After having severe back pain all of Thanksgiving (Matt's birthday!), I decided to call the doctor Friday morning, the 23rd. I wasn't really having stereotypical measurable contractions, but still quite a bit of pain that kept me up at night. They told me to just come in and get checked to see if anything was going on. Little did I know that I was already 6 cm dilated! The doctor was stunned, and was announcing it to everyone in the office that "this patient just walked in here smiling and is 6 cm dilated!) We didn't even get to go home to get our bags- I was wheeled straight to the labor and delivery hall.
Within 2-3 hours, I moved to 8 cm, and the nurses started setting up the room for delivery. We were told that things would move very quickly based on what they had seen so far....boy were they wrong. My contractions were not measurable on the monitors because they were basically constant, and in my back. I ended up stalling at 8 cm. Epidural? Yes please!
After moving so fast, it took me about 8 hours and a LOT of Pitocin to move from 8 cm to 10 cm: pushing time. Because my contractions were not measurable, pushing was difficult. After 45 minutes or so of pushing, the nurse decided to put a scalp monitor on Parker's head to better see his heart beat, as it seemed to drop during each pushing session--which was scary for us, as no one wants to hear about a monitor attached with a hook to their baby's scalp. The nurse inferred that the cord must have been wrapped around him somewhere.
After an hour and a half of pushing, baby Parker's heart rate dropped well into the danger zone. It appeared to the nurses that he was in the "sunny side up" position, and struggling to get past my pubic bone. They stopped me from pushing, and called Dr. McCool back in. At one point, Matt saw baby's heart beat hit 0, and the decision to rush a c-section was made. I was wheeled into the OR, and surgery started very quickly.
Parker Jonathan Preis was born via C-section at 10:02pm on November 23, 2012! Hearing his first cry was the most incredible experience that I will never forget. He weighed 7 pounds and 1 ounce, and was 20 inches long.
Though the c-section was difficult and recovery is a tough, we are blessed with this sweet baby boy that I get to spend the next 8 weeks with.
Welcome, sweet baby, we love you with all of our hearts!
The Doc says baby could come any day now! I am 90% effaced and 1 cm dilated! Woohoo for progress! I am trying to hard to be patient--- but it is tough when I have this short window of opportunity to get more time off with him! If he is born this week, I will get extra days off with Winter Break, otherwise it is just the standard six weeks. Come on baby boy!
Sadly, these are Chase's last days as "the baby" of the family, though we will love him just as much no matter what. This has been and will continue to be a life-changing year for him--and us! Graduating, two new jobs, long distance, moving, pregnancy, and all that goes with those things!
Playing the waiting game now....and not very good at it! We had a false alarm Thursday...I have to admit, walking yourself out of the labor & delivery unit is a little embarrassing. Luckily, the doctors and nurses are all very kind and supportive!
We are also counting down until my dad is feeling better. His surgery was also Thursday, making for a pretty stressful day. We are so looking forward to Christmas, when my parents will be able to meet Parker, and everyone will be feeling 100%.
FINALLY we have just about everything in the apartment and getting organized for baby's arrival. It has been a challenge to get everything jig-sawed into place in our small apartment, but it is worth it! We are about 3.5 weeks away (or less) from meeting our little boy...and getting so impatient!
Next up...packing our hospital bags and installing the car seat! Oh how the things that excite you change over the years....
Hurricane Sandy hit last week....and destroyed much of my most favorite place in the world...Long Beach Island, and damaged much of New Jersey and New York. We are thinking of everyone there...and wish we could help more. We plan on taking baby Parker there the first chance we get!
We have been so luck to have two beautiful showers thrown by both of our moms. Parker is going to be the best dressed little boy around! It was so great to spend time with family and friends and celebrate this little life that will be the biggest thing to happen to us!
THANK YOU to everyone....we can't show our appreciation for your generosity enough.
Parker Jonathan Preis was born via C-section at 10:02pm on November 23, 2012! Hearing his first cry was the most incredible experience that I will never forget. He weighed 7 pounds and 1 ounce, and was 20 inches long. 
