Family,
And a good afternoon to you from the Queen City. Honestly, I CANNOT believe I am typing this, but the moment we've all been waiting for (and expected next month) has arrived. That's right, sports fans - WE HAVE A DAUGHTER!!!!! It feels SO SURREAL to type this, but may I present to you, for the first time in public: Kaitlyn Elaine Taylor (the first :-))!!!!!! She arrived 30 days early, weighing in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces (20 inches long). But I am getting ahead of myself - let me give you the play by play of how this all went down...
First off, last weekend was PERFECT - we had Friday off, during which time we had lunch at Chik-fil-A, had a GREAT 60 minute massage, went to the movies (Argo - brilliantly done), went uptown for dinner (Fitzgeralds, where we had GREAT bleu cheese sliders and I found that OMB Copper isn't as bad as previously thought - but NOT worth $6 a pop), and then went to see Green Day's American Idiot at the Belk theater. We PACKED it in - good thing!
Saturday and Sunday were busy with baby tasks, and by Sunday at 6:30, I was BUSHED and just wanted a beer. Jenny, however, says, "We HAVE to do the Pack 'n Play." I will be honest, I was a grumpy bugger about this, but we put it together. THANK GOODNESS WE DID - MUFFIN, YOU ARE A GENIUS.
And now, to March 11th...also known as D-Day:
1 AM: Jenny is snoring like a banshee. Sammy the Bull is getting ZERO sleep but refuses to nudge his prego wife.
5:10 AM: Jenny gets up to pee.
5:12 AM: Jenny says, "Um, Sam...." The silence that follows is deafening.
5:13 AM: The bathroom floor is wet. Very, very wet. Helloooooooooooooo ruptured "bag of waters" (why the @#$# is it called waters? There's only ONE water in there - just saying'...)
5:14 AM: Sam realizes what is happening. He is no longer sleepy.
5:15 AM: Sam realizes he has about 94,000 items left on his to-do list pre-baby...which puts him SOL.
5:16 AM: Sam looks at the "baby bag" he has packed and realizes that he's got a shedload of stuff for himself (books, PC, connections, etc.). For his wife, however, what has he packed? That's right - 2 PAIRS OF UNDERWEAR - FULL STOP. Yes, I am nothing if not selfless in my dedication to others.
5:20 AM: Jenny calls the hospital and tells them what's happening.
5:21 AM: The hospital tells Jenny to drive to labor and delivery.
5:22 AM: Sam lets off a string of expletives in an attempt to express his exuberance, excitement, and terror (not necessarily in that order).
6:00 AM: Bag packed, Team Taylor runs out of the house.
6:01 AM: Sam realizes he has left lights on. Team Taylor decides to keep driving.
6:02 AM: Jenny realizes that she has left her blood sugar checker. Team Taylor decides to turn around.
6:05 AM: Back to the house - I pull Katie my Lady into the garage.
6:12 AM: We are on the road.
6:13 AM: Not even Richard Petty on his best day could catch me.
6:30 AM: Team Taylor arrives at Presbyterian Main.
6:35 AM: Admitted into triage (with the look of collective deer in headlights)
6:40 AM: Some lady feels Jenny's stomach.
6:41 AM: Same lady says "You aren't leaving this hospital without a baby."
6:42 AM: Rinse repeat on Sam's expletive display.
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| My perfect pumpkin - 9 hours before moving adding the title of "mother" to an already impressive resume of best friend, amazing wife, and soul mate. I love you, muffin!!! |
7 AM: We check into our Labor and Delivery (L & D) room.
8 AM: Contractions begin in earnest - irregular, and not painful.
8:30 AM: JT and I begin walking around the floor to "allow gravity to help." It doesn't.
9:15 AM: Dilated 2 centimeters.
9:45 AM: Next phase of walking to "allow gravity to help." It does.
10:30 AM: contractions are regular. So is pain.
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| It is AMAZING how the heart rate goes up and down for a baby - at this point, "Baby T" was anywhere from 175 to 112. Doctors assured me that was good. |
11:00 AM: Jenny climbs onto the birthing ball. Contractions accelerate. So does her discomfort and general dislike of me (but she's a trooper!).
11:05 AM: First scream of pain.
11:06 AM: First request for an epidural.
11:10 AM: We are told we're 3rd in line for the epidural and still need the doctor's permission. JT's stare could make Kim Jong-Un sign a peace agreement with South Korea.
11:25 AM: Lots of pain and I feel as worthless as tits on a boar hog.
11:30 AM: Epidural arrives. Collective sigh of relief is breathed.
11:34 AM: Epidural catheter is inserted into Jenny's back - the scream is something you'd only hear in Azkaban.
11:36 AM: Peace. All is right with the world.
12 PM: Doctor says, "You'll deliver at 7 PM tonight. I will be back in 2 hours."
2:25 PM: Sam says, "I'm gonna go get lunch - will be back in 30 minutes."
2:30 PM: Sam is walking to the register to pay for his lunch when Muffin Puffin calls him and says, "we are about to start pushing - I am 10 centimeters."
2:31 PM: RINSE-REPEAT ON THE SWEARING
2:35 PM: Sammy the Bull scarfs down food in 4 minutes and sprints back to L & D.
2:45 PM: I am assigned the task of "holding the leg."
2:46 PM: Jenny begins pushing.
2:55 PM: I SEE THE HEAD.
3 PM: Mirror in place, Jenny sees the head as well. We are told to take a break and wait for the doctor.
3:02 PM: I am asked if I'd like to cut the cord. I say yes and realize THIS. IS. HAPPENING.
3:06 PM: Jenny begins pushing in earnest - there is a large enough staff to treat the whole of North America in the room.
3:20 PM: Round 2 on the pushing begins. After 3 pushes, Baby's head is FULLY crowned.
3:30 PM: Round 3 of pushing begins.
3:31 PM: The head is fully out - AMAZING.
3:32 PM: MY WHOLE WORLD CHANGES FOREVER. Baby T SHOOTS out of Jenny (not joking) and the doctor catches her.
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| The moment that changed it all - my ladies, my life, my universe - all in this one picture. |
3:32 PM: Dr. says "It's a girl!"
3:32 PM: Jenny and I begin sobbing uncontrollably.
3:32 PM: Baby is on Jenny's chest. I cut the cord and kiss my life.
3:35 PM: They take Baby T (now Kaitlyn Elaine Taylor) to the table for assessment and cleaning.
3:45 PM: She's clean and returned to Jenny.
3:52 PM: Jenny and I have a moment's peace and we thank God for the most amazing miracle we've ever witnessed.
4:00 PM: Jenny breastfeeds for the first time. She is a COMPLETE natural and feeds for AN HOUR.
5:00 PM: They take the baby for some cleaning.
5:30-45 PM (I honestly can't remember): I am handed my daughter for the first time.
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| She's a Tarheel born, She's a Tarheel bred... |
5:46 PM: I tell her I love her for the first time. My cup runneth over and I can't speak without crying.
7 PM: We move into Post Partum recovery.
9 PM: I realize I have to change the diapers and try to change my first. Kaitlyn's bum is covered in enough of some tar like substance to feather every traitor from the Civil War.
9:01 PM: I have smeared feces all over the blanket.
9:02 PM: I have smeared feces all over the bassinet.
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| I mean...it was something out of the movie "Alien." Just saying'... |
9:05 PM: Nurse enters, cackles at me, and changes the diaper.
9:06 PM: I allow myself this one mistake before reporting myself to social services.
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| When I look at this, I can only thing of 2 things: 1 - this was just about the happiest I've ever been. 2 - of all shirts, why the #$@# did I wear my Golden Gophers t-shirt into the delivery room? GOOOOOO GOLDIE!!!!!!! |
9:30 PM: My life descends into a blur of happiness, thankfulness, gratefulness, and sleeplessness.
I'm sure some of those times might be a bit erroneous, but there you have it. If someone were to ask "what's the best day of your life?" there are only 2 contenders - the day of Kaitlyn's birth and my wedding day. To say that I was in shock would be the understatement of the century. However, as I sit here typing this 4 days later, all I can think of is that I can no longer image my world without her in it.
I am going to follow this blog with a ton of others around my current emotions, Kaitlyn's amazing growth and learning, the days in the hospital, etc - but I at least wanted one blog that focused on the facts of the day as I remembered them. I'm not sure if it all actually happened this way, but this is certainly how it was seared into my mind.
Kaitlyn - welcome to the planet!
Love,
Sam (and Jenny)
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