Grayson Taylor

I'd say this blog is way overdue for a post, especially since we've added a new member to our family.  So here's the story of our sweet Grayson Taylor...

Grayson definately had his own way of coming into the world!
[Tuesday January 24]
At my 39 week appointment I was a little discouraged that I hadn't made any changes and the baby hadn't dropped yet.  I asked the midwife what I could do to maybe help labor come on and she suggested I go to a chiropractor, so I made an appointment for the following day.

[Wednesday, January 25]
On my way home from my chiropractor appointment, I received a call from the midwives explaining that my platelet level had dropped even more (a condition that I had at the end of this pregnancy) and they wanted to induce before it got any lower.  So I scrambled to make arrangements for Avery, get my house cleaned and get ready to have a baby the next day.

[Thursday, January 26]

{entering the hospital pregnant for the last time...or not!}

It was such a strange feeling to wake up early, drop off Avery and drive an hour to the hospital where I was going to deliver when I wasn't even in labor yet.  We took one last picture of me pregnant outside of the hospital and then went in for my induction.  The nurse knew I was hoping that my mom would make it for the labor, so we started things off slow since her flight didn't land until 4pm.  At 8:40am they started me on pit. My contractions weren't bad and I was determined to breath through them as long as I could before I needed an epidural.  Progress was slow.  By the time my mom arrived at 4, I was only 2cm dilated and 60% effaced. They started talking about my options if I didn't progress any more.  I was going to be checked again at 7pm and if I hadn't progressed any more (the real concern was that the baby wasn't dropping and so breaking my water was out of the question), I would be sent home and we would have to try again another day, meanwhile keeping an eye on my platelets.  So Jacob and I walked the halls, hoping to make something happen.  By 7pm, I was barely at 3cm so I was taken off pit and monitored until my contractions slowed down.  It was a little disheartening to walk out of the hospital still pregnant, but I was just glad things hadn't ended up in a c-section!

[Friday, January 27]
I got a call from my midwives in the morning explaining that my platelet level when I arrived at the hospital the day before had dropped significantly when they took my blood again when I left the hospital, so they wanted me back in that evening to recheck it and determine whether or not I would need to be induced again that evening.  I was assured that this time I would not be sent home without having the baby.  Jacob and I made our way to the hospital, with bags packed just in case.  My platelets had gone back up some, so it was determined that I could wait until the next morning to be induced again.

[Saturday, January 28]
We drove the hour to the hospital once again.  They immediately took my blood, which showed that my platelets had dropped again, down to 99.  This was not good news since 100 is the cutoff for if they will let the midwives deliver me (any lower and you're "high risk" and the doctor has to take over), but since I was on the boarder, the midwife and dr. were going to work together.  When the midwife checked me, she discovered that the baby was transverse (sideways), so the only safe option at this point was a c-section.  And since I had eaten recently, if we waited for my food to digest there was a good chance that they wouldn't be able to give me an epidural and would have to completely knock me out, so we decided to go ahead and do the c-section right then, risking being sick on the operating table.  I quickly called my mom to let her know what was going on and to bring Avery to the hospital.  Jake suited up and they wheeled me to the operating room.  The anesthesiology gave me a spinal epidural, which took affect immediately.  As I was laying on the operating table, completely numb, the midwife came in to check on me and noticed that the shape of my belly had changed.  She did a quick check and found that the baby had turned and was now face down.  After discussing it with the doctor they determined that we shouldn't continue with the c-section, but should try for a regular birth.  I was wheeled out of the operating room, literally holding my belly to try to stop the baby from turning again.  At 10:30am they started me on strong doses of pit to get the baby to drop and stay in position (luckily I was completely numb).  By 4pm I was ready to push.  Just like his big sister, Grayson was also born "sunny side up" (face up).  At 4:44pm our sweet Grayson Taylor was born and I was shocked that he was a whopping 9lb.1oz and 23in. long!

{welcome to the world Grayson!}

{Daddy and Grayson enjoying a moment}

He is such a sweet baby and of course was so worth all the craziness that his birth entailed!

{Grayson's first bath}

{Avery watching Grayson get his first bath}