Oakley's birth turned in to a very eventful day. Before I tell the story, I will just say that from the time Brent and I got married we always joked about having our first child on September 24. Our anniversary is August 24, Brent's birthday is October 24, and my birthday is November 24. We just needed a September 24 to fill in the blank month! Well, meet Oakley Parker, born September 24, a week early from her due date. Now the pressure is on for our next children!
The story all started a week before she was born as I went in to my 38 week appointment, thinking everything was normal. At this appointment, the doctor discovered something that I NEVER wanted to hear as he said "your baby is breech, and we need to schedule a C-section before you go into labor on your own." I broke down in the doctor's office. The whole pregnancy I kept telling Brent that I didn't care what happened during this birth, as long as I didn't have to have a C-section. I thought that was the worst news I could've heard. I bawled that whole night. That was not how I had envisioned my labor experience. I wanted a normal delivery. I wanted one so bad and had everything prepared to have one. Luckily, that night and the next few days I called many friends and family who had also had C-sections and they reassured me that this wasn't the worst thing that could've happened. I was so glad we had a week to prepare for the C-section because it gave us time to make sure we had everything ready and go on a bunch of dates together before everything changed so drastically!
Fast forward a week. We were so excited! The drive to the hospital was the most exciting, nerve-wrenching, anxious drive of my life! Our lives as we knew them were about to change, but all in such an amazing way. It didn't feel real at all. I did not feel like I was about to meet my baby girl.
The whole 9 months of pregnancy, Brent had been gearing up to watch the baby's birth. He is so not into medical things and gags with the sight of blood. Right when he thought he had the courage to watch the birth, we found out we were having a C-section. He went back and forth about whether or not to watch it. The morning of the delivery day we were skyping my family in Taiwan. My dad kept telling Brent that it wasn't that big of a deal and that he would be fine to watch it and it would be such a neat experience! Leave it to impressing the father-in-law to make your decision! HA. So, Brent decided to watch it and take pictures of the whole thing since I would have no idea what was going on.
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| Before the surgery. Brent was all decked out and ready to go! Feeling a little overly confident perhaps! ;) |
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| Getting ready! So many nerves! |
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| I was so relaxed and had no idea what was going on! Just felt a bunch of tugging. |
So there we were in the Operating Room. I was so excited and felt so relaxed with all the pain medications. Brent came in like one proud father with the biggest grin on his face! He set up his phone so it was recording the whole surgery and had our bigger camera around his neck to take pictures the whole time. As everything was unraveling, Brent was giving me play by plays. It was so fun having Brent tell me exactly what was going on. "Her feet just came out" "There's her legs... her bum... her shoulders." "Oh my ward, her head just came out." And all of a sudden Brent backed up and I could tell he was going down. His face turned completely pale and he dropped to the ground. Luckily the anesthesiologist was right behind me and was there to catch him. I kept turning to him and telling him to grab my hand. The nurses helping with the surgery ran over to him and ran out to the hall calling for help and a wheelchair. They came in, put Brent in the wheel chair, and wheeled him away. The picture of his pale head falling to his chest is one I will never forget. It was the scariest moment of my life. I literally thought he had died. It was terrifying. And that was the moment I heard my baby cry for the first time. Talk about a whirlwind of emotions all at one time! I broke down in tears for so many different reasons. It was a very emotional moment for me. All Brent remembers is waking up in the hall to 6 nurses above him and one nurse cutting off his scrubs. haha The best part is that right when Brent passed out, the nurse took the camera from him and continued taking pictures without even skipping a beat. She knew how important the pictures were to me! haha
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| Right after she was born! |
Then the most amazing moment happened and I got to hold my baby. I just kept touching her in awe, and couldn't believe she was actually real and MINE! What an incredible feeling!
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| My first time holding little O. When I first saw her her eyes were swollen, shut, and covered in vernix. She literally looked like she didn't have eyes. That was my first question to the nurse, "Does she have eyes?" in a concerned voice. ha Obviously I was a little traumatized by the days' events. |
They finished up the surgery and we left to go to recovery. As they wheeled me in to recovery, guess who was in the bed right next to me with ice packs and an apple juice?! hahaha I was dying when they wheeled me in to see Brent already in the bed next to me!! I will never forget that moment. It hurt so bad to laugh, but I was cracking up! This picture is priceless!
After they took Oakley away from me, they brought her right in to see Brent while they stitched me up, so luckily we were both able to see the baby right away. And then they brought the baby back and we got the rest of our stay with her right by our side. She never left, and that was amazing! Skin to skin moments were the most spiritual, beautiful experiences for me. I loved them more than anything!
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| Brent's first time holding little O. |
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This picture cracks me up. It doesn't even look like Oakley. She looks so chunky here!! They say that C-section babies are usually bigger because they fill the mom with lots of IV fluid beforehand. Maybe that's why Oakley is having such a hard time getting back up to her 8 lb. 10 oz. birth weight!
This was a little bit after her birth. I can't believe how alert she is. I love this video! She looks so curious with the outside world! |
It was quite a day, but one that we will never forget! It was as far away as possible from what I would've imagined as the perfect birth story, but it was the perfect little birth story for us. I still crack up about Brent passing out. Although it was so scary at the time, it is HILARIOUS now! As for recovery (which I was most scared for), it has been amazing. I feel the doctor did an incredible job and before the 2nd day I was up and walking around and haven't been down since. I was off the pain medications within about 10 days and am able to go for walks, drive, pretty much anything besides workout for 6 weeks. I feel so blessed!
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| First picture with my little family! |
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| The hospital just called her "Baby Parker" for the longest time because we couldn't commit to a name! Finally, when the birth certificate people came we made our final decision, and now it's so clear she is an Oakley! |
Oakley is an amazing baby! We have to wake her up in the night to feed. Otherwise, I'm afraid she would sleep through the whole night! The last two weeks have been the absolute best. Brent has 3 weeks off from work, so it has been so much fun to have him here with us. He is such a big help. I didn't even change O's diaper until a week after she was born. He is up at night helping with feedings and loves on her all day long. I fall more and more in love with him as I watch him with Oakley. He is the best daddy. We often just stare at Oakley in awe because we can't believe she's ours and how perfect she is to us. Being a parent is the most amazing feeling in the world. I can't believe the instant love I have for this tiny human. I love my little family!
