The Stolle Family: "I'm coming to the hospital and I'm NOT going home!"

When we were given the okay for Jared to come home I set a plan for how the timing of Andersen was going to happen. No one believed that it would actually work out, but I knew he would stick with the plan. For the most part it went as I thought... for the other half of most part, it didn't go as planned.

My last doctor's appointment was on the 22nd of September at 9:30a, I was 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I was only 2cm dilated and 70% effaced. I may or may not have had the doctor do a little moving along of my membranes that was supposed to take at least 24 hours to actually make something happen. I started early labor contractions three hours later. They were noticeable, not uncomfortable, but they were still contractions none the less. Oh what had I done! Jared was supposed to arrive into town on Sunday around noon... but I was having contractions and it was only Thursday! After talking to Jared over Skype we decided to change his ticket if his squadron would let him. Sure enough they would. Jared would now arrive Saturday around noon. ... Contractions continue to be 5 minutes apart the rest of Thursday, Friday morning, and then grew more intense Friday afternoon. I had planned to see the movie The Help on base Friday night and I was not going to miss it. No big deal, go see the movie and then stop on over to Labor and Delivery to have my progress checked out. Contractions continued throughout the entire movie and afterwards I was sure I would be staying at the hospital to prepare to have this baby. Sure enough... NOPE! Not far enough along. Boo. I went home and was up. ALL. NIGHT. Everything I had seen on TV I tried and it did not help me get through these now more intense contractions. I thought to myself and then out loud, I SHOULD HAVE GONE TO LAMAZE!!!! I tried swaying, I tried squats, I tried leaning over, I tried everything and walked the entire house thinking a different room would make it better. My original plan of driving myself to the hospital was just plain stupid. I don't know what I was thinking, but it was the dumbest thought I think I have ever had. My friend Nikki received a call at 4:30am on Saturday the 24th saying I needed her to come get me. I called the hospital at 4am and said "I AM COMING TO THE HOSPITAL AND I AM NOT GOING HOME!" Sure enough, they were prepared to admit me when I arrived at 5am. [Why did it take an hour for me to get there when the hospital is 2 miles down the road? I had to brush my teeth again, curl my hair, put on makeup, and make sure I had on clean underwear and bra. Silly me.] We get there, I put my hospital issue gown on, and I get hooked up to their IVs and other needley things. I had made some progress as far as dilation and the contractions kept coming. Nikki hung out for a little bit and left to get Jared from the airport sometime after they gave me some "relaxation" medicine. Between when Nikki left and when Jared arrived a few things happened. I bounced on a birthing ball and thought "this isn't bad" until I stopped bouncing and the contractions were killer. I ate some ice chips... lots of ice chips. I laid in bed and hung to the railing as the contractions worsened. My water broke ALL OVER THE BED and I was thoroughly disgusted at the mess I had made and then proceeded to stay in the bathroom until the bed was changed and the nurses were gone because I was so embarrassed. Oh... and I rethought my "let's give this the old college try" thought and ordered the epidural because I was not liking how I was feeling... at only 5cm!!! Haha. I. AM. A. WIMP! Jared arrived at the hospital at noon and I was in heaven! My husband. My partner. My cheerleader was here! Phew. He made it before Andersen did! Jared "helped" me through a few more contractions before the epidural arrived. The epidural was surprisingly easy to handle, I thought it would be more painful than it actually way. How amazing was the epidural!?!? IT WAS AaaaaMAZING! The only thing after I had the epidural that was causing me pain was having to lay on my back the entire time. Talk about numb bum! ... Fast forward 5 hours.... 5pm - 8cm. 7pm - 8cm. 9pm - 8cm. I had another hour to try to make it past 8cm, if I didn't we had to decide to keep holding out for a regular canal birth or c-section. 10pm - 8cm. Deciding to have a c section was a hard decision, yet an easy decision. I wasn't dilating and probably wouldn't dilate any further. I didn't want to put Andersen at risk for complications. I didn't want to hurt Andersen. I didn't want to jeopardize Andersen being 100% healthy. C-section it was. I was prepped for surgery and wheeled to the operating room for the big delivery. Jared was given his jumper and would be coming to the OR when I was ready. The white room. The bright lights. The commotion of preparing for surgery. We were going to have a baby! Andersen was born at 11:19pm on Saturday, September 24th. He was 7lbs, 19 inches and had a head full of red tinged hair. He was and is PERFECT! I don't know how long it was before I got to hold Andersen, but I do remember "waking up" in recovery to the nurses shoving Andersen on my breast telling me to feed him and telling me how. [Side note: Because I was not dilating, Andersen was stuck in the birth canal... to make matters worse, he was face up. So me + him = not gonna happen the regular way]

The part of the plan that went as planned: I was going to have Andersen after September 22nd [Five year plan... I WIN!], but before the end of the 27th. Andersen held out until his daddy was there... with 12 hours to spare!
The part of the plan that didn't go as planned: I would have preferred to have had Andersen on the 25th or 27th because I like those numbers better, but I guess I have to learn to love the number 24 now as well. [silly me, I know]. I had to have a c-section.

Jared, Andersen, and I stayed in the hospital less than 48 hours. When they said we could go home if we wanted, we jumped at the chance to be in our own home. Because my ability to walk, move, lift, etc. was hindered due to the c section, Jared had to take up all the slack. Oh so wonderful he was! The week that he was with us was the most amazing time. Jared was amazing with Andersen and jumped right in to changing sticky diapers. He was the best nurse I could have ever had. He helped me in and out of bed and reminded me to eat/drink/etc. Seeing Jared hold Andersen, the life we created, was amazing. That really is the only word I can think to describe our baby, my husband, and the time we had together. Amazing. [Sorry this post is really choppy and not exactly thought out well. I haven't really had time to get my thoughts together in a better way. So for now, this will do.]