Happy Birthday Zander

Five years ago, this sweet loving little boy came into my life. It's hard to believe time is going by so quickly. Amanda was there during my whole labor. Yes... the whole thing. I was only supposed to have three people in the room with me. I ended up with four people. Oh well. I'm glad Amanda was there. She and Josh had to remind me to breathe. It was a long drawn out process.

Zander was due March 3, 2010. He was born Feb. 26, 2010. I was induced a week before my due date. I really can't remember why I was induced now that I look back on everything. I do remember it was such a long few days. I went into the hospital on Feb 25 and got checked in very early in the morning. About an hour after checking in and signing all of the needed paperwork, they started the pitocin drip. Looking back... worst experience ever. I was confined to the bed and couldn't eat anything. I mean it, y'all... anything. I was so hungry. They gave me ice chips. Big fat whoop. Of course, by the time my contractions started regularly I vomited up the ice chips anyway. 

The doctor broke my waters. If Zander had been my second child I would've refused this. They didn't really have to break my water, but they wanted to and I didn't know I was allowed to say no. (Do you hear that new mom's to be?? It's OK TO TELL YOUR DOCTOR / MIDWIFE NO!) Because after they broke my water, I still had a very slowwww labor. Zander moved down the birth canal slowly. Every hour they came to check me was always, "well, if he doesn't move down more it'll have to be a c-section" I didn't want a c- section. That much I knew. 

12 hours into the labor I was exhausted. I had an epidural put in early. I was a wimp and I couldn't handle the intensified contractions that the pitocin drip brought on, but I could still feel the pressure from the contractions and that's what wore me out. Amanda could always tell when I was having a contraction. I would stop breathing. Thank God she was with me the whole time because she constantly reminded me to breathe. "Melissa, breathe." she would tell me. Later she admitted that she thought I was going to punch her in the face because she kept telling me to breathe. I told her I was glad she reminded me because the pressure was awful.

When Manda finally got to meet Zander!

With the epidural and the pitocin, I managed to sleep through most of my labor. Josh, my mom, his mom, and Amanda were watcing DVDs in the hospital room. I could hear them laughing at me whenever I'd have a contraction though. Looking back I would've laughed at me too. During a contraction, I'd wake up, breathe through the pressure so I wouldn't push, and as soon as it had passed I'd go right back to sleep... SNORING!

I had a different doctor with Zander than I did with Ainsley. I didn't like my doctor with Zander that much. I begged to be checked every hour. I was lucky to get every hour and a half. You hear that new moms? I know doctors and nurses are busy, but a Mom's instincts are pretty spot on.
While I had beeen begging to be checked- Zander had made his way down to the birth canal. He was ready to come out, but because I had been told "not to push" until someone saw I was at 10 cm... I waited.
My mom and mother in law and Josh came to my rescue and yelled at the nurses. They finally checked me at 1:00 AM on Feb 26. I was ready. He was ready. I knew it.
20 minutes of pushing later, he was here. He was beautiful. Handsome. Whatever. He still is. He's still my sweet baby.
Even though I had a rough pregnancy with him, he was / is my easiest baby. Sure we fight and argue now, but he's my sweet boy 99% of the time.

Happy Birthday my sweet Zander. "I Love You This Much"