Welcome Baby Crosby

It's been a little bit and I do apologize....

Crosby John was born on January 3rd at 5:20 am. He was 6# 15.6 oz and 18.9 inches long. He is perfect!

Okay, so here is how the "labor" and delivery went...

I went to work Wednesday night for my scheduled 12 hour shift. I felt fine and was trucking along until about 9pm when I had some cramping and a little bit of back pain....okay duh, these I later realized were contractions! Anyway, I had a 2 or 3 of those within 10 minutes or so and wasn't really that comfortable. I was used to the little cramping but once my back got "involved" is when I grabbed my friend Marcy and headed over to triage. I told the gals over there about what I was feeling and they said well, if the contractions are 3-5 minutes apart or my water breaks then they could admit me. That's all they could do for me...great! Adrienne, a labor and delivery nurse said that she would check me, I think just to shut me up :) Hey, I'm a first time mom and clearly clueless as to what is going on with my own body. Well, after her exam she told me that I was 4cm and 90% effaced with a bulging bag of water. Okay, so we were definitely further along than our appt last Friday.


At 9:45pm I headed back to the unit to go back to work. I tended to my patients and still continued to contract about every 5-8 minutes or so (still not enough to get admitted). At about 10:15 or so I decided to end my shift early because I didn't think it would be fair to my kiddos to work doubling over to breath through contractions. I gave report and finished up my tasks thanks to the awesome NICU family I have. I headed back over to triage because my contractions were closer and they decided to shut me up again and recheck me. With Erik in tow, he hurried to the hospital with bags ready for the "just in case". Well, in an hours time I had dilated to 6cm and was now 100% effaced. We, as Erik says, were locked and loaded, it was now baby time!


Erik and I were officially admitted. I was now a patient in the hospital about to deliver my son with a family of night shift nurses. I could not have asked for a better time of day to go through all of this. The contractions continued to come and I breathed through them and truly they weren't too bad because I knew that they would end. I tried to stay as positive as possible and Erik was so calm, it was awesome. Erik started making phone calls and sending text messages...it was now game time!


With me being dilated to 6cm Adrienne, my nurse, suggested that if I knew that I wanted an epidural than I should just go ahead and get one. Since being at work earlier I knew that labor and delivery was pretty busy and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get one in time for delivery with so many patients. At 1am my buddy Jay, a CRNA, came in and harpooned my back and I then had my epidural. It didn't hurt, just a little pinch for the numbing but that's all. Jay was great and said I was a trooper. Okay, so now I was coming terms with the fact that I would be bearing all to people that I work with. Jay saw my tooshie and nicely unhooked my bra, Adrienne and the rest of L&D would soon view the "birthing regions". Fun! I really wasn't concerned with that, I was concerned with the top fear of most women....going #2. (sorry TMI).


After the epidural got going through my system I relaxed even more. Lisa arrived and now labor room 9 contained myself, a ready Crosby, Erik, Kelly, Lisa, Adrienne and a few visitors in a out. I was READY. I felt great, my mind and body were in sync and ready for a moment of a lifetime. At 4:00 I was 10cm and my contractions were about 1 minute apart. Adrienne wanted to see how well I would push to see if I was ready or if I would have to 'labor down'. After one push she got the table ready and had me start pushing. I pushed for about an hour (which flew by) and then Dr. Friall came in. At that point it was official, I would soon be having my son!


I held my breath and pushed, held my breath and pushed AND held my breath and pushed. Holding my breath was the most difficult part. I'm not sure if I'll ever swim underwater again. Lisa had the camcorder in hand, Kelly the digital and Erik my right leg. Adrienne supported my left leg and I was in charge of the baby :) It was so encouraging to hear everyone say, "he's right there" and "you're doing great". Everyone was so supportive and Erik, wow Erik, I can't even express how incredible he is!


With Crosby's head "right there" and about to come out I was told to look down and I said that I could easily see what was going on in the reflection of Dr. Friall's glasses. It was pretty funny, everyone in the room was laughing including myself. Good thing because with each laugh it helped bring in down a little bit more. And then.....bam! Out was Crosby's head and I could hear them suctioning out his mouth. In no time flat out came his shoulders and the rest of him to follow. I heard my son cry for the first time and it was so overwhelming. It was amazing! They put him on my belly and I started to dry him, bulb suction him and cry uncontrollably. I looked at him and wondered who he looked like, me?, Erik?, some distant relative? I didn't want him to get cold so they swooped him over to the warmer and there you have it a howling baby boy so angry to have been disturbed in his quiet, warm, and dark habitat. He was now a vulnerable little person with a mom and dad who loved him so much already.


I can't even explain the feeling of becoming a mother or the feeling you get from looking into your husbands eyes right after seeing the magical being the two of us created. From the start of the contractions I was a changed person. I handled everything in a 'non-Desiree' way that for some reason seemed so natural. I was meant to be a mom!



My entire labor and delivery experience was great. I even referred to it as fun. People think that I am crazy for saying that but it was awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better nurse. Adrienne made all of us feel so comfortable and really invested time into us. To my "camera crew", you gals rocked it! The footage and pics are unreal and something Erik and I will treasure always! Kelly and Lisa, truly, thank you for your support and encouragement. Erik is Erik and truly the most amazing man! And Crosby, welcome my blessed child for you don't even know how much you are already loved!

Crosby at a few hours old, he changed so much already

Crosby thinking he can nurse on his daddy's nose (1 day old)