Birth Story :)

Parks Andrew Lewis 7 lbs. 6 oz. 19 1/2 inches

Friday December 2nd we welcomed baby Parks into our family! It was a special day for the birth of our son because it was my Grandma Hatch's birthday as well who passed away just a little over a year ago.

It had been a long month previous... being told that I will probably go into labor before my due date. At my 36 week check up the Dr. told me he'd be surprised if i made it to my next appointment. Well 1 week passed, then 2, and then my due date (December 1st) had come and I was still pregnant! I went into my 40 week check up and I didn't even have to ask... The first thing Dr. Broberg asked me was would you like me to schedule inducement for tomorrow and I excitedly said yes please!

Tomorrow (Friday December 2nd) finally came! We were up at 5 a.m. waiting for the hospital to call me in. They hadn't called by the time 6:30 rolled around so I called them. They informed me that all their rooms were full and to call back in a couple hours. So we crashed on the couch to get a couple more hours of sleep in! We woke up called again and still were full. At around 11 a.m. I got a call from the hospital and they said be here at noon! We arrived filled out some paper work and then waited in a triage room while they cleaned the room I'd be delivering in. The nurse checked my dilation and I was at a 4.5... she moved me to my room and started pit at around 2. Contractions were definitely coming but I wasn't quite feeling them yet. All the sudden about 3 pm or so I heard a popping noise and then a gush flow... I turned to my nurse and said I think my water just broke and sure enough it had! Contractions started coming on like crazy not too long after and it was then that I decided I want an epidural! My sweet husband helped me through each contraction until the anesthesiologist got there and hooked me up! Might I just say... the epidural was FANTASTIC! :) By 7 pm I was dilated at a 10 and ready to push! My nurse contacted my Dr. on call who was Dr. Rees and she informed me he was on his way to Timpanogas hospital to deliver another baby and then would be right over. I was thinking are you kidding me?! I'm ready to push NOW and am STARVING!! But it was what it was and the baby's heart rate was good. So I just chilled there very uncomfortably watching the foodnetwork channel drooling over all the food on the screen! Finally at 8:50 pm Dr. Rees arrives and we get to business! After 15 minutes of pushing Baby Parks arrived at 9:05 pm. Tears rolled down both Andrew and I's cheeks... our sweet Baby Boy whom we had been anxiously waiting to come, was here! But... Something wasn't right, they didn't hand him to me like I had asked them to right when he was born. I didn't hear him cry and he was immediately taken by a team of NICU nurses. Dr. Rees explained to me that he had ingested meconium which is causing him not to breathe very well if not at all. He assured me that he would be ok. At that time Andrew had left with Parks to the NICU where they hooked him up to the CPAP mask, an IV, and other tubes and wires. After what seemed forever Andrew returned, hugged me and was bawling. I immediately got scared and started crying too... I thought everything was going to be ok. Andrew proceeded to tell me that Parks didn't look good that his body was greyish/purple and that he's struggling. The nurses informed him that theres a chance he could get pneumonia. So many thoughts ran through my head! Us being first time parents and so excited to meet our sweet son, this is not how we pictured it. It was an emotional roller coaster for us! But... after 8 hours in the NICU, Parks didn't have pneumonia, was breathing normally and was able to leave and be with us!... what a long 8 hours that was but we are so so grateful for the wonderful nurses who helped Parks get through it all and for Dr. Rees who is a fantastic Dr. by the way, even if he did make me wait a long close to 2 hours before pushing! :)

Babies are truly a miracle and I'm so grateful for the opportunity that Andrew and I have to be parents to Sweet Baby Parks. He is so precious and the best Christmas gift we could ever receive!