The Best Day of my Life - March 19, 2007

Before posting Drake's birthday, I've been wanting for so long to get his entrance into the world in writing.  Ever since that day 5 years ago I've wanted to write it in a journal but I'm always paranoid about a house fire and it would be lost.  Now that I'm trying to keep up with this blog, it seems like the perfect place for it to be.  I want to get this in writing so Drake will know what the day was like for me.

My Dearest Drake-
I was scheduled to have a c-section on Wednesday, March 21.  Daddy was working at South Central Coal Company in Spiro, Oklahoma at the time (I'm sure as you get a little older you will hear all about that lovely experience).  He was on midnights and he was planning on coming home Tuesday, the day before my c-section.  I went to my scheduled weekly office visit on that Monday, the 19th (I thought it was a little bizarre that I was going for a check up two days before surgery but I went along with it.  Everything happens for a reason!)  It was just a boring old Monday for me.  I slept in, ran a few errands then went home and made myself a turkey sandwich for lunch.  After my lunch, I went to my appointment at 3:00.  After waiting for a little while, the nurse called me back.  Of course, we started by getting my weight.  This was not a very pleasant part of the visit.  FYI......I gained 65 pounds during this pregnancy!!!!  After all, I didn't want you to be malnourished!  The next step was to check my blood pressure.  The nurse checked it once and kind of shook her head and she started over.  Next, she kind of laughed and said she was having a typical Monday and nothing was going her way so she was going to get another nurse to check it because there was no way it could be right.  A couple minutes later she came back with another nurse.  The new nurse checked it and said it must be the machine that was messed up so she left the room and came back with a new one.  They checked it with the new machine and without even saying a word she threw herself to hit the emergency button by the door.  I look back amazed that I just sat there cool and calm the entire time.   The doctor came flying in the door and the nurses were telling him that my blood pressure was super high.  He then checked it himself and without hesitation he says, "You go to the OB NOW!!!  Baby must come out NOW!!!"  Still, cool and calm, I picked up my purse and started walking to the OB.  Thank goodness it's attached to the doctors office!  As soon as I got out of the doctors office doors I called Tyra to tell her what was going on.  After Tyra, I called Daddy.  He was sound asleep and he didn't believe me.  Of course, I was upset that he wasn't going to be here for your delivery!  On the way to the OB, I also called Honey and Jessica.  When I got to the OB, the doctors office had called them so they knew I was coming and they rushed me to a room to get on a gown and put in an IV.  Since Jessica worked at the hospital at the time, she was there right away.  Thank goodness, because the insertion of the IV wasn't a very pleasant experience and I'm not sure I could have handled it myself.  Honey and Tyra arrived pretty quick too!  It all seemed to happen so fast.  The nurses were telling me that the doctor was going to be on his way over to take me into surgery in just a few minutes.  Well, when he got there, they were wheeling me out of the room to go to the Operating Room when he asked when I had eaten last.  There happens to be a little rule that you're not supposed to have anesthesia until at least 8 hours after eating.  Remember that turkey sandwich I had for lunch???  OOPS!  So they turned me around and parked me back in the room where I had been.  They put blood pressure meds in my IV so they could wait as long as possible.  I was thinking this was good because maybe it would give Daddy a chance to get here.  While waiting, we watched Dancing with the Stars.  Billy Ray Cyrus was on that season so Tyra was sporting a Billy Ray t-shirt.  We got a good laugh out of that.  By 9pm, my blood pressure kept rising so into the OR we went.  Daddy had to drive 8 hours in rain and storms from Oklahoma so he didn't make it.  Honey and Jessica went into the OR with me since Daddy wasn't there.  Jess was helping the nurses and Honey was sitting behind my head.  After a little while, Honey almost passed out.  I was wondering what else crazy could happen on this day???  The anesthesiologist was sooooo nice!  He also sat behind me keeping me calm.  After being in the OR for what seemed like 2 minutes, right at 10:00 a nurse brought you, the new 8 pound 12 ounce, 20.5 inches long love of my life around the curtain for me to see.  It was the most amazing moment of my life.  You even gave me a little smile.  This reminded me that even though things didn't go as planned that day, everything was going to be just fine!  You were taken to the nursery for your first bath and a million pictures by family members through the glass of the nursery!  I went into the recovery room until I could feel my legs.  It seemed like FOREVER!!! It worked out perfectly because Daddy got there as I was being wheeled into my room from recovery.  Daddy was the first one to hold you.  He looked absolutely exhausted but he had the biggest smile on his face I have ever seen!!!  The next 4 days were VERY LONG ones so I'll save that for another post.    

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.  John 16:21