Simply Us: It's a BOY!!!!

March 29th, 2013

This is what my day started with...castor oil eggs at 5am...yum! I ended up taking a 2nd dose around noon (in a fruit smoothie) and a 3rd dose around 6pm in a chocolate milkshake. (Honestly, I couldn't taste or smell the castor oil and didn't have any problems getting it down.)

This is what I worked on all day long along with my mom, Emily, and Tracy. I wanted to stay near the toilet because I was afraid of what the castor oil would do to me so I wasn't really up for walking around the neighborhood! Unfortunately/fortunately, we never got the chance to finish it.

Around 3pm I went on a walk with my mom, Emily, and Grayson to the park down the street. I had been feeling 'castor oil' contractions occasionally but they were easy to miss too. While at the park I started noticing them more consistently and started keeping track. They were exactly what the midwife had told me might happen, every 2-4 minutes apart and pain free. She said this could develop into labor or just fade away if the castor oil wasn't going to work. I kept track for awhile but honestly, there was no pain, and I was bored. I wanted something to happen or progress.

Around 5pm we talked with the midwife again and she recommended the 3rd dose. So we headed into town to get chocolate milkshakes (I figured if I had to do this one more time, I at least deserved chocolate!) The rest of the night moved so fast we pieced it together using our phones (texts and calls sent/received).

6:04pm from Ryan- "Let's go!" (I was outside chatting with the neighbors- it was a beautiful evening and everyone was out. Ryan wanted me to hurry up and take the 3rd dose)

6:05pm- from Jenn (doula)- "How was 3rd dose?"

6:07pm - to Jenn (doula)- "It's going...chocolate was a good idea:)"

6:20pm- to Jenn (doula)- "Back to 2 min apart"

6:24pm- from Jenn (doula)- "painful?"

6:26pm- to Jenn (doula)- "yep, pushing 4-6. But short. Only 20-30 seconds, so it's not THAT bad."

6:28pm- from Jenn (doula)- "Ok. I'll check back in 30"

6:29pm- to Jenn (doula)- "Perfect"

6:36pm- from Janae (sister)- "Any updates or just trying to rest?"

6:38pm- to Janae- "Just took 3rd dose. Nothing exciting."

6:42pm- from Janae- "Hope soon"

6:43pm- to Janae- "Me too!"

6:49pm- to Jenn (doula)- "Ok, getting intense"

6:50pm- from Jenn (doula)- "Want me to come?"

6:51pm- from Jenn (doula)- "This is good"

6:52pm- to Jenn (doula)- "I'm afraid to say yes, lol! I'm just swaying and working on a puzzle. Had the first one that really made me stop and concentrate."

6:53pm- to Jenn (doula)- "Very consistent, 2-3 min apart."

6:53pm- from Jenn (doula)- "After next contraction tell me pain level"

6:55pm- to Jenn (doula)- "YES! come! that last one was BAD!"

6:56pm- from Jenn (doula)- "Ok getting stuff and heading out. Yay."

6:58pm- from Jenn (doula)- "See ya soon"

6:58pm- Called the midwife, she listened to me have two contractions and was on her way as well, 60-90 minutes is the time frame she gave us.

7:05pm- Called my mom and told her she wasn't going to bed tonight.

7:06pm- Ryan called his parents and told them labor had started.

7:20pm (ish) Jenn arrived and got right to work. Labor was SO intense, I need someone pushing on my hips with every contraction. They were 60 seconds long and 2 minutes apart...so I would get a 60 second break in between. It was way more painful than labor with Griffin!! With Griffin I felt like I could cope, especially with help. This just felt like I was hanging on for dear life.

7:30 (ish) Jenn had me move to the toilet, I felt like the castor oil was going to do it's job (if you know what I mean). She did such a good job of coaching me to relax and breath...even though I felt like that was impossible.

7:35pm- Ryan called the midwife...I don't know why or what they said.

7:41pm- My water broke- in a giant water-balloon-bursting kind of way. I was so glad I was on the toilet. My first thought, besides, 'WOAH', was, 'Oh no, they're going to get more intense. I can't handle more intense!"

Shortly after my water broke, I could tell I was going to throw up so I moved to the tub (I figured this way no matter what happened, we could hose it down the drain). I did, in fact, throw up. This is the point where Jenn said she knew things were going super fast. Maybe a couple contractions after I threw up I got out of the tub, I just wanted to lay down and slow things down. That's when Jenn said she could see baby's head! I asked Ryan to run across the street and get Jak, our neighbor who is a nurse and firefighter/EMT. In the meantime, Jenn helped me get onto our bed (we had a plastic sheet) since our bathroom is carpeted. When Jak and Ryan got back, Jak had Ryan call 911- and since I was so loud (hey, it was painful!!!) Ryan went downstairs. Jenn counted to ten twice (1 contraction) and Sullivan's head was out. The cord was wrapped around his neck and Jak was able to start suctioning him while we waited for my next contraction to start (it wasn't long). Jenn helped guide his body out during the next contraction and before I really knew it had even started, labor was over. Jenn rubbed his back, while Jak continued to suction, and it wasn't long before Sully started to cry and turn the right shade of pink! Ryan came back upstairs and realized he had missed the whole thing! Our midwife got there just a couple minutes later. She beat 911, so Jak was able to tell them they weren't needed and they didn't even have to come inside. What a night!! We're a family of FOUR with TWO boys!!

8:08pm- Sullivan Royce Barci was born

8:09pm- Ryan called the midwife again...

8:10pm- Ryan called his parents

8:15pm- I called my parents

8:16pm- Ryan called his brother, Steven

8:17pm- I called my sister, Janae

9:13pm- to everyone- "It's a BOY! Labor was FAST and our midwife didn't even make it. Our neighbor (EMT) and doula delivered! 8:08pm, Sullivan...no size or middle name yet."

By about midnight, everyone was packed up and gone and we were able to sleep in our own bed without a nurse waking us up every 2 hours. It was fabulous!