Paige's Birth Story...from 3/24/06

I want to write this all down somewhere, in case I forget. Paige's birth was an amazing experience, although very painful! I had always thought that I would have to have a c-section, even though I desperately did not want to go through that. My mom had 2 c-sections because she couldn't dialate, so I assumed that I would have the same experience. Thank goodness I was wrong!

On Thursday, March 23, 2006 I went in for my 40 week check-up with Dr. Burch. I was actually due the next day (yes, I'm a freak that actually has their baby on the due date!). Spring Break was beginning the following week and Dr. Burch and her family were scheduled to be out of town. I wasn't about to let another doctor deliver Paige, so she told me that since I was dialated to 2cm already that she would meet me at the hospital at 7:00 the next morning to begin induction. I was feeling a complete range of emotions from super excited to totally freaked out at the thought of giving birth! I called every single one of my family members and told them that tomorrow was the BIG DAY and that they should take off of work to be there (Paige was the first great grandchild on my side of the family, so it was a huge deal!). I don't exactly remember what Stephen and I did that night before Paige was born, but I'm sure we packed a bag for myself and for Paige...and maybe Stephen! :)

We went to bed like normal (or as normal as possible when you know you're going to have a baby the next day!) and at around 2 a.m. I woke up with pains in my abdomen. I laid in bed for about 30 minutes trying to decide if they were contractions or not. When I finally decided that they were contractions, I told Stephen that I was going to go to the living room so I wouldn't bother him. (HA!) I sat in the same recliner that I'm sitting in right now and watched TV and the clock...timing the contractions. When I first got to the recliner, the contractions were about 7 mninutes apart...religiously! As the hours went on, they got down to about 4 minutes apart. By this time, I decided to go lay back down in bed to rest. I knew that I was going to the hospital at 7am and I didn't want to go before then...I could tough it out for a few more hours! Stephen got up to go run at about 5am and I stayed in bed to rest. At around 6am, I got up, took a shower and put a little makeup on. I got dressed and finished packing up my hospital bag. Stephen got home from running, showered, and then the phone rang. The caller id told me that it was the hospital...and I started panicking. When I answered, it was the head nurse telling me that they wouldn't be able to begin my induction at 7am because too many women had come into the hospital in labor overnight...they were full! I told her that was fine, but I had started having regular contractions overnight as well and they would be seeing me shortly. She told me to just come in when I couldn't handle it anymore alone.

We called all of our family and told them not to meet us at the hospital at 7am as planned. We would call them when we headed that direction. Many of them came to the house to console me and to see how I was progressing since I was having contractions. Aunt Phyllis and Aunt Laurie stayed with me most of the morning. My contractions actually slowed back down during the morning, so we took walks around the block and I washed some dishes at the kitchen sink...you know, normal "lady in labor" things to do! By 1:00, most of my family had gathered at our house to try to convince me that I needed to go to the hospital. My contractions had picked back up and I was in quite a bit of pain. My mom had even called Dr. Burch because I was convinced that I was just fine and that if I didn't go to the hospital, then the pain would go away and I wouldn't have to have the baby at all. I could just stay pregnant forever, and I was fine with that. I was completely petrified of giving birth...petrified. Scared to death. Mortified, even. At around 2 pm my sweet Daddy finally convinced me to go to the hospital.

When we arrived at the hospital, I was taken back to a room immediately and hooked up to all the lovely monitors and IVs. They actually didn't have to give me any Pitocin because I was already in true labor. They checked me and told me that I was already to 4cm...past the point that my mom got to...at this point, I think I realized that I was actually going to give birth to Paige...not have a c-section. Another level of panic set in. Once they got me all hooked up to everything, I asked for my Mom and my best friend Mandy. Oh, and I also asked for Stadol. Lots of Stadol. The Stadol kicked in for a little while, but mostly just made my itchy, highly irritable, and I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I thought I was actually watching everything that was happening to me-like it wasn't really happening to me. The medicine made me so irritable that I didn't want anyone in the room but Stephen and I thought people that were literally out in the hall whispering were yelling at the top of their lungs. Did I mention it didn't help the pain??? It didn't.

I was always told that I would know when I needed to push, but I thought people that told me that were nuts. They weren't nuts. All of a sudden at about 7:15 pm, I told Stephen that something was different and I had to push right then. He went to get the nurse and when she checked me, I was about 9 1/2 cm dilated. They did something that made the rest of the cervix dilate and told me that I could push the next time I had a contraction. After a few pushes, they went to get Dr. Burch. I kept asking them how much further I had to push her to get her out and they kept telling me "about the length of your thumb." I thought to myself, "I can do that in the next push!" I didn't. Or they lied to me. I pushed a lot...for about 50 minutes to be exact. But, at 8:07 pm Paige Allison Banning was delivered into this world. She was 8 pounds, 6.2 ounces and 22 1/2 inches long. She had enormous feet. She was definitely our child. And she looked exactly like her Daddy...and I was highly disappointed! I had carried her for 9 months and gone through a total of 18 hours of labor and she didn't look a thing like me...I got ripped off!

After they got me all cleaned up, they allowed our family and friends in...and let me tell you, the hospital staff thought the entire county was at the hospital waiting for Paige's arrival. She was immediately loved. We had a small party in my labor and delivery room, completed once I got a Cherry Dr. Pepper from Sonic ( I had given them up during pregnancy and wanted one immediately after giving birth...and it tasted oh so good!).

I was completely in love with my daughter at first sight. She was amazing and I couldn't believe that I had given birth to her. Her Daddy was quite smitten, as well. He always told me that he wasn't going to actually watch Paige be born, but he said that once it started it was like a bad car accident...you don't want to look, but you just can't help it! He also told me that I was the toughest person that he'd ever known-that was huge coming from my "tommy tough-guy" husband!

Here are some pictures from March 24, 2006...

Stephen and I walking around the block trying to keep contractions coming.

I was doing dishes because they obviously needed to be done and Stephen was trying to convince me to go to the hospital!

My Dad (far left), Stephen, and I walking into the hospital. I knew I wouldn't leave without a baby. I was scared!

Our lives have not been the same since Paige Allison was born...they are better! This is one of her first pictures.

A 4 generations picture...My mom in yellow, me holding Paige, and my Gran in the red.

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To my Precious Daughter Paige,

You are the light of our lives. You make us smile when nothing else will! We would go to the ends of the earth for your precious smile. Your happiness is worth all the money in the world! God blessed us beyond what we deserve when He picked us to be your parents. We love you more that you can ever know! It's amazing how much you have grown and changed in the past 2 years...and we can't wait to see what the next years hold. Our lives are forever enriched because you are in them. You are our JOY.

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Paige Allison Banning...2 years old!