It's a BOY...

Today, Monday October 19, 2009 due date, we welcomed Wyatt Andrew Horne born at 3:32p.m. Weighing 9 pounds 14 1/2 ounces and 21 inches long.

Here is the story......( I will warn you it is long, I have had little sleep & want this for my memory)

We & really others had anticipated Baby Horne's arrival a little early, but my quote was always, "due dates are for a reason." I had progressed a lot faster and was 4 cm dilated and 80 % effaced the Wed before my due date. The 2 weeks prior I was 3-4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. This is my second child but with Megan I was never over 1 cm in the office!! Dr. Smallwood was shocked each week he saw me, but did say on the Wed before my due date that he was pretty sure I would go in the next week, but if not and I made it to the next appointment I could name my date and time and we would have this baby!! By Sunday evening, I kind of thought induction was in the future. So Sunday evening Mark, Megan and I headed to Publix to get some grocery's for the week. When we got home and Mark put Megan down, my back starting aching. Now this was not unusual since my back had been bothering me off and on through out this pregnancy. Mark kept reminding me that I labor in my back. A little icy hot and I went to bed. Now, I won't say I was sleeping soundly but I went through about 3-4hrs of on and off back pain, as soon as I would get a rhythm I would fall asleep...so to me false labor. In the morning, Mark went onto work, since I was feeling nothing by then, just frustrated b/c I didn't sleep well & I love sleep & had no problem sleeping throughout the pregnancy!! Megan and I played and then went outside. I debated a walk, but then decided that we would just play outside at our house. Still having occassional back pain, but again nothing consistent Mark talked me into calling my doctor & talking to the nurse around 11:00a.m. Again, she didn't think my symptoms were labor, but as soon as I had a rhythm normal 5-7 min apart but for me 6-8 min knowing my history. or couldn't take the pain to come on in. Smallwood was only working the morning. About 11:30a.m. my mom came over to check on us and see Megan since she was on her way home from picking up my brother from the airport. (she had her bags packed just in case!!) Again the pain was there but I was up running around, so I didn't keep up with it. We came inside and fed Megan lunch and my mom talked me into sitting down and keeping up with the back pain. Ahh like 12 min apart and then 7 and then 8 getting closer, but I put Megan down for a nap(mom offered but I was fine doing it and plus I had already showered and shaved my legs!!!) When I came down the pain was about 7 min apart & I called Mark a little after 1:00p.m. at work and told him I thought he might need to come home. I was going to drive to meet him but didn't know if the pain would get worse & I still wasn't in serious pain. I paged Smallwood(yes, I had his personal pager #...he was determined to deliver this baby!). I told him I though we might be having a baby this afternoon. He told me to come on in to the hospital and we would check my cervix. Mark got home, he changed clothes and was taking his time. Finally I said let's pack the car up , we need to go. After what seemed like the longest ride through Green Hills we made it. I swear we hit every red light!! When we got to the hospital, the check in lady was nice, but I was in no mood for chummy. Smalley had already called down and gave them my stats from a week ago and told labor and delivery I had a room and wasn't going home!! That helped so I didn't have to go to the triage room. Then we headed down the hall...yes I walked and saw pictures of Thursday's baby and said"I guess we won't be Thursday's baby" as we passed the nurses station. We got to the L& D room and the check in lady said " get undressed and go ahead and pee in the cup. I did that in no time and then paced the room...no nurse, Mark went into the hallway and told them I was ready. FINALLY Audrey came in and requested I lay in the bed....ahh laying down really?? So she got me all strapped up and started entering stuff in the computer. Then she checked me. Her expression was PRICELESS...umm I am not feeling a cervix and you are over 9 cm dilated. Let me get another nurse to double check. Paige came in and said no cervix and 10 cm, call Jill(head nurse!!) and get her to report to Smallwood ASAP. At that point I said "shit I didn't do this on purpose. I want an epidural." That is when they called for anesthesiology ASAP and don't get a student. Paul came in and got my back ready for an epidural. Then he read a request that said " Smallwood needs to consent with patient before epidural." Umm I was not happy & there was about a 5 min delay when nurse Jill said the way I read it is the patient requested an epidural and she has no time to wait. Then she said " I will take the blame if there is a problem." I mean Smalley was on his way, but he can only get from his building to the hospital so fast. I got the epidural as Smalley arrived and he was glad they gave it to me-there truly was a misinterpretation. Then Smalley double checks and says " we are going to have a baby this afternoon." He and Mark sit down on the couch and start chatting it up. I mean it was like they were catching up on the latest Vanderbilt football(Smalley is a VU grad) at Happy Hour. I said "what are we waiting for?" Smallwood said "we are waiting for you to get comfortable, my response was " I am as comfortable as it is going to get." Then he said" team let's go." Then the chaos began and all were ready. Three pushes later we had a baby!! The coolest thing about the birth was as Smallwood pulled the baby out and put it on my chest was the exact instant Mark said "It's a boy!" That was really neat, b/c we both found out at the exact same moment. Then the nurses comments started, "oh my goodness that is a big boy." Then the bets were on as they moved him to the scale, 9lbs was the number everyone was saying, then all I hear is 9 pounds 14 1/2 ounces. That is a huge baby. To me he was tiny, I mean I have been used to our 32 lb two year old, but these nurses deliver tons of babies a day, I guess he was a big baby. So from check in at 2:28p.m. to the birth at 3:32p.m. it was a crazy hour and four minutes. I really don't know how it happens that quickly, Megan was an hour and seventeen minutes and I never thought that it could happen that fast again. He was nameless for the first 24 hours, but had many visitors. It was a wild afternoon. We didn't have time to warn anyone we were even at the hospital. What a great day and even better a due date baby...I guess there are due dates for reason!! FYI just a stat 5 % of babies are born on their due dates & it has been quite some time that Smallwood has delivered over a 9lb baby. Smallwood got to experience a Horne baby delivery. His only comment was "she still has that smile on her face, she a great patient and a champ as well." The nurses were great. They thought they would have to just get me comfortable & relaxed until their shift ended at 6:30p.m. when they saw me walk down the hallway, WRONG they delivered a baby and had the room opened up before they went home for the evening. AMAZING on everyones part!!

Wyatt Andrew Horne

October 19, 2009

3:32p.m.

PROOF...9lbs & 14 1/2 ounces and 21 inches long

Warming up before his first bath

Dr. Smallwood and the proud family

I love this picture of the Griffin clan! This is teamwork at it's finest as they try to see Wyatt's first bath. Next time you all can get your paws on him. He can't wait to be a part of the circus.

Mark and baby Wyatt