Olivia’s Arrival: The Play By Play
01:30 AM Mama calls daddy on his cell phone from our landline. (She was upstairs asleep, He was downstairs working). “Hello! It’s Time!” (Mama’s water had broken!)
02:30 AM Mama and daddy arrive at the hospital.
03:30 AM We finish the paperwork with Nurse Trisha and are ready to get the delivery started.
03:45 AM The Moms (or Grandmothers, rather) arrive at the hospital.
04:45 AM Nurse Trisha calls for the epidural.
05:00 AM The Grandmothers get the boot, as Dr. Barnes arrives to perform the epidural. He finally gets it right on the third try (Ouch!).
05:30 AM Mama’s epidural finally kicks in.
05:45 AM The Grandmothers return anxiously from the waiting room. The epidural is working well.
06:00 AM Daddy and Gammie speed down to the to cafeteria to get coffee.
06:15 AM We’re back with coffee and pasteries (none for Mama though…) The Grandmothers head for the waiting room to make calls as Nurse Trisha predicts a 10:00AM delivery.
06:30 AM Dr. Summers calls to check in and has Nurse Trisha start the Patosin (Yikes!)
06:45 AM Dr. Summers arrives. She tells us she thinks that Olivia will arrive between 8 and 9AM
07:00 AM The Grandmothers leave to go make more phone calls
07:30 AM The battery on the IV machine goes out and it starts beeping extermely loud and often. After 3 different nurses try to fix it, they finally swap it out and roll it down the hallway, while it still beeping.
07:45 AM Dr. Summers checks in. Mama is fully dilated. She suggests we wait about 30 minutes for the baby to come down and then get started.
08:15 AM Dr. Summers and Nurse Nan return to get Mama started on the delivery. Nurse Nan doubles down on the Patosin going from 2ml to 4ml. Mama pushes a few times and Dr. Summers says we better wait a little while longer.
09:00 AM Dr. Summers and Nurse Nan are back. Time to start again.
09:10 AM Daddy, Nona and Gammie can all see a full head of black hair!
09:44 AM Olivia is born! 7lbs, 8 oz.
10:00 AM Olivia is all cleaned up and in Mama’s arms.
10:10 AM Olivia is ready for a feeding from Mama. She’s a pro (both of them, actually). She nurses for 20 minutes!
10:30 AM Uncle Greg, Aunt Melanie, Kasey and Zac come in to meet Olivia.
10:45 AM Aunt Debi comes in to meet Olivia.
11:10 AM Olivia measures in at 19 1/2 inches.
11:45 AM The dads (Grandfathers) arrive just as they are moving us to our new room.
12:00 PM We order up lunch for Mama and the crew. We eat and get settled into our room.
12:45 PM Aunt Stephie gets a break from work to come see Olivia.
03:00 PM It’s finally time for a quick nap.
03:30 PM Flowers arrive from daddy & Gabriella.
04:30 PM Mama gets in a quick feeding for Olivia.
05:15 PM Gammie comes back to the hospital with two rolls of pictures already developed.
05:30 PM Olivia takes a nap in Gammie’s arms.
06:30 PM Aunt Stephanie, Aunt Melanie, Kasey and Zac come back for more Olivia.
07:00 PM Gabriella arrives to meet her new baby sister.
08:30 PM Olivia naps in Papa’s arms while Mama and daddy have their dinner.
09:00 PM Nona, Papa and Gabriella go home and we settle in and try and get some rest after a very exciting day.