The Gomez Story: September 2010

Kylie at the doctor's office

I've been pretty slow at putting up a new post. I didn't realize I'd be a walking zombie once Kylie came to join us in this world! I've been getting little sleep...Who knew newborns could eat so much?! We've also gone to see a lactation consultant every week...although Kylie likes to eat a lot, she is a lazy eater...she falls asleep EVERY time and I have a hard time keeping her up, which of course, frustrates me a little bit because that's less sleep for me. If you have any advice on how to keep her up, let me know! We've also been to check up appointments for Kylie as well as some unexpected visits- she's had an upper respiratory problem, which the doctors tell us is normal. Despite all the doctor's appointments, Kylie's been pretty patient.

So....many of you have been asking me to start blogging. Well...I FINALLY did it! I've been wanting to start a blog for over a year! However, don't expect anything fancy...I'm a beginner. So, here I am, ready to blog and tell you about new beginnings since baby Kylie has now arrived. (It's a LONG one!)

Let me start with the day I went into labor. Actually, I'll start with the day before. On Wednesday, August 25th, I started feeling some sharp cramps around 2 in the morning. I had been told several times that contractions would feel like very strong period cramps (SO wrong by the way!). I thought that this was the beginning, but then again thought it might be a false alarm. Matt and I got up, and since we were hungry, decided to get something to eat and just see where things went. Matt decided to call off work just in case. We ended up going back to bed and by the time we got up the next morning, the contractions were completely gone. We decided to run errands and found out that this was just a false alarm.

The next day, Thursday, August 26th, Matt was getting ready to go to work at 4 a.m. I thought I felt some slight contractions, but didn't say anything to him, thinking it might be another false alarm. Matt went to work and I fell back asleep for a short while. Around 5:00, I started feeling the contractions a slight bit stronger. I decided to get changed and ready just in case I needed to go to the hospital. At 5:30, I started timing the contractions and realized they were coming around 4 to 6 minutes apart. Since Matt had gone to work and I didn't want to alarm him, I called my sister and asked her if she and my mom could come over. I decided to call Matt a little while later (it was now a little before 7 a.m.) and tell him what was going on. He decided to come home. I was worried that it might be another false alarm, but he assured me that he thought it best for him to come home. My mom and sister hung out with me for a while and by the time Matt came home we decided it was time to go to the hospital. When we get there, my contractions do not seem as close together, but are getting a little more painful. Come to find out, I am only 1 cm dilated. So...I was sent home which is what I feared. I went home, relaxed, ate, took a shower, and watched t.v. I started feeling the contractions getting much stronger and now they were only 3-5 minutes apart. So, here we go back to the hospital. By this time, I am in a LOT of pain. Whoever said contractions are like period cramps LIED! That's how they START, but the intensity only gets worse. Turns out I was STILL only 1 cm dilated. I knew I was going to be turned away again and was in tears. The midwife told me that the intensity will get worse and that I would know when to come back. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!! They sent me home with pain meds and a sleeping pill which I threw up on the way home. At home, I took a bath, laid on the bed, laid on the floor, enduring my contractions...all with a supportive husband at my side. We weren't even home for an hour before I told my sweet hubbie that I thought it was time to go back. So...here we go again. By this time, I'm in a wheelchair. I can barely take the pain. I'm throwing up, having painful contractions, and wishing I could die. Yep. The pain is THAT bad. I get taken to a room and I'm finally 4 cm dilated! BUT, the pain is intense and it took over an hour before I finally got the epidural. Once, I got the epidural, I felt SO much better. By this time, I had been in labor for over 12 hours. Around 9, I was given pitocin (I probably spelled that wrong) because I was not progressing. At 10 p.m., I was starting to feel the contractions as if I never had the epidural. The anesthesiologist came in to help with the pain. Apparently, something had happened with the epidural and it took about an hour to alleviate the problem. At 12:30, it was finally time to start pushing. I pushed for 2 and a half hours before baby Kylie Isabel Gomez was born at 3:02 a.m. on August 27th.

All I can say is that I did not expect as much pain as I felt. It was horrid. On top of it, I didn't sleep while I was at the hospital. And then...I'm given this little baby girl to take care of and I have NO IDEA what to do. She spent her first 2 nights at home crying so now I'm up to 4 nights of no sleep. Thankfully on the 3rd night, she slept all night and only woke up to eat every 3 hours. Luckily, I have a WONDERFUL husband who has done all the cleaning around the house and is endlessly helping me. I am also blessed with an amazing family and great friends who have been very helpful by bringing by dinners and offering their help. I didn't realize how much work a baby can be! But little baby Kylie Isabel is a gift from the Lord, and although it has been an adjustment, I am very blessed.