Since my due date was Tuesday June 3rd and my induction date was set for nearly a week later Monday June 9th I thought for sure I'd be going into labor on my own this time. Then in the weeks leading up to my due date I heard story after story of fast labors and driveway/ unexpected home deliveries all assuring me that fourth children were rule breakers. For weeks I felt like a ticking time bomb, I set up a three deep middle of the night calling tree. I was ready but terrified that this one wasn't going to be as predictable and convenient as the rest. That half an hour drive to the hospital seemed longer and longer as I considered the possibilities.
Then my due date came...and left without a baby. I started to look at the induction date and notice every little feeling wondering if this was it. He was so scrunched in there that I felt every movement he made and since he was so stuffed in there a lot of the movements were painful. There was tightness from time to time but I just attributed it to him being so squished in there, because it didn't really hurt. There were moments of discomfort but just figured it was just him getting into a weird position because it would last longer than I remember contractions lasting and it eventually went away and didn't come back. In retrospect I think I was just paranoid that I wasn't going to know when I was in labor and we'd be driveway or side of the road rockstars.
On Friday the sixth I had what really felt like a contraction and was in fear the rest of the day that I was going in to labor. The boys were dying to play with friends but I didn't really want to have a house full of boys when I was in labor. They were bored beyond words. But luckily the next day I felt terrific and got a lot of last minute things done. Sunday was a little more on the iffy side. But by now I was committed to make it to Monday and try for my calm scheduled induction. It would be the 13th anniversary of our first date anyway and I thought it would be fun to have that as a connection. As if my mind finally allowed my body into labor I woke up at 2:00 am this morning with a contraction. But I ignored it and went back to sleep, but when I was woken by another at 3:45 I decided that I should pay attention to how frequently they were coming. They were coming approximately every 10 minutes. I finally got out of bed around 4:30. I took a shower around 6 and they slowed down. I laid down with Derek and Eli ( who had woken up early) and nearly fell asleep until Becka came at 7:00. Eli wanted to play so we all stayed up. Around 8:00 there was a knock on the door. It was the baseboards and doors that we'd been waiting for for over a week. As soon as the workers got there to start installing them we got a call from the hospital (at 8:45) asking if we could be there at 10:00. We assured them that we'd be there and got the boys up and dressed.
My dad had gone into the hospital in Texas on Saturday (the 7th) with a staph infection on his knee that had previously had bursitis on and was scheduled to have surgery on it today as well. When I texted my family to tell them that we were headed to the hospital my sister told me that my dad was headed into pre op. We were having synchronized procedures.
We got to the hospital at 10:00 with having had two contractions on the way. We got to the hospital and made our way to the third floor and were lead to the labor and delivery room. Sadly we were not treated to the room with a view and like when we had Hyrum our windows faced the opposite direction to the temple and the mountains. This time we faced the two new additions to the hospital. Not as pretty. But as it turned out we weren't there that long so it wasn't that big of a deal.
When they came to start the IV I warned them that I tend to get light headed when I get IVs. They didn't seem too be too concerned because I was laying down and wouldn't be falling on the floor but after a blown vein and then the IV came the familiar light head dizziness and yucky feeling. They asked me question after question and told me to take deep breaths. The nurse is sure that I passed out for a few seconds but it's all a blur to me. Meanwhile little mans heart drummed away unaffected by mom's distress, and contractions continued. Around 11 they finally got me started on the pitocin and checked me...3 plus (I was a 3 plus a WEEK ago!!) a few minutes later the doctor on call came in to meet me, Dr Jones, who was the doctor that delivered Hyrum when he was on call and I went into labor. My doctor who was suppose to be on call was rushing back from her family vacation in St George hoping to make it on time. Dr Jones suggested that he break my water, which seemed fast since i just started on the pit. But when he checked me I'd already progressed to a 5 so I guess the show was already on the road.
Even with the pitocin the contractions were quite bearable and I wasn't feeling the need for an epidural although as is typical with an induction they were offering it as soon as I entered the room. I was just beginning to think that maybe I should get it sooner than later when the nurse came in saying that everything was ready for the epidural and the anesthesiologist was on her way in. Not sure if they read my mind or if the Doctor who was nervous that I'd miss my window seeing how fast it was progressing had ordered it despite me. The epidural was different than any other I'd had. It took a lot longer to take affect. I continued to feel contractions for a good long time after. I pushed my button a couple more times and after that I could feel NOTHNG below the epidural site. I'm beginning to think that epidurals are always followed by extreme exhaustion with me. All I wanted to do was sleep. It was a herculean effort to keep my eyes open much less move my body. Around 12:30 the nurse came in and told me that my doctor had just walked in the hospital (with her kids who were encouraging her to deliver a baby so that they could raid the snack closet) she said if I was close that she'd deliver our baby. The nurse checked and found me complete. Dr Cloward came in and got things ready for delivery. They had me sit up. It was soo hard to keep my eyes open much less sit up. Then they wanted me to push! As it turns out Dr Jones had been called into another procedure and wasn't available to deliver our baby so it was a blessing that Dr Cloward got there when she did and when he was born we found that the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. His heart rate had shown a bit of distress earlier and seeing that the umbilical cord had been around his neck explained that, but it didn't turn out to be a problem as he pinked up quickly as normal. It was a further blessing that Dr Cloward was there to deliver him because if I'd had to wait to be delivered the cord may have proved to be more of a problem. As it turned out less than two hours after starting the pitocin he was here (and less than three hours from getting to the hospital)
Isaac Andrew Tangren
8 lb 15 oz
20.5 inches long
12:55 pm
June 9, 2014
The first reaction everyone had was that he was a very big boy. He weighed in at 8 lb 15 oz. Not surprising after an extra 6 days in utero. Especially since he was measuring a week older at 28 weeks. Derek who was closer to him and could see him said he looked like Noah and did look like an Isaac Andrew as we'd thought to call him. Isaac was just a biblical name we liked and Andrew is the name of Isaacs third great grandfather on his paternal line who was one of the first in the Tangren line to come to America from Sweden. Plus both Derek and I have cousins named Andrew too. The name fits with our other boys names as well.
My room also faced the new wings of the hospital not the prettiest view but as it turned out I was lucky to have a room as when I left I was told that there were mom's who had to stay in the labor and delivery rooms since so many women had gone into labor. As soon as I hit the room and the nurses left I didn't move for three hours. When Derek made it back to the room he too fell asleep and we all napped for a good long time.
When we woke up we got to know our sweet little man. It dawned on me that I hadn't heard him cry since he'd been born. He is such a sweet little mello fellow.
We couldn't get enough of him. After dinner
then I FaceTimed with my parents hospital room to hospital room so I could see how my dad was and that they could see the little bundle.
got a call that Isaacs brothers were coming with Aunt Kim, Uncle Papa and Rebecca.
 |
| June 3rd...due date |
Then my due date came...and left without a baby. I started to look at the induction date and notice every little feeling wondering if this was it. He was so scrunched in there that I felt every movement he made and since he was so stuffed in there a lot of the movements were painful. There was tightness from time to time but I just attributed it to him being so squished in there, because it didn't really hurt. There were moments of discomfort but just figured it was just him getting into a weird position because it would last longer than I remember contractions lasting and it eventually went away and didn't come back. In retrospect I think I was just paranoid that I wasn't going to know when I was in labor and we'd be driveway or side of the road rockstars.
On Friday the sixth I had what really felt like a contraction and was in fear the rest of the day that I was going in to labor. The boys were dying to play with friends but I didn't really want to have a house full of boys when I was in labor. They were bored beyond words. But luckily the next day I felt terrific and got a lot of last minute things done. Sunday was a little more on the iffy side. But by now I was committed to make it to Monday and try for my calm scheduled induction. It would be the 13th anniversary of our first date anyway and I thought it would be fun to have that as a connection. As if my mind finally allowed my body into labor I woke up at 2:00 am this morning with a contraction. But I ignored it and went back to sleep, but when I was woken by another at 3:45 I decided that I should pay attention to how frequently they were coming. They were coming approximately every 10 minutes. I finally got out of bed around 4:30. I took a shower around 6 and they slowed down. I laid down with Derek and Eli ( who had woken up early) and nearly fell asleep until Becka came at 7:00. Eli wanted to play so we all stayed up. Around 8:00 there was a knock on the door. It was the baseboards and doors that we'd been waiting for for over a week. As soon as the workers got there to start installing them we got a call from the hospital (at 8:45) asking if we could be there at 10:00. We assured them that we'd be there and got the boys up and dressed.
 |
| June 9 Induction date...time to have a baby!! |
My dad had gone into the hospital in Texas on Saturday (the 7th) with a staph infection on his knee that had previously had bursitis on and was scheduled to have surgery on it today as well. When I texted my family to tell them that we were headed to the hospital my sister told me that my dad was headed into pre op. We were having synchronized procedures.
We got to the hospital at 10:00 with having had two contractions on the way. We got to the hospital and made our way to the third floor and were lead to the labor and delivery room. Sadly we were not treated to the room with a view and like when we had Hyrum our windows faced the opposite direction to the temple and the mountains. This time we faced the two new additions to the hospital. Not as pretty. But as it turned out we weren't there that long so it wasn't that big of a deal.
When they came to start the IV I warned them that I tend to get light headed when I get IVs. They didn't seem too be too concerned because I was laying down and wouldn't be falling on the floor but after a blown vein and then the IV came the familiar light head dizziness and yucky feeling. They asked me question after question and told me to take deep breaths. The nurse is sure that I passed out for a few seconds but it's all a blur to me. Meanwhile little mans heart drummed away unaffected by mom's distress, and contractions continued. Around 11 they finally got me started on the pitocin and checked me...3 plus (I was a 3 plus a WEEK ago!!) a few minutes later the doctor on call came in to meet me, Dr Jones, who was the doctor that delivered Hyrum when he was on call and I went into labor. My doctor who was suppose to be on call was rushing back from her family vacation in St George hoping to make it on time. Dr Jones suggested that he break my water, which seemed fast since i just started on the pit. But when he checked me I'd already progressed to a 5 so I guess the show was already on the road.
Even with the pitocin the contractions were quite bearable and I wasn't feeling the need for an epidural although as is typical with an induction they were offering it as soon as I entered the room. I was just beginning to think that maybe I should get it sooner than later when the nurse came in saying that everything was ready for the epidural and the anesthesiologist was on her way in. Not sure if they read my mind or if the Doctor who was nervous that I'd miss my window seeing how fast it was progressing had ordered it despite me. The epidural was different than any other I'd had. It took a lot longer to take affect. I continued to feel contractions for a good long time after. I pushed my button a couple more times and after that I could feel NOTHNG below the epidural site. I'm beginning to think that epidurals are always followed by extreme exhaustion with me. All I wanted to do was sleep. It was a herculean effort to keep my eyes open much less move my body. Around 12:30 the nurse came in and told me that my doctor had just walked in the hospital (with her kids who were encouraging her to deliver a baby so that they could raid the snack closet) she said if I was close that she'd deliver our baby. The nurse checked and found me complete. Dr Cloward came in and got things ready for delivery. They had me sit up. It was soo hard to keep my eyes open much less sit up. Then they wanted me to push! As it turns out Dr Jones had been called into another procedure and wasn't available to deliver our baby so it was a blessing that Dr Cloward got there when she did and when he was born we found that the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. His heart rate had shown a bit of distress earlier and seeing that the umbilical cord had been around his neck explained that, but it didn't turn out to be a problem as he pinked up quickly as normal. It was a further blessing that Dr Cloward was there to deliver him because if I'd had to wait to be delivered the cord may have proved to be more of a problem. As it turned out less than two hours after starting the pitocin he was here (and less than three hours from getting to the hospital)
Isaac Andrew Tangren
8 lb 15 oz
20.5 inches long
12:55 pm
June 9, 2014
The first reaction everyone had was that he was a very big boy. He weighed in at 8 lb 15 oz. Not surprising after an extra 6 days in utero. Especially since he was measuring a week older at 28 weeks. Derek who was closer to him and could see him said he looked like Noah and did look like an Isaac Andrew as we'd thought to call him. Isaac was just a biblical name we liked and Andrew is the name of Isaacs third great grandfather on his paternal line who was one of the first in the Tangren line to come to America from Sweden. Plus both Derek and I have cousins named Andrew too. The name fits with our other boys names as well.
My room also faced the new wings of the hospital not the prettiest view but as it turned out I was lucky to have a room as when I left I was told that there were mom's who had to stay in the labor and delivery rooms since so many women had gone into labor. As soon as I hit the room and the nurses left I didn't move for three hours. When Derek made it back to the room he too fell asleep and we all napped for a good long time.
When we woke up we got to know our sweet little man. It dawned on me that I hadn't heard him cry since he'd been born. He is such a sweet little mello fellow.
We couldn't get enough of him. After dinner
then I FaceTimed with my parents hospital room to hospital room so I could see how my dad was and that they could see the little bundle.
got a call that Isaacs brothers were coming with Aunt Kim, Uncle Papa and Rebecca.
