Here's the story... I want to remember every detail.
On Wednesday, 11/16, I had a check up with Dr. Markell and I was dilated 1-2cm and my cervix was thinning. We talked that baby Hollowell needed to come before or after Thanksgiving because Dr. Markell was going out of town and wouldn't be able to deliver Davis over Thanksgiving. We weren't worried given my progression was slow.
On Thursday, Jess Lais and I went to get our nails done and have dinner. I was only planning to get a pedicure, but Jess convinced me that this could be my last time alone and available to do my nails for a while... so I got my nails done too. We went to Fish City Grill for dinner and talked about pregnancy, babies and life. They are expecting a little GIRL this coming May... I can't wait! Anyway - it was great girl time and she said she thought Davis would come this weekend. I laughed inside when she said that, but was totally fine if that was the case. I never thought it would be true.
Fast forward to Saturday, 11/19. We went to a birthing class at Washington Regional (where I go to the doc and where I would deliver). It was from 9:30 - 4:30pm and was all about caring for baby and breastfeeding. A LONG day with only 3 other couples. Tripp was bribing me with shopping $$ to not have to go all week before it ha! I knew we probably wouldn't learn a ton, but something kept telling me to go given we probably wouldn't do this with future kiddos. Kind of part of the experience, right? :) Our teacher was Kathy, a nurse and lactation consultant at Washington Regional. She was so sweet and I wrote her info down because I knew I would want her help with nursing if needed later. We participated in the class and went to Deluxe Burger in Fayetteville for our lunch break. At lunch, Tripp said "Today is Mamaw's Birthday (Davis' namesake)... how crazy would it be if he was born today." Of course that would be awesome, but we didn't believe that would happen for a second. After lunch, we did a few things at Hobby Lobby before we got home. In the class, Tripp learned how to swaddle. We practiced changing diapers... and we heard the word nipple and breast WAY too much - and saw too many too haha! Tripp was dying inside I think ;)
What's ironic about the pic above... I posted this on Instagram about 30 minutes before my water broke. I had so many people who thought that was our real baby! I thought that was so funny... little did we know what was about to happen ;)
We got home that night and watched the Hog vs. Mississippi State game. I took all of the fall decor down from our hutch and it was everywhere in our house... and I had half of the Christmas decor for the hutch out. Every counter space in our kitchen area was covered with stuff. Tripp was snuggling with Howie and my parents had brought the cradle and put it in our room earlier that day. Rannan made this cradle 20+ years ago and it has been passed down in the family. My mom put so much effort into painting it and getting it ready - I love it so much.
I had my usual pregnancy dinner (toasted english muffin with peanut butter and chia seeds, sliced apple and fritos. Dessert was puppy chow Mrs. Maas made per my request that week. It was delicious!
As soon as the hogs won (9:30pm), I stood up from the recliner and my water broke. Tripp was in the laundry room. It was the craziest feeling! I first thought... did I just pee my pants? No way, it was all the way down my leg quickly and then it didn't stop. It was also on the seat of the recliner! I said "Boo, I think my water just broke." Tripp: "Are you serious? Are you sure??" I went to the bathroom and it kept coming. So, we decided to get our stuff and head to the hospital. It was such a surreal time - I never thought my water would break. We were both surpisingly so calm and collected - we weren't running around like crazy, but I also didn't want to take too much time in case it was really happening. I cannot begin to count how many people told me "water doesn't break very often and your first is always late on their due date." Well - Davis had different plans!
Tripp and I got in the car and drove to Fayetteville. I called my parents to let them know, but told them it could be a false alarm so to hang tight. We checked in at the hospital. It was around 10pm when we got there and it felt like we were the ONLY people there. So quiet and peaceful. I wasn't having any contractions and didn't feel any different than the past several weeks other than I was still leaking fluid. I walked in with Tripp from the parked car. They wheeled me over to Labor and Delivery with Tripp walking right behind me. We filled out paperwork and then we were put in a room. I put a gown on and the nurse swabbed me and took it to the lab to confirm that my water had broken... given I was still dilated at 1cm (no change from my appt earlier that week on Wednesday). Tripp called his parents once we were in the room and let them know, but again - told them to hang tight until we knew it was really baby time. I think we were both in disbelief that it was actually happening, even though I knew my water broke (it was a LOT of fluid and had blood in it). It felt like FOREVER before the nurse came back and confirmed that in fact, my water had broken!
Tripp called his parents and told them they could come in the morning because the nurse said it would probably be a while given I wasn't dilated much. They said heck no, packed their bags and left for Fayetteville around 12am.
We got moved to the room where I would deliver and were introduced to our labor and delivery nurses. Here we are - about to be parents! I really wanted to have showered before the hospital, but that wasn't meant to be this time and honestly, I could have cared less.
Dr. Markell happened to be on call that night - YAY! The nurses talked to her and she wanted to start me on pitocin to prompt labor. I did well with the IV - I wasn't nauseous and it wasn't bad! Tripp went to go get all of our stuff out of the car and I just sat in bed waiting for my body to start feeling labor. Tripp dosed off and on... I watched TV in bed until about 2am when my back started hurting. I didn't feel any contractions in my stomach - it was ALL in my back and it was painful. I couldn't get comfortable in the bed. I had planned to get the epidural, but given I had never experienced labor before.. I was concerned about when to get it - was I really in pain strong enough to get the epidural? I didn't want to delay my labor either.
We would watch my contractions on the monitor and they were spot on to how I was feeling. Started small and then the spikes HURT. I later got on the exercise ball. Tripp was down on the floor next to me and I was so uncomfortable. It's difficult to remember exactly how I was feeling - it felt like an out of body experience. All I remember was pain and how amazing Tripp was. He was cheering me on and was so comforting. At this point, I told my nurse, Brittany, that I wanted the epidural. She had warned me earlier that night that it could take about 45 minutes from when I asked for the epidural to when I would actually get it - so I felt like the time was now. While on the ball experiencing contractions, they were also trying to take my blood. It didn't work multiple times and finally the guy said he would come back later. He kept apologizing, but that was NOT fun.
As soon as I asked for the epidural, I got nervous. I was teary and my body was shaking. The epidural was terrifying to me - I hate needles and I was scared to how my body would react to it. The anesthesiologist came in and I sat on the edge of the bed. The nurse holding my left hand and Tripp holding my right. I was contracting and he started the epidural. It took him THREE times to get it... which meant he numbed me (which stung like HELL) and then major pressure as he worked it into my back. At one point the anesthesiologist said "he wasn't having much luck." Tripp said "Michael, we need to make this work. We gotta get this working." ;) Every time he would start the numbing process, I would arch my back from pain and the first two attempts - I felt stings/twinges in my spine. He later told me he kept hitting bone :( He apologized afterwards. The epidural as horrible as I thought it would be, but BOY did I feel wonderful when it started kicking in.
After the epidural, we relaxed. They stopped the pitocin because I started to get a temperature and my body was progressing on it's own which was great.
Tripp's parents got to the hospital around 4am and my parents came shortly after. I was dilated 2cm around 5am. Still slow progress. At 7am-ish, the nurses swapped. Brittany came in to say goodbye and good luck... and let us know that Dr. Markell was going to stay to deliver Davis even though she wasn't technically on call after 7am. Answered prayer - I was so thankful. Our nurses after 7am were Stormie and Christy. Stormie was a relatively new nurse and was AMAZING. She was so thorough and attentive. I loved her! I took about an hour nap. Dr. Markell came in to check me later and I was at 4cm and 70% effaced. When Dr. Markell checked me she realized a part of my amniotic sack was still up there and blocking my cervix which could have been delaying labor. They removed it, but she said we'd still be a while. She was predicting he would come late in the afternoon.
We started to have more visitors - my family ROLLED out and I loved it. It was so fun - everyone was a surprise as I didn't expect anyone to come until he got there. Aunt Ann drove up from Memphis, Aunt Cheryl and Dixie came, Memom got there early that morning, Jess came and visited - I was so happy to see everyone and I was feeling ZERO pain. It was crazy to look at the monitor and see my body contracting, but yet not feeling a thing. The epidural is a beautiful thing. Both Dixie and Cheryl came separately and they both walked in the room saying "He followed my directions and waited for me to get here first!" ha!
Jess brought cinnamon rolls with these cute napkins for my family in the waiting room - she thinks of EVERYTHING. I love that my family got to spend so much time with her that day. Calvin also drove up from Dumas.
Rannan ready to meet his third great-grandson!
Around 2:30pm, I was dilated 6-7cm. My contractions were happening so close together (almost on top of each other) that they wanted to slow it down so we didn't cause the baby distress. He was showing a drop in heart rate with some of my contractions. At 4:30pm, Dr. Markell came in to check me and she was concerned about my progress. My cervix was thickening vs. thinning... and with my temperature and Davis' heart rate dropping with contractions - she wanted to do a C section. I trusted her completely. There wasn't a doubt in my mind. I wasn't disappointed about not being able to deliver vaginally. This was what we needed to do and best for baby, so there was no question in my head. Later in the hospital after he came, Tripp later told me he was nervous about the c section. He didn't show an OUNCE of that to me which I'm so thankful for. When he went out to the waiting room to tell our friends and family that I was having a c-section, he got emotional... as did everyone in the waiting room. So sweet.
Aunt Cheryl hopped out of her chair when she noticed he seemed nervous about the surgery and she hugged him. My family LOVES Tripp and I could not ask for more.
Right after we agreed on the c-section, it was a perfectly organized process. All of the nurses were prepping me. Tripp changed into his scrubs. I put my cap on.
They gave me a pill and a small drink which was supposed to help with the nausea... 10 seconds after I took it, I started throwing up. Got that out of my system and then I was wheeled to the operating room. Tripp had to wait in the room until I was fully prepped in the OR - it was exciting to know our baby would be in our hands in less than 30 minutes! He took this picture of our room.
I was SO impressed with the team who performed the c-section. I truly felt taken care of - they were so organized and in sync, constantly communicating with me to make sure I felt at ease. Dr. Markell and Dr. Collins (how ironic) performed the c-section. It did not hurt one bit - it was a ton of pressure and I felt like they were rolling back my stomach up to my chin. I kept asking Dr. Markell how it was going ;) She commented on my Jazzercise abs helping me recover ha!
And then... all of the sudden they said "here we go! lots of pressure and pulling" and I heard that sweet, sweet cry. Dr. Markell said "So much hair!" I asked "Just on his head or on his body??" hahaha! I recently saw a baby with arm and back hair, so I had to confirm ;) She said "just his head" and was laughing.
After that began the most amazing moments of my life. Tripp was so emotional and encouraging. He got to be with Davis while they stapled me up and then the nurse brought him over to me and laid him on my chest for skin to skin. The three of us cuddled, hugged, kissed and seriously soaked him up. Davis and I were looking at each other - eyes to eyes. He was so beautiful. I will NEVER forget that moment and I wish the three of us could relive it over and over.
Love this picture with Hudson's Strong Like Hudson bracelet.
Then we had 2 hours of recovery together just the three of us and nurses. It was LONG, but so sweet. The nurses were massaging my uterus and pushing out lots of stuff - it didn't hurt, but I could feel the sensations just like during surgery. I had a headache after the surgery so they wanted me laying flat on my back. We tried to breastfeed, but it was really difficult when I was laying flat on my back. He latched for a bit, but nothing extensive. Tripp went out to show everyone in the waiting room pics! Apparently the nurses said our family was about to "pound the door down" - they were ready to meet him!
The family waiting to finally see him!
Everyone meeting Davis - so much joy. Both of the grandmothers - Honey and Marnee :)
Marnee meets Davis!
Daddy Jay time.
Davis meets Doby :)
All four grandparents loving on Davis.
Aunt Ann and Davis.
"Crazy Aunt Cheryl" meets Davis.
Dixie and Davis!
Calvin and Davis. Calvin is getting good practice for his son who is due in mid Jan :)
Memom, Davis' great grandmother, was SO excited to meet him - love her sweet expressions!
Eating those fingers...
After the family met him, Jess walked in and then Mere and Dougie surprised us! I cried happy tears to see them - couldn't believe they drove down and back for a few minutes with us.
Jess was teary when she hugged me - I remember her saying she was so nervous and worried about me :)
Mere and Dougie surprised us!
Daddy Lovin...
We facetimed Claire in Little Rock so she could meet him! I'm talking to her on Mere's phone in this pic ha.
Look at Clairebear's face on the phone ha!
Our family of 3. I look like a HOT mess!
Darcy, the night nurse we had the first night, gave me pain medication "Dilotted" and it did not sit well with me - my neck and head felt really weird and so the nurses worked to flush it out of my system. We had probably been in our room 10 minutes when this happened. Pain meds typically don't sit well with me and I obviously never take them... so I became anxious about taking meds after that. Ultimately, I took perkaset and ibuprofen - and it worked. Once it hit me, I would get soooo sleepy. I would sleep for 10 - 15 minutes and then be fine, but feeling good!
I felt bad because everyone left the room after I mentioned I wasn't feeling good from the medication... my mom and dad left last. About 5 minutes after she left, I asked Tripp if we should call my mom back. I was worried about Tripp taking care of both of us - when I really couldn't move. So, she came back and stayed the night with us :) Little sleep, but sweet sweet sweet moments.
We met our precious son two weeks early and we couldn't be happier to have him in our lives already. He wasn't born on Mamaw's birthday... she still has her day and now he follows the next day after :)
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