Audra Claire

On Saturday we went garage sale-ing all morning.  (We found some cute baby clothes and some toys.  Thanks for asking.)  Ashlea had some contractions off and on...but they would be really regular for a while and then stop.  They would pick up again with a different pattern a little later.  And that's pretty much what happened all day.  I finally dropped her off at her house thinking we were done.

I got a text about 3:00 AM.  I can't recall exactly what the text said but I remember asking her if I needed to come over but she never answered me so I went back to bed.

At around 4:00 AM she asked me to come over.  She felt bad even asking because she had had weeks of prodromal labor and still no baby.  She didn't want me to have to get up for nothing.  I didn't mind.  I loved every minute of it.

We had a few mishaps but finally got on the road.  Yes, we.  Jeff drove me because of aforementioned mishaps.  We walked in the door to Ashlea laying over a footstool and moaning-ish through a contraction.

Jeff immediately began asking (whispering) if we should take her to the hospital.  I said to let me triage.  (Yes, that's really what I said.  I find the humor in every situation.)

He left and I helped her get in the shower and started timing contractions.  They were TWO MINUTES apart.  Little sweetie had been laboring for hours with regular, steady contractions but didn't want to bother anyone.

I woke up Ashlea's roommate and our very good friend (Christie) to tell her to drive us to the hospital.

My grandbaby was on her way!!!!

We got to the hospital and they actually triaged us.  They put her in the antenatal room to check her stats.

When they did the internal check the nurse rushed out of the room.  That scared Ashlea but I just thought she was way dilated and they were calling the doctor. 

She was actually dilated to 5 1/2 but the baby was breech.

They let us go back to the room and she labored for about an hour.  She did so good. She was relaxing into each contraction.  Resting between them.  She was just wonderful.  You couldn't tell this was her first time.

She was ready for the bath but I didn't want to put her in too early because it can stall labor. At the same time, I WANTED HER to get some pain relief.

As she would have a contraction I would think, "Why did she want to do this without an epidural?  WHY?  I want her to have an epidural.  This is too much pain." Then the contraction would be over and I'd think, "She can do this.  This is okay.  She's doing a great job."

The doctor came in and let her know that she needed to do a sonogram to see if the baby was indeed breech, and if so, what was presenting.  So she allowed that.

Sure enough head was up, just like it had been through the whole pregnancy; over on her right side.  The doctor wasn't sure whether it was a bottom she was feeling or what.  So she needed to do an internal.  She let Ashlea know that she was willing to deliver if it was a bottom she was feeling.

The internal exam was inconclusive.  So she asked if she could break her waters to feel for sure.  So Ashlea allowed that too. Once she did the exam without the bag of waters in the way she could tell she was feeling a back and possibly a foot.  No way that baby could come out.  Silly girl!!!  She picked the one position that could not come out vaginally.

Ashlea agreed to the cesarean but not without some tears.  I mean, she had dreamed about her labor, labored all day and was IN TRANSITION at this point.

Oh yes, in transition.  She was dilated to a nine now.  She was shaking and needed to throw up.

At one point she was rocking in a rocking chair and after a contraction was over she looked over at me and said, "Mom, I don't want to do this anymore.  I don't want to do this."

I looked over at our friend (Christie) and we both teared up.  It was so intense.  I knew it was transition, but I also knew it hurt like the dickens.

We put her in the tub while the doctors prepared.

It wasn't an emergency as Audra was doing great in there.  They gave her a spinal that would wear off in two or so hours.

I was able to go back for the surgery.  I saw little toes pop out, then a bottom, and then the head was stuck and stuck and stuck and finally, a precious little face.  PRAISE THE LORD!  We were both crying.

They rubbed her and she screamed and finally I got to take her to her mom.

She does this funny little thing where she sticks her tongue out when she's hungry.  This baby has the longest tongue in the world.  (Yes, the world.) And it's just like Ashlea's.  Who ever thought two people with long tongues...

One of the things that Ashlea was really looking forward to was being able to breastfeed immediately.  The doctor actually said she could try right there on the table.  (This was just a wonderful doctor.  I have new appreciation for her.  She "delivered" Asa. And by delivered I mean, she wasn't even in the hospital but did administer the pitocin.)  We didn't really get around to that.

They did all the things they were allowed to do (NOT eye goop and shots and mean stuff) and then we took her back.

Doesn't that just make you want to cry.  She was so happy to nurse she was weeping.

I had a run in with one of the nurses who wouldn't let me hold Audra.  But otherwise the staff was wonderful with all of Ashlea's wishes.  (Of course, some of the nurses were saying how gross it was that Ashlea wouldn't let them bathe Audra and how BAD it was that she didn't let them give her drops.  Don't get me started, people.)

Look at that sweet face.  We picked her features apart.  Well, I mean, we looked at each single feature and decided where she got them.  One amazing, absolutely, still in awe of amazing thing, is her lips.  These are Ashlea's lips.  LITERALLY. God took them from Ashlea's face and miniaturized them to put on Audra.

That's what happened.  Mostly.

Isn't she beautiful?

I'm trying out different grandma names until I find the one that fits. So far I'm liking Nonie.  Some of the others didn't work.