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Nicolas' Birthday

April 7, 2003

(Below was a "live" journal of events on the day of Nicolas' birth, for the benefit of family and friends.  Things were going well, and the page was being updated regularly, until about 8 hours into the day.  The last "Live" update was at 1:45pm.  Read on....)

* 4-9-03:  After things have quieted down a little, I've done some editing to the content, and added a few things at the bottom, of the actual birth, and days 1-3).

4:45 am:       Awaken for labor induction.

Wow, this is really early.  Unfortunately, not early enough. We got up late.  OK, rush, rush, rush. Cindy hasn't had a single real contraction the whole time.  So off we go, to push this baby out.

It's really foggy and muggy outside.

5:15 am:       Call the hospital, and tell them we are on the way.

6:10 am:       Arrive at Memorial Herman, in the Woodlands. 

Check in, and are assigned to pod 6, room 1264.  Nurse Marilyn gets Cindy settled, and goes over the forms.... and forms.... and forms.......

These birthing rooms are fabulous.  Large, quiet, and very comfortable.  In addition to all the latest medical electronics being right in the room, the couch pulls out to a bed, there is a TV, with DVD and VCR, there is a private bath with shower, and a "nutrition room" right down the hall (read:  all the coffee you want, yea!)  All the lighting and TV controls are in the bed, even the speakers for the TV.  Biggest issue - no remote.  All the TV controls are in the bed (Oh no, what am I going to do?)  Try to config my iPaq, to act as a remote for the TV.  Don't spend a lot of time on this, though. To many other gadgets to fiddle with (don't tell the nurses - hopefully won't set off any alarms) 

6:30 am:       Cindy is still filling out forms.

I hack into the hospitals computer network, so I can get internet access, to post updates to the website live (and have e-mail).

6:55 am:       New nurse ( night shift is over).

Nurse Phoebe is our new nurse. (not as ditzy as the Friends Phoebe, I hope).  More tubes and wires.

7:32 am:       Start the Pitocin IV. This is a drug that induces labor to start.

7:45 am:       1st contraction.

Cindy didn't feel it, but it showed on the monitor.  Phoebe is concerned the baby has some stress, so she has Cindy turn from side to side, to make sure the cord isn't tangled or wrapped around Nicolas' neck.  Monitors show all is OK.

8:30am:        Phoebe changes the monitor station. 

The 1st one isn't recording correctly. The paper isn't feeding right, for the monitor strip.

These are great instruments.  The flat panel display shows all the other patients in active labor, so the nurses can monitor every other room no matter which one they are in.  There are 7 active labors right now.  The monitor shows the baby's heartbeat, and the relative "force" of the contractions.  While Cindy's are registering, some of the other rooms are off the chart. Hmmm...This is going to be interesting..... 

8:51 am:       Dr. Moore comes in to break the water.

Not something I want to watch......  Smoke time.  And wait time.... Cindy said this was a little uncomfortable

9:05 am:       Tell Nurse Phoebe the paper on this one keeps getting stuck too. 

I tell her I've fixed it (reseated the paper roll).  I get this LOOK from her - I don't think she's very amused.  Nurse Phoebe changes the monitor station, again.  OK, I'll quit touching the stuff

Doesn't seem all the bugs are worked out in the new wing at the hospital.  These labor and delivery rooms just opened on Feb 15th.

9:12 am       Couple more contractions. Cindy can feel them, a little.

9:35 am       Contractions;  Duration 60 seconds, 2:45 minutes apart

9:45 am       Contractions;  Duration 1:15 mins, 2:35 mins apart

10:00 am     Contractions;  Duration 1:05 mins, 3:10 mins apart

Cindy swears these are hunger pains, not contractions.  Hasn't eaten since 7:00 last night. I don't think so....., but hey, I'm just the man, right?

10:35 am     Contractions; Duration 1:14 mins, 3:10 mins apart

11:00 am     Contractions; Duration 1:25 mins, 3:25 mins apart. Can feel them really good now.

Cindy says: "OK, this is no longer any fun!!!!"

11:20 am     Contractions;  Duration 1:00 mins, 1:40 mins apart.  Getting bad.

11:40 am     "Give me the drugs, now !!!!!!!!"  1:00 min long, 2:00 mins apart

12:00 pm     Time for another exam, and getting ready for the epidural. 

3cm, head is progressing nicely (per the Dr.)

12:20 pm     Dr. comes in and says we can't do an epidural, because of previous back surgery. 

Cindy has a "Herrington Rod", from childhood scoliosis.

"Just find me some drugs!!!!!!"  Nurse Phoebe brought in some Nubain. This should help.

12:48 pm     Nubain isn't doing a whole lot, but making Cindy "fuzzy".  "Man, I'm loopy"

1:10 pm       Still quite painful. Considering a C section.

I called Keri (one of Cindy's friends), to see if she can come to the hospital, for support.

"I'm hot.... No, I'm cold....  Fan me....  Get that fan away from me.  Rub my shoulders.....  with both hands (I've already run out of hands)

1:30 pm       Tearfully bad pain. 

1:45 pm       Nurse Lisa brings more drugs - another shot of Nubain. 

We tell her to call Dr. Moore.  Cindy says she can't do this much longer.

+++++++

OK, kind of left you guys.  At 2:00, they started prepping Cindy for a C section.  "Just knock me out!!!!!"  The drugs didn't work, at all.  From 2:00 - 2:40, no time to do any updates.  Cindy got wheeled down to the operating room at 2:48, and I got my scrubs on.

(Updates below added 4-9-03, once time allowed)

2:00 - 2:48pm

Nurse Phoebe needs to shave Cindy, so the Dr. can do the C section. She has some room temperature soapy water, and wipes it on.  "It's hot, it's hot..."  Phoebe assures me it isn't. Here comes a really big contraction..... "Ouch, ouch, (OK, expletives deleted)".   

An attendant comes in, to help Phoebe wheel the bed down to the operating room. Down the hall they go, and Nurse Ann gets me in my scrubs.  The beds evidently don't maneuver very well.  They keep hitting the walls......  (Watch it... ouch, @#$@#.... I hear wafting from down the hall)

As I get to the operating room, they are just putting Cindy under.  I have to wait outside a few minutes.

I'm let in just as the Dr. makes the incision.  I just stand there and watch.  One of the attending Dr's comes over to see if I'm OK (after all, innards are now becoming outards).  I tell him I'm OK (really am, too).  A minute of 2 later, out pops a head, then some arms, and all the rest.  Looks like a human being, not the alien from the ultrasound pictures, albeit a little on the blue side.

Nicolas Alexander Shassere was born at 2:58 pm, CST, on April 7, 2003.  8 pounds, 6 ounces, and 21.75 inches.

2:58 - on

Snip the cord (not me, we've paid people who are supposed to be trained at this stuff, I hope), and off to the warming crib.  The nurses clean Nicolas up a little, and do a few tests.  Nicolas got a 7, and 8, on his Apgar score - a really good score! 

I head off with Nicolas, to the room with a new nurse (didn't catch her name), and Cindy heads off to a recovery room.  Keri is still here - she wanted to wait to see the new baby.  I don't think anything could have gotten her to leave before she saw Nicolas.  After a few oohs and aahs, Keri heads back to work.  The nurse does a few more tests, and readies Nicolas for his first bath, which I get to do (the picture in the lower right, below).

After the bath, I put on the 1st diaper (of many many more to come). Go down and see Cindy in the recovery room.  Labor pains have been replaced by incision pains.  "I thought this would be done.  Find some new drugs".  Phoebe orders a Morphine drip, but it's taking a while.  After they finally get Cindy hooked up, I head back to the room.

Cindy finally gets pushed back to the room around 3:45. Still out of it quite a bit, but says "bring me my baby".

I start calling, and calling, and calling - everyone in my cell phone directory, in Cindy's cell phone directory, and probably a few new "friends" from wrong numbers.  After speaking to dozens of family and friends, we settle in for what we know will be many long nights. 

The first pics.

(Click here for more pictures)

Night 1 was really pretty uneventful.  Probably the drugs Cindy had to have (all pretty safe for baby - just makes them a little "sleepy"), but Nicolas slept most of the night.  The worst part (but understandable) were the nurses coming in every 1/2 hour to check up on Cindy and baby.  No sleep here....

Day 2:

Up early......  everyone just getting to know each other.  Cindy's parents arrive around 10:00. This is their 1st grandchild.

Nicolas got an ultrasound, to check on a kidney they were watching.  Everything is fine.......  Next, he gets a hearing test.  Again, everything is fine.

This night was much better.  Nurse Ginger came in around 8:00 pm, and didn't comeback until 4:00 am.

Day 3:

Everything going really well.  Looks like we are going home today.  Not really anything to comment on.  Just cuddling, changing diapers, and diapers, and diapers.

The plants and flowers just keep coming.  Everyone has been so nice, and we do appreciate it all.

After all the Drs give their releases, and we load the car with all the "stuff".

I guess our first "trauma" was trying to get Nicolas into his car seat.  Talk about a sight.  Even "practicing" with stuffed bears, trying to get a real baby in one of these, with what seems like a dozen seatbelts going every way was, well, comical.  Cindy starts laughing - not something you want to do with stitches.  Finally, we get Nicolas all strapped in (a multi roll over couldn't shake this thing loose), and off we go.

4:30 in the afternoon, we are home.

The adventure continues......... Check back for updates (diapers donations always welcome)