One Day Changed A Family Forever: Lincoln’s Birth

I knew early on that Lincoln was going to be born by cesarean section due to the fact he was in the breech position and didn’t seem to be budging anytime soon. My OB said we could try to move Lincoln in utero, but that it was a 50/50 shot that it would work. Check out this video for an idea of what they do and you’ll see why I chose not to. My OB told me from the get go that he’d be okay with delivering a week early if everything looked okay. So even though he gave me a due date of August 6, 2010, I was expecting our son towards the end of July. Around the beginning of July we settled for a July 30th c-section. I was to arrive at 6:30 am for surgery and could expect to see my son at 8:30 am. Eeeek! We were so excited!

My family and in laws were planning on coming to Austin the day before the scheduled surgery (the 29th).

Well around 4:30 am on the 29th I woke up needing to use the restroom. When I went to the bathroom I noticed that I might have lost my mucus plug (gross, I know…). I’ll spare you the Google images, but click here to find out more about the mucus plug. I yelled for Wesley and we both just stared in the toilet wondering what on earth it was! I immediately called the hospital where they asked an array of questions. They told me that expectant mothers can lose their mucus plug up to a week before delivery and as long as I wasn’t having contractions to plan on coming in on my scheduled date of the 30th (the following morning).

Once I got off the phone with the hospital I was relaying my conversation to Wesley with my panties around my knees (trust me, it wasn’t sexy). At that moment my water broke. It wasn’t what I thought it would be… It was just a little bit, but enough for Wesley to say, “what the hell was that?” I told him I didn’t know so I called the hospital yet again. Check out this article to know more about your water breaking. They told me to go ahead and come in so they could check things out. So I got off the phone and we began the most unorganized morning of my life. I was planning on finishing laundry and packing that day to be prepared for the following day (Lincoln’s planned b-day) so we were completely unprepared when it came time for the REAL b-day. I still wasn’t having contractions and felt fine so I called the hospital back and asked if we had time for me to shower, finish laundry, etc. I was advised that as long as I felt okay we could do those things, but that sooner than later was recommended.

Wesley began to get ready. I started laundry, showered, curled my hair, and was mid way through my pageant perfect stage makeup when the contractions began. And they were hard and they were fast with only 30 seconds or so of relief between them. I started freaking out, rushing Wesley to hurry and finish getting ready (he was just meandering around drinking coffee!!!), and got in the car and just waited completely annoyed that Wesley was taking his sweet a$$ time (okay really he was packing the car, but when you’re in that MUCH pain it felt like he was taking his time). Having grown up in north Austin, my OB was in Georgetown and delivered at St. David’s Georgetown Hospital, but we were living in Westlake at the time (at least a 45 minute drive when you’re calm). So here’s my one recommendation from this story: FIND A DOCTOR CLOSE TO HOME REGARDLESS OF HOW IN LOVE YOU THINK YOU ARE!!! I called my mom and told her to meet us there. Between very painful contractions I continued to finish my makeup in the car. Priorities. Wesley sped like a banchie so bad that I thought he was going to kill all of us. He was passing people on the shoulder and riding 18 wheelers booties on I-35! He even called the police to let them know I was in labor and that he was speeding. They advised his to pull over and allow an ambulance to take me. That seemed a little over the top and dramatic so I screamed that he was not to pull over!!

When we arrived at the hospital the morning continued to be a total cluster. Wesley tried to take me in a wheel chair through the revolving doors rather than the emergency door (try that sometime). Then he was wheeling me so quickly that he rammed me and the wheel chair into the wall at the nurses station. How’s that for a grande entrance?

Ironically, we arrived exactly at 6:30 am, which was the time we were supposed to arrive for surgery the following day. That led to slight confusion, but they wheeled me back anyway, started monitors, an IV with amazing pain relieving drugs, and began asking a million questions. Wesley answered most of the questions until my mom got the car parked and made it in there with us. We were all so nervous and in a complete frenzy trying to notify everyone.

Within 1/2 an hour I was in the OR, getting an epidural, was greeted by my OB, and Wesley was brought back into the room. It all happened so quickly and because of the meds they gave me when I arrived, I was completely loopy and could have cared less that I was having a baby. After tons of tugging and pulling and only a few minutes in we could finally hear our sweet little man’s voice!!!! They said, “he’s a healthy boy with lots of brown hair!” It was 7:31 am and he was 6 lbs 2 oz and 19.25 inches long.

There were tears, kisses, pictures, and then Lincoln and Wesley were gone and I was left to be sewed up. Nice. Within about 45 minutes I was in recovery and Wesley came and showed me videos of his first bath and told me that Lincoln had my ears (poor thing) and his double cowlicks.

Allison’s Ears in 1981

Lincoln’s Ears in 2011

Wesley’s Double Cowlicks

Lincoln’s Double Cowlicks

I couldn’t wait to meet him and within a few minutes I finally did! Talk about exciting. All I can say is “I LOVE BEING A MOM!” Life didn’t have meaning before Lincoln and now I have an even greater appreciation for my mom, my dad, and my husband. July 29, 2010