Mackenzie Paige

Ok, here is the long awaited birth story!! On Jan. 30 I woke up at 3:30am with contractions being 10 mintues apart and I began to time them. At 5am I decided to call the doctor and wake up Luke b/c they never went away. We took the next few hours to let the kids sleep and we finished getting all the bags packed. Part of me wanted to rush to the doctor b/c I knew she was breech and my doctor said that if I went into labor on my own to get to the hospital right away. There was apart of me that feared getting to the hospital and them sending me home though. So finally about 7am, we left for the hospital!
I was put on the monitors when I got there and the contractions were indeed real contractions and were now 5 minutes apart. They gave me an IV hoping that fluids would stop labor. When they did this I was like WHAT???!!! You want to stop labor? I was already one day away from being 38 weeks pregnat, Mackenzie was breech, I felt huge, I felt pain, and I was done being pregnant! After about an hour of being on the monitors they wheeled an ultrasound machine into the tiny room to make sure Mackenzie was still breech....yep, she was. They turned the machine off and immediately unlocked the wheels on my bed and started moving me. I sat right up and asked them where they were taking me. The nurse said, "The OR is ready and the doctor is here, you are going to have your baby now". I immediately started crying and I mean CRYING. I knew I would have to have a c section, but things were just happening so fast and it was overwhelming. I felt fear! Below is a lovely picture Luke took while we were waiting to see if I was in actual labor.

Everything happened so fast from here on out. I was put into a second room where Luke was given scrubs to put on. I was interviewed by a very RUDE anesthiologist (sp?). I was lectured for eating a banana at 4am. He told me my c section would be pushed back b/c I had eaten something. Excuse me for eating a banana. I was starved and at the time I ate it, I had no idea if it was true labor or not. Thanks goodness for my doctor b/c she was able to talk him into not waiting it out. It's not like I ate a big mac...it was a banana. Anyway, so after that a few other things were done to me (not fun) and Luke left me for only about 10 minutes while I was wheeled into the OR. I don't think I have ever been that nervous! I remember the room being cold and I saw machines and surgical tools everywhere! I got the spinal and my feet started to tingle. I mentioned this to my nurse and the rude anesthiologist asked me to hurry up and lie down before it was too late. Whatever rude man, you are not my friend anymore! So I laid down and the sheet was put up in front of my face. Luke was brought in and as soon as he sat down he asked me if I was ok. I said yes and then he informed me they had already started! I couldn't believe how fast it was. Within 5 minutes I heard Mackenzie crying! Luke even told me I had a beautiful uterus...he watched the whole thing! The NICU nurse didn't like they way her cry sounded so they took her to the NICU. It was just a bit of fluid in her lungs...she was fine. However, the policy for the NICU is once an infant is placed in there, they have to stay for 4 hours. That was the hard part. When I had Hailey and Ammon I gave birth to them and instantly held them and nursed them. I didn't get that with Mackenzie and I didn't like it! Luke left with Mackenzie and as I laid there I couldn't help but think how easy that was. I told my doctor that the whole experience was just amazing. I thought the c section was wonderful. I felt no pain and I had a baby in only 5 minutes. (Little did I know the amount of pain that would follow). So, I laid there for about 10 more minutes while the docotor's put me all back together! I had just had a baby, I felt skinny again, I was hungry, I wondered what Mackenzie looked like, was she ok, were her feet and legs ok (she had a swollen leg and foot), could I wait 4 more hours to hold her, when would I get to see Luke again? All this was running through my head and the doctors were talking about eating Okra. Now onto the recovery room!

I was put in the recovery room where I was given some good pain meds. I napped for the next hour. Finally Luke came to see me and showed me all the pictures he took of Mackenzie. I couldn't help but think how much she looked like Ammon and how chubby she looked. I never even knew how much she wieghed when she was born. Once I saw all the photos I felt much better. She was healthy, she was BIG, and she was so sweet and cute. I just needed her by this point. I wanted to smell her sweet head and to just hold her! Finally finally, after the 4 hours, she was brought to us!! She was absolutley perfect!

Later that night, the good pain meds were no longer given to me and all I'm going to say is c sections are no good. I couldn't move, walk, left my legs, the burning in my mid section was simply unbearable. That's all I'm going to say! It's been 2 weeks and I would say I'm about 80% back to normal. I still have to be careful with the way I bend, twist, sit up...you get the idea. What really stinks, is that if we have any more babies, I'll have to have a c section again!

Now enjoy the photos!!!!

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I got to kiss her nose and then she was taken to the NICU. (above)

( I did it...this was the recovery room)

Here we go....Mackenzie was born about 5 minutes after this photo was taken. (above)

(In the NICU)

She was finally able to stretch out and she apparently LOVED it!!!

Doesn't she just look cuddly!!!????? I love this sweet baby!

These fat cheeks are perfect for kissing!!!

She is a super eater!!

Ammon and Hailey's first time seeing her. Hailey got to her first, which really surprised me!

Hailey is adjusting well to Mackenzie. She loves her from afar. LOL I don't think Hailey has asked to hold her again since this picture was taken....2 weeks ago.

Ammon on the other hand is absolutely IN LOVE with his littlest sister. He loves to hold her, talk to her, kiss her, and he is the best helper ever! I think these two will have a special bond.

I spent the first week just sitting and holding her (and feeding her).

In the hospital I was in so much pain, it hurt to even hold her. Luke was amazing though. He not only took care of me in the hospital, he took care of Mackenzie too. Poor guy! He went without food and sleep almost the entire time we were in the hospital. I could never get him to leave and go get food for himself. Once we got home, everything was much easier! I was more comfortable, I had my own bed, and the pain was slowly subsiding. SLOWLY....

Oh, and her stats:

Mackenzie Paige

Born on Jan. 30 at 11:23am

7 lb. 13 oz.

20 inches long

born at 37 weeks and 6 days