Sunday, August 1, 2021

Introducing our caboose- Taysom!

 Although I don't really use the blog much anymore, it only seems right that I write his birth story on the blog, where all the others can be found!

Taysom was due Aug 7, I was dying at like 32 weeks! Ha, being pregnant all of a hot Arizona summer while following around, entertaining, and helping 5 young children did not make pregnancy enjoyable, but I survived! I was fully mentally prepared to go the full 40 weeks but cross my fingers to be induced during that 39 week at some point, although everything I had heard about this east valley area is that being  electively induced is not easy and you almost never get called in until 40 weeks- they don't let you set up an appointment, it's all based on the availability of beds and staff. This was my first pregnancy that I can remember having painful cramps for long periods of time before having baby, I'd always had braxton hick contractions but nothing painful, interesting.

At my 38 week appointment I had high blood pressure- 136/87- the cut off line for it not to be "good" anymore is 140-90. It had been up high at my 36 week appt, but was down enough by the end of my appointment and then a few days later it was just low and good again. But at this 38 week appt the doctor walked in and almost immediately asked "ok, do you want to have this baby early?" I was shocked but with a huge smile immediately replied "absolutely!" His reply was "I thought so, I'll go call the hospital and make a case for you"

He left real quick to call the hospital and I texted Casey what was going on.

Dr. Layton came back with a post it- a time and a phone number. 3 am the next day, Tuesday! I told him I felt like I was a kid at the orthodontist and the ortho just told me I was getting my braces off early, ha! He checked me and I was a 1 at 40%.

Came home and started getting all the last minute stuff ready the best I could, although I lost so much steam quickly to actually be productive- pregnancy. Decluttering a few last areas, baby stuff out, hospital bag packed. Casey had his work cancel all his Tuesday patients. Casey actually took the boys on the Hieroglyphic hike hoping for amazing waterfalls after the monsoon we had, they were blah. I went and got a pedicure and manicure for my last "gift to me" things I had been doing all the last weeks of pregnancy, I originally had it planned for the next day but luckily had time to get it done Monday night before they closed! My mom came over that night and helped me cross more stuff off my list- like cleaning out the kids plate/bowl drawer, little things I just wanted done! Felt much better prepared! She slept at our house in anticipation of us leaving in the night.

Before bed I was to call the hospital to ask if I was still on for 3 am- they said no :( They'll call me and if I haven't heard from them by 7:30 am to give them a call but focus on getting a good night's rest.

 I woke up a lot that night, of course, checking what time it was, ancy for something. Before we had gone to bed I had Casey call my phone to check that it was working just to triple check, ha.

Well we woke up at 7 am with no phone call, Casey was frustrated since he had cancelled all his patients but nothing had actually happened. So he called his office to start setting up patients for the day and was going to go to work. I on the other hand felt like I was cheating the system in the first place getting to be induced at all, especially at 38 week and 3 days, so waiting wasn't a big deal at all to me. All the kids one by one walked into our room that morning confused where the baby was or why I was still at home. Maxson specifically asked "where's the baby?" haha. When I called at 7:30 they told me no room right now, they'd call at some point but no clue when that some point was going to be. (Casey did end up calling the hospital around 9 playing the doctor card of "yes, but WHEN could it possibly be! I have patients!" they said maybe afternoon or evening but that's only a guess. I was third in line for inductions waiting).

I went about the day normal, getting as many things done as I could like normal, my cleaning ladies had already been scheduled that day so the house was getting cleaned- perfect timing. The kids learned to make rubber band bracelets. Every time I got a phone call I was so excited but then disappointed to see it was Casey or someone else, ha. Finally went upstairs to take a nap. Not more than 10-15 min after laying down, I got a call, it was the hospital! YIPPEE!!!!!! They asked if I could be there in an hour- OF COURSE! Made some phone calls and gathered all my last thing. my niece came over to watch the kids and i was out of there by 2:00. Stopped at CVS to pick up mascara because that's important y'all.





Once to the hospital around 2:15, filled out paperwork, got checked in my room and just started going through the whole process. Nichole was my nurse, so fun and sassy, I wish she could have stayed until the laboring portion! I've always gotten so lucky with such amazing labor and delivery nurses. Casey eventually got to the room probably around 3:30. When she asked my birth plan I joked that I forgot my typed and laminated paper that said "epidural", always.

It took FOREVER to get my IV in, kind of like it always has-I warned them I'm a hard poke, I just don't have good veins in my arms for it. Dug around in my hand awhile, didn't work, hurt a ton. Another nurse tried my wrist- no luck. They finally brought in an ultrasound machine to find my vein and get it in more easily in my forearm. Finally able to start pitocin about 4:30 and the antibiotics for the positive thing (GBS or something), checked me and I was at a 2 and 70% so definitely progress overnight, and she stripped my membranes, whew, that was uncomfy. Apparently the doctor told my nurse to be aggressive and not hold back, ha, I loved it. The antibiotics in my arm HURT though, kept having to massage my arm.

I truly had been so hot the 4 previous months of my life and somehow the room we were in did not have great AC, they gave me my own personal fan which helped a ton.

We watched olympics and just started playing the waiting game. Doctor came in at 6:20 to break my water- I always warn them that I usually have a ton of fluid and to be prepared, they're always surprised how much actually comes out and that it keep coming and coming and coming. Funny how 5th time giving birth I actually know my body pretty well. And to be noted- apparently there's a special name in the hospital for moms who's deliveries are their 4+ : a grand-mal-tip. All I heard was grandma pregnancy. Definitely a young 31 year old, thanks, guys.

Contractions began building from there on out, at 7:45ish was my first long intense one that was the point ok I can do those for a little while but I don't want to for too long telling the nurses that likely in 30 min I'd ask for an epidural. I like the contractions to be hard enough that the epidural isn't bad at all in comparison to the pain of contractions. after 5-6 more long intense painful ones I asked for that epidural around 8:15, just like I had supposed. I had them check me and was at a 6, yay!




Epidural came rather quickly but man those contractions were getting super hard, just trying so hard to breathe through them. Casey came in front of me during the epidural and i just pushed into his shoulder with that intensely rounded/slouched back, I had him push my shoulders together during contractions and just got through them one a a time. Hollar to all those moms who give birth without epidurals- I applaud you!

By 9:00 I didn't feel the contractions any longer, yayyyyyyyy. But after that I could not keep my eyes open, I was so tired. I almost immediately got shakes/shivers and was so cold the next long while- a first for being cold for me in MONTHS! The shaking was intense, the worst was my teeth chattering, biting a wash cloth helped with that problem.

They brought out the peanut ball and after 15 minutes with the peanut ball I was feeling the pressure down there- that means I'm ready I think that was about 10:15. I was a 10 and something else not quite ready, so they called the doctor and he said he'd be on his way, maybe 15-20 min. Thank goodness I had that epidural because I sat there with that pressure for awhile, but it didn't bother me much. Seem like baby boy worked himself down pretty far during all that waiting!

He finally got there and the party got started- he got all gowned up, a stirrup didn't work so a different nurse came in to be that stirrup ha.

Dr Layton sat there at the edge and said "ok whenever you feel a contraction push, you can usually get 3 good pushes out of each contraction." I laughed and said "I just go?" because, ya know, you can't feel those contractions much, ha. But I went ahead and pushed almost immediately thinking it was a contraction, with a 1/2 a push he plopped that baby on my stomach! 10:48 pm- It was so much quicker than i anticipated, easy breezy! I told the nurses I was banking on a 1, 2 push max baby, so a half a push had me surprised. Just like that my baby was there! Just laying on my tummy- a short chord so I couldn't bring him up to my chest, but just crouched as much as I could to see him and say hi over and over and over. "hi baby" is usually all that comes out for awhile from me. So elated that it all went so easy!






Casey cut the chord while the doctor joked "wait don't cut that part off" referring to the penis, ha.

He didn't cry much, just a little squeak and then just happy to be there wrapped in a blanket. He was so sweet and so perfect we kept rubbing him but he was totally perfect and happy. He nursed for I swear 1.5-2 hours straight, as soon as I took him off he just kept rooting around on me or when Casey held him so we just kept letting him nurse. Sometime within that first hour or two we agreed to name him Taysom, the only name we both were agreeing and loving during pregnancy.

7 lb 8 oz, 20.5 inches long- he would have been a big boy had I had to go to 40weeks+! Thank goodness I got him out early. I gained 55 lbs this pregnancy -usually I gain 60, so totally normal for me! and only 7 lbs of that was baby love lol, and that's ok!

Placenta was delivered unbeknownst to me, the smallest superficial tear that he repaired quickly and the doctor was OUT! ha. Dr Layton is super chatty in regular appointments but at delivery he is all business and no chit chat. 

I had to finish 2 bags of pitocin, boo, which meant my IV was in forever it felt like- maybe until 5 am. Casey ordered hamburgers for us from the kitchen and we ate them at 1 am, he fed me every bite while I just sat there so tired and nursing. This was the first time I wasn't able to get up and walk immediately, my right leg was fine but my left leg stayed asleep for HOURS. I was finally able to get up at 3 am and walk to the bathroom. The rest of my hospital stay I was kind of cold! And I hadn't brought warm enough clothes for me or baby I felt, ha, I was just assuming we'd both forever be hot the rest of our lives. Luckily I brought a sweet blanket a friend made specially for me and baby to take to the hospital, kept us warm and cozy, I wasn't warm again until we walked outside the hospital.

The rest of the hospital stay that day was easy, I felt great, baby did great nursing, nurses took the baby from about 2-5 am and I got a good chunk of sleep in to recover from the previous night. I had an epidural so it wasn't painful but it went to show me that the whole time my body was working SO HARD because I was EXHAUSTED. the whole day was pure heaven just holding my sweet new baby boy.


Casey left in the early morning to go be with the children. Sometime in the afternoon he brought them back to see the baby. Unfortunately due to stupid covid, they could only look through the window but they were all still so cute and so excited to see him. It was a sight I'll remember forever. My mom came in after and got to meet baby boy too!






After watching some Olympics, trying to sleep but constantly having staff come in for various reasons I was ready to get home! Baby boy was doing great, I was doing great, When the doctor came and checked on me in the afternoon he asked "wanna go home early? Great, you can leave tonight!" So we prepared for an 11:00 pm departure! Plus I was honestly so bored in the hospital, you can only watch shows or olympics in a bed for so long, I couldn't even cuddle and snuggle the baby on my bed like I love to, it was time to go home!





Casey came and got me and we were home by 11:45 pm, just 25 hours after he was born. 


So nice to be in my own bed, baby boy was up every hour that night, I supplemented with a little bit of formula after a couple feedings which made him much more content. But after an hour of trying to sleep  I just told Casey to go sleep downstairs, no reason he should get crappy sleep ha, we actually had him go to work the next day around 10 am to get in a few more patients he had shuffled around before he was off for his 3 day weekend.

The kids were SO excited to meet baby in the morning! I came downstairs and they were just all so so excited to see the baby in my arms and gather around me and admire and look at all his tiny details. We passed him around to everyone and they all cried for longer turns but it was so sweet to see them all together! So happy to have my 6 kids all together with me at home.



That is the birth story of our sweet little caboose boy, Taysom! I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love all the birthing days of birthdays for my babies! The excitement, the anticipation, the support, the help from others on you, you're pretty vulnerable there in bed relying on everyone around you for help in every way. I love it all. So grateful for the doctor- the first few appointments it's just with a stranger not very often 6ish weeks apart, and by the end it's nearly every week and you're friends and he's very aware of your needs. 

That's our Taysom boy's big debut story!

PS- if you click the label/link below that says "birth story" you can read the other kids too