Stella's Birth Story

Stella's Birth Story

   12:55 PM       Cassie

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So I sit here today, praying silently to the water breaking Gods.  I almost actually have it down to a chant actually.  I don't think anyone in the office has caught on yet.  PTL.  But good goly I would just LOVE for my water to break.  I have had a few contractions here and there but they go away.  Yesterday I got a pedicure and all my waxings taking care of (that's brows and lip - TRUST ME, nothing else).  Washed my car, inside and out, and NADA.  Still pregnant.  On Tuesday at the doctor I was still 2 cm and 100% thinned and baby is for sure head down.  My doc said I can have my date of September 2nd to be induced, and I am stoked.  And I'm officially the weight I was the day I had Stella.  Oh well.  I don't even care anymore.  In fact I think I hear Ted Drew's calling my name.  Ha, kidding.  I am just OVER being pregnant but I'm not quite sure if I have REALLY wrapped my mind around the fact that I will soon have two kids!  But ready or not, and I know I've said that a million plus times.  ANYWAYS, I also realized that I never have put Stella's birth story on here.  Ha, going on almost 19 months later, what a better time than now.  So here goes nothing.

My original due date was Monday, February 1st.  However, Monday, February 1st I was at work.  Just what everyone prego wants to be doing on their due date.  Ha.  But honestly I didn't see a need for me to be at home, what was I going to do?  Sleep.  Yeah right, knowing what tomorrow was.  That wasn't going to happen.  We were told we would get a phone call about 8 a.m. Tuesday morning letting us know when they would have a room ready and when we could head up to the hospital.  I remember everyone at work wishing me good luck and honestly that's all I really remember about that day.  I know it was an early night to bed because tomorrow was going to be the BIG day.
MOST of the time when hospitals say you are going to get a call around 8, they really mean more like 10 or hell even noon.  But St. John's wasn't kidding.  About 7:30 the phone rang.  I remember waking up, thinking it was a dream and not getting to my phone in time.  I listened to the voicemail of them letting me we can head on in whenever we are ready, they had a room waiting for us.  And I remember thinking, HOLY SHIT, this is really going to happen.  So we took showers, got some breakfast and got ready to leave.  We stopped by my Mom's house before we left town and my sisters were both there.  Of course they were all so excited.  My Mom gave me the cutest little charm bracelet with a heart on it that says 'Mother' and also had a matching one made for Stella that says 'Daughter.'  I wear the bracelet every day and love it.  And then of course pictures.  Ha.

This my friends is why I wear head to toe black at LEAST once a week.  lol. 
And yes, that's a TON of snow on the ground.  It's February in the Midwest, what else did you expect.  Oh and yes, those are flip flops.  In February, with snow.  Whoops.
They all wished us good luck and away we went.  In fact, I believe that I drove to the hospital that day.  Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did.  Only because my husband drives like a Grandpa and I was anxious to get there and well also because the man can get lost in St. Louis faster than you can even say St. Louis.  Once we got there and got all checked in and set up there was no turning back.  We were having a baby.

Of course I had my computer up and ready to go.  No blog at this time though folks, but with this baby you better believe I will have you folks updated left and right.  And my Mom and sisters were texting like mad women.  I don't even think we were out of town before they all called in to work that day.  lol.  Needless to say they were up at the hospital by I believe noon.  But they learned their lesson when nothing exciting happened for at least eight more hours.  I think ALL of them have told me this time, don't call us until you are about two hours away from delivery.  lol.  Nothing too exciting happened most of the morning and early afternoon.  Slowly progressed.  I had it all in my mind that I was going to me macho woman and go without the drugs.  Yes please, 1, 2, 3, you can all start laughing.  Trust me.  I look back and laugh now too.  God made the drugs for a reason, GET THEM!!  The highlight of our waiting around time was that my husband's Dad was going to be on Let's Make a Deal that day on Channel 4.  Ha.  They had gone out to Vegas a few months previous and he got selected to be on the show.  So that was kinda cool and a fun thing to remember about the day my daughter was born.  I remember Kacie's husband Brent stopping by when he got off work and I remember my contractions were getting pretty heavy by then.  I'm not one to cry or to let people see me in pain and so I always hide my face or try to smile through it.  But it was totally one of those, "ok this really effing hurts" faces and I think everyone in the room knew to leave.  Once the contractors were coming I became a little crazy about ALWAYS asking if the door was shut.  Bahaha, yes.  Like even if it was shut it really didn't matter, people could hear you scream outside the hall.  I tried walking around, leaning over, sitting on the exercise ball, I tried it all.  I WANTED to be super woman.  And I wanted the damn door shut at ALL times.  I remember one time my MIL came in (idk WHO told her that was a smart idea) and I just screamed "GET OUT OF HERE!"  Ha, needless to say I asked for the drugs a little bit later.  And good thing I did.  They checked me right before I got the epidural and I was at 9 cm.  NINE!  WTF was I thinking.  I cursed and cursed until that man came in with the most amazing drugs God has ever created and the world became a better place once I lost feelings in my lower half.  lol.  Momma was slightly back to normal, but labor was quickly setting in and I had no idea.

I was able to relax for a bit and then the doctor came in.  He walked in with a cup in his hand and said, "Let's see how we are doing.  I'm sure you are ready to have this baby."  Before the nurses could even get my legs in the stirrups I heard a couple people say, "Woah!"  Umm, hello you don't tell a pregnant lady who can't see her crotch 'woah'!  And to all you gross-os out there, no woah didn't mean I pooped on the table.  Baha.  Because you know that everyone wants to know.  Woah meant that the top of Stella's head was right there!!  Snowden quickly followed up with, "let me sit my drink down so I can catch her before she comes out."  And before I knew it everyone was in go mode and setting up for delivery.  Five pushes and 15 minutes later:

Stella Ann Walter was brought into the world at 8:02 pm on February 2, 2010, at 6 pounds 4 ounces and 19 inches long.  Ask my Grandma Steibel and she will tell you that Stella's lucky number is 10.  And she is absolutely right.  8:02 pm (8+2=10), 6 pounds, 4 ounces (6+4=10) and 19 inches (1+9=10).  And she is a 10, absolutely perfect!!  I remember them laying her on my chest, Josh cutting the cord, and my heart bursting with love.  Once she wasn't attached anymore they took her over to get all cleaned up and her Daddy never left her side.  She gripped on to his finger the whole entire time.  It was adorable.

And yes, I know, she has a HUGE head.  Always has, always will.  We blame Daddy.  lol. 

I look at this picture now and think, man she looks NOTHING like that now!!  They change so fast!

Once I got all cleaned up and taken care of it was the moment I had been waiting for:

Hi baby, I'm your Mommy!!

And our first family photo!

And then all of the people in the waiting room started piling in.  Yep all 10 of them.  lol.  Can you say, first grandchild?!?!  PTL it was getting late and we needed to get up to our new room.  And Momma needed some FOOD!  Once we all got settled in up there Daddy was out in no time (I should have know that's how it would STILL be 19 months later, lol).  But it was fine.  Stella and I snuggled and took pictures and I think I even got on the computer for a bit, you know I had to update the FB world.  Ha.  I knew then I was officially a Mommy because sleep didn't matter.  I wanted to soak up all of that new baby smell and feed her and change her and just BE with her.  Whether I knew what I was doing or not.  lol.  I don't know what time I got to sleep and I lost track of how many times the nurse had to come in and check this and check that and teach me how to properly 'clean and take care of myself' down there.  But we made it through out first night as a family. 

And my heart was so full.