Introducing Rocky Brigham

10 weeks ago something very special arrived!

The Birth Story:

At 36 weeks I was dilated to a 2, so we thought he'd be early.

At 37 weeks I was dilated to a 4. Doctor said he'll be here this week!

37 weeks and 6 days, check myself into the hospital at 2:00 AM with consistent but not very painful contractions. Dilated to a 5. Given the choice to be admitted or leave, I leave. I can't be in the hospital all day. I have a 14 month old! Go home and to bed.

(Disclaimer to Bobby - I told him to stay with Troy until we knew for sure it was labor. Glad we made that decision.)

37 weeks and 6 days (still) later that night, back to the hospital with more contractions. Dilated to a 6. They tell me not to go home this time, but to walk the floors/stairs in the hospital. After a grueling 18 flights of stairs and 2 laps around the courtyard (and around Bobby as he was not interested in working out with me) I go back to labor and delivery. Dilated down to a 5! Back home.

5 days later of being dilated to a 5/6

Dr calls and tells me if I start having contractions to come in right away. She's worried I'm going to have the baby in the car...

38 weeks 4 days, July 29 2015

Dr strips my membranes. She wants this situation under control, but there "isn't much to strip" so we're not sure it'll induce labor.

I returned home and about an hour later started having mild contractions. I was not at all convinced that it was labor, but as they got worse my mom was pretty much begging me to go to the hospital LOL! She was worried she was going to deliver the baby.

Check into the hospital. I didn't want to tell Bobby I was there yet because I wanted to make sure it was for real this time. But he found out somehow and surprised me there. 

Dilated to a 6 again. Contractions are pretty consistent.

Bobby is not convinced I'm in labor either. The resident tries to admit us, but Bobby wants to wait in triage just a little longer.

(We later learn that the resident talked about us to other resident interns saying 'He's a resident and he doesn't think his wife is in labor! haha)

About 4:00 PM

Get admitted. I've decided that this is the real thing, the contractions are different than they were on Friday. 

Get an epidural.

(Side note - the Dr's at this point are so worried about my history of a. fib after having Troy. The cardiologist I had seen weeks earlier recommended me being on a heart monitor after delivery, which was not an option at this hospital. The OB tells me I'll have to spend 12-24 hours in the ICU after delivery(!) without the baby. I tell them I'll sign a AMA. I was too worried it would affect my breastfeeding, and I felt confident that I would be able to feel if my heart needed care.)

Have relief from the contractions for about 2 hours.

I skoot up in bed and rip off the tape of my epidrual. The nurse says the catheter can't be pulled out. I think she was wrong, but at this point I still am comfortable.

Around 6:00 PM 

Break my water. I got pretty discouraged after my water breaking and things not progressing quickly. All of the doctors kept telling me - as soon as your water breaks the baby is going to fall out! Just as I'm thinking this/telling the nurse this she tells me to roll to my side so she can put a ball in between my legs...

Around 7:00 PM

I roll to the side and feel so much pain. All of the sudden!! Bobby tells me "I'm going to go upstairs and get my laptop." Not thinking anything is going to happen soon. I grab his hand and tell him I'm in so much pain all of the sudden!

The nurse checks me and says "That's because you're fully dilated!" The resident and doctor come in and things begin. I am having a lot of pain! I would be pushing, but the resident doesn't want me to push for too long because of my heart.

7:50

Begin pushing. I am in so.much.pain! I think I was feeling everything. However, my right calf was still numb so who knows. I feel like all 5 people in the room have a hand inside me and are pulling at different directions as hard as they can.

It was like a movie scene - I remember saying/thinking over and over "I can't do this much longer!"

Then the doctor said "One or two more pushes."

"I can't do this much longer!"

Bobby said "You're so close!"

8:03 PM

Welcome Rocky!!!!!!

I knew right when I was done. I could feel the delivery of the head, shoulders, torso, and he needed a little push to get his butt out (LOL!)

He took just a second to cry. Just when I was about to ask if he was ok, a big strong cry came. 

He was ours! And we loved him right away. 

APGAR 8/9

They let me hold him for about an hour before they bathed/weighed him. It was sweet! He was a great nurser. So tiny.

Get discharged the next night at 11:00 PM

We love him oh, so much.

We named him Rocky Brigham.

Rocky after Peter, the apostle, who was also called "The Rock"

(credit to our sister Anna, for thinking of that name first)

Also after the Rocky Mountains, which runs in his blood. The home of his mother.

And Brigham after Brigham Young, a bold latter-day prophet. 

And also after BYU, the school where we met and fell in love, and which holds a special place in our hearts.

We are mostly glad he's named Rampton, and is a part of our family.

We hope he lives up to these great men he was named after - Peter, Brigham Young and his dad.