This is how the story goes......
Wednesday night I had a bunch of family members coming into town for Thanksgiving the following day. That evening, I felt a tiny bit of pressure, but decided to just go to bed and sleep it off. On the morning of Thanksgiving, I felt just fine and went about my morning as usual. However, there was this tiny, nagging thought in the back of my head that I kept shoving aside. I wasn't due until December 27th after all... Anyway, I decided to call up to the hospital in Tooele to see if I could possibly just get checked out really fast and give myself some peace of mind, and then I could enjoy the rest of my Holiday with the family.
So I went up and they checked me out quickly enough. But I wasn't expecting the answer I got! The doctor on call there told me I was 90% effaced and dilated to a 4 and that I was going to have a baby soon! What?! I started crying because I was in denial about it. I just kept thinking to myself, "I have to get home and start the mashed potatoes!" Until it finally hit me that I was probably going to miss Thanksgiving Dinner!
Given my previous history and how fast Jaden came...without pain - they didn't want to take a chance on me delivering in Tooele, then taking the baby into Salt Lake for pre-mature care. (Tooele is not equipped to take care of preemie babies).
So after a shot of terbutaline in my arm to stop the labor, I headed off on the University of Utah's Life Flight helicopter! I seriously was still in shock and denial... and off I go on life flight?!?! But what about those mashed potatoes! Oh dear.
Anyway, that shot of terbutaline stopped my contractions for the rest of the blasted day! I was surviving on ice chips while the rest of the family was dining on hot, fresh turkey, pumpkin pie, corn, stuffing, and of course the mashed potatoes that someone made in my place. :)
Well Thanksgiving day came and went and so we are now on to Black Friday. I could be shopping! But I began having some closer contractions that morning instead. Still no pain and still the denial that I was in labor. However, 3pm came and I was dialted to an 8 and ready to go. By now I'm starting to feel some of the contractions. Then the doctor came in and broke my water. That's when I REALLY STARTED TO FEEL IT! What the crap?! I felt nothing with Jaden and so here I am trying to go natural and it's about to kill me. In fact, I probably died somewhere in there because of the intensity of the pain!
At one point the anesthesiologist came in and I was BEGGING her to give me an epidural. They sat me up and as she was prepping, I was in more pain than ever. AND the contractions wouldn't stop long enough for her to get that needle in my back! I lied and told her as I was coming out of a hard contraction, that it was in between contractions and to just shove the blasted needle in my spine already! Well, I felt something, not sure what, but I was wracked with another deathly moment of horrific contraction pain. -And then I only wanted to push!
So I told her to forget it because I was pushing! They laid me down and I pushed twice and out popped Rendon! Wait a minute, that sounded kind of easy. I only pushed twice because the pain was so excruciating, I knew I didn't want to spend the rest of the hour pushing. It was killer! I knew the harder I pushed him out, the sooner it would be over!
And after I delivered my precious baby boy naturally, my foot got a tingle in it. And hence, the teensy bit of epidural she tried putting in, started to work. Yes, AFTERWARDS!!!!!
Well, the worst of it was over and I was the happiest person in the world. My sweet baby boy was born. Rendon came during his 35th week, just like Jaden. He weighed in at 5lb. 7oz and 20 inches long. Yes, very long indeed!
But I was so happy that he got to stay in our room with us, and not be whisked away to the NICU. He did remarkably well for being such a little guy. He only was jaundice for a little bit and that was it. They released him on Monday, November 30th.
One of the worst parts of being in the hospital since Thursday, was that Maddie and Jaden were stuck at home. They weren't allowed into the hospital at all because of swine flu precautions. Luckily, it being a holiday weekend, I had a bunch of family in town to take care of them. Then from Saturday to Sunday, they went to Grandma Norths. How grateful I am for such wonderful, helpful family! Thanks so much for taking care of Maddie and Jaden! They were so concerned for me and their baby brother.
This first picture is of me enjoying my Thanksgiving Feast of ice chips. Notice the forced smile.
Our new baby! Rendon Miller Brown came at 3:48pm on 11/27/09
Little Rendon under the billyruben lights to get rid of his Jaundice.
A cute picture I took of his feet! Notice the poor little knickmarks from the I.V.s and things they had to do to him!
And finally, one of the greatest moments a mother can have. I was so emotional when I got to finally see my kids after such a long weekend. They had no idea I was coming home on Monday. So I hid in the front room with the video camera and got them as they walked in the house. They rounded the corner to the front room and were SO HAPPY to see the sweet baby waiting for them!
Here's little Rendon waving to all of us letting us know he's in there!
What a special time in my life this is for me. Those of you close to me know how hard and long I have struggled to have another baby. This is truly a miracle child and although he's due at Christmas-time, December 27th...how could we ever complain? Just get here safe and sound, little one...
Shooting off the candy cannon on the beach. It shoots really high in the air and makes a huge BOOM! After all the candy falls back to earth, the kids go running for it.
Brenda's husband, Travis and two of his kids (Abby and Zack) helping him make a 'nose'...right next to the 'foot' Mike George (Tiff's hubby) made. Funny dudes!
Joel (Holy cow, dude...you look good!) with one of his boys, Kalven.
Andrew playing some cool tunes for us!
Ben, Nadja and Tyler Campbell.
Kaycee (Karmen's daughter) and Kenna (Guppy's daughter).
Seth (Tracy's), Bridger (Guppy's), and Jaden on the jet ski.
Kelsie (Karmen's), Laynie (Ben's), and Alyssa (Brenda's).
The pink ladies! Kynzie (Keith's), Eliah (Tawnja's) and Brielle (Guppy's).
Tran, Keith's wife.
Maddie playing frisbee.
Tayzia (Brenda's) and Mindy (Tracy's) splashin' around.
Jaden, Bridger and Seth in their homemade pool.
Brenda and her cool umbrella!
Tiff and her family came to watch the parade with us and ended up staying the rest of the day, too! I felt badly that I didn't see her too much because I had other plans for the day. At least Tracy lives here too and was able to spend more time than I did with Tiff and her family! Here is the cutest picture of her and her 2 1/2 month old baby. She's a kangaroo!
After the parade, we took off to the park for the festivities all afternoon. This is a picture of Maddie, Jaden and Lindsey with their fishies they caught. Dang it....I have to go buy a fishbowl now!
