dexter klay norton

We have finally been able to meet our sweet little babe Dexter!

Here's how it all went down. 

So the past week starting around the 16th or so I had been having some leaking in my underwear - nothing major, but enough that it would bother me and I would change my underwear at least twice a day. 

On Friday the 19th I hit my week over due mark and had some contractions that had pain associated with them - I woke up that morning and all night/morning my stomach was basically permanently stiff. It had me worried and concerned enough that I went in for a non stress test to see what was up. The lady working was named Kathy and I loved her! She was so friendly and so helpful and educated me a lot on my little guy in there. She did the test and everything came out just fine, basically I have a thinner build so I was just running out of room and so my stomach was really tight. I went throughout the weekend continuing with contractions that had pain associated with them. They got stronger and got closer together but still nothing to alarm going into the hospital.

Sunday morning I woke up and my underwear was as wet as it's ever been so it had me more alarmed then usual. I woke up Dave and said I don't think it's anything to be alarmed by but lets just go into the hospital and just see what they say. He went back to bed and I got up, showered and ate. I hung out eating while sitting on the medicine ball. Watched failure to launch, packed the rest of my hospital bag and played the ball with Kaya. I woke up Dave around 11 and he got in the shower and we were on our way to the hospital. It was a peaceful Sunday with beautiful sunshine and blueskies. We just took our time and drove to Intermountain and walked in. It was calm it was peaceful and no stress of rushing through checkin worried about anything happening or any pain. 

We gave them our info and got escorted to room number 5. The attendant told me to strip down, put on the robe and then a nurse would be in to check everything. Dave and I went in expecting to be laughed out of the hospital so we didn't even bring my bag in. The first nurse we had was Lisa - she was pretty chill and straightforward and got us all settled in. She checked to see if I was dilated and came out with only 2 1/2 - which was up from only a 1 the prior Tuesday. So I was at least glad we were progressing. When she said I was only a 2 1/2 I immediately prepared myself to go home, in that I had always assumed and heard they won't admit you unless you're at a 4. (besides water breaking and complications of course) She checked to liquid I had described that was leaking all week and what I woke up with and assumed it was just discharged. She checked to see if it was amniotic fluid and it didn't come up as that as she swabbed it on a tester slide. She said she'd go check under the microscope to see what that said, but basically played it off as "ya you're home it's just normal discharge..."

She left the room and Dave and I made plans to stop by Denny's to eat away our sorrows. She came back in roughly 10 minutes later wiping hand sanitizer all over her hands and wryly said "So you ready to have a baby today...." WHAT?! "ya that was your water breaking....." WHAT?!!?!?!?!? Excitement, nerves all the emotions ran over me and looking at Dave made it all calm again. He got me through everything and I couldn't have done a minute of it with out him. So now on to decisions and procedures of how this is to all happen. I was put on potocen which I didn't want to be induced, but the nurse explained to me that since my body already naturally went into labor, then this will just help speed it up. I felt better about that definitely so then it was the decision of when to get the epidural. I had any "real" pain so i was holding out as long as i could. The nurse let me be and would come in occasionally because my monitors kept slipping and every time she'd ask "are you sure you don't want your epidural...." I was pretty insistent that I didn't in that no pain had happened yet. 

The nurse came back in to check me again and this time around it felt as if something was bubbling inside my stomach and all the sudden a gush of water came out - Lisa broke the rest of my water without me even being told! But I'm glad she did - almost immediately after I felt different and I all the sudden started having some more major pain. I then was offered the epidural and couldn't quite decide. I don't know exactly why I was holding out - maybe I was nervous getting it, or I had heard somewhere that if you get potocen an epidural slows it down? but it wasn't until another contraction came on and I then succumbed to the epidural. My exact words were "ok ok ok ok ok ok ok I get it I get it Lisa  - just order the epidural....!" So I endured a pathetic 3 contractions when I was only dilated to a 3! Big fat wuss am I!!

Dr Epson came in and gave me my epidural - which to be honest I was super scared to get. It was pretty painless and in a strange way felt pretty cool. It took about 15 minutes or so to fully kick in but when it did I couldn't even feel a thing it was awesome!! The thing that bothered me more was just getting the catheter! It didn't really hurt I just psyched myself out knowing what was happening I think. So now it's just the continual waiting game....

The nurse came in and checked again and I had only jumped to a whopping 4 ! this babe wasn't coming till the wee hours of the morning we were sure of it...At 7 pm we received a new nurse JoRae since Lisa's shift had ended. JoRae was great and easy going I liked her a lot. We basically knew it was meant to be when we discovered that our least favorite word was "moist" - I knew I liked her! 

JoRae then checked me around 9 and I had jumped to a 7!!! wahooooo we are making progress!! She then came in less then about an hour and I was ready to start pushing. We did a practice push and I was able to do it pretty well with JoRae coaching me- but the key was when she told me to pretend like I was pooing and I said "oh I'm good at pooing" and from there on out I was a champ pusher! they called my doctor and I was only pushing for about a half an hour when JoRae Yelled "ok stop stop we need to wait for your doctor" WHAT! stop!! where was Froerer!!!! they called him a little too late dangit so JoRae PUSHED Dex back in!!!!!! who does that!!! ahhhhh from there it was the longest 6 minutes ever just sitting there waiting for Froerer to get there. He finally arrived and we got this going again. I only pushed one more set and Froerer pulled him right out - 

10:42 we met mister Dexter Klay Norton in the flesh and he became ours forever. They placed him crying on my stomach/chest while the nurse dried him off. I can't believe I got to touch see feel this little guy who I've been dreaming to meet for so long. They then took him and weighed, measured and all the other fun stuff they do to him. He was then given back to me and we met skin to skin and I fed him for the first time. Surprisingly he latched right on! We then had our parents finally come in and they were able to meet him and hold him. 

It was such a great experience and way easier then I anticipated labor to be. I was really nervous to deliver but now know we women are built for this and it is so natural and beautiful. The nurses then took us up to our room where we spent the next 2 days getting to know our new little guy. We had visitors upon visitors and lots of love from family and friends. People that came to visit us at the hospital were My whole immediate family, Susie, Kent, Amy, Jackson, Kara, Shauna, Annika, Becky, Brittany, Jake, Lindsay, Parker, Diane, and Brooke.

Intermountain was really great with their hospitality and I'm grateful for all our great Nurses and CNA's. Leaving the hospital was so surreal and I couldn't believe that they just let us leave with this little fella. 

We're so thrilled beyond anything I could have ever imagined - and now for picture overload :)