Welcome to the family.... Seamus Knox Gilbert

After much anticipation Seamus Knox has FINALLY arrived. We went Monday (12/14) to the doctor to have an ultrasound and check the amniotic fluid levels since he at that point was over one week late. Before our appointment Monday we scheduled an induction for 12/17 in hopes that he would arrive on his own before that day. At our appointment on Monday we discovered that the amniotic fluid levels were in fact low and the doctors decided to begin the induction process right away. We ran home and picked up all of our hospital bags and then headed into labor and delivery. We arrived at the hospital a little after 2:00 and were checked in and in a room by 4:00. At 4:30 the nurse came into start the induction process. She began by inserting a medicine called Cervadil into the cervix area. That stayed in place for 12 hours and Chad and I were able to watch tv, hang out and have some visitors stop by. I was even allowed to have "real food" for dinner that night. At 4:30am on Tuesday the Cervadil was removed the nurse had me take a shower and have some crackers and peanut butter. Around 6:30 am the nurse began a pitocin drip into my IV. I heard many rumors about the painful contractions associated with pitocin, my contractions however were still manageable. This made me very happy since I was still trying to have an epidural free labor. It is funny how your own plans fly quickly out the window and God's plans swiftly take over. Around 8:30am our doctor came by to see how my labor was progressing and after checking decided to go ahead and break my water to help speed the labor progress. WOW!! Pitocin + Dr. breaking water = OUCH!! After having my water broken my contractions went from 5-6 minutes apart and manageable to 2 minutes apart with little relief in between. My body was literally shaking from the pain. My nurse asked if I wanted to get an epidural and I hesitated. She then told me as someone who had done natural childbirth it was only going to get worse and I was actually slowing my labor because my body could not relax. So.... I decided to get the epidural, this decision is one I am extremely happy with considering what was to happen in the following hours. After the epidural I finally relaxed and was able to see my family and visit for a while. Somewhere around 6:00 Tuesday evening the Dr told the nurse it was time to begin pushing. This is where our evening took another turn we, well Chad was not expecting.

Chad had planned on staying "behind my elbow" when the delivery process began. We had discussed this before and he felt he would rather not watch the entire process but instead be by my side supporting me. Well... support me he did. The nurse asked him to come help her and promptly showed him how to hold my left leg while she held the right and I began pushing. I am so thankful that he was able to take on this role that neither of us had planned on him doing. So, the pushing process began. My contractions were still rather close together since I was on pitocin. The nurse also had me wearing an oxygen mask because Seamus' heart rate was dropping after each contraction. At about 8:50pm (yes we were pushing for just under 3 hours) the Doctor came in to check on Seamus' location in the birth canal and by the look he gave me I knew what the next words out of his mouth were going to be and I began to lose it. We are going to have to do a c-section.... The room began to spin and in an instant it was filled with nurses and my epidural was being redone to accommodate the needs of a c-section incision. I felt sick and thought I was going to throw up. By the time I could think NO my bed was being lowered and I was being wheeled into an OR. They moved my to a gurney placed warming blankets on my extremities and put up a drape to block my view. Chad sat next to my head and other than that I really don't remember much. I vaguely remember Chad holding Seamus and showing him to me and then being wheeled back into my room for recovery. Once back in our room my body began to shake and the placed warming blankets on me while our families came in and got to see Seamus for the first time.

After an our we were taken upstairs to the room we would spend the remainder of the week in for my recovery. I was really able to understand and see Seamus once we came upstairs and things settled down around us. I don't know if I slept that night or if I just watched Seamus in awe. We were finally discharged from the hospital Friday afternoon and we were so thankful to be home.

We are settling into life with a newborn and could not be happier. We are so blessed and this entire experience has really shown us how God has a plan for us and His plan is perfect. So without further adieu I present to you Seamus Knox Gilbert: