Maverick Paul's Birth Story!

The night of March 16th, I received a text from Maverick's godfather, Adam. It simply said, "I don't know why but I can't shake the feeling that tonight is the night, kiddo. Praying for you." I told Brian what he said, and we both lay in bed talking about how we sure hoped he was right!

Around 11:00 p.m., I woke up to use the bathroom. I noticed a very uncomfortable tightening in my lower abdomen, much like Braxton Hicks. I shook it off, used the bathroom, and got back in bed. I laid there for a few minutes, unable to sleep bc of the pain. I decided to take a Tylenol PM and get some rest. Around 1 a.m., I was wide awake again, hurting bad. I knew the pain had woken me up, bc Tylenol PM usually knocks me on my butt for hours!!! I then decided to get out of bed and just walk a little. I had always heard that you can change positions to make BH contractions stop, but nothing will stop the real ones. They didn't stop after pacing the floors, but I laid back down anyway. I dozed on and off until about 3:30, when the pain was just too much to stay in bed. I got up and jumped in a hot shower, to see if they would subside. The whole time I was in there, I kept praying that the Lord would show me a sign so that I would know whether or not this was the real thing. My heart could not take another false alarm!

I stayed in the shower for about 35 minutes, then got out once I saw that the contractions were still coming. I then decided to try and time them, which they were about 5 minutes apart, but nothinig consistent. I woke Brian up, and he told me to call the doctor. Of course I was still hesitant, not wanting to be sent back home if it were not delivery time. I finally gave in and called around 5:00 a.m. I told them what I'd been experiencing all night. The on-call nurse told me to come on in and they would monitor me and check things out.

I was so nervous the whole ride to the hospital. Brian and I decided not to call anyone this time, until we knew that this was for sure happening! We got to the hospital and in the triage room around 6 a.m. I was only 1 1/2 cm dilated, and the contractions were not as steady. The nurse said she would be back in about an hour to see how I was doing. When the sweet nurse, Chris, came in about an hour later, I was still 1 1/2 cm. However, when she checked me, I had the "bloody show," which is an indicator of labor beginning. She also said my contractions were 3-5 min apart, so she wanted to talk to Dr. Virtue and see what he wanted to do.

Dr. V was heading into a c-section delivery, but told her he wanted to see me himself (good sign that I'd be staying!). I was excited, but didn't get my hopes up. Chris said that the drs rarely come in themselves unless they are admitting the patient, and she really felt that he would keep me and we would have a baby soon. This made me feel better, but still guarded. Finally, around 9:45, Dr. V made it in to see me. He checked me and I was 3 cm dilated!!! Praise God for progress! He said he would admit me then come around and break my water to try to get the contractions regulated. We immediately began calling our family and friends to tell them the good news...we would meet our precious boy in a matter of hours!

Dr. V broke my water around 11 a.m., and we started the pitocin shortly after. Let me tell you, I did NOT like the feeling of the water running all over the place! I felt like a helpless old lady who couldn't control my bladder! :( So, then we started the process of letting the pitocin do its job and seeing what happened! I could tell the contractions were closer, and they began to get really strong. I was trying so hard to hold out on getting the epidural, but around 1 p.m., I couldn't take it anymore! I let Chris know that I was ready! She kinda chuckled and said "Oh, are you?!" bc the whole morning I was telling her not to offer it to me, and I would let her know when I was ready! She was such a sweetheart.

I was 3-4 when she checked me at 2:25. I then got to meet Marilyn, my new nurse. Chris was actually the head nurse on the floor, so she wasn't supposed to actually have patients, but just make sure all the nurses were doing okay. However, we formed a bond that morning so she stayed with me most of the day, until Marilyn came. What a wonderful nurse she was as well! We were SO blessed with sweet ladies to take care of me and Maverick. Marilyn checked me around 4:45 and I was 5 1/2-6 cm! Well, it felt like only an hour had passed when I started feeling the strong urge to use the bathroom. I let Marilyn know, and she said "I've been waiting on you to tell me this!!!!" She rushed in the room to check me, and I was 9 cm! She said, "There is nothing in there for you to push out except a baby!!!" So she got into position to help me start pushing. Brian had been walking around outside for about 20 minutes before, so I had someone call him and tell him to GET IN HERE! :)

My mom, Brian's mom, Brian and Rosalind all gathered around as Marilyn talked me through the pushing. With each push, I was able to see his head and all the dark hair he had! I pushed for around an hour, when Dr. V came in. He said the baby's heartrate was dropping and we needed to use the suction cups to get him out. I was scared, but tried to stay focused. I pushed once more, and Dr. V said he would have to do an episiotomy :/ Again, I just focused on the fact that I needed to get him out. One more push and here came my sweet baby boy! I was absolutely amazed at the sight of him, and could not stop crying!

Maverick Paul Stiles was born on 3/17/11 at 7:43, weighing 7 lbs 9 oz, and measuring 19 3/4 inch long! What a wonderful experience to meet my baby boy for the first time. Brian was amazing in the delivery room, and was just in awe of his precious baby. We held each other and cried while they cleaned Mav up and began to sew me back up. Up until this point, my labor and delivery were a piece of cake! The sewing up process was quite uncomfortable, and I still hadn't got to hold my Maverick yet. When they finally brought him to me and placed him in my arms, I couldn't thank God enough for this beautiful miracle that he entrusted to us.

And everyone was right...I completely forgot about all of the pain and throwing up that my pregnancy brought! It was worth every minute of it!!!

Belly Update

Me and Maverick, 38 weeks!

No more work!

Yesterday morning I was feeling very nauseous and ended up throwing up 3 different times at work. I didn't eat or drink anything after that, except for 3 strawberries and 1/2 banana at lunch. I kept those down, thankfully. I was also having contractions all day, and when I timed them, they were 5-6 min apart! So I called the dr's office around 1:30 and they wanted to see me right away. I went in and my blood pressure was super high, 150/98! It usually stays around 120/80. So of course the dr was keeping an eye on that. He then checked my dilation and I was only 1 1/2 cm. Definitely improvement since last apt, but I was getting discouraged. I just knew that I was going to be more than that! They then hooked me up to the contraction monitor for about 45 min. The contractions were steady but irregular in strength. They took my bp again and it was still high. Dr. Wells came back in and ordered some lab work for me to go do this morning. He also said he wanted me out of work "until further notice." He said he looked for me to be back before my Thursday appointment, so we will see! Either way, I am getting excited because my due date is 11 days away! That means one way or another, we will have our baby boy in less than 2 weeks! I know this will sound reeeally weird, but I still sit back and think, "I can't believe I'm pregnant!" I'm going to be someone's Mommy in a matter of 2 weeks or less! It's such an overwhelming blessing and I can't wait to meet this special boy who has my heart already...

Big Boy!!!

I had my weekly check up this morning with Dr Laubscher. She's a hoot! I asked her if it was too early to strip my membranes and she said "No! I'm glad you asked!" SO she did and it hurt, but only for 5 seconds. I'm still only 1 cm dilated, but she was very happy that I started dilating on my own since it's my first baby. His head has also dropped more since last week. My blood pressure was a little elevated, and my feet were "puffy," but she said "that comes with the territory." :) She said she will see me back next week, but I am hoping she sees me (and Mav!) a lot sooner. Hopefully this will speed things up! I've been a little crampy all day, and contractions are coming too.

I also had to go to ROC this afternoon to get a last look at my baby boy on the inside before he joins us on the outside! He is gorgeous as always, with an estimated weight of 7 lbs, 3 oz already! He also has a head that's measuring as a 39 week 4 day pregnancy, and I am only 37 weeks, 4 days! The dr. said "You need to go into labor soon!" ummm no joke dude! Tell the little guy that...
He then shook my hand and told me that they didn't know what they were talking about by sending me to the ROC bc my little baby was perfectly healthy. I wanted to tell him that God was the one to thank for that, but he didn't get me much talking time! I am officially released from the ROC! Whoo hoo! Such a blessing and relief :)

Until next week, or sooner....

Progress!

My dr's appointment went very well! I am 1 cm dilated and my cervix is 1/2 way thinned out! Yay! I know, I know. I could be at 1 cm for weeks, but it's progress people! I go back Wednesday morning so my new goal is 2, maybe even 3 cm. I walked over a mile yesterday, and then walked again today and had a pedicure. We are trying to get this little boy moving! My contractions are getting stronger, which is a good sign. I am 37 weeks today, which is considered full term. Praise the Lord for this huge milestone in my pregnancy! God is so good and faithful and He has taken such good care of my little man. I can't wait to hear him cry for the first time, look into his eyes for the first time, and then see his proud daddy hold him for the first time. Our son...he is already so loved and I cannot wait to meet him and show him my love for the rest of my life...

The worst disappointment...

Okay so rewind to Sunday, almost a week ago. We cleaned and did some stuff around the house, and I actually decided to pack my hospital bag! haha finally. Saturday 2 of my good friends came over and helped finish the nursery, as far as organizing and putting stuff away, so I figured I could at least pack my bag and Maverick's diaper bag. Well, around 1:45 Monday morning I woke up with a sudden urge to use the bathroom. Nothing new, it happens several times every night. As I was waking up and trying to get out of bed, I realized I was soaking wet, and so was my bed. My first thought, I peed myself...oops. Well then I went to the bathroom, and peed for like 10 minutes, no lie. I also checked out the situation of my pjs. I then went and turned on the bedroom light and noticed the huge wet spot on the bed. However, it was clear and odorless, and definitely not urine. So then I thought, oh my....my water broke. So I gently woke my husband and said, "hunny, there's no easy way to tell u this but I think my water just broke." I have never seen him sit up from a dead sleep more quickly! We talked for a second and determined that yes, it must have been my water. So I called the dr's office and left a message, and waited on a nurse to return my call.

Of course, she told us to come on in. So I took a shower, we called our family and close friends, and off we went. Freaking out the whole while. :) Well, long story short, they checked us in, examined me, determined that my water had NOT broken, and put me on the contraction monitor. I was having mild contractions about 10 min apart, but was not dilated at all. She said she wanted to monitor me for a bit, but I would probably end up going home. Talk about heartbreak... I was on the monitor for a couple of hours, and she rechecked to see once more that my water had no broken. She kept insinuating that I peed myself, but I swear it wasn't urine! haha!

SO then we had to go to the waiting room and tell our friends and family that it was a false alarm, but thanks for spending your night up here waiting on this news! :( I was devastated. We went home around 5 or so, and felt so empty as we boarded the elevator, empty handed. I thought I was the only one taking it hard, but Brian was pretty upset too. We had gotten so excited and nervous and our adrenaline was pumping at the thought of meeting our little boy that we have waited all this time for. It was very hard but I finally accepted that God has perfect timing and this was not the right time. Mav still needs to stay in his mommy and when he is ready he will come. So my next appointment is Friday morning...

Blessings

Our appointment went great yesterday! His heart rate was 150, and I am measuring on time. He is still head down, and has already dropped! Dr. Virtue could feel his head, which freaked Brian out just a bit haha! I start going weekly now, and have been instructed on how to know when labor begins...scary!!!

I also had my church shower last night, which was so much fun. We were once again blessed beyond measure with all of the nice things that we received. Mav is already so loved by all of our friends and it is such a blessing!

Hopefully we will go soon to get the things we still need. I am under strict orders (by my hubby :)) to get the nursery together this weekend! I have so much to wash and fold and hang and put away! But I can't wait! :) I will try to remember to post pics once it's all done.

Getting close!

I admit, I am guilty once again for not updating as often as I should! So, here goes another long post to get you up to date :)

Brian and I took the hospital tour at St. Vincents on the 1st of this month. It was so much fun and truly brought things into perspective for me. As we walked the halls and were shown where we would come, and what would take place, etc, I began to picture the day or night that we actually go to the hospital to meet our long awaited precious blessing. It really made me anticipate it all the more!

Then, on February 8th, we met with our pediatrician, Dr. Thornton. Brian went to him as a child, and was SO excited that we were going to see him. I was very impressed and have come to love him already. I can see his passion for kids, as well as for us as parents. I think we made a great choice and I think he will take good care of our baby and future babies!

Next on the agenda was my ROC appointment, on Feb 9th. Granny came this time, and loved being able to see her little great grandson moving all around :) The ultrasound tech and dr both commented on the size of his head...they said it's rather large. Awesome! Just what I want to hear! LOL But the good news was that his heart is perfectly healthy and the dr was very pleased with his progress. As he walked out, he said, "See you back in 4 weeks IF you're still pregnant!" Wait, what?! IF?! So, now we wait and see what Maverick decides to do with his last 30-something days!

We had our maternity pics with J & J Photography on the 12th! These were so much fun. We are really super pleased with their work, and we have only seen 3 pics so far! I can't wait to get the rest and share them! My church shower is tonight and I am so excited! I absolutely love my church family, and there are so many of them that have poured out prayers for our sweet little boy. They all hold a special place in my heart. We are blessed to have such love and friendship. I also have my weekly checkup today at NF Ob/Gyn, with Dr. Virtue! Yes, I said weekly! I start going every week after today :)

Last night, I think I was having contractions. I had 2 of them within 15 minutes. Let me tell you, NOT fun. I was sitting in choir when the first one hit, and I could not move. I just held on and waited it out. Everything got really tight and it felt like a horrible cramping. When it stopped, I left. As I was driving home, 10-15 min later, another one hit. I thought I would have to pull over! But, I made it home safely, got in bed with my feet propped, and drank lots of water. I didn't have anymore, luckily. I was not enjoying those! But, I am going to see if the dr will check me today and see if I am dilated the least little bit! So that's exciting :)

I will try to update in the next few days on what we find out! Stay tuned...

Answered Prayers

After the ROC apt about Mav's heart, I went on a strict no caffeine diet for a week to see if it would correct the problem. I had a horrible migraine for 2 days, and had to end up going to my dr because my blood pressure went up due to the headache. She gave me some meds and it brought it back under control.

I went back to the ROC on the 19th and they said his heart was "beating beautifully!" The dr told me to keep doing whatever I was doing and he would see me back in 3 weeks to check on it again. I wasn't very thrilled that I can't have caffeine anymore, but I will do whatever it takes to keep him healthy! I am so thankful that God heard our prayers and allowed his heart to fix itself without any complications.

We got the crib and changing table together! Allen and Momma T came over and we all had an entertaining time getting them together. I thought this might make everything more real, but it still seems so far away and I don't think I fully fathom that I am going to have a son. It's crazy, but a good kind of crazy. I am getting pretty miserable and big, and cannot wait until March! Mav should be growing a 1/2 lb a week from now until delivery time! So we shall see where all of his 1/2 lbs decide to go...because I frankly don't know how he has much room to grow in there!

I broke down and decided to sign up for birthing classes. I originally decided, along with Brian, that we didn't need to take them. What's the use? They will just give us a whole lot of information that we really don't need and I will just get overwhelmed. Well, I had a change of heart and decided that it was probably best if we took them, just to be prepared. Plus, I want the experience and I think we will have fun :)

Stay tuned for more updates as Maverick Paul continues to grow and prepares to make his grand entrance into the world very soon!

Mav's heart...

So I went back to the ROC yesterday for a routine ultrasound, just to make sure he is still growing good. He is growing right on time, but they found some skips in his little heartbeat. The doctor wants to see me back in one week, to see if it corrects itself. I cannot have ANY caffeine, to see if this helps. If not, he will want to see me more frequently to keep an eye on Mav's heart. The doctor assured me it's nothing to worry about...yet. However, if it keeps up, it could cause his heart to send messages to his brain that his heart is stopping briefly, which could cause him to freak out and his heart to beat way too fast. I am trying to just give it to God because He is the great physician and He knows the plans He has for us. Please just keep little Maverick in your prayers! I will update next week when I know more :)

Mav in 3D!

Sunday was a definite Funday! We were able to schedule a 3D/4D ultrasound at a place called A Stork's View in Mandarin. We brought our families and Adam and Amy along for the ride! It was a true blessing to be able to see our sweet little guy like this. The ultrasound tech was amazing and such a sweetheart. I think she said it best when she said it's like "having a window to sneak a peek at your baby."
He was VERY active. In fact, she said she has never seen a baby more active in the 15 years that she has been doing this! We are going to have our hands full, that's for sure.
She was also able to tell us that Mav is currently 2 lbs, 12 oz, and 14 inches long. AND if he keeps growing like he has been, he should be around 7 1/2 lbs at birth (considering I deliver 5 days before or after my due date). Not bad!

Here are 2 of my favorites...enjoy! :)

So stinkin sweet! :)

A little yawn :)

Growth spurt!

WOW! This is just one week later than the last pic posted, and I am 28 weeks, 5 days here.