June 12, 2002 I woke up feeling "not right". I told my husband that my head hurt really badly, I was super dizzy, and I just felt really yucky. My actual due date was still about 2 weeks away, but I knew something just wasn't right.
My husband called my OB/GYN's office, and they wanted me to come in right away. I didn't even have time to take a shower. I threw on some clothes, stuck up my hair, and off we went.
I got the the doctors office around 11am, and he told me that I was showing the beginning signs of pre-eclampsia. He told me we had 2 options. Option one, he could let me continue the pregnancy until the baby came naturally, coming into the office EVERY day to have stress tests, OR ... I could go to the hospital NOW and have my baby. Which one do you think I chose?! We went straight to the hospital. It was really happening.
In the hallway of the doctors office, on the way to the elevator .. I called my mom at work, and told her we were headed to the hospital (which was right across the street from where my doctors office was) to have a baby! She was EXCITED beyond belief ... and said she was on her way. She actually beat me to the hospital! I couldn't believe it!
We got to the hospital, got all the registration paperwork filled out, and off to labor and delivery we went. Now the doctor informed me before he even sent me to the hospital that I was NO WHERE near ready to deliver this baby on my own. I wasn't dialated at ALL, and my cervix wasn't thinned.
Around 12:30 they hooked me up to pitocin, and put a pill on my cervix to thin it out. The doctor told me he would see me in a few hours, and left. The next 4 hours were entirely uneventful. Nothing happened ... there were a few small contractions, but nothing that I couldn't handle. I was DETERMINED to have this baby with no drugs, no epidural, nothing.
Around 4:30 that afternoon, the doctor came back in to check on my progress. He decided at that point that he was going to break my water, to help me progress a little bit faster. He did what he needed to do, and then told me he was going to go to bed, and he would see me tomorrow. He told me that I should try to get some rest while I still could, that I would be very busy around 6am delivering my baby girl.
Around 7 or 8 that night, I don't remember the EXACT time, but I do remember that American Idol (the very first season) was on the television .. I was in FULL ON labor. The reason that I remember American Idol was on the television, is because I was SCREAMING for someone to turn it off. It was HORRIBLE. I was having very heavy contractions, and was in a LOT of pain, but I was still determined that there would be no epidural.
I was checked at 8pm, and I was only dialated to a 4. So I was sure that I would be laboring ALL night long. I was checked again at 11:30pm, and I was only at a 5. But at 11:45pm ... it all changed. I was screaming at my mom for her to get the nurse .. cause something wasn't right. I could feel my body pushing ... and I wasn't trying to push. The nurse came in, quite reluctantly, and MUCH to her surprise .. I was a 10, and the baby was starting to crown.
In a mad rush ... my room was buzzing with activity. My poor husband didn't really know what to do ... he doesn't do well with blood, and anyone that's seen a live childbirth knows that there's a LOT of blood. Well .. he started to feel a little faint .. so we went to sit on the couch. Which just so happened to give him a perfect view of all the activity. He had front row seats to my epsiotomy .. which he didn't do well through at all. It's funny to look back on that and remember it now .. but he sure wasn't laughing then.
At exactly 12:01am, my little, beautiful baby girl made her entrance into the world. Mikaila Alexis Robertson was born June 13th at 12:01am. She weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces, and she was 19 inches long. She had really dark hair and olive colored skin. She was absolutely, perfectly beautiful, and she was mine.
The one thing that I'd always wanted, my whole entire life, I finally had. I couldn't wait to put all the cutesy girly clothes and bows and matching shoes on her. I was in a complete state of bliss. I couldn't remember (except maybe for my wedding day) when I was THAT happy.
Now here we are ... almost 8 years later ... and I'm still THAT happy, and also proud. I'm so proud of my girl. She continues to surprise me, every single day of her life. She is one of the best things that's ever happened to me, and I consider myself luck to be her mother.
I love you Mikaila!!!
Until Next Time ...
~A
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