A Year Ago Today

March 11, 2010

For the past few weeks, I've been having a difficult time coming to terms with the idea that I'm about to have a 1 year old. It just doesn't seem possible. I've been looking back through all the pictures we've taken this past year. It just went by too fast. I hope I can remember all the joy this little girl has brought me when she's older and maybe not bringing me quite as much joy ;0)

Now here's what I can remember from a year ago today.....

I got up and ready for school. Just two more days until spring break. I can do this I told myself. Open House was that night and I had a drs appointment that afternoon. I was going to get through it.

I walked in my room through Barb's classroom...like always. She asked me if I had gotten my hospital bag packed because she had been urging me to get this done. I had on Tuesday night so all was good. I made it to my desk. I had a list of things to get finished before open house and a stack of things to get more organized for my sub. Lesson plans for the day read Get Ready For Open House. That was the plan...finish up all the little odds and ends before leaving for my drs appointment. Well the bell rang, the kids came in and got settled, we had announcements/pledge/lunch count/etc. It was time for calendar. I had trained my kids so well that they could pretty much do the calendar without me in the room which was great considering what would happen next. I felt something strange. Surely, I hadn't wet my pants. Of all the things you hear that happen to women when they're pregnant, that is the one thing I hadn't had to deal with, but something wasn't right. There was a restroom connecting my classroom with Barb's so I went to check. It didn't seem like I had wet my pants. The thought did cross my mind that perhaps my water had broken, but I just tried to push it out of my mind. I had too much to do today for that to be happening. I started to not feel so swell so I went and sat down at my desk, took some drinks of water, and repeated to myself this is not happening to me, this is not happening to me. I stood up walked back over the the group in front of the calendar. Again, I felt that something was not right, but just kept repeating this is not happening. I took a deep breath and headed back in the restroom. Right when I stepped back in I felt a small gush. My water had broken at school. This had been my biggest fear of being a pregnant teacher and it was coming true. I walked over to Barb's room. Come here I motioned. My water just broke I told her. I actually think she got into a little more of a panic than I was in. All I remember is that she said she'd call the nurse and for me togo back in the restroom. The nurse came down, I called Scott, Dr. Cope, and my parents, I started crying. I was in that little restroom, listening to those little voices..."don't go in there, Mrs. Hanson is in there" They were talking amongst themselves trying to figure out what was going on with there teacher. Soon they were divided up and said goodbye. Mrs. Hanson was finally going to have her baby! Later, Barb shared this funny happening with me...When she went to tell my class it was time for me to have my baby, Anna says "But she can't be having her baby now. She wasn't even sweating." I thought that was so Anna and so funny.

I just looked at my desk. I so wasn't ready to leave the classroom, but I had no choice. I was leaving. I was whisked down to th principal's office. Yes, that's what happens to you when your water breaks at school. You get sent to the principal's office, but just so they can decide who gets permission to take you to the hospital. So I was standing there with wet pants, thinking I was going to have a baby soon, and the AP is trying to find the principal to see who can take me. This didn't set too well with me. I start crying again. Then the nurse decides it's a great time to check my blood pressure so we walk to her office. Just where I wanted to be...in the germiest room in the school. Well, you can imagine what my blood pressure was doing....going up, up, and up. The school counselor was given permission to take me to the hospital. A parent of a former student of mine was there helping out in the office she saw me crying and asked what was happening. She got the job of getting my bag out of my car. Yes, thank you Barb for getting me to do that! She brought me my bag and I got into the counselors suburban. Luckily she's the mom of two elementary age boys so she happened to have a towel for me to sit on.

We got to the hospital quickly. It was less than 10 minutes from my school. I remembered right where to go because a week or two earlier Scott and I had gone there and to figure it all out. I told the desk clerk my water had broken. As he asked me if I was sure a nurse walked up behind me and said yes. I was taken into a room and given a gown to change into. I was so scared. I had wanted Scott to be the one to take me to the hospital. Scott got there not too long after I had gotten settled. So Angelina wished us well and left. My parents got there not too long after that so I sent Scott home to get his stuff and eat lunch. I really wasn't feeling any contractions.

My doctor came and checked me. Then she ordered some pitocin to get things moving along. Within a couple of hours I went from feeling nothing to feeling alot. I had gone into this with an open, realistic mind. Ask for the epidural when I feel like I need it. Well I needed it. I was dialated to a 3 I think when they started the fluids to get me ready for the epi and said the doctor was with another patient and would be with me next. I can't really remember any exact times. I just know I got to the hospital at around 9. My parents were there by 11. I texted Scott he needed to not dottle when I asked for the epidural. My parents had been there a while before I asked for it.

I was doing fine breathing through the contractions on my own when Scott got back. I think my parents could tell the contractions were getting more intense then so they went to the waiting room. I remember my dad just standing over in the corner by the window. I think he was having a really hard time coping with the fact his baby was having a baby.

Several nurses came and went through my short labor. The nurse we started with never returned after she had a terrible time drawing my blood for the cord blood registry. The nurse who checked me in came back and was with us when I got my epidural. So remember I was at a 3 with not too much pain when I asked for the epidural. By the time Dr. Needle (yes that was his real name) came to do it, I was at 7 and tensing up in a ton of pain. Poor Scott was trying so hard to get me to focus and breath, but I just couldn't. They did not make me sit up, just rolled me over. After it was over I could tell a huge difference. Next baby, I'm signing up for one right off the bat. It eased the pain enough but I could still completely move my legs without any help.

With the epidural in place, I was all ready to push. I'm guessing it was around 3 o'clock by now. A new nurse came on board. She was younger, peppier, and a faster counter which really helped move things along. She said they would call my doctor as soon as Madeline was crowning. It seemed like forever from the time they called the dr. to the time she got there. Everytime someone came into the room I thought finally. I was disappointed several times. Once she got there everything went so quickly.

Madeline Elizabeth Hanson came into the world at 5:14 p.m. She was absolutely perfect. I remember holding her and looking into her big eyes. Then they took her to clean up, and I asked Scott is she had 10 fingers and 10 toes. Thank goodness he had checked. I hadn't when I was holding her. I knew everything from then on was changed for the better as soon as I saw that little face, heard that big cry, and held that little baby girl. We were all so happy.

So a year ago today, Scott and Melanie Hanson finally got to meet the most precious baby girl, Madeline Elizabeth.

Happy Birthday little one!

March 11, 2011
(Not the best pic I know, but she's standing and reading!)