Presenting Samuel Elijah

Incase you live under a rock and you missed it...our son Samuel Elijah Miles was born Friday April 27th at 5:15pm. He's 7pounds 5ounces and 20 inches long. 

And we are so in love.

 

Now here's the story of the two weeks of our insane lives. 

Keep in mind that us Miles don't do anything easy. Nothing. 

Me, Aaron, My parents, and Aaron’s mom went to the hospital on the evening on Thursday the 26th to start my induction after we had a huge delicious dinner at home. Then on our way to the hospital we stopped for frozen yogurt. YUM!

I got a really nice delivery room in the far corner away from the other rooms, which was nice because I didn’t want to hear anyone else give birth.

They gave me a weird pill that I'll just say didn't go in my mouth... the pill helps to soften your cervix and get you dilating. 

I REALLY loved my first nurse! I had some great nurses-and a few CRAPPY ones. But I LOVED my first nurse.

Anyway.

The pill was inserted.

Then I was given some Benadryl for some “hives”/ a heat rash that I had been breaking out from for the last few days.

Plus it was going to help me get some sleep because they thought my labor wouldn’t start officially until the morning.

I woke up a few hours later with contractions that seemed extremely regular. So I woke Aaron up.

(All other family went home to sleep for the night).

The nurse came in shortly after and told me that everything looked great and then inserted another pill.

My contractions were getting stronger and Aaron and I were exhausted.

Aaron read the monitor and realized that my contractions were just a little more than a minute apart.

We were both SO EXCITED because that HAD to mean that Samuel was close to coming. J

But he wasn’t. L

The nurse came in and looked at the monitor and said WOW! Your labor is really progressing I bet your at 6 or 7!

She checked.

I wasn’t even at a full centimeter.

WHAT?!?!?!??!?!

The nurse said, “Okay that’s strange. Your contractions are averaging a minute apart. And your maybe one-centimeter dilated. I’ve personally never seen this happen before.”

Aaron and I looked at each other and exchanged the same look we give each other every time we see a doctor and they tell me they have “never seen this happen before.”

My nurse told me, “Look, you could be in labor for a very long time, and if you don’t get some sleep you won’t be able to push-if you can’t push you will get a C-section. You should REALLY consider the epidural.”

I didn’t want the epidural, but it was 7am. Aaron and I had been awake for 24 hours straight and I had been in labor for more than 12 hours already. So I agreed.

Getting the epidural sucked, but that’s because it took the guy two tries to get it right.

Could only happen to me.

But I loved being able to sleep through my labor.

So did Aaron, considering I had already verbally abused him while my contractions were getting stronger. 

I love you, Aaron. :) 

The parents came back in the morning.

By noon I was only at like a 4 or a 5.

BOOOOOOOO.

I woke up from a nap and realized that only my right side was numb and I was in some pretty bad pain.

So I ended up with a THIRD EPIDURAL.

I’m glad someone finally got it right.

Labor finally sped up and at about 2:30 in the afternoon it was time to push.

And push I did.

Unfortunately due to all the surgeries I’ve had my stomach muscles never “formed” properly, and growing up with my big spleen I was not allowed to participate in gym or sports and I wasn’t even allowed to do sit ups.

So pushing did NOT come easy for me.

I tried my very hardest.

Unknown to me the doctors were starting to prep for me to have a C-section.

But they let me “try” for just 20 more minuets.

I WANTED my son…NOW.

So I grabbed my knees-pulled them to my face and pushed until I was pretty sure my liver was going to fall out of my butt.

Aaron was an amazing labor coach. He was counting and holding my left leg. My nurse (a good one) was holding my right.

And Dr. Melendez was guiding Samuel out.

I only wanted my husband in the room when OUR son was born.

But we let the Grandparents stand behind the curtain so they could hear Samuel’s first cry.

I told the doctor to “Give me my son!”

And I pushed till I turned blue.

And there he was.

HUGE CONE-HEAD.

And just as blue as me.

Aaron cried.

I cried.

But something was missing.

Samuel was growling. Not crying.

They didn’t give him to me like I wanted.

They ran him over to the light bed thing.

I kept saying, “What’s wrong with my baby?! Is he okay?!? Can I have him?!?”

Nobody seemed to be listening.

If the doctor wasn’t sewing me up I swear I would have jumped off my bed and grabbed Samuel.

I just wanted him.

Aaron was standing over him. They were calling in the NICU nurses. I just wanted someone to tell me what was going on.

The NICU nurse came in and wrapped up MY baby and started out the door.

Thank goodness for Aaron. Even though he was just as upset as me he managed to ask the nurse, “Can you please let my wife hold him and see him, PLEASE.”

The nurse didn’t let go of Samuel but she sort of placed him in my arms. I knew Samuel knew who I was.

I started to sob.

The nurse quickly jolted out the door with MY son.

I told Aaron to go with him.

Both Aaron and I were upset and honestly angry.

I felt like God had promised us a healthy baby before I got pregnant and now look what was happening.

All we knew was that Samuel spiked a fever when he was born and wasn’t breathing normal.

My parents came to my side and I just bawled.

There was no consoling me.

After all of that...the long wait, my whole life. They took my son and I knew my son wanted me just as much as I wanted him.

This was NOT supposed to happen.

I was honestly really mad.

I wanted to run and “save” Samuel.

I wanted to cry with Aaron.

I felt really guilty because my labor was so dramatic I knew that HAD to have something to do with what was happening.

And I also spiked a fever after labor…I must have gotten him sick.

I can’t fully explain what I felt it was just pain.

Aaron came back because they were having a shift change in the NICU so he had to leave Samuel.

When the shift change was over I told Aaron to take my dad to the NICU. Aaron’s mom wanted to go to.

Unfortunately the NICU only allows 2 people at a time at the babies’ bedside.

So my dad came back.

I could tell my parents were in pain too, not only for their grandson, but because I’m their daughter and I’m in a anguish over my crazy labor and the fact that I didn’t even get to hold my baby.

It took a few hours for them to let me go see my baby and hold him (see picture below of me in the wheelchair holding him). 

LONG STORY SHORT

Samuel was in the NICU for a whole week.

He was treated with antibiotics through a PICC line.

I might post more about his NICU stay later, but right now I need to go cuddle my baby. J