August 15, 2014

Anna Reese Handley

On Friday, August 15, 2014, I left work around 2:00 p.m. because I was very, very uncomfortable with a lot of back pain.  I asked Jackie, one of my amazing office mates, to send two emails on my behalf.  Both emails were to let key team members know that I was out and that they'd need to pick up the ball on a couple of time-sensitive projects.  I didn't think I was in labor, but I knew I was not going to be able to get any more work done.

I called Ray on my way home and asked if he could take off early and come home with me.  I felt like what I was experiencing might be the beginnings of labor, and I wanted someone to hold me accountable.  I was so ready for Anna to be here, but the back pain was pretty awful.  I was worried I'd go home and lay down to get relief instead of staying on my feet and walking to encourage the progress of labor, and I knew that Ray would keep me motivated.

When Ray got home, he went into serious preparation mode, gathering the hospital bag and making sure it had everything he thought it would need.  He also decided he should pack an additional bag or two with an air mattress and supplies to make his stay in the hospital comfortable.  He also changed into a blue Columbia shirt and khaki shorts and said, "You better have this baby.  I'm putting on my hospital clothes."  He wore the exact same outfit (except the Columbia was green) when Juliet was born.

Around 3:45, Elizabeth came to the house to see how things were going.  I didn't realize it at first, but she'd begun timing my contractions.  To be honest, I didn't even recognize that I was having contractions.  Every thing you read and see on t.v. talks about contractions in your abdomen.  You see women clutching their bellies and hear them saying dramatic things like, "It feels like someone's ripping me apart!"  I was bent over the coffee table trying to get some relief from the intense pressure in my lower back and saying things like, "F@*!" Yeah... Apparently, all that back pain was actually contractions, but the pain in my back was so intense that I never registered any contractions in my abdomen.  (I still think this is just really weird.  I'm sure it's not unique, but I really have not read or heard any other woman saying anything like this.)

By 5:00, Elizabeth had texted Dr. Dixon to let him know we'd be coming in for delivery, Ray had loaded up the car with everything he felt was essential, and it was time to get moving to TMH.  By the time we got checked in, I'd given up any notion I'd had of going without an epidural.  My goal was to try to do it naturally, but I'm not going to lie.  The back pain broke me, and it broke me quickly.  There is a part of me that's somewhat disappointed that I got an epidural, but as Susie Morris so wisely stated, "They don't give trophies for doing it naturally."  Other than being a little disappointed that I wasn't as tough as I wanted to be, I'm happy with my choice.  Kevin, the anesthesiologist, was great, and it was a totally different experience than my epidural with Juliet.  I maintained more feeling with this epidural, and I'm glad.  I also think that this made the recovery time in those hours immediately after birth much shorter as I was able to use my legs more quickly.  The only drawback to the epidural was that it did slow my progression some.  But after my water broke, things picked back up.

I have no idea what time I started pushing, but I know I didn't push for long.  At 11:48 p.m. Anna Reese Handley was delivered by her father with Dr. Dixon supervising.  She weighed 7 lbs 7 oz, and her official length was 19.5 inches long.  Ray said the nurse measured her short, and at Anna's check up on the 18th, she measured 20.5 inches long, so I'm inclined to believe him.  I know babies grow fast, but an inch in three days seems like a lot - even for our amazing child.

She had a head full of black hair just like I did when I was born.  She is perfect.  She is healthy and happy and wonderful, and we are so, so in love.  Tired.  But in love.