The Fire Drill That Started It All

What could make a trip to the OBGYN even worse than it already is? I mean besides sitting naked on that exam table at 40 weeks pregnant. How about if you throw in a fire alarm?

Yep, that is how Alyssa Brynn Johnson began her journey into this world.

I was sitting naked on an exam table, my feet properly positioned in the stirrups (not the Yee Haw! kind. More the "can you cough for me" kind), and... the fire alarm went off.

Any one would think that might be enough to get this baby into the world quickly. But, I firmly believe that Alyssa has a pretty good sense of humor. She joked around about coming in July. Her teasing got a little more serious in August. And she played a mean practical joke 2 days early. But come, she did not.  Even with that little burst of adrenaline, thanks to the welcoming song of the fire alarm, she still wasn't quite sure she was ready for her grand entrance. And so this short story gets a whole lot longer. 18 hours longer, to be exact.

Let me back up a little bit. I came to my appointment a little bit early on September 19th (my due date) because the Dr. wanted me to take an NST. We discovered I was having contractions about every 7 minutes and that the baby wasn't handling them so well. Her heart rate was not following the pattern they wanted it to and her movement was less than ideal. We were in the exam room discussing the results of my NST when the alarm sounded. So, with eyes politely averted, while I scrambled ungracefully (let's all remember I am 40 weeks pregnant, getting dressed was no easy task) back into my pants, she yelled over the blaring alarm that she wanted me at the hospital as soon as possible.

So we hurried to the hospital and proceeded to wait. And wait. And wait. If the baby's heart was fine and my contractions didn't pick up, they were going to send me home. We got to the hospital around noon and they monitored my contractions and the baby until around 5pm when her heart rate did a funky dip. That dip was the deciding factor.  I was not going home without a baby. So a little after 5PM the Dr. broke my water.

Side note:
Although Ryan will claim he was sorry I was in so much pain once the contractions started, I think he was secretly glad to finally have something to do. He was starting to get really bored of watching Friends. Buuuuut, a little amniotic fluid here, a few untimely gapings of the gown there, I am pretty sure A) Ryan was praying to be back in that uncomfortable chair watching Friends and B) He will never, ever find me attractive ever again.
End Side note.

Sadie's delivery was an emergency C-section and I was hoping to do a VBAC  this time around. I was dead set on going without pain medication for as long as possible. However, the Dr. had requested I get an epidural before I started pushing, just in case I needed another c-section.  I had done a little preparation with hypnobirthing and was trying to incorporate their techniques into my labor. After about 4 hours of contractions and trying to visualize a blooming flower my nurse told me I hadn't dilated at all. So, I decided to screw the blooming flower* and got an epidural**.

*I highly recommend the hypnobirthing techniques. If I had a body that was capable of child birth I totally would be all about it. Sadly, I don't***.

**Are all anesthesiologists just reeeeeaaaaalllyy nice guys? Or, is it just the pain relief blurring my perception? Either way, they persuade me to have a little crush on them. I claim no responsibility. I am drugged.

***I have one almost brand new Hypnobirthing book and CD for sale.

I don't remember much after the epidural. There was some sleeping. There was lots and lots of monitoring. At one point I had like 7 different monitors coming out of my body. The baby started having heart arrhythmia (I don't know how to say that right) sometime in the early morning. The lady in the room next to me came, labored, delivered and left. I called her mean names. At 4AM they checked my cervix and I had fully dilated (Yea!!) except whenever I had a contraction it closed back down to a 7 (Boo!!).

So, at 4:30AM the Dr. and I had a heart to heart. The baby had not descended and was displaying irregular heart patterns, I was having regular contractions but none that were strong enough to progress labor and I had a delivery history with Sadie that pretty nearly matched this delivery so far. So we decided to opt for the C-Section then, before it became an emergency situation.  Around 5AM they wheeled me to the O.R.

So there is lots of talking. And the lights are so bright I can barely keep my eyes open. And I am scared, maybe stressed is a better word for it. And Ryan sits by my side and talks me through it. And the anesthesiologist keeps telling me to put my arms down because I am blocking the flow of the drugs through my IV. (I don't really remember this, but Ryan says it is so). And then there is this huge release of pressure and I know they have taken the baby out... and there is silence... which seems like it lasts forever. With Sadie and with Alyssa I just waited to hear that scream. And then it comes. It is the best sound in the world. It means that my baby is ok. And, it means I am done being pregnant and done with labor. Alyssa Brynn was born on Sept. 20th at 5:32AM after 18 hours of labor and we love her to death!

**WARNING: A few of the following pictures are rather graphic. We are talking blood and guts here. You have been warned.**

In the O.R. To the left is my awesome anesthesiologist. Then there is me. Some women look lovely while in labor, I am not one of them. Then if you dare, you can look to the right where you will see my Drs operating and the red is all of my innards.

She is born! Dr. is just about to cut her umbilical cord

First cries, getting cleaned off, tests, etc.

Meeting mom

Meeting dad. Ryan sent this picture out to our family and told them that she is a nice, calm, happy baby.

H-A-DOUBLE L- DOUBLE U- DOUBLE E-N

I am not sure how or why but the pumpkin carving got procrastinated to Halloween day so we were in crunch time to get them done. (I am not sure why I felt that pumpkins MUST be carved for Halloween, but I did) And, I thought Sadie would think it was so fun.
Basically the following pictures are a big fat lie! (is that an oxymoron?) I had the camera ready for Sadie's first foray into the pumpkin. It was also her last.  Exact  Quote: "Ewwww! It is too yucky! You do it mom. I am going to go watch the care bear movie, OK?"

So, while Sadie was care bearing I furiously carved. **Sigh** Perhaps next year it will be a fun family activity.

Near the end of September Sadie saw a fairy costume and totally wigged out because she wanted it. I stalled on the purchase, and good thing too because between then and now she also wanted to be a number of different princesses, a bumble bee, a pirate, a dinosaur, a kitty and a cowgirl. Lat week we finally settled on a witch ("The Good Kind, OK Mom?") thanks in large part to the witch lawn decorations in our neighborhood. This is my interpretation of a good witch. And of course, she needed a black cat so Alyssa filled the role.

I was on door duty while Ryan took Sadie out. We were prepared for about 100 trick-or-treaters. We got about 15. Ryan took ALOT of candy to work today to add to the communal candy bowl. However, the low number of kids in our neighborhood means Sadie totally scored some loot. Our neighborhood is full of Grandmas who handed out full size candy bars and capri suns, of course they were tied up in cute Halloween bags and tied with ribbon. I guess when you only get 15 kids at your door it is easy to do stuff like that. Is it surprising to anyone that she asked for candy for breakfast?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN