We've got Blizzard 2011 going on outside, so I figured I am bunkered down anyway, I better get this story down before I forget to do it!!!
The night Ruby was born was pretty much like the nights leading up to it. Uncomfortable, lots of Braxton-hicks contractions. I had been sick that day with the throw-up, just not feeling good in general. I agreed to speaking in church Sunday morning, but called and cancelled since I was feeling sick. For dinner we had pancakes and one was plenty if not too much for me. I went to Wal-Mart after dinner to get groceries for the next week, and a humidifier. I remember walking around super-slow, when I got home Josh gave me a hard time for taking so long. I got a craving for hard-boiled eggs around 9:00, so I ate 3!
We went to sleep around 11:30. I am not sure that I fell asleep all the way (which is normal when you‘re full-term pregnant), but exactly at 1:01 AM I felt my water break. At first I didn’t think it was my water breaking. As the milliseconds passed I realized I was wrong. I woke Josh up not only to tell him, but I was concerned that it was slightly green. At that point I could tell my contractions were kind of “ouchie.” Not too bad, just kind of pins and needles feeling in my back and belly. We left about 20 minutes later. Josh already explained the super-fast timeline of events. I remember Josh asking me lots of questions (about what to pack) and I couldn’t answer him. All I knew for sure that I needed right then was the camera and the cord blood donation paper work. Everything else didn’t matter. Josh was baffled that I didn’t care about anything else. I had a strong feeling we just needed to go!
When we got to the hospital Josh parked in a Physician parking stall. I felt so gross, it was cold outside, I had no control over this water-breakage stuff happening. It took me forever to walk inside the building, tiny baby steps were all I could manage. Josh offered a wheelchair, but I was thinking, “Nah, I don’t want to look like a wimp.” I should have taken it!!! When we walked inside we walked past some people in the waiting room. They were staring at me. I felt so self-conscious because my water had broken and I was taking these tiny steps, I knew I was a site to behold. Once we got past the 3 checkpoints (for security purposes) I had to leave a urine sample, then they sent me to Triage. Triage is where they check you to make sure you really are in labor. As I climbed onto the hospital bed I told Josh I was going to throw-up (and I did).
The nurse Sally (and my former Relief Society President!!!) came into the room and we laughed and said hello. We laughed because 1 week earlier Sally had helped my good friend Heidi with her delivery, and Heidi’s was super fast, no epidural for her. Sally checked my dilation, she said I was at an 8 or 9. I was shocked. I asked her, “So, no epidural?!?” Ohhh no! They wheeled me into the Delivery room, all I remember is laying on my side clinging to the bed railings, my eyes were closed and I was crying in pain. It was happening so fast.
Labor was crazy. I was crying with each contraction, clinging to the side of the bed. I guess at one point I said, “I don’t want to pull a Heidi!!!!“ I don’t remember saying that, but Sally came and visited me the next day and laughed with me about the whole thing.
Josh kept telling me to just take deep breaths. He kept breathing on me so I told him to back off, twice. He was taking my much needed oxygen!!! I felt like I had to push so I asked in desperation, “Am I at a 10???“ Sally said, “Oh yes!“ So I did and I finally stopped crying from the pain of the contractions. It felt like finally the pain could be focused elsewhere. I pushed and pushed, even when there wasn’t a contraction, even as I was laying on my side, it felt much better than just sitting there. The contractions were pretty much right after one another. I had this pressing feeling to just PUSH!!! It hurt like crazy to not.
My feet got put in the stir-ups. The ER Doctor got there. I just kept pushing, even when there wasn’t a contraction (though I didn’t realize it, I just wanted the baby OUT). 2 contractions, she was out and was whisked directly to the NICU team. She made a small little wheeze sound, and that was it. Ruby had aspirated the meconium. Scary stuff.
They mask-ventilated her. She was not breathing. They then intubated her, and had to suction the meconium out of her lungs. The best Apgar score is a 8. Her first Apgar score was a 5, based on the fact that she wasn’t breathing and she was floppy. Scary. Josh actually came over to me to block my view so I wouldn’t see that they had a breathing mask on her. I was in la-la land. I was exhausted and still in pain (the Dr. was fixing me up). I had no idea she wasn’t breathing or that they were suctioning crap out of her lungs. Josh kept telling me she was doing good, that she had color, and that they were working on her.
Normally they put the baby right on your chest immediately after birth, we didn’t get to have that for a while. I knew she would be OK. I knew that she was pink and doing alright. (I didn’t know the other details). I finally got to hold her, after about 20 minutes. I held her for about 15 or 20 minutes, then they sent her to the NICU. I didn’t know that she was mask-ventilated or that she was intubated until well after her birth.
The midwife that was on call showed up sometime, I can’t remember how long after the birth it was, maybe 30 minutes. We laughed about her effort to get there, she wasn’t needed after all! She was really nice, I had never met her, but felt like we were good friends anyway.
We went to the NICU and we finally were able to try the whole breastfeeding thing. She did pretty well. She nursed for about 5 minutes, then fell asleep. She stayed in the NICU for about 4 hours.
We went to my room and fell asleep around 5 am, slept until about 7 am. Josh went looking for Ruby in the NICU. I waited about 10 minutes. A nurse showed up with Ruby and I asked her if she had seen my husband, that he had gone to the NICU to see if Ruby was alright and if we could have her back. She said, “Oh nope, she’s in the regular nursery now!“ Just then Josh showed up. We hung out for a few minutes then Josh decided he better go. He had to move his car anyway!
Not only do I need to get new mascara now, but I have to worry about 
You can't see it that well in this picture, baby acne has come full force. It's gotten worse since this picture (2 days ago). She's also had minorly clogged eye ducts, when I get her in the morning her eyes are sort of goopy. And during the day I wipe them every so often. 
I don't know how long this stage will last, but I am loving it so much.
I think her eyes are turning blue!
swimming in the tub.
I cleaned my room and mopped the bathroom floor while they played. Ruby slept. Staying busy over here, loving it! I finally don't feel trapped by my body and I'm able to move and work again!!! 
This little girl is growing too fast.
taking up all my free time
and I love it.
So in the meantime,
enjoy these photos :)