Abigail Grace Wilbur

Here is the "mandatory" birth story of the sweetest girl ever... Little Miss Abigail Grace Wilbur graced the world with her presence 3 weeks ago, April 12, 2012 at 7:12 pm. She weighed 8lb 5oz and was 20 1/4 inches long. Big cheeks, strong cry, and strawberry blond hair. :)

The Lord's timing was again present. I went for my 37 week and some odd days check upp that Tuesday before, begging to be induced. My 37 week stomach was measuring at 41 weeks and my PUPP rash was out of control. Due to the fact that PUPPs rash is not a medical reason to induce, Nick and I left Tuesday uncomfortable and disappointed.

The next day, Wednesday, I finished up the end of my 360 clinical hours for my nurse practitioner degree (Praise the Lord! I won't have to finish clinicals this summer and will be officially graduated this Saturday!) , and headed to Kroger.  I picked up some Castor Oil and then a Wendy's frosty. 2 tbsp of castor oil, a brain freeze, a long walk, and 4 hours later... Nick and I went to bed without contractions. :(  I readied myself for the next day filled with sleeping in and searching for 1 month lease apartments (Thursday was our deadline. If she came by Thursday, then we would not need a short term lease and would just move out of our house on closing day (which is the day before Abby's due date)). Ahh sweet sleep was what I was looking forward to. Alas, Abigail had different plans.

At 130 in the morning, I woke up wet. After debating with Nick for a while, we decided to pack up the bag in the car (we had just packed it yesterday) and head to the hospital. Got into triage, confirmed that my water was broken, and was in a room by 330 am. We made the middle of the night wake up calls to each side of the family and settled in.

Being the pain weanie I am, the epidural was in by 6 am. I figured I was a little uncomfortable, exhausted, and was going to get one later any way. Best. Decision. EVER! Felt no pain, just some pressure. The epidural allowed me to nap on and off for the day and enjoy family coming in. It allowed for me to be prepared for pushing later that night. I was at 3 cm and 80% effaced at 3 am to 6 cm and 90% at 8 am to 9 cm and 100% at noon. But I felt nothing! :) Then I stalled out. After some pitocin to get me to 10 cm, it was time to push.

Again, pain free but with a lot of pressure, I pushed and pushed and pushed. For 1.5 hours with no progress. Abigail was stuck. They told me my pushes were good and strong but her head was just too big. They gave me the option of pushing for another 2 hours or getting a c-section. Being exhausted, I opted to go ahead and meet my baby.

After being wheeled into the operating room, numbed completely but shaking due to the anesthesia, and with Nick at my side, Abigail Grace was born at 712 pm. I remember her first cry and them lifting her over the curtain for me to see her. Nick followed her to the other side of the room for them to assess her and I asked the anesthesiologist so many questions about her. How many toes? Fingers? What color was her hair? He kindly would walk over and report back to me the answers. And then there was no need for questions.

Wrapped up in a white blanket and with a standard blue-white-pink striped hat, Nick brought my daughter over for me to see and hear and kiss and smell. Of course I was crying. After a few short seconds with her, they whisked her away to the nursery to be assessed again and I finally slept while waiting. In the recovery room, I was finally able to do the skin-to-skin kangaroo care I was longing for. Nick and I just sat there, staring at her in amazement. She was beautiful. She was perfectly made. And she was ours.