Gunner

Gunner

It all started Tuesday morning at my 40 week appointment. I was four days over my due date and anxious for some good news. Unfortunately, I was still only dilated to a one. I still felt like a million bucks. I wasn't having any other signs of labor except for some Braxton Hicks I had a few nights previous, nothing seemed to be moving along. We scheduled my induction for the 21st at midnight, so that he'd be born on the 22nd. I kept my cool through the rest of my appointment while the doctor and Logan cracked jokes.

The second we got into our car after the appointment I burst into tears for the first time since my due date. I was soooo done being pregnant. I was swollen, extremely uncomfortable, and anxious. Patience never was my virtue. Logan was sweet and held my hand and calmed me down. At that point we pretty much had prepared ourselves for the induction in two days.

We went to lunch with my grandparents right after my appointment, and talked mostly about how my grandma had to be induced with all of her kinds. (Great) I REALLY wanted to go into labor on my own for some reason. I had been preparing myself for it mentally for so long! I was still pretty bummed, so I went to work to keep my mind off things.

After work, Logan and I went to his little sisters softball game. We sat in the bleachers for the first half and then I could not sit still. I was getting really uncomfortable, so we finished watching the game in the car. We took her home after her game and hung out with Logan's family for a bit. His mom and dad are remodeling their house right now, so his mom bought like 25 tacos from Cafe Rio for dinner. I had like three and they sure hit the spot. (I'm pretty convinced that they put me into labor.)

Like thirty minutes later I started feeling sick. I laid on the couch for a minute not trying to make a scene, but by about 8:30pm, I told Logan that I needed to go home. He wanted to go to the gym that night anyway, so we left right away.

I decided to take a shower to see if it would make me feel any better. Then I watched some Netflix to pass the time while Logan was at the gym. at 10:05pm the first hard contraction hit. Like I said, I had had a few on my due date a few days earlier . . .  They were actually in the middle of the night, so I didn't get my hopes up. By about 10:45pm they were pretty intense. I had started taking screen shots every time I got one, and they were about 5-7 minutes apart. I sent Logan a text that said, "can you hurry home please? I feel like I'm dying." It was a bit dramatic, but I figured it would make him hurry.

He got home and sat with me for a half hour to see how bad they were. By this point it was like 11:30pm. I remember telling him to take a shower quick because if they didn't get any better we were going to the hospital. He took a quick shower and then checked on me again. they were still 5-7 minutes apart. They hurt, but I could handle it, so I didn't feel like I needed to go in the hospital quite yet. I DID NOT want to be one of those people that went in and got sent home. . .

At 1:00am I had enough. I asked Logan to give me a blessing. It was very simple and comforting for me. I felt calm. We picked up our house a little bit. Grabbed the last few items to stick in our hospital bags and were out the door. It was dead quite outside. We didn't say much on the way to the hospital. I think we were both just excited and slightly nervous. We honestly had no idea what to expect.

We were taken to a hospital room by the secretary at the labor and delivery desk. She wasn't too friendly, so that wasn't very comforting. She threw me a robe and said, "put this on and I'll send a nurse in." Ten minutes later a nurse walked in and started strapping two monitors to my stomach. She had someone else come in who didn't say anything to me and just started checking to see my progression. Even though they were less than thrilled to have us there, she did deliver good news, "You're dilated to a 3+ and 90% effaced." What!? Yes! I had dilated two whole centimeters since my appointment that morning. I was so excited. They then asked me about a million questions and told me that they would monitor my contractions for an hour and check me again.

An hour went by and we didn't know what to think. It was all so new and we were so clueless haha! Soon after a new nurse came in at the shift change. Thank goodness she was MUCH nicer. She checked me and I hadn't progressed in that hour. Ughh not the news I wanted to hear. She called my doctor and he told her to have me go home and sleep, and then come back in the morning.

She gave me a pain pill and a sleeping pill and said to wait until they were three minutes apart and lasted 90 seconds. She said first time labors can sometimes take a really long time, so I'd be more comfortable at home. Are you kidding?! I was pretty bummed. I was indeed one of those women who got sent home from the hospital.

We took a long stroll out of there. Emotionally and physically exhausted. We got home at like 3:30am. I took the pills, we said a prayer, laughed a little at how crazy this whole thing was and I fell asleep. I slept through a night of contractions! Whatever they gave me was good stuff I tell you!

I woke up at 7am and I could still feel contractions. I started taking screen shots again, and still they were five minutes apart. . . Soooo frustrating. I sent my mom a text to let her know what the deal was. Of course she freaked out haha. It's my mother we are talking about here. :) She was SO excited. She had c-sections with all of us, so she really didn't know what to tell me other than she thought I was having the baby any minute! So funny.

Anyway, thankfully at about 8am they started getting stronger, lasting longer, and coming closer together. Finally! Logan didn't really know what to do. I really wanted a Starbucks breakfast sandwich and a vanilla bean, so he ran to Starbucks. When he got back, he sat there with me and wrote down the times and we clocked the duration of each contraction. Mostly we were just excited to meet our little boy. It was finally happening! By 10am I was rolling and moaning in pain, which was a clear sign to me that I needed to get the heck out of there. We were a  little hesitant because of the night before, but this time it felt different, and I was not going to take no for an answer.

Thankfully, the nurses on call that morning were saints I tell you. I could barely breath through the contraction I was having at the desk to tell them my name. They hurried me into a room and got me hooked up. Dear sweet Phillis was my nurse. Turns out she was there when I was born, and delivered Logans three younger siblings. She was THE best. She explained to me everything that was going on and as she was strapping me up said, "let's get you admitted and have a baby today." I liked this woman already.

She checked me soon after and I was at a 4 and 90% effaced wahoo. That's progress. We waited out the hour and when she checked again I was at a 4+ and 100% effaced. Which meant I was admitted! We let our parents know what was going on and around noon my mom came to sit with us. Logans mom and sisters were at the hospital too just in case I was having him soon (haha). At this point she started hooking up my IV. I then realized I was hungry, but she informed me that it was too late. This was going to be a loooong day.

My sister in law told me to bring Jolly Ranchers to suck on so my mouth wouldn't get dry. Good thing I brought some, because those Jolly Ranchers saved the day! My doctor called in and told her to get me started on some Pitocin to get things going and he'd come break my water.

He came in about twenty minutes later and broke my water. I was really scared for that actually, and it wasn't even a big deal. I didn't feel a thing except for a big gush. Duh. He said it would be about a centimeter an hour, so his guess was that I'd deliver at 9pm. Then he was gone.

Good ol' Phillis checked me again and I was at a 5! So she sent the anesthesiologist in as soon as she could so that I could get some rest. My whole pregnancy this was the part I was dreading. I am getting nervous to my stomach thinking about it haha. My mom had some complications with her epidural when she had me. It ended up collapsing her lungs. She had an emergency c-section and one heck of a recovery. She kept talking about it to the nurse and anesthesiologist who she and my husband both knew. At this point I told her she had to stop talking about it or she had to leave. Don't mess with a woman in labor! Haha she was just worried I think and wanted to make sure I didn't have the same reaction. He was really good to explain what he was doing, but I really wish he wouldn't have. For me, sometimes the less I know the better. Turns out I don't numb as easily as most do, so when he started putting the epidural in I felt it. I flinched real bad and all of us in the room about had a heart attack. Including him. He then said "oh, looks like you need to be numbed a bit more..." and then proceeded very slow and cautiously. After that it wasn't a big deal. It didn't hurt going in, it just felt weird. Soon after one of my legs went completely numb, and the other was pretty numb, but I could feel it still.

Phillis demanded that I take a nap, and to be quite honest, by this time I felt pretty loopy and exhausted. I was not myself, which was probably a good thing actually. I was SO relaxed. Before my nap though I told her that this might be weird, but I felt like I needed to push. She assured me it was just the baby making his way down and that I had nothing to worry about. I slept lightly for about an hour. I never went completely numb and could still feel my contractions. They weren't as bad, but they were still there. The epidural "took the edge off" so to speak. As I was sleeping my mom and Logan watched the screen and said I would flinch every time I got a contraction, but I was still somehow able to sleep through them.

at 5:00 Phillis came back to check on me. She brought me my infamous Intermountain Health Care mug and asked how I was feeling. I said I felt like I needed to push still, so she figured she better check me again. LOW AND BEHOLD I was completely dilated and ready to push. She looked SO shocked. She said, "I'm quite surprised honestly, and I've been doing this for 25 years."

She got things ready and I started pushing. She had me go slow and steady, which I really appreciated in the end, because I didn't have a bad tear because of the way she had me approach pushing. Dr. B came to check on things. He brought me a slushy and was all smiles. He was happy with how things were moving along so quickly and told Phillis to call him in when I was closer. Guys she seriously did all the work! Like she was amazing! My epidural had pretty much warn off by then. I don't know what the deal was, but oh well. It was still there enough to help manage some of the pain I think, because I wasn't screaming. I was pretty calm and quiet actually.

I could freely move my legs pretty much at that point and I could feel every single contraction. I also felt pressure points of where the baby was, so it made pushing a lot easier because I knew exactly where and how. I must have had an adrenaline high, because I was ready to push and get him out of there!

After an hour of pushing, she told me to stop. (Ughhh not that easy!!!) She called the doctor and said, "you better get in here now if you want to be here when this baby is born." That was comforting. Next thing I knew about five more nurses came rushing in and the doctor was suiting up and getting who knows what ready.

All of the sudden I hear, "Al you're doing so great." From behind the curtain. It was my dad. Along with my brother, and sister, and sister-in-laws, and mother in-law, and father-in-law. Party in room 164 haha! Turns out there was a whole bunch of them outside the curtain of the delivery room waiting for the baby to arrive. Normally I would have died of embarrassment, but I just said. "Thanks! Make sure you stay behind those curtains," and continued on.

Dr. B talked me through pushing for literally five to ten minutes. One nurse held my leg while Logan held the other. He announced that the baby had a full head of hair. Yes! All I remember him saying was, "you're starting to get a contraction get ready to push." I replied, "I know, I can feel it." I saw him look at the nurse a little surprised and then at 6:48pm I pushed that baby right on out.

They immediately put him on my chest. Oh what a sweet moment. We had waited so long for! Logan cut the umbilical cord, and then after they toweled him down and got a few cries out of him Logan and I got a few moments to take it all on with this tiny little guy. He truly was an angel sent straight from heaven. We both were crying and speechless ... that moment was just so special. I kept thinking, "is this real life?"

Gunner Logan Obering was born on May 20, 2015 at 6:48pm. He weighed 7lbs 2oz and was 20inches long. He was greeted soon after by dozens of faces anticipating his arrival. This kid is LOVED. He has been an angel ever since. I could not ask for a better baby. I am SO blessed to be his mom.

'

PS I craved a bronco burger and oreo shake the entire time I was in labor. I did indeed get that meal right after delivery. Phillis thought that was pretty hilarious that I was more worried about getting my hamburger than my contractions! Shout out to Brads!