April 26, 2010
Every time I hold my sons I get extreme butterflies in my stomach. For the past week I’ve sat amazed at the two little boys that have miraculously come into me and David’s life in less than fifteen months.
On Thursday, April 15th I began experiencing light contractions midday measuring around seven minutes apart. Since I was already at the hospital for a stress test (because the baby was overdue) they checked me and found no dilation. Later that evening the contractions became harder and closer together. Since my first labor took days to complete, I didn’t panic as I was convinced Nicholas would arrive sometime on Saturday. My best guy friend, Brian, was in town so we ran errands to Target where I panted every five minutes throughout the store. After he left that evening around 9pm, I decided to take a bath with Christian (our usual routine) while David began packing our hospital bag and Christian’s overnight bag into the trunk. As soon as I got out of the bath, my contractions developed into strong and painful waves throughout my body, which came every 2-3 minutes. As each one passed I literally buried my face into my pillow while painfully thinking I am never getting pregnant again!’
After dropping Christian to my parents, we arrived to the hospital where someone offered me their wheelchair when they saw me struggling to walk. I was wheeled in and admitted at 11:00pm where I was already 4cm dilated. My doctor was thankfully working that night, as she had delivered Christian and developed a close bond with me in the past ten months of my high-risk pregnancy. I felt nauseus and was in un-describable pain when they finally transferred me to my labor room. They administered my blood clotting meds immediately and said I could not receive an epidural for at least a half hour after. However, after experiencing two agonizing contractions, one in particular felt long, throbbing and continuous. In that moment I said, Doctor, I feel like I need to push! She immediately checked me and said, Okay Maria, you’re at 9cm. Everyone get into place. Maria, I will need you to start pushing now.
I was shocked. It had only been fifteen minutes since she first checked me at 4cm. This whole experience was going incredibly fast and I had no pain medication in me. All I can remember is holding David’s hand, closing my eyes, and pushing like I had to take the biggest #2 of my life. In that moment I can hear David saying, Good Job and feel his fingers wipe away my tears. In just three long pushes, on Thursday, April 16th at 12:01am, Nicholas Casler was born a healthy 8lbs and 3oz.
The moment felt surreal and as they handed me the baby that’s existed in my body the last ten months, I couldn’t believe he was finally here.
In the following days I felt I had made a swift recovery until I started feeling nausea, dizziness and shortness of breath the day I was supposed to get discharged. I felt like I couldn’t move almost paralyzed as if my mind was moving faster than my body. I was immediately brought to the ICU where they told me my electrolytes had dipped dangerously low. They were still administering my blood clotting meds every six hours up until midnight when they removed my IV. When that occurred, they found I had developed the side effect of losing too much sodium and magnesium in my body which caused my symptoms of weakness, nausea and vertigo. It took a several hours just to raise my sodium level from 118 to 119 (the average is 140). In that time I was half-conscious and very uncomfortable. The staff was so wonderful with me especially since they rarely get to see newborns in the ICU.
After several days in the hospital, I arrived home and began working the very next day. After all, I had impromptu meetings, last-minute assessments and urgent errands that couldn’t be rescheduled. However, by Thursday I experienced a mini-breakdown as I felt like I had been running a marathon with a pregnant belly for the last ten months and just popped the baby out and continued to run. As much as I think I’m a superwoman I’m not. I’m just incredibly stubborn. There are moments in life that you can never replace…and these new moments with my newborn son would never arrive again.
Now I’m taking each day a little easier and enjoying the quiet time bonding with my babies. It’s incredible how much life has changed in this past year. Every night I look at awe at me and David’s familyat our two boys and our exciting plans for this upcoming year.
God Bless.
Journal Pictures April 21, 2010
David downloaded the “contractions application” to my Android.
Check out these contractions! I was still at home when they were only 2-3 minutes apart!
I was admitted at 11pm on gave birth at 12:01am! There was no time for
pain medication! Here the nurses are giving me our son right after he was delivered.
This is a very REAL picture of my first moment with Nicholas…
Bringing life into this world is the most painful experience – but it’s the most
amazing responsibility in the world.
Nicholas Casler was born on April 16, 2010 weighing 8lbs, 3oz.
The day I was going to get discharged my electrolytes began dipping dangerously low.
I was admitted to the ICU and was so annoyed that my ‘fast and perfect’ labor had
complications like my first one.
Christian reacted well to his little brother. He has a lot of
curiosity and is very gentle.
David set up shop since I was there from Thursday-Monday.
Reflecting on this special moment in my diary. I’ve had one since I was in 3rd grade.
(I have a chest load of them!)
check out these side-by-sides of my two little men only one day old.
Nicholas (left) has a more narrow face, more hair and we’re still checking to see what
his eye color is.
Check out my tummy exactly one week after giving birth!
It’s CRAZY what the human body can do. I plan on working out in a month.