The birth of Kambree Marie Ritz!

     Okay, so as most of you can see I am very behind on my blog!!!! So in the next week or so I will try to catch up!!!
So here is the story of the birth of my precious angel.
     It all started on Christmas Eve. I woke up with contractions at around 8:00 a.m. I woke Peter up and told him to start timing them. They were about 12 minutes apart. So we went along with our day filled with wrapping gifts, and taking it easy. A few hours later they became a lot more intense but they were only about 8 minutes apart and usually you don't go to the hospital until they are 5 minutes apart. So we decided to wait it out, grab some lunch, then head to the grocery store to pick up some items to make a dessert for my family's annual Christmas Eve party. When we made it to Smith's it took us about 45 minutes to get all of our things and check out because every so often I had to stop to hunch over. We were finally done shopping and we drove home to time the contractions.
     On the way home I called doctor and spoke with the on-call doctor. I told him that I thought I was in labor, and he told me that if I was unsure then I must be in the beginning stages of labor. He said that I probably had 15-24 hours before I needed to worry about heading to the hospital. So Peter and I decided to go about our normal day. When we got home I soaked in the tub and that made me feel a lot better until I was so pruned up I needed to get out. At that point, Peter timed the contractions and they were 7 minutes apart. I was getting so antsy since I was 4 days past my due date!!!
      We went to my dad's house for his Christmas eve party and a lot of my family asked if I was okay and I said I just wasn't feeling well. Some of them knew right away that I was in labor. My Aunt Debbie felt my stomach and said you will have this baby by the end of the weekend. My stomach was rock hard. Everyone kept telling me to keep that baby in until after Christmas. I laughed and said I just want to hold my baby and I don't care when she comes!!! I was in so much pain that we didn't stay very long.
    After we got home, Peter, Iggee, and I opened up our Christmas pajamas. We put them on, and I was so worn out that I tried to go to bed. Well, I didn't sleep very well. I finally conked out at around 3 a.m. and then we woke up Christmas morning at 7:00 a.m. to open each others gifts and get a move on for the day. I didn't seem to be contracting near as bad as I had been the night before. So I was a little bummed because I thought I would finally get to hold the precious baby of mine. I called my mom to wish her a Merry Christmas and told her that the contractions had calmed down, and she told me not to worry that it was "the calm before the storm". I just said okay and went about my day.
     We arrived at my dads a few hours later, and yet again I was in excruciating pain. Still not convinced that this was finally time we open the gifts from everyone, and planned out the rest of our day. We went to my step-grandma Nancy's house had some food, opened gifts, and then my aunts and I talked about the labor, since I was indeed in labor. They told me about their water breaking and I asked how would I know if my water broke? They told me that it is just a huge gush of fluid. Sort of like peeing your pants, but you have no control over it. So we had a good laugh and I said if only I were so lucky.
     We went to my Grandma's house after that and on the way the contractions became even worse. I had a contraction that lasted for like 3 minutes and was so intense I could not move. Then right after it had gone away I felt a huge gush of fluid. I laughed about it and told Peter isn't it ironic??? We were just talking about it. Peter said are you sure your water broke? I said yes, and as I was confirming it I lifted off the seat to show him that I was soaked. But I was wrong, my water hadn't broke. The seat was covered in blood!!!! So instead of going to Grandma's house, and changing, we turned around and drove straight to the hospital.
     On the way to the hospital, I was freaking out. Bawling hysterically. Peter called the doctor and he told us to just hurry to the hospital. He didn't specify why he thought I was bleeding so badly. I called my mom, and she said that I probably hemorrhaged. So we got to the hospital after what seemed like a million hours, and checked in. I was told to undress and get into the gown. The bleeding was even worse then I thought. It was everywhere!!! Down my legs, in my socks...Again, I started bawling!!!
      Peter and the nurse came in. she helped wash down my legs, and then hooked me up to the monitors. One monitored the baby's heart rate, and the other monitored my contractions. She was stunned when she looked at my contractions. They were so high she told me that usually that was where they are at when it is time to push. I felt like I was handling the pain just fine. What was weighing on my mind the most was finding out why I was bleeding so bad. She said usually there are two causes of major bleeding. One, my placenta could have became partially detached thus causing the bleeding. She explained, it's like when you remove a scab. Or two, could be if my placenta ruptured, meaning it was in a million pieces.
    So I asked how would they know which one was the problem. She went on to tell me that if it was just a part of the placenta moving away from the uterine wall that they baby would act just fine. However, it was my placenta rupturing then the baby would go into distress because she wouldn't be getting the oxygen and nutrients she needs. Resulting in an emergency c-section.
     The doctor came in and told me that my baby was doing just fine on the monitor and told me not to worry about the bleeding. He said that with my being 5 days past my due date, having a significant amount of blood-loss, and contractions being regular, that he was going to go ahead and start me on some pitosin. So even though I had every intentions of laboring naturally without any pain medicine, with the contractions being as high as they were I decided to go ahead and get the epidural.
     The anesthesiologist came into give me my epidural. I was so nervous. The thought of a giant needle going into my back is a little frightening. He was a very nice man. He also asked me who worked for Hughes General Contractors, which is my Grandfather's company. I told him that my husband Peter did. He talked to Peter and said is it our family's company and Peter said yes. Then he said my best friend works for Hughes. What a small world!!! Back to the epidural...I held as still as possible with my chin to my chest. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I felt a little pinch, a few electric shocks, some pressure, and then it was all over with. It took about 30 minutes to kick in. My legs felt like jello. But I was pain free! Once I couldn't feel anything they gave me a catheter since I couldn't get up to use the bathroom.
     My dad and Tania came up to the hospital. It was nice to have the company. You could just tell my dad was super excited. He took the video camera that he bought for us as a Christmas gift and recorded himself. The recording was hilarious. He said "I'm at the hospital". "I'm over here, Heather's over there, and I'm over here now". We laughed so hard with how he just couldn't seem to contain his excitement.
     After they left, my brother Jason, and sister-in-law Charity came. Her sister Heather (whom I claim) and fiancée Kowboy came up to the hospital too. We all had so much fun. Heather looked all over the hospital to find nail polish to paint my toe nails, so that they could be pretty for the delivery. They were so sweet to come and watch their niece enter they world. Charity and Jason took a little cat-nap. After that they sent the boys on home and we all turned off the lights to catch some sleep. Every time I tried to sleep I got interrupted. If it wasn't my epidural machine beeping that it was low on fluid, it was the nurse coming in to check on me.
      At around 5:00 a.m. she told me I dilated to a 9+ and 100% effaced. I was ecstatic that it was almost time. She came back in about 30 minutes later because I was feeling a lot of pressure. She told me it was time. We all got super excited. Peter, Heather, and Charity got up to straighten the room, and get everything ready. The nurse came in about quarter to six to teach me how to push. Peter and Charity held my legs. After I figured out how to push Heather started filming. I pushed for about 25 minutes. Ten of those minutes we were waiting for the doctor. I almost pushed Kambree out without the doctor being there. So they let me rest for a few minutes. Once the doctor came in they got all of the tools set up and blankets ready for my little angel to enter this world.
     Two more pushes, and her head was delivered. At that moment the doctor broke my water. One more push...and at 6:33 a.m. a 7 pound 4 ounce and 19 1/2 inch long angel entered the world. She cried. Peter, Charity, Heather and I cried. Kambree Marie Ritz was finally here. Six days later, but let me tell you, she was very worth the wait. The world stood still at that very moment. I can't explain what goes on when the beautiful baby took her first breath of air, all I can say is that the angels surrounded us. I remember her day of birth like it was yesterday.
     They laid my beautiful baby girl on my chest. I looked in those beautiful eyes, and I fell in love. All was right in my life. I knew that this little girl is the reason I breathe, and the reason I am alive. When she looked into my eyes, it melted my heart, and I knew she is mine forever. She, as I knew she would be is and was absolutely perfect. Words cannot express how much love I have for her. It only grows by day.
       After that, Peter got to cut the umbilical cord. It was Kambree's first moment on her own, as Peter would put it. They took her from me to weigh her, and to run all of the tests that they do after babies are born. It was then when the doctor pulled the placenta out and realized it had completely ruptured. The medical staff were stunned. So for the next hour he and the nurses just pressed and pulled on my stomach. Kambree and I ended up having temperatures so Peter took her to the nursery to make sure she didn't have an infection while they gave me some antibiotics. So I only got the chance to nurse her for a moment.
     It was shift change. The nurse that has been there through the whole labor and delivery went home. There was a new nurse. But this nurse, had taken care of me several other trips to labor and delivery. So it was nice to see a familiar face. After what I found out next I was so thankful that she was there. As she started taking out my catheter she looks at me puzzled and says "Heather, I thought you were allergic to latex"? I said "yes, I was, and that it was even on my wrist band". I asked why she was asking, and she told me that the other nurse had messed up and put a latex catheter in me. Since I was still pretty numb I didn't worry too much about it.
    Finally, they wheeled me to my postpartum room. The postpartum nurse introduced herself and then since I had to have another catheter from the latex mistake, she needed to show me how to clean myself up because I wouldn't be using the bathroom. She told me to pat myself dry, and to not panic that there was some swelling from the latex allergy. As I did that I started to bawl. I was so swollen that it looked like I had testicles-gross I know!!! And that is not an exaggeration. I said, "I am not a man, I just had a baby". The nurse reassured me that the swelling would go down. I decided that I needed a nap since I had not slept at all, and was worn out.
     I woke up to Peter bringing Kambree back to the room. her blood tests came back fine. He also had the opportunity to give her, her first sponge bath. She was so clean and precious. She even had a little bow in her hair. I got to finally actually try to breast feed my baby. We had so many struggles with eating in the hospital, which I will explain in a totally different post. It was all because of their medical mistake of putting a latex catheter in me.
     Kambree is absolutely perfect. She is everything to me. Being a mom is the very best feeling and thing in the world. While in the hospital we had many visitors who all agreed she is perfect. Everyone was just happy she finally arrived!!! We love you Kambree Marie Ritz!!!

Christmas Eve

She is here!!!

Our perfect family!!!

What a little beauty!!!

Daddy getting me ready to go home!

All ready to go!!!