Well Hello all my blogging friends... the 18 of you who patiently follow my blog because that-a-way you get notification of when I blog rather than making the painful trip to this url only to see the same exact post that's been atop my blog since January.
Funny how, usually, pregnancy brings about more blogging, a cute little countdown on the side bar and monthly belly pic updates... Alas, my version of a semi announcement was a silent plug by way of a prego Christmas pic at the end of the aforementioned post.
To all my faithful followers (and my mother and mother in law) I apologize.
If you are on Facebook or were lucky enough to receive a text (if you didn't, PLEASE don't take it as an offense... I wasn't really in the right frame of mind...) You probably know that I now longer look like this...
But I'm supposed to.... I'm actually supposed to be much larger, nesting, putting together my nursery and finally painting over the random paint swatches on my walls. I was supposed to have a Cinco de Mayo party and a baby. I WAS due May 5th. Rather I decided to give birth... in the lobby at the University of Utah Hospital. The L&D Unit was way to posh for me. This baby apparently needed to make an entrance!
How? you may ask? Well, it's called denial. I can show you... and you too can master this technique for use later in life... you never know when it might come in handy... like when you go into labor at 35 weeks (although I don't recommend it in this circumstance... do as I say, not as I ... did)
This is how to be in complete denial - just keep telling yourself what is supposed to be happening and try not to believe anything else...
At least that's what I did.
April Fool's day... I was at work. One of my coworkers actually asked me why I hadn't sent her an email saying I'd had my baby, and I remember looking at her, then down at my most pregnant belly and then back at her... I had NO idea what the crap she was talking about... it was a good thing that she went on to explain; the day was April Fools day and apparently the ultimate best I could do was email everyone (including my husband) and tell them I was in labor!... ... ... I've never been much of an April Fooler. You have to remember the day to play tricks.... I don't remember anything.
But having it fresh on my mind (the fact that I was obviously still very pregnant) did make it easy to overlook the 3+ times I got really "uncomfortable" while helping a fellow coworker hang some frames in her bosses office. So "uncomfortable" that I had to sit and breathe...
STEP ONE on How To Be In Complete Denial: Blame everything on the current situation... In this case, all that lifting my hands over my head was apparently exhausting work. Heaven Forbid I lift my hands over my head!
On the way home I was passing the car wash and remembered how much Zac kept mentioning wanting to get the car cleaned before the baby came... They had Free vacuums... of COURSE I had to use them, they were FREE! So I did. I vacuumed out the entire car. I later learned that this was probably me "nesting". In hindsight I do remember having a certain determination about getting EVERY nook and cranny..
Once home, I was tired... again... It probably wasn't the best idea to do all that bending... it made my already tired back, more tired. The solution? Dinner and movie! And Zac, so happy about the newly cleaned car, was happy to oblige. DATE NIGHT!
We went to Joe's Crab Shack... mmm I love Joe's...
STEP TWO on the denial course: Act as if this is normal!
I DISTINCTLY remember telling Zac (while I had my feet up and was breathing through a "little side pain") "I think I've reached the point in my pregnancy where I'm always uncomfortable" He agreed. He gave me the standard "I'm sorry" face and we continued on eating our crab... I breathed through a couple more "little side pains"... probably Braxton-Hicks. ha ha
STEP THREE: If all else fails, call it false labor... there's NO WAY you're in labor.. you're 35weeks.
We caught the 9o'clock show of Source Code. A decent movie. Enough to distract me. I had to breathe through a couple more pains and I kept squirming in my seat... I decided to "time" a couple.
Jana: "Zac, my contractions are coming about every 3 minutes"
Zac: "Oh yeah? Is it Braxton-Hicks?"
Jana: "Probably"
~an hour-ish later I grab Zac's hand.... I just needed a little extra support through the latest Braxton-Hicks (lol) and he asks me (slightly more concerned) if I wanted to go home.
OF COURSE NOT! Hello, I wanted to see how the movie ended.
The movie ended. It took us a good ten minutes to get to the car. (I had to stop every so often to breathe some more... silly Braxton-Hicks)
STEP FOUR: Blame it on exhaustion and the day
I told Zac I was sure I was just super tired. It'd been a somewhat long day at work, and I cleaned out the car... I just needed to get home and lay down. I had just overdone it that day. I JUST needed to lay down.
We got home and went straight to bed... it was about 11:30pm. Zac was out before his head hit the pillow...
I slept for about 5 minutes at a time... But remember, these weren't really contractions... I was only 35 weeks.
12:30pm: I wake up Zac. He suggests I call my midwife, but I didn't want to bother her. I didn't want to be the crazy lady who cried wolf for a couple of Braxton-Hicks (ok, a few more than a couple) This was False Labor! I could prove it. So I made him get down all my prego books... and they read "call your provider if A, B, C happen... DON'T be stoic"... or something like that... but I didn't want to be the girl that cried wolf... so we text her :)
and she text back "Get in the tub..." So I did...
We continued to text her, never giving all the details that we probably should have. She was at another birth, so she continued to reassure us, never really knowing the extent of the situation... because remember? I wasn't in labor.... so I didn't really give her all the details... because they weren't really happening.
At some point Zac downloaded an app on his Ipod to time contractions... gotta love my husband. He kept me fed, watered and cheered me on... I still didn't believe I was in true labor. I talked to my belly. I told the baby he was NOT WELCOME. I couldn't have a baby now... and I wasn't going to! These contractions were going to stop, and we would go on with our lives. I was prepped to go overdue. I was going to let him come on his own, no inducing if at all possible, but he was not allowed to come now... I told Zac to talk to his son... tell him he couldn't come...
Zac wasn't very convincing... I needed him to use more authority in his voice.
between "contractions" I floated happily in my tub and tried to relax, keep eating and stay hydrated...
As each "contraction" hit I was on my hands and knees groaning, moaning, singing, crying through the intensity... I just kept telling myself "it will stop... it will stop... it will go away..." I got out of the tub a couple times to use the bathroom, but my time out of the tub was for more intense than in the water, so back in I would go.
I was in the tub until about 4am, when suddenly I needed a plan B... what if theses weren't stopping... they weren't stopping... and not only were they not stopping they were coming about.. hmmm.. every minute... So Zac text my midwife
"what if they don't stop"...
And she was on the phone. She asked to speak with me. I cried and told her about my contractions... they were coming right after the other at this point. I told her I couldn't have a baby at 35 weeks. She told me later that she could hear in my voice that this was advanced labor... She told us to pack a bag and go to the hospital... Somewhere in that conversation I "heard" her tell me that they would stop my labor... just for the record... no one said that... I was still in denial. :)
I barked at Zac from the tub. "don't forget this.. ahhhhhhh... and don't forget that.. ahhhhhhhhhhh... Put on your DUDLA shirt!!" (I apparently needed to see the shirt)
Zac got me dressed and just as we were about to leave I needed to pee... umm.. excuse me.. I needed to use the restroom... I sat down JUST as a contraction hit and it was too much to be sitting, so I dropped to my knees and told Zac I was just going to pee on the carpet... but I didn't pee on the carpet.... instead my water broke. We got in the car. I was in the back seat on all fours. Zac had the sense to throw the dog in the backyard with some food and we were on our way.... we were going to the U because that was our backup hospital... and that's where I work (ie that's where my insurance covers %100 inpt stay...)
As we were pulling out Zac asked the ultimate question of the day... "Jana, how many miles to the U?" 27miles... only to be outdone by part B of the question "Can we make it there on E??"
Yes, E... as in Empty... we had NO gas (seriously, I'm not making this up) we were going to have to make it.... there was no way we were stopping for gas!
I won't tell you how fast we drove... but we got to the hospital in about 20 minutes... time was relevant at this point. Some time around I215 and state street I declared to Zac that I felt the urge to push... "No no no, no pushing Jana!!"... I believe that was his response... but that didn't stop me...
When we got to the hospital, we pulled up the front entrance and Zac came around to get me out of the car... as he did I reached down (as in down).... I could feel the baby's head... he was crowning as I was walking in the front doors...
The security guys at the front looked like they were dreaming of doughnuts and coffee when we walked in.. Zac decided to inform them "Just havin' a baby!". They offered a wheelchair and I think I yelled something to the effect of " NO I DON'T WANT A WHEELCHAIR! I CAN'T SIT! HE'S COMING NOW!"... I was super polite about it, too. Then I barked at Zac to move faster... we would walk a few steps and stop, push or breathe and walk a little further...
If you've been to the U recently, you know that they have newly lobby remodeled that is big even if you aren't in labor. To get the Labor&Delivery Unit we had to get to the elevators. And the get to the elevators you had to pass information, admissions, the gift shop, pharmacy and a Starbucks. I made it to just about Starbucks... somewhere around there... And suddenly like 7 people came out of nowhere. Apparently the fact that my pants had fallen off and I looked in a bit of distress gave them the clue that I must be the woman that security just called about. It's all a little blurry for me, but I think one of the nurses names was Nancy... scratch that, I have no idea who ANYONE'S names were...but they did tell me. I didn't really care who they were. I mean, if I'm not going to mind the location of my birth or the state of my lack of pants, I could care less who was in attendance.... wouldn't you? maybe that's just me... I have been told that I AM a little wierd. But none the less. The group came armed with a couple kits. They pulled out towels, blackets, clamps, etc... as if one should have been named Mary Poppins and the kits were carpet bags with no bottoms and endless space. Zac was talking, I was.... talking... for lack of a better word... and someone told me to get on my back. Now, I'm not going into reasons why - this post is already the size of Texas (hi Amy) - but I didn't want to be on my back, and gratefully my Dudla knew that too. I think I told them no, but Zac made himself heard (I think they were all in a bit of shock and didn't think to listen to the woman with a watermelon between her legs. Zac told them I was going to squat and Nancy (as we'll call her) decided to announce it to everyone else... because you know I was a circus show anyway... and then Zac turned to me as I was blubbering something about not being able to do this, and he looked me in the eyes and told me "Jana, if you squat this baby will come out." I don't know if it's because I felt like practicing my plies or that I thought he was so handsome I couldn't say no, I just nodded my head and did what I was told..
{a fortune we got a month or so before Bennett was born... no joke lol}
The rest is all history really... Weighing in at a whopping 5lbs 7oz and 16.9in long Bennett Zachary Truscott proved to all around that he, indeed, was the one in charge of this party... and he was NOT going to have a fiesta themed party every year for the rest of his life.
Oh and the lucky news.... aside from being little, a little bilirubin and glucose adjusting, he's perfectly healthy... and super cute!
Funny how, usually, pregnancy brings about more blogging, a cute little countdown on the side bar and monthly belly pic updates... Alas, my version of a semi announcement was a silent plug by way of a prego Christmas pic at the end of the aforementioned post.
To all my faithful followers (and my mother and mother in law) I apologize.
If you are on Facebook or were lucky enough to receive a text (if you didn't, PLEASE don't take it as an offense... I wasn't really in the right frame of mind...) You probably know that I now longer look like this...
But I'm supposed to.... I'm actually supposed to be much larger, nesting, putting together my nursery and finally painting over the random paint swatches on my walls. I was supposed to have a Cinco de Mayo party and a baby. I WAS due May 5th. Rather I decided to give birth... in the lobby at the University of Utah Hospital. The L&D Unit was way to posh for me. This baby apparently needed to make an entrance!
How? you may ask? Well, it's called denial. I can show you... and you too can master this technique for use later in life... you never know when it might come in handy... like when you go into labor at 35 weeks (although I don't recommend it in this circumstance... do as I say, not as I ... did)
This is how to be in complete denial - just keep telling yourself what is supposed to be happening and try not to believe anything else...
At least that's what I did.
April Fool's day... I was at work. One of my coworkers actually asked me why I hadn't sent her an email saying I'd had my baby, and I remember looking at her, then down at my most pregnant belly and then back at her... I had NO idea what the crap she was talking about... it was a good thing that she went on to explain; the day was April Fools day and apparently the ultimate best I could do was email everyone (including my husband) and tell them I was in labor!... ... ... I've never been much of an April Fooler. You have to remember the day to play tricks.... I don't remember anything.
But having it fresh on my mind (the fact that I was obviously still very pregnant) did make it easy to overlook the 3+ times I got really "uncomfortable" while helping a fellow coworker hang some frames in her bosses office. So "uncomfortable" that I had to sit and breathe...
STEP ONE on How To Be In Complete Denial: Blame everything on the current situation... In this case, all that lifting my hands over my head was apparently exhausting work. Heaven Forbid I lift my hands over my head!
On the way home I was passing the car wash and remembered how much Zac kept mentioning wanting to get the car cleaned before the baby came... They had Free vacuums... of COURSE I had to use them, they were FREE! So I did. I vacuumed out the entire car. I later learned that this was probably me "nesting". In hindsight I do remember having a certain determination about getting EVERY nook and cranny..
Once home, I was tired... again... It probably wasn't the best idea to do all that bending... it made my already tired back, more tired. The solution? Dinner and movie! And Zac, so happy about the newly cleaned car, was happy to oblige. DATE NIGHT!
We went to Joe's Crab Shack... mmm I love Joe's...
STEP TWO on the denial course: Act as if this is normal!
I DISTINCTLY remember telling Zac (while I had my feet up and was breathing through a "little side pain") "I think I've reached the point in my pregnancy where I'm always uncomfortable" He agreed. He gave me the standard "I'm sorry" face and we continued on eating our crab... I breathed through a couple more "little side pains"... probably Braxton-Hicks. ha ha
STEP THREE: If all else fails, call it false labor... there's NO WAY you're in labor.. you're 35weeks.
We caught the 9o'clock show of Source Code. A decent movie. Enough to distract me. I had to breathe through a couple more pains and I kept squirming in my seat... I decided to "time" a couple.
Jana: "Zac, my contractions are coming about every 3 minutes"
Zac: "Oh yeah? Is it Braxton-Hicks?"
Jana: "Probably"
~an hour-ish later I grab Zac's hand.... I just needed a little extra support through the latest Braxton-Hicks (lol) and he asks me (slightly more concerned) if I wanted to go home.
OF COURSE NOT! Hello, I wanted to see how the movie ended.
The movie ended. It took us a good ten minutes to get to the car. (I had to stop every so often to breathe some more... silly Braxton-Hicks)
STEP FOUR: Blame it on exhaustion and the day
I told Zac I was sure I was just super tired. It'd been a somewhat long day at work, and I cleaned out the car... I just needed to get home and lay down. I had just overdone it that day. I JUST needed to lay down.
We got home and went straight to bed... it was about 11:30pm. Zac was out before his head hit the pillow...
I slept for about 5 minutes at a time... But remember, these weren't really contractions... I was only 35 weeks.
12:30pm: I wake up Zac. He suggests I call my midwife, but I didn't want to bother her. I didn't want to be the crazy lady who cried wolf for a couple of Braxton-Hicks (ok, a few more than a couple) This was False Labor! I could prove it. So I made him get down all my prego books... and they read "call your provider if A, B, C happen... DON'T be stoic"... or something like that... but I didn't want to be the girl that cried wolf... so we text her :)
and she text back "Get in the tub..." So I did...
We continued to text her, never giving all the details that we probably should have. She was at another birth, so she continued to reassure us, never really knowing the extent of the situation... because remember? I wasn't in labor.... so I didn't really give her all the details... because they weren't really happening.
At some point Zac downloaded an app on his Ipod to time contractions... gotta love my husband. He kept me fed, watered and cheered me on... I still didn't believe I was in true labor. I talked to my belly. I told the baby he was NOT WELCOME. I couldn't have a baby now... and I wasn't going to! These contractions were going to stop, and we would go on with our lives. I was prepped to go overdue. I was going to let him come on his own, no inducing if at all possible, but he was not allowed to come now... I told Zac to talk to his son... tell him he couldn't come...
Zac wasn't very convincing... I needed him to use more authority in his voice.
between "contractions" I floated happily in my tub and tried to relax, keep eating and stay hydrated...
As each "contraction" hit I was on my hands and knees groaning, moaning, singing, crying through the intensity... I just kept telling myself "it will stop... it will stop... it will go away..." I got out of the tub a couple times to use the bathroom, but my time out of the tub was for more intense than in the water, so back in I would go.
I was in the tub until about 4am, when suddenly I needed a plan B... what if theses weren't stopping... they weren't stopping... and not only were they not stopping they were coming about.. hmmm.. every minute... So Zac text my midwife
"what if they don't stop"...
And she was on the phone. She asked to speak with me. I cried and told her about my contractions... they were coming right after the other at this point. I told her I couldn't have a baby at 35 weeks. She told me later that she could hear in my voice that this was advanced labor... She told us to pack a bag and go to the hospital... Somewhere in that conversation I "heard" her tell me that they would stop my labor... just for the record... no one said that... I was still in denial. :)
I barked at Zac from the tub. "don't forget this.. ahhhhhhh... and don't forget that.. ahhhhhhhhhhh... Put on your DUDLA shirt!!" (I apparently needed to see the shirt)
Zac got me dressed and just as we were about to leave I needed to pee... umm.. excuse me.. I needed to use the restroom... I sat down JUST as a contraction hit and it was too much to be sitting, so I dropped to my knees and told Zac I was just going to pee on the carpet... but I didn't pee on the carpet.... instead my water broke. We got in the car. I was in the back seat on all fours. Zac had the sense to throw the dog in the backyard with some food and we were on our way.... we were going to the U because that was our backup hospital... and that's where I work (ie that's where my insurance covers %100 inpt stay...)
As we were pulling out Zac asked the ultimate question of the day... "Jana, how many miles to the U?" 27miles... only to be outdone by part B of the question "Can we make it there on E??"
Yes, E... as in Empty... we had NO gas (seriously, I'm not making this up) we were going to have to make it.... there was no way we were stopping for gas!
I won't tell you how fast we drove... but we got to the hospital in about 20 minutes... time was relevant at this point. Some time around I215 and state street I declared to Zac that I felt the urge to push... "No no no, no pushing Jana!!"... I believe that was his response... but that didn't stop me...
When we got to the hospital, we pulled up the front entrance and Zac came around to get me out of the car... as he did I reached down (as in down).... I could feel the baby's head... he was crowning as I was walking in the front doors...
The security guys at the front looked like they were dreaming of doughnuts and coffee when we walked in.. Zac decided to inform them "Just havin' a baby!". They offered a wheelchair and I think I yelled something to the effect of " NO I DON'T WANT A WHEELCHAIR! I CAN'T SIT! HE'S COMING NOW!"... I was super polite about it, too. Then I barked at Zac to move faster... we would walk a few steps and stop, push or breathe and walk a little further...
If you've been to the U recently, you know that they have newly lobby remodeled that is big even if you aren't in labor. To get the Labor&Delivery Unit we had to get to the elevators. And the get to the elevators you had to pass information, admissions, the gift shop, pharmacy and a Starbucks. I made it to just about Starbucks... somewhere around there... And suddenly like 7 people came out of nowhere. Apparently the fact that my pants had fallen off and I looked in a bit of distress gave them the clue that I must be the woman that security just called about. It's all a little blurry for me, but I think one of the nurses names was Nancy... scratch that, I have no idea who ANYONE'S names were...but they did tell me. I didn't really care who they were. I mean, if I'm not going to mind the location of my birth or the state of my lack of pants, I could care less who was in attendance.... wouldn't you? maybe that's just me... I have been told that I AM a little wierd. But none the less. The group came armed with a couple kits. They pulled out towels, blackets, clamps, etc... as if one should have been named Mary Poppins and the kits were carpet bags with no bottoms and endless space. Zac was talking, I was.... talking... for lack of a better word... and someone told me to get on my back. Now, I'm not going into reasons why - this post is already the size of Texas (hi Amy) - but I didn't want to be on my back, and gratefully my Dudla knew that too. I think I told them no, but Zac made himself heard (I think they were all in a bit of shock and didn't think to listen to the woman with a watermelon between her legs. Zac told them I was going to squat and Nancy (as we'll call her) decided to announce it to everyone else... because you know I was a circus show anyway... and then Zac turned to me as I was blubbering something about not being able to do this, and he looked me in the eyes and told me "Jana, if you squat this baby will come out." I don't know if it's because I felt like practicing my plies or that I thought he was so handsome I couldn't say no, I just nodded my head and did what I was told..
There was some blinding pain, then a release and suddenly I looked down and Nancy was holding a greyish blue alien... and he coincidentally looked like Zac. There was a flurry of hands clamping the cord, someone handed Zac some scissors tp cut the cord then he looked at the alien and told him to cry... and suddenly it wasn't an alien... it was a sqauking pterodactyl and I cried (I was already crying) and blubbered (enough with the blubbering already) to Zac something to the effect of "His name is Bennett, okay?" ... he agreed... what was he going to do? Argue with me? and with that Nancy took off with my baby. He was too early and I guess the lobby wasn't the place to get to know my new kid.
{a fortune we got a month or so before Bennett was born... no joke lol}
Somewhere in the chaos, a bed appeared behind me and they loaded me up and took me upstairs...
{a couple hours after he was born when I finally held him for the first time... they were happy tears I swear}
The rest is all history really... Weighing in at a whopping 5lbs 7oz and 16.9in long Bennett Zachary Truscott proved to all around that he, indeed, was the one in charge of this party... and he was NOT going to have a fiesta themed party every year for the rest of his life.
Oh and the lucky news.... aside from being little, a little bilirubin and glucose adjusting, he's perfectly healthy... and super cute!
Congrats to you... this story probably took you as long to read it as it took me birth a kid! Props to you.
19 comments:
Wowza. What are we going to do with you? I'm so glad everything worked out but I were your nurse I would have taken a few seconds to swat your backside after the drama had passed! We love you and hope you love mommy-hood.
Loved every minute of this super long post! So glad to finally hear the story! He is super adorable! Congrats!
Jana that story is incredible! Way to go, you're my hero. I'm so glad everything turned out well.
Oh my gosh I was bawling reading this post! Hahaha....wow. Congrats mommy! Thanks for sharing your story - I will never complain about any of my children's births ever again! :) What a sweet little dude.....
Holy how Jana, that is such an amazing story!!! You guys are seriously incredible and Bennett is adorable. I am so happy for you!!
oh.my.heavens. Okay so I'm going to tell you how I read this story the size of Texas..I was laughing, sometimes crying, holding my face, covering my mouth, holding my knees to my chest...holy crow Jana! Thanks for the ride! That was amazing, and you are The.Best.Storyteller. This cute little boy waited long enough to get here to be with his awesome parents. *sigh* I need to take a nap now. That was great! Big hugs for everyone. :0) love you guys.
That is the craziest story!!! Im so glad he is okay and doing well. You are amazing! Were you planning on natural before all this lol? Hope you are all adjusting well. How is he sleeping?
I love this story!! When telling birth stories women are always trying to "one up". Your story will NEVER be one upped!
BTW this is Bethany Cox
love this post!! and the picture of you holding him made me cry!! congratulations you guys!!!
Congratulations!! I am so happy for you guys!!!
I love it! I'm betting Zac is glad he didn't have to deliver by himself! Your such a great storyteller. I wish my labors were fast, but not THAT fast! You and Zac are great people and awesome parents. Plus you are my hero. :)
I'm still here! The first couple sentences totally describe me. And I am so glad you shared your story. Maybe a new baby will inspire more frequent posts?
And you are right, he does totally look like Zac!
Congratulations!
Jana, I just love you!! Your fact holding Bennett just says it all. You're gorgeous and your baby is beautiful and I wish you all the fun in the world being a mama!
Congratulations! Way to go girl! I loved reading your post it made me smile and laugh. I'm sure Bennet will get a kick out of it when he's old enough to read. Life doesn't usually go as planned does it?! But it goes on and it's good. We love you guys!
Congrats Jana and Zac!
Jana you are amazing and you have such a cute family!
I miss you!
Ja Na!!! I cannont tell you how much I loved reading this post. I can picture you and Zac saying everything the way you worded it. I hope this isn't inappropriate but I was laughing pretty good throughout the story because the way you tell stories is SOO funny! I loved you and Zac's conversation during the movie about your pains just being Braxton Hicks and you wanting to finish the movie. So many highlights to this story. I don't blame Bennett for not wanting a Cinco de Mayo party every year either, I mean the kids clearly caucasion! We love you guys and are sooo happy for Bennett's SAFE arrival after all that! Please keep up the blogging, it's our best bet at this point for keeping in touch! Tell your boys hello from the Pittsburgh Richs! Oh, and happy Cinco de Mayo two days ago... :) Now that this comment is as long as your post I'll go now, love ya!
Amazing story!! Congrats, he is so cute!!
The experience sounds truly horrific, but the way you told it made me laugh. You are such a trooper, Jana! Congratulations on your little guy!
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