Saturday, September 13, 2014

3rd Time's a Charm...

Telling the birth story of each new little member of our ever-growing family has become something of a tradition now... and yesterday Brooke added one to the litter, so here goes nothin :)
Elliot Grace Desrochers
4:39pm
6 lbs 13 oz and 20.25 inches of straight up pretty n' pink


I don't want to be a person who believes the circumstances of one's birth completely foreshadows their character, but alas, I am... 

Based on the events of September 12, 2014, this child, the last born of the Desrochers family (yes, last born - stated repeatedly with certainty and conviction):
  • Is not to be rushed - will do things on her own time
  • Will grow to love me one day - but as it stands now, Auntie Ash is somewhat of an acquired taste

    Let's start from the beginning. 

    6:00am
    Induction was set. Per Anderson family rules, she was there on time and ready to go (I could go on for days about the annoyance of lateness, because seriously people - stop being late - but aint nobody got time for that). Paperwork completed, induction started... or so we thought.
    10:00am
    Water broke. Let's get this show on the road - surely having a baby by lunch. Except Elliot promptly placed her hand above her head [insert ET joke/reference here], blocking her exit and consequently freaked out the resident who also had her hand up there.

    She just wasn't ready. Don't rush her.
    10:45am
    Oh lookie there! that pesky Pitocin that gets this whole party started, was never actually started. I'm going to make a wild guess that the same nurse who forgot to start the induction was the same nurse who couldn't get my IV in when I gave birth. I fired her in March. I fire her again.
    Even once things officially got rolling... not much actually got rolling.

    Elliot wasn't ready. Don't rush her.
    I just happened to be working at the same hospital that day, so I was glued to my phone waiting for the "get down here!" text. I was primed and ready to drop anything and everything to see the miracle of birth again. Had my heart set on it the whole 9 months!! And after having my own little beebee 6 months ago, the desire to see someone else do it was ten-fold. Hours. and. hours slowly ticked by.

    But Elliot wasn't ready. Don't rush her.
    I must have texted every 15-30 minutes for an update. The responses were short.
    "nothing yet"
    "no change"
    "still at 5"
    "leave us alone" [I never actually got this one, but I felt it]

    3:30pm
    I finished my work, so I headed to the room hoping we would have this baby. Elliot still wasn't ready. Don't rush her. But I was definitely rushing her. I wear most of my emotions on my sleeve and this was no different. We were quickly approaching the time that I would need to leave to pick up my own little one from daycare and I was getting anxious!! Although I was confident I could get Thomas and still get back for the birth since Brooke was a "6, maybe 7" after 9 hours of labor... Elliot wasn't ready and we weren't rushing her... I still didn't want to leave.

    3:50pm
    But I did, because above all else, I am a parent and it's considered poor form to leave your child at the daycare over the weekend.

    4:09pm  
    I receive a text from mom.
    "just hit 9cm and meds aren't working, almost fully effaced"
    Um. Excuse me? You have to be kidding. I'm hardly out of the damn parking lot!

    4:28pm
    "she feels pressure, but is good. They have prepped the room and we are just waiting."
    Are we talking about the same not-going-anywhere-labor-with-a-baby-that-just-isn't-ready-DON'T-RUSH-HER??
    4:32pm
    "head's coming now"
    I'm just in shock I'm getting these texts. Apparently 1.5 pushes later
    4:39pm 
    "she is here! and just fussing!"
    I would like to be ecstatic at this point, but I will tell you, MISS ELLIOT, don't think I didn't notice that you decided to arrive the minute I left.
    That's okay. I forgive you. I really do. We'll work on this relationship all our lives... because you're beautiful and amazing and healthy and precious and all of those things that fresh, innocent little babies are...
    ...and you're 6 months to the day younger than my sweet boy! No pressure, but you guys have to be really good friends because that would make playdates easy. I think we're off to a good start...


    Welcome to our crazy awesome family, baby girl xoxox