Eva's Birth

Well...I guess i blew it and opened the present before "Christmas" actually came. I went into my appointment on Tuesday and my Ob/Gyn checked to see if there was any progress. I was "less effaced" and "less dilated" than last week and baby Eva had dis-engaged from the pelvis. I said that i guessed i would see her again next week and she said no, that baby needed to come out this week as she was headed towards the 9 lber range and was still posterior (which had caused problems in my last 2 pregnancies.) She also figured that since i had passed my due date 20 days ago and the ultrasound due date now, that it was time to get things moving. I went home... had 2 days of turmoil and tears and decision/indecision. We called mom and dad in Victoria and told them that baby was going to be induced on Thursday so we needed them to come up right away to be here for Wednesday night. They drove all Wednesday, stopping in Hinton to visit my sister on the way and crawled into bed in the wee hours. I didn't even see them that night. The hospital called at 6:30 Thursday morning and told me to shower, eat breakfast and come in by 7:45 for an induction at 9am. It was surreal walking down those hallways again after less than 2 years. This pregnancy had taken us by surprise and now the imminent delivery of this new little life just seemed so hard to believe...ALREADY! It went so fast. We got settled in the labouring room, I was gowned up and set up with the baby monitor for an hour before they began the drip just to make sure that Eva was okay. At 9, the nurse started the oxytocin and asked me if i needed anything. I told her that i wanted to try labouring on the labouring ball and that i might want to try the bar as well as baby was posterior...and of course an unlimited supply of nitrous oxide. I was hoping that these would help with her position during the delivery. The nurse came in with a labour ball and i sat on it only to discover that my feet didn't touch the ground! She brought another one and wow! I wish i had've used one for all the other births. I walked the halls, but mostly rocked on the ball for pretty much the whole labour. Curt rubbed my back. A labouring first. But whenever the nurse would come in he would pretend he hadn't been doing anything. haa! At 11:15 my water broke (clear! yay!) and at 12:00 i had the first contraction that brought tears to my eyes. I don't know if other women are like me, but there is "fun labour" (in the beginning, when all it is is excitement and recognizable contractions) and then all of a sudden a contraction comes that means business and the reality of what is ahead suddenly sinks in... and for me, i tear up. I looked up at Curt. "I may need the laughing gas in a bit." I breathed through a few more contractions and then got Curt to hook up the gas for me.
MUCH better... and then it got worse... as labour is apt to do. When it became too much for me and i knew we were close, i told Curt he was going to have to help me up onto the bed. Somewhere between 1 and 1:30 i told him (not in full sentences of course) that unless he wanted to deliver baby on his own, he'd better call the nurse. I figured that Eva would be born by 2. Pushing began and my Dr. came in and realized that the front bag of waters had broken but that the head was blocking the waters from behind. She went in and broke them and there was meconium staining. The pediatrician had to be called in just in case Eva was in distress when she came out. Pushing only lasted about 30 mins. (A fantastic difference from Wes' 2 hours of pushing!) And Eva arrived. The cord was wrapped around her neck twice, but was quickly unwound and neither that, nor the meconium staining caused any problems for her. Those are the facts... there *are* details... and REALLY, the story is in the details, so here are some of them:

-The day before the induction i canned 7 jars of my 8 boxes of peaches. During my labour, my mom canned 35 quarts of peaches and used up every jar she could find in my house. I was shocked...and THANKFUL!!

-On the white-board by the front desk of labour and delivery, my request for "NO MALES" was written in bold black dry-erase marker. When the large, older, balding pediatrician was called into the room, i announced through puffs of my laughing gas "You'd better be one ugly WOMAN!" My OB just howled. The man averted his eyes for the whole time he was in the room. He rocked. Thank you strange man who attended my birth.

-During delivery, Curt usually stands by my HEAD, holds my hand (because i make him) and says little to nothing. This time, he bent down to my head and whispered encouragement...but when Eva came out he asked his usual question. "Is she dead?" A little picture of what he's been thinking. Poor Curt...I love him.

-After i deliver, i am always ravenously HUNGRY but this time i outdid myself. Here is what i ate: 7 pieces of buttered toast, One McChicken Meal from McDonalds, One full hospital meal... and then i writhed up to the desk and begged for a chaser of MALOX. Thank goodness for antacids after a ridiculous attack of the "hungries".

-Eva weighed 7 lbs 15 oz
-Eva has lots of dark hair,
long dainty, double-jointed fingers,
toes that make the "peace sign",
Curt's chin,
and everything else looks like Sadie. :)
-Eva's full name is Eva Found Sparrow Jespersen.
She is named after her great great grandmother (Margaret) Eva Found, and of course sparrow is for the bird...and a favourite song that reminds us that "His eye is on the sparrow, and i know He watches me."