Only 9 Months 3 Weeks Late

Back in the day when Finn was born, I think there were still a few people who still read this blog. However, since I've complete alienated any readers, this is just for Finn. Which is probably the way it should be.

Mid-July: Several months before Finn was born, I looked at a calendar. Since I have great big giant babies and rather predictable pregnancies, Dr. Cannon has felt fine scheduling temporary inductions at 39 weeks. Since I was teaching, I looked at my schedule and realized that 39 weeks was a Wednesday morning, and the following Tuesday I had off because of BYU's Thanksgiving break. If Finn came on November 16, I'd have nearly 2 weeks off before I had to teach again. I booked the induction.

August, September, October: More children have only intensified my nesting instincts. Which is just a romantic way to say "scrubbing the kitchen floor." Or scrubbing the walls. Or scrubbing the crown molding. Or cleaning out the cupboards, reorganizing the laundry room, reordering the children's fall clothes, winter prepping the garden, cleaning the refrigerator, making decorative letters, cleaning out the closets, organizing the toys, and, finally, making a "Welcome Home Finn" sign.

November 9: At my 38 weeks appointment, I'm dilated around a 3 and 75% effaced. Knowing that I was close, Tyler looks at the calendar and realizes that I'm nearly to November 11, 2011. 11-11-11. Tyler starts up a campaign to encourage me to deliver on precisely that date, ignoring my protests that I didn't really have any control over the situation. Tyler tells me to stop making excuses.

11-11-11: Contractions begin at regular intervals. Tyler is ready to christen Finn his favorite.

11-12-11: Still contracting. Still no baby. Finn is relegated number three.


November 15: THE DAY BEFORE my scheduled induction at 8:00 am, Tyler calls me up with a cookie emergency. The frozen cookie dough sold during his school fundraiser is due to arrive on the 16, and Tyler is indispensable to the cookie organizing process. I sadly call the hospital. The induction is rescheduled for the 17.

November 16, 6:30 am: I call the hospital and they tell me they have a bed ready and waiting for me they tell me to be there at 7:15. I drop Talmage and Asher off at Jason and Lori's, and Tyler and I made our way to the hospital.

7:45 am: Harried arrival at the hospital, and I tell you what, being harried at 39 weeks and one day pregnant is a site to behold.

8:05 am: Wired up and ready to go. The nurse checks my progress. Dilated to a four and nearly entirely effaced, she says, "Let's just give him a push." The smallest dose of pitocin brings on regular labor.

8:30 am: The nurse breaks my water.

9:32 am: Ready for an epidural. The kindest, most gentle, saint-like man, serves as my anesthesiologist. Bee sting numbing, tube in, medicine ready to go. The doctor waits until there is tingling in my legs, telling me that my legs should feel numb, not dead.

9:50 am: While my legs are tingling, my uterus is raging, albeit predictably every two minutes.

10:02 am: I receive a second bee-sting anesthetic, tube-in epidural. Saint Anesthesiologist is pretty confident its going to work this time.

10:45 am: I assume the fetal position as it becomes clear that the second epidural is doing nothing. I will remain this way for the next half hour.

11:15 am: The holy pain doctor returns. With a quick, "Well, it's not doing what it's supposed too. Let's do it again," he gives me my third epidural.

11:49 am: I get nervous that I can't feel my legs. When I call the nurse in to point this out, she laughs and says, "Honey, you had three epidurals in one day! You won't feel anything for days!" While she's there, she decides to check me. One quick look and she announces, "His head is right there. Time to call the doctor!

11:55 am: Dr. Cannon arrives. She assesses the situation and tells me, "One cough ought to do it."

12:00 am: One push and his head is out.

12:01 pm: One more push and Finn arrives. 9 lbs, 2 oz, 21.5 inches of Finn Darris Howe.