Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Newborn Pics
My wonderful sister Nicole took some newborn pics of Cooper for me. She was amazing, a baby whisperer. He didn't wake up once, and she wouldn't let me help. She made me sit, relax, and enjoy the whole thing. It was so fun!! Here is her blog: nicolechristiansenphoto.blogsp
Birth Story - Our Family of 3
Short Version
Wednesday 4:00 AM-First Contraction
Thursday 8:00 AM Hospital Admittance after more than 24 hours of painful contractions at least 10 minutes apart. Dilated to a 4.
Thursday 2:30-Epidural Dilated to a 5.
Friday Morning 3:00 A.M. Dilated to a 10. Begin Pushing.
6:00 A.M. Pushing for 3 hours, baby good, but stuck. C-Section Prep.
6:45 A.M. Cooper Austin Cook born. Happy Momma and Daddy.
Readers Digest Version:
I thought it would be fun to write out what happened during the arrival of our anticipated Cooper man. It will probably be long and detailed, because that's how I tell stories. A week before I had the little guy the doc told me that I was probably going to go an extra week, so when I had my first contraction at 4:00 in the morning on Wednesday the 26th (his original due date), I was SUPER EXCITED! It woke me up it hurt so bad, then for about two hours I sat there feeling Braxton Hicks and lots of pressure (which was awesome because he hadn't dropped before then). At 6 A.M. I texted my dear friend Katie that lives in Pennsylvania and told her something was going on for a few minutes, and then I woke Austin up.
K-"Austin, Austin,,,, I can't Sleep"
A-"Hey, Why not?"
K-"Because I'm feeling contractions."
A-"You can't sleep because they hurt?"
K-"No, I can't sleep because I am excited."
A-"Oh gosh, ha, go back to sleep."
So for then from 7:00 A.M. for all day long I had a contraction at least every ten minutes, they just weren't consistent. Some were three minutes apart, and some were 7, but they were always under ten, and man they were pretty painful. I did my last minute shopping in the morning (don't drive during contractions, it's not safe I now realize :) and tried to sleep at 2:00-3:00 but there was no sleeping during these babies. Ouch. So Austin went with me to work from 4-6 pm just to finish up some projects and possibly head to the hospital after, but still, no consistency. At about 9 I just started crying during one, I was tired, and they hurt a lot, and I was just getting really really tired. Either way, it was a long night for both of us (he stayed up to count contractions with me all night) and at 8:00 A.M. Thursday I finally decided to go to the hospital as they were 6 minutes consistent apart, just to see if I was dilated at all.
I was at a 3, and after an hour was at a 4 so they admitted me. I really wanted to make it to a five before getting my epidural, and of course as soon as I was admitted, the contractions started slowing again. So at around 2:30 P.M. I finally got the epidural. All I can say is EPIDURALS ARE FROM HEAVEN! At least this one was. The pain was gone and I could totally move my legs. I felt like I was in a spa! So much relief! So basically long story short, at 2 A.M. (on Friday Morning) I finally dilated to a 10. Yeah it took forever, and it was time to start pushing. My whole pregnancy and birth plan were centered around me NOT getting a C-section. I was so scared to have one, and just didn't want one, so when I got to a ten I was super excited and SOOOO tired.
My awesome pushing team was Austin, Laurisa-one of my closest and dearest friends and doula, and Susie- a nurse/angel sent from heaven. Through every contraction they helped lift legs, count, encourage, it was truly amazing. Susie would have me push and see if the baby was moving at all, then try to breath a different way and push again. Laurisa, being a nurse and have given a couple natural births knew a few different positions to help get the baby through the pelvis. They were all about finding the best way to get that baby movin'. His heart-rate never changed, it was good the whole time, he just wasn't moving. He was an inch away for about 2 hours. Austin could see/feel his head, but he just was stuck. After 3 hours of pushing and him not moving the doc said we had to do a C-section. I was totally devastated, and Austin asked for a couple minutes by ourselves. It was a very special couple of minutes and he gave me a blessing too. I realize now that a C-section really isn't that bad, I just didn't know that then. It was during those 3 hours of pushing that I really felt heaven nearby. People say, "oh, three hours of pushing, how awful." but it really was one of the neatest experiences I have ever had. I truly think that Susie our nurse was a tender mercy, and the fact that Laurisa was there too. Austin was amazing, and I felt many prayers coming our way, I really did. It was the most exhausting and emotional thing I've ever done, but I felt as though heaven was looking down on our little family and experience.
So then at 6:45 A.M. on Friday, Cooper Austin Cook finally entered the world. Austin got it on video, and I started to cry (again) when I heard his sweet cry. They washed him off and let Austin hold him and sit by me (while strapped to the operating table) for about 5 minutes. They also waited for me to give him his bath so I could watch, they were AMAZING at this hospital. Orem Community totally rocks!! He was just soooo cute to me, especially when they would bring him in to get fed at night, he just kept changing and he was so so adorable. (Of course every mom thinks this, and I now fall into that category). When they were doing the c-section one of the nurses ran around the table to me and whispered "Oh you did the right thing, he was so stuck, his head was sideways, you would have never been able to push him out." It was good to hear that, and gave me a little more comfort about doing the C-Section for baby's sake. Now we're a family of three, and we sure love this little guy. He has been so much fun. I LOVE him, and Austin is AMAZING with him. I just love what he's brought to our family. As much as I wanted to avoid a C-section, it all worked out for the best, and little Cooper is here and safe, and we are now a family of 3 :)
Wednesday 4:00 AM-First Contraction
Thursday 8:00 AM Hospital Admittance after more than 24 hours of painful contractions at least 10 minutes apart. Dilated to a 4.
Thursday 2:30-Epidural Dilated to a 5.
Friday Morning 3:00 A.M. Dilated to a 10. Begin Pushing.
6:00 A.M. Pushing for 3 hours, baby good, but stuck. C-Section Prep.
6:45 A.M. Cooper Austin Cook born. Happy Momma and Daddy.
Readers Digest Version:
I thought it would be fun to write out what happened during the arrival of our anticipated Cooper man. It will probably be long and detailed, because that's how I tell stories. A week before I had the little guy the doc told me that I was probably going to go an extra week, so when I had my first contraction at 4:00 in the morning on Wednesday the 26th (his original due date), I was SUPER EXCITED! It woke me up it hurt so bad, then for about two hours I sat there feeling Braxton Hicks and lots of pressure (which was awesome because he hadn't dropped before then). At 6 A.M. I texted my dear friend Katie that lives in Pennsylvania and told her something was going on for a few minutes, and then I woke Austin up.
K-"Austin, Austin,,,, I can't Sleep"
A-"Hey, Why not?"
K-"Because I'm feeling contractions."
A-"You can't sleep because they hurt?"
K-"No, I can't sleep because I am excited."
A-"Oh gosh, ha, go back to sleep."
So for then from 7:00 A.M. for all day long I had a contraction at least every ten minutes, they just weren't consistent. Some were three minutes apart, and some were 7, but they were always under ten, and man they were pretty painful. I did my last minute shopping in the morning (don't drive during contractions, it's not safe I now realize :) and tried to sleep at 2:00-3:00 but there was no sleeping during these babies. Ouch. So Austin went with me to work from 4-6 pm just to finish up some projects and possibly head to the hospital after, but still, no consistency. At about 9 I just started crying during one, I was tired, and they hurt a lot, and I was just getting really really tired. Either way, it was a long night for both of us (he stayed up to count contractions with me all night) and at 8:00 A.M. Thursday I finally decided to go to the hospital as they were 6 minutes consistent apart, just to see if I was dilated at all.
I was at a 3, and after an hour was at a 4 so they admitted me. I really wanted to make it to a five before getting my epidural, and of course as soon as I was admitted, the contractions started slowing again. So at around 2:30 P.M. I finally got the epidural. All I can say is EPIDURALS ARE FROM HEAVEN! At least this one was. The pain was gone and I could totally move my legs. I felt like I was in a spa! So much relief! So basically long story short, at 2 A.M. (on Friday Morning) I finally dilated to a 10. Yeah it took forever, and it was time to start pushing. My whole pregnancy and birth plan were centered around me NOT getting a C-section. I was so scared to have one, and just didn't want one, so when I got to a ten I was super excited and SOOOO tired.
My awesome pushing team was Austin, Laurisa-one of my closest and dearest friends and doula, and Susie- a nurse/angel sent from heaven. Through every contraction they helped lift legs, count, encourage, it was truly amazing. Susie would have me push and see if the baby was moving at all, then try to breath a different way and push again. Laurisa, being a nurse and have given a couple natural births knew a few different positions to help get the baby through the pelvis. They were all about finding the best way to get that baby movin'. His heart-rate never changed, it was good the whole time, he just wasn't moving. He was an inch away for about 2 hours. Austin could see/feel his head, but he just was stuck. After 3 hours of pushing and him not moving the doc said we had to do a C-section. I was totally devastated, and Austin asked for a couple minutes by ourselves. It was a very special couple of minutes and he gave me a blessing too. I realize now that a C-section really isn't that bad, I just didn't know that then. It was during those 3 hours of pushing that I really felt heaven nearby. People say, "oh, three hours of pushing, how awful." but it really was one of the neatest experiences I have ever had. I truly think that Susie our nurse was a tender mercy, and the fact that Laurisa was there too. Austin was amazing, and I felt many prayers coming our way, I really did. It was the most exhausting and emotional thing I've ever done, but I felt as though heaven was looking down on our little family and experience.
So then at 6:45 A.M. on Friday, Cooper Austin Cook finally entered the world. Austin got it on video, and I started to cry (again) when I heard his sweet cry. They washed him off and let Austin hold him and sit by me (while strapped to the operating table) for about 5 minutes. They also waited for me to give him his bath so I could watch, they were AMAZING at this hospital. Orem Community totally rocks!! He was just soooo cute to me, especially when they would bring him in to get fed at night, he just kept changing and he was so so adorable. (Of course every mom thinks this, and I now fall into that category). When they were doing the c-section one of the nurses ran around the table to me and whispered "Oh you did the right thing, he was so stuck, his head was sideways, you would have never been able to push him out." It was good to hear that, and gave me a little more comfort about doing the C-Section for baby's sake. Now we're a family of three, and we sure love this little guy. He has been so much fun. I LOVE him, and Austin is AMAZING with him. I just love what he's brought to our family. As much as I wanted to avoid a C-section, it all worked out for the best, and little Cooper is here and safe, and we are now a family of 3 :)
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