And Then There Were 3

I am going to start this by going backwards to April 12th and LA's doctors appointment.  Just in case Baby 3 had not arrived, Dr. McCusker went ahead and scheduled the eviction day (thanks, Jenn Williams for calling your induction day eviction day - very funny coming from a  pastor) - April 24, 6am report to the ER to check-in.  There wasn't any reason to get to week 40, April 26th and then have to figure out what we were going to do and if we went to week 40, another ultrasound would have to be done (which was going to cost us more dollars and there wasn't any need for it).  The end was in site for LA.

LA made it to her 39 week appointment (April 19) and not much was happening (just 3cm).  Dr. McCusker who delivered Wyatt was on call all weekend and was back on call on Tuesday (our induction day).  She told us we would see her on Tuesday.  As we left the office, LA and I discussed what was going to happen.

• She had only one more day of work.  She was going into labor tonight
• She would go into labor during her last day of students, Friday (April 20th) so she couldn't complete all her work that needed to be done.  
• She was going to go into labor on Saturday while at a baby shower for her friend Krystal (in Charleston).
• She was going to go into labor on Monday (on Dr. McCusker's day off)
• She would make it to induction day.

I placed most of my money on making it to induction day.  Because I am a procrastinator and figured making it until Tuesday wasn't a big deal (it wasn't for me, seemed like a simple request to ask of LA).  I needed to work all day Monday and get everything I needed done because I hadn't finished on Friday.  I placed the remaining on her going into labor at the baby shower because I wouldn't be around and it would send the ladies at the shower into a panic.  LA placed all her money on Monday because we weren't thrilled with doctor options for Monday.    

LA made it through the entire weekend and I was prepared to get to work Monday (April 23rd) morning and get all my tasks done.  However, my 6:00am wake up call, was LA telling me that she was pretty sure we were going to be having a baby today.  Her contractions were about 5 minutes apart.  No need to rush, I've been to this rodeo before.  I got the kids ready for school, LA got a shower, I got a shower, I loaded up the car for our hospital stay and got the kids in the car.  It was now about 7:45am and we stopped off at the kids day care to drop them off.  Based on the first two deliveries, we had plenty of time.  LA's contractions were now about 3 minutes apart and I could tell they were pretty strong.  We had called the doctors office and they told us to go to the ER and they would be waiting on us.

We arrived at the hospital and went to the ER and they told us to go to day time admitting and "they were waiting on us".  It was during our  my walk, LA's ride from the ER to admitting that I realized what my job was.  It was to be LA's Sherpa.  I had all the bags and was pushing her around in the wheelchair.  When the ER didn't want anything to do with us I new we were in for an adventure.  Side Note - While at the hospital, we found out that the ER personal don't like two things - pregnant women and young children.  Which confirmed my earlier post when Wyatt was sick and we ended up in the ER at St. Francis.  We went to the daytime admitting and what a circus this turned out to be.  The ladies at the reception desk seem stressed and confused.  I patiently waited as LA is beginning to sit very quietly head in her hand and bouncing her leg.  An elderly female volunteer, walks up and attempts to help.  The fun begins when the receptionist finally asks if she can "help me".  It goes something like this:
R: Can I help you?
K: My wife is in labor and about to give birth in this wheelchair.
R:Have you registered?
K:I preregistered online, like I was told to do.
R:Looking at a sheet of scheduled procedures and not finding her name
Elderly Female Volunteer: Can I take her up to L&D?
R: She has to be registered.
K: She's not on any sheet for a scheduled appointment.  This wasn't scheduled.  I am supposed to be at work.  We are on your sheet for tomorrow.
R: One minute...more shifting of papers and looking for her name
K: She's not on any of your paperwork.  I promise.  We weren't planning on coming her today.
V: This lady is in labor.  It's going to be ok, honey.
K: I don't know how else to help understand that my wife is having a baby and she isn't on your paperwork.
Admitting Person Window 4: who has been observing what is happening - I can take her.  Finally, someone who can see the urgency of what is going on.

My recommendation to avoid that circus is to arrive before the daytime admitting is open and you can go through the ER.  They want you upstairs in L&D as soon as possible.  My second recommendation is for S'ville Med to get some portable computers and take the patient up to L&D immediately and register her in the L&D room.  It's not like portable computers and carts with computers weren't invented 15 years ago.  If it's about customer service then catch up with the technology.  

I am pretty sure the receptionist is still looking for her name on the schedule somewhere.    While we are at the admitting window as she scrolls through the preregistration form and I answer a few more questions and sign documents for on LA's behalf and Baby 3 who hasn't even been born yet's behalf.  The volunteer come back up and start rubbing LA's shoulders and talking to her.  I have been to this rodeo two times before and I know that the last thing LA is looking for is someone touching her and talking to her and especially someone she doesn't know.  The volunteer was trying to make a difficult situation better and we appreciated her efforts and had a few laughs as soon as we got up to the L&D room about the volunteer.

It is now about 8:20am and we are in the L&D room and we are greeted by the same nurse that help deliver Wyatt.  She remembers us which is not hard to believe since we were just there 25 months ago.  She checks LA out and says you're 8cm.  I wasn't sure I heard her correctly.  "Excuse me what did you say" - 8cm.  This party has started and is about to be over.  The short version of the next 1:08 is LA vagal downs while getting her IV (not fun for her or me holding the pan, or the student nurse who is taking everything in from a distance), she has to go all natural because it's too late for a epidural, the doctor is trying to prolong the process so LA can get some antibiotics for Group B Strep but she realizes it isn't going to work, she breaks LA's water and let's LA start pushing.  About about 12 pushes through about 6 contractions, we have a beautiful daughter.

Everyone of our child's birth have been different and exciting (as I am sure they all are) but when baby 3 came out she was purple like Clemson purple like purple you would think if someone wasn't breathing.  The doctor and nurse seem to think everything is good and purple is normal and put the baby on LA's chest as we look at each other and question out loud "Is she ok?", "Is she breathing?".  Everything was fine but it just was scaring the poop out of mom and dad.

Here's some of the interesting numbers about this delivery:

• 5:45 she started timing contractions
• 6:00 she work me up
• 7:55 arrive at hospital
• 8:20 arrive in L&D and are examined
• 9:28 Baby 3 entered this world
• The student nurse assisting(watching from the distance) the L&D nurse learned more in 1:08 than she had learned in class all year.  She was shell shocked.  

They have yet to get enough help on the L & D floor.  I wasn't even asked this time to help.  It was assumed that I was going to pick up one of her legs and assist.

We have set a new Providence Class Record For Quickest To 3 Kids:
3 Years, 7 Months, 10 Days (I am pretty sure AW and MW are interested in giving a run at the title.  It should be a piece of cake since they are having a double shot in a couple of months.) and set a Providence Class Record For Closest To Delivery Somewhere Other Than The Hospital: 1:28:00

We were all worried about the doctor and it worked out great.  She was very good and did a great job and to be honest at this point I am pretty sure I could deliver a baby if I knew there wasn't going to be any complications.

LA is the rockstar of the show.  She was the 3 Star Player of the Game.  I was impressed that she only once said "I don't think I can do it".  She never screamed.  She never called me, the doctor, or the nurse names.  She never dropped the F bomb and she never said any other 4 letter word.  She never screamed "Get This Baby Out Of Me....NOW!!!.  She powered through it like an expert.  She has been such a rockstar that she got a "push" present.  Actually, it's because she is awesome and I love her and deserved it for putting up with me.

So most of  you know Baby 3 had some issues with her white blood cell count being elevated.  The night nurse on Monday came to us at about 11pm and told us that Baby 3's white blood count was elevated. So we inquired - How high and what's normal?  Normal 18 and her's 38.  The funny part was the doctor visiting us the next morning and telling us her wbc is "slightly" elevated.  I am not sure if she knew that we were aware it was 38 because double in my book is not "slightly" anything - 22 is slightly elevated.  It turned out to be nothing but her body probably reacting to how quick she was born or something she  might have swallowed on the way out (you can ask me if you really want to know...I had never heard of it with the other two kids).

So my other job is to the call the sex of the baby when they pop out.  I was so convinced that we were having another boy that Baby 3 popped out and I told Leigh-Ann "it's a boy" and was quickly corrected by the doctor "its a girl".  My chance to shine in glory and I called it wrong.  How could you screw this up?  The light got in my eyes and I am pretty sure I confused the umbilical cord with the male plumbing (wishful thinking).  I am glad I didn't bet anything on boy or girl because I would have lost - the Chinese calendar was wrong and the heart rate was wrong.  Baby 3 never had a heart rate above the low 140s and the majority of the time it was in the upper 120s.  You know who I should have trusted?  Adrian, she was right telling us we would have a girl, boy, girl.  I am glad we got to her before she retired.

The sleeping accommodations still haven't improved and generally suck for the male.  I skipped even trying the chair/bed and tried two chair close together but finally figured out the best place.  In the hospital bed with LA...scoot over Daddy's getting comfortable.

We had a girls name picked out for months but even during the brief delivery we were discussing boy names and I am not sure either of us would have known what to say if we would have had a boy.

Just like when your dating someone for awhile everyone ask "When are you getting married" and after your married everyone asks "When are you having kids".  LA barely got baby 3 out and everyone was asking about Baby 4.  I have even heard of a friend taking bets on when Baby 4 will arrive.  They are thinking next June because of the Hootie concert in August.  I put $100 on no baby 4 and hedged my bet with $50 on October 2013.   

More coming on Baby 3...Exclusive pictures of Baby 3 can be found on our partner website I'm Just Sayin'.

Editors Note:
If you're a movie buff head over to I'm Just Sayin' and check out his Movie May countdown of the greatest 2,613 movies.  It started May 1.  I am in awe that he put something like this together but I am really wondering what he could have done with the $15k  50K, he spent on tickets, drinks, popcorn and candy (you know he didn't go alone to all these movies because we all know before Jenn landed the best thing to ever happen to her - he was a lady killer).  Check it out...