Macy Colette Skeeters

We were so excited to finally welcome Macy Colette on July 19, 2011.

Our labor/delivery story:
After some mild contractions through the day on Monday, July 18, I began to wonder if I was in labor. I worked all day without being too uncomfortable and took a nap once I got home. I decided to stay at home to relax while Bryce went to play in an indoor soccer game. Unfortunately, during the game Bryce got hit in the face and got a mild concussion. He had to sit out the rest of the game. My friend Jess Lukens was at the game watching her husband play and called to tell me Bryce was hurt. After discussing his status (some forgetfulness and confusion), we decided that Jess and Graham would drive Bryce to a central location and I'd pick him up. He was doing well enough that he didn't need to go see a doctor, but one of our doctor friends advised that he just "take it easy and avoid stimulation"...

Bryce was very sleepy when we got home and decided to go to bed early. I could feel that my contractions were getting stronger and closer together, so I let him know. Before we went to bed, I downloaded an application to my phone that timed the duration and frequency of contractions. Bryce slept while I lay in bed timing the contractions with my phone. Once they reached a point where they were 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute for one hour, I called my doctor. For a first-time mom, it was a little unclear to me whether or not this was the real thing or "false labor" I've read about. I decided to be safe and describe what I was feeling to the doctor. She said I should go to the hospital to get checked out. So, I was forced to wake Bryce from his concussed slumber and head to the hospital.

We arrived at about 1:30am and went to the triage area of the Labor & Delivery floor. They hooked me up to monitors and checked me...4cm dilated with a "bulging bag of water". The nurse noted my contractions and decided to admit me to the floor. My contractions at that point were slightly painful, but not terrible. Once the nurse took us to our room, they allowed me to walk the halls for 45 minutes. Bryce walked with me and paused with me while I held on to the railing to breathe through contractions. After 45 minutes I had to return to my room to have the baby's heart rate and my contractions monitored. They allowed me to walk a bit again, but my contractions were getting pretty painful. Bryce and I decided it was time for the epidural...

I had to wait a bit to get the epidural, but it was well worth it. After it was administered, I felt no pain from the contractions. I could relax and rest in my bed for awhile. Every once in awhile the nurse would come in to reposition me to allow the baby to make her way down. At 8am my OB came in to check me and break my water. She said I'd be pushing within a couple hours. How exciting!

The nurse said I should try a few practice pushes before the doctor came back, since I had an epidural and couldn't completely feel everything. A little after 11am my OB returned and we began with the pushing. Bryce was very involved, holding one leg and helping with push counts. He, my nurse, and my OB were all so encouraging! It was harder work than I expected, but the epidural made it nearly painless. We were encouraged by the fact that we could see the baby's long dark hair when I pushed. At 12:09pm Macy Colette was born and placed on my chest. I shed some tears and was nearly speechless at the sight of the tiny little baby I had in front of me. It's a moment that is so hard to describe! She was very alert for about 2 hours. She hardly cried and just wanted to take in her surroundings. Macy weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and was 20.5 inches long.

I absolutely loved this moment! Wish it could've lasted forever...

She finally slept after her first bath. This is a proud dad!

My birth experience was so positive and such a good experience. It went exactly as I had hoped (minus Bryce's concussed state!). We stayed in the hospital for 2 days and got to bring her home on Thursday, July 21.