Our Story

This might get a little graphic so be warned. I want to tell our birth story.

7:15a.m - I woke up feeling slightly crampy and decided that I needed to go to the bathroom. I rolled over in bed and felt this pop. I assumed it was my water breaking but I had always anticipated that gush of fluid everyone talks about which didn't happen. Regardless, I though the bathroom would be the best place to be.

7:18a.m - Mom was going off to work and I called to her to get my book. I thought it might be a while. I hung out there for a bit but decided that I, in fact, did not need to go and went into the den to join Mom eating breakfast.

7:25a.m - Contractions started up pretty fast and furious. I had been having contractions for the past few days. They weren't bad or anything, maybe one every 10 minutes for a few hours and then they would stop. I assumed that was what was happening because I was convinced that Wyatt was never coming out. I told mom and she started timing them just in case. Sure enough they was about every 5 minutes and getting stronger.

7:45a.m - They started getting really painful to a point where the only position that I could endure them was on my knees hanging over the back of the couch. My mom really hates that couch so I was hoping my water would break all over it so we could throw it out. No such luck. We decided that this was definitely "it" and she went to wake up the family while I took a shower. I know, I know. I probably shouldn't have gotten in the shower. But I figured there was going to be a lot of action going on and I wanted to be clean for it. Plus, I thought I was going to be in labor for like 12 hours because it was my first.

8:00a.m - Still in the shower. My contractions were about 3 minutes apart. I was not timing them but would yell out of the bathroom every time I had one. Unfortunately, I needed to be on my hands and knees when they hit. Yes, on my hands and knees in the shower with the water hitting my back every 3 mintues. So the 5 minute shower I was taking turned into a 20 minute shower. I was completely ignorant to my family running around the house trying to get everything packed and ready. Rebecca called Dr. Diaz to let her know we were on the way to the hospital and then their mission became try to get Kate out of the shower.

8:10a.m - They finally got me out with conditioner still in my hair and proceeded to try and get me dressed. This was a task. I was indifferent to getting dressed and was perfectly content to go to the hospital butt ass naked. There was a lot of me roaming around the house in a towel or on all fours with my butt hanging out. It took both of my sisters hardest efforts to get me into underwears. At one point I remember putting on a shirt that Rebecca gave me but it not being the right shirt. I pitched a fit, ripped the shirt off, and told her to get me the other red one. Clearly, I was not a happy camper.

8:50a.m - I finally made it to the car. Mom was driving with Rebecca passenger. Lizzy and I were in the back with my Dad following in another car. I was kneeling on the back seat with my head hanging over in the trunk. I made my Mom promise that she would drive slowly and that I really was doing ok. Lizzy had a vibrating back massager that she was rubbing me with. It really helped to keep me focused on my back and not on my contractions.

9:00a.m - The hospital is about 30 minutes away. It was the longest car ride ever. My contractions were one on top of another with no break at all. It was some of the most intense pain I have ever felt in my life. However, I knew that it was pain with a purpose. So, each time it got bad I was that much closer to it being over. Mom and Rebecca kept on assuring me that we were almost there but every time I lifted my head to look we were not close at all. Liars, all of them.

9:10a.m - Getting closer but still in the car. Now is about the time that I felt like I needed to push. I told everyone and they started freaking. Seriously, I thought I was going to have the baby in the car. Mom was driving 80 miles an hour and running red lights. It took all of my concentration and will power to not push. Some curses were uttered and I sat on the heel of my foot to keep him in until we got to the hospital. Lizzy stopped massaging me for about two seconds and I said "Do not stop unless I tell you to". Again, laboring women are not very pleasant.

9:25a.m - We arrive at the hospital. Mom sends Lizzy running to tell them that I want to push and am in the car. Literally, about 3 nurses, a midwife, and a guy with a wheelchair come running out to the car. Right behind them is the incubator for the baby and more nurses. Hysterical! They get me upstairs as quickly as possible while my Mom stays downstairs to get me admitted. I don't remember any of this. I think I was trying to be off in my happy place. I do remember holding Lizzy's hand while I was in the wheelchair and for some reason they wouldn't let her in. Lizzy said I was reaching for her as they rolled me away. I don't remember getting in the elevator or going through the lobby. I do vaguely remember being wheeling by the nursery and seeing all these people staring at me. It registered that I probably looked ridiculous but I really didn't care.

9:30a.m - The nurses strip me down and get me into a gown. Lizzy and Mom come in to the very small and cramped delivery room (there were two nurses, a midwife, and a nursing student). They tell me that my water broke (probably when I was in the shower) and I am 9 centimeters but I can't push yet. It was like every instinct in my body was telling me to push and the nurses were telling me not to. My doctor wasn't in the hospital and they wanted Dr. Diaz to deliver the baby. It was the worst 20 minutes of the entire experience. At one point, the nurse was trying to get me hooked up and get a vein in my hand. It wasn't going well. I felt a little discomfort and asked what was happening. They didn't answer me but I looked over and saw blood. Lizzy jumped down the women's throat and asked "What are you doing to my sister" she totally had my back. Lizzy did amazing but I think seeing me in pain was the hardest part.

9:45a.m - I started to loose it a little bit. The nurses were still telling me not to push. My contractions were still every 3 minutes and no one was telling me what was going on. I was trying not to push but it was pretty impossible. The midwife said that I could push if I wanted to but she wasn't going to help me. She was the antithesis of the image I have of a midwife. She was very pushy with a ton of blue eye shadow. It is weird the things I remember. Mom told her to back off and I thought they were going to rumble. She kept on saying that she would deliver my baby but that I should really wait for my doctor. During my contractions she would wholly ignore me and be very negative when I would push. She asked me what the tattoo on my wrist said and my reply was "It's in French and I don't remember what it says right now." Seriously!! I don't think I could have told her my name if she asked. I know she was trying to distract me but I was in a lot of pain and trying to stay focused on having a baby. One of the nurses finally decided to help me out and got in my face, making me breathe during each contraction to keep me from pushing. I tried to calm down and stay focused. I knew that if I lost it completely that I would never gain my composure back and the experience would take a turn for the worse.

10:00a.m - My Dr finally showed up. I found out later that she is not a morning person and enjoys spending Saturdays with her daughters. Bully for her. At least she wasn't on vacation and completely unreachable. Once she came into the room, the stirrups came out, and they started letting me push. I took this part very seriously. I knew that the harder I pushed and quicker he would come out. Mom said that my face was bright red and everyone kept telling me to breathe. Breathing is for wimps. I wanted him out.

10:10a.m - Sometime around now is when I got an episiotomy without a local anesthetic. I am still trying to mentally block out that experience. Lizzy witnessed the entire thing which I think lead to the smelling salt/almost fainting incident. I literally yelled "Holy Crap!!" and then she gave me the local. That definitely was a special time for all of us.

10:20a.m - Every mom told me that I would feel a burn and that is when I would know when he was out. It is so true. God knows how Johnny Cash knew about the Burning Ring of Fire. Once I felt that I knew the next push that he would be out.

10:23a.m - Just how I envisioned they flopped him on my chest with his back facing me. He was not goo covered like I anticipated but more wet. He gave a few cries and then started to pee. That's my little man!! They flipped him around and I got to take my first good look at him. He was just so perfect!! It was honestly like the entire world stopped. I didn't feel much after that. All the pain goes away. It is like a state of euphoria. I couldn't stop staring at him and touching his perfect face.

It all really happened so quickly. I was only in the hospital for about 40 minutes before he was born. To this day when I look at him I still can't believe he came out of me. That my body was capable of creating something so perfectly angelic. It was excellent timing that after they got him cleaned a little and gave him back to me to breastfeed, Rebecca ran in with the phone. She passed it off to me and it was Terry in Kuwait making his way home. He got me crying and blubbering but I was so happy that he got to share in that moment, our son only minutes old. It truly was the most amazing experience in my entire life. And yes, after all that, I would definitely do it again.