The strong labor contractions I did feel had NOTHING on those bladder infections I had during the pregnancy. I would describe labor pains as more of a heavy heavy cramp, which is painful but bearable. When I did feel discomfort I just looked at the baby's heart monitor and was completely distracted by thoughts of him coming soon!

The paparazzi (aka Gran, Pap, Mom, Dad, Mitch, LB, Benj, Jason, & Skylar) arrived shortly after my epidural. We had fun just chatting and taking pictures. Everyone was so excited.

Mitch really got a kick out of this sign.
Before epidural/after epidural!!! Notice Mitchell is happy in both. Ha. Okay I will admit these pictures were staged. Here are more pics of the excited visitors. They were hilarious. The nurses said we should have charged admission.

The nurses kept checking me, and I was dilating very quickly during the afternoon. I teared up when they came in and began setting up the delivery table and turned on the baby warming lamp to preheat. I was so excited and could not believe the baby was coming so soon. It still had not "hit" me yet though...
Around 4:50 or so, the nurse told me to start pushing on my next contraction. We started pushing and they decided we better wait because I was a strong pusher and Dr. White was still across the street seeing patients. They called him and we continued to do a little pushing every so often. Once Dr. White arrived, they put me up in the stirrups and turned all those lights on and it felt like a million people were in the room. I looked at Brittany, Laura Beth, and Kyle who were all sitting to my right and said "Oh my gosh this is really happening!".

We pushed for about 10 minutes (6 different contractions). Before the last one, Dr. White said, "OK on this next contraction we're going to have a baby." Then it hit me. I'm tearing up as I write it...it was the greatest moment of my entire life. I would do it again and again and again.

As soon as Jackson was out and they placed him on me, I was filled with more joy than I ever thought imaginable. He had the sweetest little cry and was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful and healthy. I felt so undeserving of such a precious gift. Every time I look at him I feel so undeserving. I am so thankful to God for Jackson. He was well worth the wait (and by wait I mean pregnancy seeming so long!)

Kyle did so well the entire day! He even cut the chord. He was such a great encouragement while I was pushing. He said, "Come on Lindz, you're kickin' this thing's butt!" That's the kind of encouragement I like...
After they took Jackson from me they did all his initial assessments and weighing, etc. He was so precious I could not stop staring at him. The nurses were all guessing his weight. I don't know who (if anybody) got it right, but he was 2 ounces off from what I thought (8 lbs.).

After they finished everything and handed him back to me, I stared at him in complete amazement. Kyle was so sweet. My heart completely melted when they gave Jackson to Kyle and I heard Kyle say to him, "Hey little man. We're going to have so much fun together." Ah. I'm so happy these two Silvio men are in my life! They are the most precious gifts from God.

A little while after this, those who were waiting were able to come in and see Jackson! The rest of our family came in town the next day, and so Jackson was greeted with a whole new set of people who love him and were excited to meet him. I'll post a few pictures from after the delivery, but most of them will be in our online photo album once we get it set up.
The happy family!

4 generations!!!
KK and Poppy!

Jase and Skylar!
The Shoumaker kids and their first nephew!
Great grandparents Granny & Pappy!
Aunt BB
KK & Poppy admiring their first grandson.
It really did feel like paparazzi were in the room! Everyone was snapping pictures of us. They were so excited to meet Jackson!
Everyone went to watch Jackson have his first bath in the nursery. He did not like it one bit from what I hear! However, he loved when they washed his hair because he stopped crying immediately. After Jackson was bathed, everyone headed out to Lupe Tortilla and Kyle and I ordered our supper from the hospital. We both got cheeseburgers and French fries. I was starving! I think not being able to eat all day was the hardest part about labor and delivery. A diet of ice chips is just not for me!

A couple hours later they moved us to our Postpartum room where we stayed Friday and Saturday night. Kyle was ecstatic to see a bigger couch bed in that room! Keith and Kayla made it into town later that night. We were so excited to see them! We got to hang out and talk for a while and they got to hold Jackson.

Uncle Keith
Jackson and me with Aunt Kayla
I thought this picture was funny. Kayla told me to adore Jackson, and I think it looks like I'm trying to scare the poor baby!
After Keith and Kayla left Kyle and I just sat talking and looking at Jackson. We are so excited that we are parents now. We have had our moments of feeling inadequate or that we don't know what in the world we are doing or why anyone let us leave the hospital with this child, but we are feeling more and more confident with each new day.

That first night Jackson slept really well. He made this cute little whimper noise while he was sleeping that just melted my heart. I didn't sleep very much with all the people coming in an out of the room to check my blood pressure, IV, etc. I was also just filled with so much excitement from the day I guess. Here's one last picture of Kyle and Jackson before we all went to bed.
I know this was a really long post. I'm trying to do everything in chronological order because although I do this for others to read it, I also keep it as a journal for us to have. So I'm sorry it was so lengthy! I'll be adding the second day with the rest of our family and more pictures from the first week this weekend, so check back!

Kyle and I would like to say thank you again to everyone who has prayed for us and Jackson over the past 9 months. We feel so blessed.

Much more to come...
~Lindz