Everett's Birthstory Part Two

A few weeks before Everett arrived Drew approached me and asked if I would be offended if he didn't "watch" Everett be born as in just hung out by my head and not down south. "Heck No" I replied, " You better be right up next to face and no where else." This was a naive thought on both our parts. We were under the impression that like in our OB appointments there would be a separation of my head and other parts. We quickly found out there would be no such separation. If you could see me at all you saw it all. I had wanted Neeley in the room with us so that she could take pictures of Everett once he finally debuted. I also knew she would be an incredible source of encouragement for both Drew and I that we would need. I am pretty sure her idea of what to expect was not at all what would happen just like with Drew and I. We all were viewing the birth process through rose colored glasses thinking we could excuse ourselves from parts we didn't necessarily want to witness.

So there we are, all feeling very out of our element, all very nervous.

My nurse Blair, who by this point in the wee hours of the morning I had decided was a little crazy, instructed Drew and Neeley to each take a leg as she scooted up on my bed very much into my personal space. She instructed me to take a deep breath with my next contraction and then push for 10 seconds, take a breath and do it again two more times. I was a little confused as to why it was just the 4 of us in the room at this point and I was to begin pushing. I didn't remember reading about this in my birthing book, there is no way I was letting this quack deliver my baby. So I pushed but not with all my might mostly to just appease this girl. It was in this moment that Drew and Neeley realized too that they would have a very front row seat to Everett's arrival. After a few pushes the door opened to my room and my doctor came in. Now it was serious. For some reason I desperately wanted to impress my doctor. I wanted to seem tough and like I could do this after fighting to give birth naturally for 3 weeks and 18 hours of labor. When she told me to push I used all the little strength remaining and realized just how difficult pushing would be. I felt my face go red and my energy leave with each push as tears began to flood my face. Although I wasn't feeling any pain just pressure I was hurting to push my hardest and hold my breath for each 10 second interval. Drew and Neeley each told me later that this was the hardest part for them, to witness me in this kind of distress.

 

I don't remember alot of the actual time pushing. I remember looking into Drew's eyes. Neeley's encouraging words as she tried not to knock out the nurse whose words were less than encouraging. I remember my doctor telling me I was doing good but I felt like I was making no progress. I couldn't feel that I was actually pushing Everett out. I closed my eyes and when I opened them the room seemed to have been flooded with people. Nurses were everywhere, the stirrups were brought out, my doctor was suddenly completely dressed in her delivery gear. Showtime! It felt to me like 30 min from when we started to the moment Drew became speechless and Neeley began exclaiming that she could see Everett's head. I didn't know the moment he emerged except for everyone's excitement in the room. Drew's face flooded with tears as he saw our son for the first time and then gave me kisses. Neeley's amazement shown on her face through tears also as she scooted closer to see her nephew.

Everett was held up for me to look at. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to grab him or not so I just touched him and wept. Quickly he was taken over the incubator that was brought into the room because he had swallowed alot of amniotic fluid. I felt that there was a hush in the room as nurses worked on Everett. I couldn't see what was happening and kept looking around me for someone to tell me he was ok. Neeley had made her way over to where Everett was and was just staring at him. I kept begging with my eyes for her to tell me something. I even managed to ask a few times if he was ok. She smiled and nodded but I could tell she was concerned. Drew had moved to the opposite side of my bed from where Everett was. He later told me that he saw Everett go blue and his arms fall to his sides as he stopped breathing from the fluid clogged in his lungs. As my doctor finished with me she saw the panic in my eyes and reassuringly kept telling me he was ok, he would be ok. I felt panicked.

Finally after what felt like forever the nursery nurse told me I could hold him for a moment before they needed to take him to the nursery to finish cleaning his lungs out. Everett was placed on my chest and I never felt love hit me so hard. My tears fell in great waves as I held my son for the first time. He had already opened his eyes and when I spoke to him, Everett turned his head towards my voice. It was the most incredible moment in my life. He was mine and I was his.

The moment was way to brief as he was taken away and I encouraged Drew to go with him. Neeley remained at my side as the doctor finished with me.
By this time Mom and Nana had made it back up to the hospital to join Aunt Tammy and Kelsey in the waiting room. Neeley went out to tell them Everett had arrived. I laid in my bed Thanking God for his incredible gift of a perfect son. At some point Everett was brought back to me bundled in blankets with his little beanie on his head. He was even more beautiful than I remembered.

 

We spent the next two days in the hospital welcoming friends and family to meet our new arrival. On Saturday we were released home and Drew drove Everett and I to our house, our little family of 3. I was so excited to have Everett in "real" clothes. His first outfit was a gown Nana had bought for Everett. It was precious! When we arrived at our house we were greeted by Aunt Tammy, Neeley and Kelsey who had coming home gifts waiting for us and had opened our house up for our arrival. Patrick and a friend had also driven in to meet his nephew for the first time.
 
I was nervous but so relieved to be home in our own environment with our son. A whole part of our lives was just beginning.