So I know its been while since my last post, but today is a very special for us. Kade is turning one today! I honestly think the mother should be celebrated to, but what do I know really?! I thought I would share his birth story since I havent done that yet...I think :) Its so fun for me to look back and reminiscence so I hope you enjoy too!
He’s here! 5 days early, but here! To start his story I have to go way back. According to MY calculations and MY understanding, his due date was Feb. 23rd 2011. At the 12 week appointment when we hear the heartbeat, our doctor couldn’t find it, so we were sent to the hospital to get an ultra sound (not the calmest car ride…) Turns out he was just higher than usual and all was gre
at. According to his measurements he was 10 days farther along than we thought and our due date was moved to the 13th of Feb. However, our doctor has already made plans for his anniversary trip with his wife following the first due date and would be gone the 4th to the 13. I was a little worried but still thought he’s come after the 13th (I was quite
confident in my own calculations!) Two weeks before he was due I was 40 % effaced and 1 centimeter dilated. Doctor Taylor didn’t think I’d make it to the 13th so he introduced us to doctor McLay who would be taking his place. A week later on Feb. 7 we went in for our check up with Dr. McLay and I was 60% effaced and 2 centimeters dilated. He told me he thought our baby would come that week.
I went home not feeling very well, having lots of Braxton hicks and feeling very uncomfortable. I thought it was just because McLay checked me different than I was used to. At 4:00 am on Feb 8 my ‘tummy’ started to bother (just like it did with Shay). I went to the bathroom, but nothing happened or helped. Walked around the house, nothing- still hurt. At 4:30 am it dawned on me…I was having contractions, I was in labor! I got back into bed and started counting. They were about 10 minutes apart and hurt, more than I remember. I ended up accidently waking up Zack by squeezing his wrist every 10 minutes. We decided around 5:30am that Zack wasn’t going to go to his student teaching. At 6:00 Zack called his mom to be on standby to watch Shay and I called my mom and told her things were happening. While on the phone with her my contractions sped up to 5 minutes apart. They hurt. We woke up Shay at 7 and got ready for the day. Zack called the neighbors and took Shay over until his mom could get up here. We got to the hospital around 8:30am. My contractions were 3-5 minutes apart and were starting to hurt more and more. They definitely got stronger, faster, this time around. We checked in and finally made it to the maternity floor (with lots of stops because I couldn’t move when I had a contraction). Turns out it was a very busy day at the Payson hospital. We took the last available room (rm. 16). When our nurse came in to see how far I was she was sweating from running around to
all the other mommies in labor. I was still the same as the day before so I was pretty bummed. They told me they’d wait 1 hour to see if I changed but the nurse said at the rate my contraction were going she was sure I’d stay. 2 hours later our nurse (Marie) came into check me again. My contractions hurt so
bad and I was getting pretty emotional and weepy. I was dilated to a 4 and 80% effaced, so our nurse called the doctor and he had us stay. They asked how much I hurt and when I wanted the epidural. I told them I hurt a lot and wanted the medicine immediately. She told me I had to wait until I’d gotten at least ½ a bag of water through I.V. She gave me the I.V. (in my arm which I thought was odd.) Zack held my hand and covered my eyes so I couldn’t watch her do it. When I finally did look, Marie had blood on her scrubs and my hand had it all over. I got concerned but she said not to worry about it. They brought lunch in for Zack to eat and we turned on the TV. I only got after Zack once when he didn’t give me the attention I wanted during a contraction. Very selfish of me…but I hurt! 2 hours later the anesthesiologist came in (this was around 2 in the afternoon). He (like all the other people who came in) tried to talk to me during the contractions. I couldn’t breathe much less talk. They had me lay on my side this time to get the epidural. REALLY hurt. (for sure prefer sitting up to laying down.) Zack held my legs up to my chest (as much as he could with my huge belly), held my hand, and kept eye contact the whole time. I finally cried. Once I felt the medicine starting to work on my legs, I had one last contraction (that I could feel). They sent a shock through my body which meant that my nerves were still working. That hurt to and scared both me and Zack. I was finally able to rest a little bit. They gave me one dose of medicine for the strep B (which I tested positive for…again!) A few minutes later it dawned on me that they hadn’t given me a catheter yet. I mentioned it to Zack who asked a nurse who told me they were making sure the epidural was working first. When Marie came in she said (much to my embarrassment) “whoops! Looks like you had a little accident!” I was mortified! I apologized and she insisted it wasn’t my fault and happened all the time. Zack just laughed. She checked me around 2:20 (30 minutes after I’d gotten the epidural) and I was 100% effaced and 6 centimeters dilated. She called our doctor and he told her he’d be at the hospital after clinic, which got over at 5. They moved a pillow under one side of me to prop me up so the epidural medicine wouldn’t pool. But every time they put the pillow under my left side the baby’s heart rate would drop so they kept it under my right side the whole time (making my left leg completely useless). I was so thirsty during the labor and they won’t let you drink anything in case of a C-section or something like that. But I was so thirsty; I let the ice in my cup melt so I could actually drink something! I’m so sneaky! Around 4 they gave me oxygen and another nurse checked me again. I was ‘complete’ fully dilated and ready to go. My water which was ‘bulging’ was the only thing stopping him from coming.
Marie called our doctor and told him he couldn’t wait and had to get there now. She told me, “I’m not going to deliver this baby, so he better get here in time!” During the wait we talked with her and found out that her brother is in my parents ward in PA…what are the chances?! Small world! The baby’s heart rate started going all weird and she said it was because he was going further into the birth canal and was very close to delivering. I was able to watch them get everything ready for the delivery and was very calm. Much different than the first delivering experience! It was really quite exciting and I wasn’t nervous at all. Our doctor got there at 5 pm, checked me, and was very impressed my water hadn’t broken yet. Breaking my water was VERY embarrassing. He barely touched it with the hook and it exploded all over him! Zack laughed and I was, once again, mortified! It looked and sounded like a water balloon popping! Marie laughed too said it wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last. About 10 minutes later (after all the ‘mess’ was cleaned
up…so embarrassing!) I started pushing. I actually felt the ‘need to push’ this time. My contractions were still 3-5 minutes apart so it was a very laid back, relaxing time. Very different experience than shaylie. I was told to push 3 times during each contraction. Zack counted to ten each time for me. He started out counting fast, and then the nurse told him to slow down. I had 4 contractions, pushed a total of 20 minutes, 12 pushes, and then…there he was. He was beautiful. Absolutely perfect. Zack and I were both weepy. I was able to touch his little head before they took him to get cleaned up. Zack told our doctor before we started pushing that he didn’t want to cut the cord, so he took the video camera and camera over to the new baby while they cleaned him, and weighed, etc. I was able to watch everything they did and loved it. He screamed for about a minute and then he was totally quiet looking around at everything. During all this the Doctor delivered my placenta without me even knowing. Zack came back over to me a little bit later and said, “Ready to do the placenta?” Our doctor laughed and showed both of us that it was already out. The placenta scared us the most because of the experience with Shaylie. Second time…much smoother ride! Doctor McLay told me that I tore just a little bit called it a ‘stretch-tear’ and I only needed 4 stitches to fix it up. I was finally able to hold my little boy. They told me he was
6 lbs. 7 ounces and 18 and ½ inches long, and perfect. I was expecting a boy version of Shaylie, since that’s all I had to compare him too, but he didn’t look like her. Both beautiful, both healthy, both happy, both perfect, but different. I fell instantly in love with him. He was so tiny and looked at me with great big eyes. The sciatica during pregnancy, the contractions, and the delivery were all worth it just to finally hold him in my arms. We took pictures of him and sent them off to people and then I called my mom. She was very weepy. Happy for us and wishing she was there. I started shaking pretty good a little bit after I had him and felt terribly cold, just like I did when I had Shay, but this time I was expecting it. Zack had to take the baby from me after a bit because we were both a little worried I’d drop him. After spending some mommy, daddy and baby time
together they took him to the nursery and such things to be observed. I was finally able to eat and drink and had the little man just in time for dinner! I did have some difficulty eating because of the shaking, but I was famished! Around 8 Zacks family showed up and talked with us until the nurses came in to move me to my recovery room. Zacks family went to the nursery to see the baby and 3 nurses came in to help me move. They tried to get me to the bathroom but that one leg…just wouldn’t work. Zack had to hold me up until they got a wheelchair under me. They told me I didn’t have to use the bathroom until I felt ready or got feeling back in that leg. They moved me to my new room (rm. 7) and helped me into the bed. The Ports Brought Shaylie to us and then a nurse brought in the new baby. I loved showing Shaylie her new little brother. She loved on him and did so good. At first she was scared of me because I still had things in my arms but we got over that! She touched the baby’s little nose and thought he was great. I hated having her leave but it was getting late. Zack stayed with me until everyone had gone then he went home to be with Shay.
Somewhere in the night time I was finally able to use my leg, and with the help of a nurse, use the bathroom. The next morning Medicaid people stopped my asking for the baby’s information. Zack and I hadn’t decided on a name yet, but the Medicaid guy said they couldn’t leave until they had one. So…I named him! Zack and I had two names (kade and Gavin) in mind and we were leaning more towards one than the other, but the middle name was the big discussion.
I wanted Zacheriah, he wanted Richard. I won! We named him Kade Zacheriah Port. And it fits him. We took him home Thursday Feb. 10. We love this new little adventure in our lives! Shaylie is wonderful with her new brother and I’m already wondering how I was living without him. Zack adores this new little man. They are little studs together. Heavenly Father has blessed us a great deal and I feel so lucky to have such a beautiful, happy family.
Name: Kade Zacheriah Port
Weight: 6 pounds 7 ounces
Hieght: 18 ½ inches
Labor 13 ½ hours
Birth date/time : Feburary 8th 2011 at 5:31 pm
