Waking up to my alarm clock and not the telephone ring in my room was a blessing. The nurse told me that she would call me if there was any news to report. So for once in my life, the alarm clock was great to hear so early in the morning. I immediately got up and went to see Kherington, according to the nurses she was doing good, her plasma levels were up, and there was no need to use safacton, nor do they think they will have too. They also believe that her lung has clotted up more and there is very little to no bleeding. I immediately called Ashley and told her the good news. She was being released that day and would be meeting me at CHKD as soon as she could.
When Ashley got there, it was so great to see her, and it was very emotional. Ashley checked in and we headed up to the NICU to go see our baby girl. When Ashley walked into the rooom she was so pissed that she had to take 5 minutes to wash and scrub because she could see Kherington the entire time. Kherington was still in the glass box and we still couldn't touch her. But we could talk to her. I know she was so happy to hear her mother's voice.
It was noon and all signs were still good. The doctor came in and said that the test results came back positive and she looks like she got through the worst. She of course will still have to stay for some time to be monitored to make sure everything stays okay, but he said that she will be able to be taken out of the box and we will be able to hold her!
I have just witnessed the amazing strength of my daughter. She was not even one day old yet and I already realized she was more stubborn than I am.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Unthinkable: September 29, 2011
My parents arrived and that made the situation even harder, me seeing my parents had me thinking 'will Kherington ever see her's again.' Then having to go tell all my friends who were at the hospital waiting to see her was just as hard. They were down in the cafeteria laughing and having fun, they weren't expecting news like this. Nobody was!
The transport arrived and said they were loading Kherington up to prepare her for the car ride to CHKD and they would bring her by so we could see her before she left. When they brought her in the room she looked like a science experiment. She had a ton of wires and tubes connected to her and she was inside a plastic box, like an incubator. She was sedated, and they let us open the side door so we could hold her hand and let her know everything was going to be okay. They gave us her first picture that they took after her bath, wires and all.
I rode with my parents to CHKD because I was in no shape to drive a vehicle. I stared at the picture almost the entire way. I was sitting in the back seat and would occasionally stare out the window, just wondering if Kherington was ever going to get to enjoy this world that we all complain about so much.
We get to CHKD with all my friends behind us. They all came with me and would stay with me until the middle of the morning, and most of them had to work the next day. That meant so much to me, to know that I had that much support from family and friends was unbelievable. After Kherington arrived at CHKD they told us that it would be a couple of hours until I would get to see her because they had to get everything hooked up and get her stable. Two hours seemed like an eternity, I don't care how many people you have there to distract you from the present. You might for one second get to take your mind off of reality but then in a blink of an eye it always comes back.
I would sit there and zone out at times. Everybody talking around me and I heard nothing. I would just sit there and think about if I would ever get to hold my daughter again. I got to hold her for five minutes and I couldn't even remember those five minutes. I thought about if I would ever get to kick the soccer ball around in the front yard or play with barbies or build forts in the dining room with chairs, blankets, and pillows. I just didn't understand why this was happening.
I finally got the call that I could go see my baby girl. When I walked in it was an experience in itself. There were eight stations all with babies in plastic boxes. One of the saddest places I have ever been too. I had to scrub my arms with soap all the way up to elbows, and then use 2 squirts of hand sanitizer on each arm up to the elbow before I could enter. Then I had to put on a full upper body scrub along with a surgical mouth cover thingy. When I finally got to go see Kherington she looked even more like a science experiment. She had more tubes and hoses than before along with four different monitors hooked up to her. It was just awful.
I was in there for about four hours while my mom, dad, sister, and Kherington's Godfather, Stoney, all took turns coming in to see her. They only allow two people at her bedside at a time. After everyone had their turn to come see Kherington I stayed for a little bit longer and had some alone time with her. I just stared at her and prayed. I felt like a bad father because there was nothing I could do, and that is my job as a father is to protect her from everything!
While I was there alone the doctor came by and spoke with me. He really gave me the worse news I could have possibly wanted, but then again I asked him to tell me the truth and forget about that bedside manner bull crap. He said that they were giving her a plasma transplant to help with the bleeding in her lung, and hoping that it would clot by itself. He then said the problem is if that hole in her lung were to clot, the blood still left in her lung is too deep for them to suck out with a tube. He then explained, the problem with blood sitting in her lung is that our lungs have a chemical that it produces which keeps our lungs moist and open. With the blood just sitting in her lung it can soak up that chemical and her lungs can dry out causing her to not being able to breathe. When this happens there is a synthetic form of this chemical called surfactin that they can inject into her lungs to stop them from drying and closing. The problem is that this chemical would most likely knock the clot out and she would start bleeding into her lung again, and by knocking that clot out, it could cause the hole to become larger, causing her to bleed even more into her lung. He said that if she doesn't need the surfactin by noon tomorrow then he thinks she will be fine because that means the bleeding would have stopped by then and the blood left in her lung wouldn't be enough to cause problems. So I looked at the doctor and said, "So you are telling me that if she can get to noon tomorrow she will be fine, if not she will either suffocate to death or she will drown in her own blood." The doctor really didn't say anything because I was right. Try going back to your family and friends and telling them that.
I went back to the room where it got dead quiet when I walked in. Before I said anything about Kherington I asked, "Did the Cardinals win?" Which everyone said yes, so I had a bitter sweet moment. Then I explained the scenario that was happening. Telling your loved ones that news without breaking down is the hardest thing I have ever done. Seeing every one's face when saying that, and seeing their expressions, was heart breaking. I still don't know how I held it together.
Ashley was still at the hospital where she had to stay overnight. I called her and told her I got to see Kherington but didn't tell her what the doctor and I had talked about. She needed to get rest and get better and I didn't need her ripping needles and tubes out of her arm screaming at the doctors and nurses to let her leave. So I lied to her, but it was the right thing to do. She will hate me for it later, but I think she will also thank me.
It was about 2 o'clock in the morning when everyone started to head home. The nurse had just come in and told us that Kherington's blood test came back and her plasma levels were up, which was a good sign for the clotting issue. So since we got good news I think some people wanted to end on that note. My friend Jake actually stayed with me that night. They don't have rooms for you to sleep in at CHKD but I talked to the nurse and told her I wasn't leaving. She was nice enough to put me in one of the breast pumping rooms that had fold down chairs. They were harder than the floor, but after all I had been through I was exhausted and was asleep before I hit the pillow. She had told us that we had to be out by 8am since that is when they open the rooms for ladies to pump. Last thing I think a lady wants to do is walk into a room she thinks she is going to be pumping in and two guys are asleep in both chairs.
So my alarm went off at 7am...
The transport arrived and said they were loading Kherington up to prepare her for the car ride to CHKD and they would bring her by so we could see her before she left. When they brought her in the room she looked like a science experiment. She had a ton of wires and tubes connected to her and she was inside a plastic box, like an incubator. She was sedated, and they let us open the side door so we could hold her hand and let her know everything was going to be okay. They gave us her first picture that they took after her bath, wires and all.
I rode with my parents to CHKD because I was in no shape to drive a vehicle. I stared at the picture almost the entire way. I was sitting in the back seat and would occasionally stare out the window, just wondering if Kherington was ever going to get to enjoy this world that we all complain about so much.
We get to CHKD with all my friends behind us. They all came with me and would stay with me until the middle of the morning, and most of them had to work the next day. That meant so much to me, to know that I had that much support from family and friends was unbelievable. After Kherington arrived at CHKD they told us that it would be a couple of hours until I would get to see her because they had to get everything hooked up and get her stable. Two hours seemed like an eternity, I don't care how many people you have there to distract you from the present. You might for one second get to take your mind off of reality but then in a blink of an eye it always comes back.
I would sit there and zone out at times. Everybody talking around me and I heard nothing. I would just sit there and think about if I would ever get to hold my daughter again. I got to hold her for five minutes and I couldn't even remember those five minutes. I thought about if I would ever get to kick the soccer ball around in the front yard or play with barbies or build forts in the dining room with chairs, blankets, and pillows. I just didn't understand why this was happening.
I finally got the call that I could go see my baby girl. When I walked in it was an experience in itself. There were eight stations all with babies in plastic boxes. One of the saddest places I have ever been too. I had to scrub my arms with soap all the way up to elbows, and then use 2 squirts of hand sanitizer on each arm up to the elbow before I could enter. Then I had to put on a full upper body scrub along with a surgical mouth cover thingy. When I finally got to go see Kherington she looked even more like a science experiment. She had more tubes and hoses than before along with four different monitors hooked up to her. It was just awful.
I was in there for about four hours while my mom, dad, sister, and Kherington's Godfather, Stoney, all took turns coming in to see her. They only allow two people at her bedside at a time. After everyone had their turn to come see Kherington I stayed for a little bit longer and had some alone time with her. I just stared at her and prayed. I felt like a bad father because there was nothing I could do, and that is my job as a father is to protect her from everything!
While I was there alone the doctor came by and spoke with me. He really gave me the worse news I could have possibly wanted, but then again I asked him to tell me the truth and forget about that bedside manner bull crap. He said that they were giving her a plasma transplant to help with the bleeding in her lung, and hoping that it would clot by itself. He then said the problem is if that hole in her lung were to clot, the blood still left in her lung is too deep for them to suck out with a tube. He then explained, the problem with blood sitting in her lung is that our lungs have a chemical that it produces which keeps our lungs moist and open. With the blood just sitting in her lung it can soak up that chemical and her lungs can dry out causing her to not being able to breathe. When this happens there is a synthetic form of this chemical called surfactin that they can inject into her lungs to stop them from drying and closing. The problem is that this chemical would most likely knock the clot out and she would start bleeding into her lung again, and by knocking that clot out, it could cause the hole to become larger, causing her to bleed even more into her lung. He said that if she doesn't need the surfactin by noon tomorrow then he thinks she will be fine because that means the bleeding would have stopped by then and the blood left in her lung wouldn't be enough to cause problems. So I looked at the doctor and said, "So you are telling me that if she can get to noon tomorrow she will be fine, if not she will either suffocate to death or she will drown in her own blood." The doctor really didn't say anything because I was right. Try going back to your family and friends and telling them that.
I went back to the room where it got dead quiet when I walked in. Before I said anything about Kherington I asked, "Did the Cardinals win?" Which everyone said yes, so I had a bitter sweet moment. Then I explained the scenario that was happening. Telling your loved ones that news without breaking down is the hardest thing I have ever done. Seeing every one's face when saying that, and seeing their expressions, was heart breaking. I still don't know how I held it together.
Ashley was still at the hospital where she had to stay overnight. I called her and told her I got to see Kherington but didn't tell her what the doctor and I had talked about. She needed to get rest and get better and I didn't need her ripping needles and tubes out of her arm screaming at the doctors and nurses to let her leave. So I lied to her, but it was the right thing to do. She will hate me for it later, but I think she will also thank me.
It was about 2 o'clock in the morning when everyone started to head home. The nurse had just come in and told us that Kherington's blood test came back and her plasma levels were up, which was a good sign for the clotting issue. So since we got good news I think some people wanted to end on that note. My friend Jake actually stayed with me that night. They don't have rooms for you to sleep in at CHKD but I talked to the nurse and told her I wasn't leaving. She was nice enough to put me in one of the breast pumping rooms that had fold down chairs. They were harder than the floor, but after all I had been through I was exhausted and was asleep before I hit the pillow. She had told us that we had to be out by 8am since that is when they open the rooms for ladies to pump. Last thing I think a lady wants to do is walk into a room she thinks she is going to be pumping in and two guys are asleep in both chairs.
So my alarm went off at 7am...
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The Aftermath: September 28, 2011
After Kherington got cleaned up and had a couple of tests done, I was able to hold her for the first time. It seemed as if the entire world just stopped. I held her in my arms and just stared at her while she was cuddled up and asleep in her blanket. I just couldn't believe that this actually happened, I am now a father, officially! I created her!
Ashley was going to try and breast feed for the first time, so I decided I was going to go home take a shower and get some things. Upon my return Ashley had been moved into another, smaller, room and we were just waiting for them to bring Kherington back. A couple of my friends had arrived and we were just waiting in the room when the pediatrician came in and asked to speak with the family alone. My friends stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them. The pediatrician told us that while they were giving Kherington a bath they noticed she was turning blue. Upon further evaluation they found that Kherington wasn't getting the proper oxygen she needed. Adults require only 20% of the air they breathe in to be oxygen. The problem was Kherington was requiring that air to be 80% oxygen, which is impossible to obtain from our atmosphere. So basically she was slowly suffocating. During these tests they also found that she had blood in her lung, and found that she was in fact STILL bleeding into her lung. The doctor told us that they are preparing her for transport to Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter (CHKD) where she could get the proper care and monitoring.
After the doctor left the room I completely lost it. I was planning on holding my daughter all night long while watching the Cardinals play. I had my whole night planned out. Was going to spend as much time with her as I possibly could. I was going to enjoy OUR first Cardinals game together. But now my worry of the night goes from "will the Cardinals win and get into the playoffs" to "will Kherington survive and will I get to be a dad?"
I started asking Ashley, "Why? Why is this happening to us? What did we do wrong?! All the drug addicts and prostitutes that have healthy babies when they don't lead healthy lives and here we are, two parents ready to give this child the best life and all the love they could possibly ask for and we are the unfortunate ones?"
My friends are already at the hospital, and I called my parents immediately to tell them. Of course, at a time when I need my parents to lean on more than anything, there is a terrible thunderstorm and the streets are flooding. Making it take forever for them to get there. Guess God was testing my strength.
Ashley was going to try and breast feed for the first time, so I decided I was going to go home take a shower and get some things. Upon my return Ashley had been moved into another, smaller, room and we were just waiting for them to bring Kherington back. A couple of my friends had arrived and we were just waiting in the room when the pediatrician came in and asked to speak with the family alone. My friends stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them. The pediatrician told us that while they were giving Kherington a bath they noticed she was turning blue. Upon further evaluation they found that Kherington wasn't getting the proper oxygen she needed. Adults require only 20% of the air they breathe in to be oxygen. The problem was Kherington was requiring that air to be 80% oxygen, which is impossible to obtain from our atmosphere. So basically she was slowly suffocating. During these tests they also found that she had blood in her lung, and found that she was in fact STILL bleeding into her lung. The doctor told us that they are preparing her for transport to Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter (CHKD) where she could get the proper care and monitoring.
After the doctor left the room I completely lost it. I was planning on holding my daughter all night long while watching the Cardinals play. I had my whole night planned out. Was going to spend as much time with her as I possibly could. I was going to enjoy OUR first Cardinals game together. But now my worry of the night goes from "will the Cardinals win and get into the playoffs" to "will Kherington survive and will I get to be a dad?"
I started asking Ashley, "Why? Why is this happening to us? What did we do wrong?! All the drug addicts and prostitutes that have healthy babies when they don't lead healthy lives and here we are, two parents ready to give this child the best life and all the love they could possibly ask for and we are the unfortunate ones?"
My friends are already at the hospital, and I called my parents immediately to tell them. Of course, at a time when I need my parents to lean on more than anything, there is a terrible thunderstorm and the streets are flooding. Making it take forever for them to get there. Guess God was testing my strength.
The Birth: September 28, 2011
4:00 A.M.
I wake up to find out that Ashley had already been having minor contractions since 1 o'clock. I asked her why she didn't wake me up and she said there was no need too, which I then agreed and went back to sleep.
4:49 A.M.
I can't sleep with the nurse continuing to come in and out of the room so I decided to watch some Sportscenter.
5:49 A.M.
Only problem with watching Sportscenter so early in the morning is after one hour there is nothing else to watch. So I tried to go back to sleep.
6:18 A.M.
Can't sleep so I start to work on my blog.
6:42 A.M.
Ashley is now asleep and I am wide awake.
7:24 A.M.
I start taking pictures and video of this experience. Ashley yells and curses at me.
7:35 A.M.
We get our first visit from the doctor and Ashley is already 2 cm dilated! Doctor said at this rate we could meet Kherington by noon! They don't have to give her pitocin to speed up the process because she is doing it all on her own. Kherington can't wait to meet her daddy!
7:36 A.M.
Everyone is receiving mass texts from me letting them know noon is the time for my scheduled landing.
8:02 A.M.
Ashley's contractions are bad. She sounds like a wounded seal.
8:05 A.M.
Ashley is screaming for the epidural even though the doctor told her to wait till she is about 4 cm. But what do doctors know?!
8:32 A.M.
By this time Ashley's body is an ocean of sweat and she is screaming for an epidural like Mel Gibson screamed for his son in Ransom.
8:35 A.M.
I step outside the room to grab the nurse so Ashley can get her epidural shot and from the hallway her room sounds like a scene from Hostel. She sounded like she was being tortured.
8:46 A.M.
While Ashley is laying there screaming and cursing at me, I asked her, "This doesn't mean we aren't going to have another one right?" Wrong question to ask!
9:05 A.M.
Here comes the epidural man to save my day!
9:11 A.M.
Ashley is asleep.
9:20 A.M.
I'm asleep.
10:15 A.M.
My mom is the first person to come visit since we heard our target time of noon.
10:56 A.M.
Ashley is at 9 cm! It is almost time! My facebook and twitter are constantly being updated along with my mass texts being sent out.
11:12 A.M.
Ashley's dad is here now!
11:20 A.M.
Trying to figure out if we will be all set in our room for the St. Louis Cardinals game at 8 o'clock. They have to win to force a one game playoff but if the Atlanta Braves lose and the Cardinals win the Cardinals clinch the NL Wild Card. So Kherington didn't come on a Sunday to interfere with the NFL games but now she might interfere with one of MLB's biggest nights? I can already see that this is a sign from God telling me she will be getting in the way of a lot of sporting events in the future.
11:52 A.M.
We find out that Dr. Hardy has a C-section at 12 o'clock and that he will be in afterwards. The nurse says Ashley is still at 9 cm and she is going to give her some pitocin to help to that last centimeter.
12:10 P.M.
The wounded seal is back.
12:57 P.M.
The wounded seal is still, well... wounded.
1:05 P.M.
The nurses come in and gives us the instructions for when Ashley pushes. How to hold her smelly feet, where to give her leg support, and how to count to ten.
1:26 P.M.
Still pushing. Facebook and twitter getting constantly updated.
1:31 P.M.
Well hello Dr. Hardy!
1:47 P.M.
I can see her head! This is so amazing! Haven't started crying yet!
1:50 P.M.
O-M-G! (Yes, I just used OMG to explain my feelings. I am at an emotional state, give me a break!) This is by far the neatest most awesomest (Yes, awesomest) experience I have ever had!
1:53 P.M.
Her head is out! And tears form.
1:54 P.M.
Little miss Kherington Marie is born, cue the water works. The 10 or so seconds it took for her to start crying was probably the most nerve wrecking experience, and I couldn't even see her because my eyes were blurry. Her stats are 7 lbs. and 19.25 inches.
1:55 P.M.
I cut the umbilical cord which was like taking a pair of kitchen shears and cutting a garden hose. Not as easy as it looks!
1:57 P.M.
Ashley gets to hold the love of her life. I look at Kherington in her eyes and I can see she gave me the, "Move aside I'm number one now!" look. Already this child has her mother's attitude. Unbelievable.
2:01 P.M.
I get to hold my beautiful baby girl. Greatest moment of my life. I finally got to meet her.
2:07 P.M.
Family and friends are allowed to come into the room and share this experience with us. Thank you to all who showed up and thank you to everyone who didn't because that would have been really crowded then.
Tip #42: Watch your child being born. It sounds disgusting and in every video you watch before hand it is disgusting. But when that is your child being born, and you are watching him or her start their life. It is absolutely breath taking.
And this is when my plane landed on my journey to, destination... dad.
I wake up to find out that Ashley had already been having minor contractions since 1 o'clock. I asked her why she didn't wake me up and she said there was no need too, which I then agreed and went back to sleep.
4:49 A.M.
I can't sleep with the nurse continuing to come in and out of the room so I decided to watch some Sportscenter.
5:49 A.M.
Only problem with watching Sportscenter so early in the morning is after one hour there is nothing else to watch. So I tried to go back to sleep.
6:18 A.M.
Can't sleep so I start to work on my blog.
6:42 A.M.
Ashley is now asleep and I am wide awake.
7:24 A.M.
I start taking pictures and video of this experience. Ashley yells and curses at me.
7:35 A.M.
We get our first visit from the doctor and Ashley is already 2 cm dilated! Doctor said at this rate we could meet Kherington by noon! They don't have to give her pitocin to speed up the process because she is doing it all on her own. Kherington can't wait to meet her daddy!
7:36 A.M.
Everyone is receiving mass texts from me letting them know noon is the time for my scheduled landing.
8:02 A.M.
Ashley's contractions are bad. She sounds like a wounded seal.
8:05 A.M.
Ashley is screaming for the epidural even though the doctor told her to wait till she is about 4 cm. But what do doctors know?!
8:32 A.M.
By this time Ashley's body is an ocean of sweat and she is screaming for an epidural like Mel Gibson screamed for his son in Ransom.
8:35 A.M.
I step outside the room to grab the nurse so Ashley can get her epidural shot and from the hallway her room sounds like a scene from Hostel. She sounded like she was being tortured.
8:46 A.M.
While Ashley is laying there screaming and cursing at me, I asked her, "This doesn't mean we aren't going to have another one right?" Wrong question to ask!
9:05 A.M.
Here comes the epidural man to save my day!
9:11 A.M.
Ashley is asleep.
9:20 A.M.
I'm asleep.
10:15 A.M.
My mom is the first person to come visit since we heard our target time of noon.
10:56 A.M.
Ashley is at 9 cm! It is almost time! My facebook and twitter are constantly being updated along with my mass texts being sent out.
11:12 A.M.
Ashley's dad is here now!
11:20 A.M.
Trying to figure out if we will be all set in our room for the St. Louis Cardinals game at 8 o'clock. They have to win to force a one game playoff but if the Atlanta Braves lose and the Cardinals win the Cardinals clinch the NL Wild Card. So Kherington didn't come on a Sunday to interfere with the NFL games but now she might interfere with one of MLB's biggest nights? I can already see that this is a sign from God telling me she will be getting in the way of a lot of sporting events in the future.
11:52 A.M.
We find out that Dr. Hardy has a C-section at 12 o'clock and that he will be in afterwards. The nurse says Ashley is still at 9 cm and she is going to give her some pitocin to help to that last centimeter.
12:10 P.M.
The wounded seal is back.
12:57 P.M.
The wounded seal is still, well... wounded.
1:05 P.M.
The nurses come in and gives us the instructions for when Ashley pushes. How to hold her smelly feet, where to give her leg support, and how to count to ten.
1:26 P.M.
Still pushing. Facebook and twitter getting constantly updated.
1:31 P.M.
Well hello Dr. Hardy!
1:47 P.M.
I can see her head! This is so amazing! Haven't started crying yet!
1:50 P.M.
O-M-G! (Yes, I just used OMG to explain my feelings. I am at an emotional state, give me a break!) This is by far the neatest most awesomest (Yes, awesomest) experience I have ever had!
1:53 P.M.
Her head is out! And tears form.
1:54 P.M.
Little miss Kherington Marie is born, cue the water works. The 10 or so seconds it took for her to start crying was probably the most nerve wrecking experience, and I couldn't even see her because my eyes were blurry. Her stats are 7 lbs. and 19.25 inches.
1:55 P.M.
I cut the umbilical cord which was like taking a pair of kitchen shears and cutting a garden hose. Not as easy as it looks!
1:57 P.M.
Ashley gets to hold the love of her life. I look at Kherington in her eyes and I can see she gave me the, "Move aside I'm number one now!" look. Already this child has her mother's attitude. Unbelievable.
2:01 P.M.
I get to hold my beautiful baby girl. Greatest moment of my life. I finally got to meet her.
2:07 P.M.
Family and friends are allowed to come into the room and share this experience with us. Thank you to all who showed up and thank you to everyone who didn't because that would have been really crowded then.
Tip #42: Watch your child being born. It sounds disgusting and in every video you watch before hand it is disgusting. But when that is your child being born, and you are watching him or her start their life. It is absolutely breath taking.
And this is when my plane landed on my journey to, destination... dad.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The Induction: September 27th, 2011
Ashley had an OBGYN appointment today and prior to this day we had debated on whether Ashley wanted to get induced today, but after taking the baby classes Ashley didn't want to be induced anymore because she learned that her contractions are more painful when induced. So she changed her mind. Ashley called me during her appointment and told me that the doctor had a hard time finding the heart beat and that he said it was very weird and that he wanted to go ahead and induce her. I told Ashley that the doctor wants her to be induced so she goes into labor on his schedule and not at 2 o'clock in the morning on a Sunday or something and that if something was wrong he wouldn't have given you the option to be induced. But of course I was supportive and told Ashley if that is what she wanted to do then I am OK with that. So she told the doctor she did want to be induced today. The doctor said they would have to call the hospital to see if they have a room available and they would give us a call to let us know.
So now here I am at work and it's starting to kick in that this is it, the time has come. The past nine months have finally led to this moment. I couldn't work anymore, my mind was so far gone, I just wanted to go home, but we hadn't even gotten the word if she was even going to be induced yet.
Ashley calls me within the hour to tell me that the hospital does not have any rooms. Well there goes all that excitement!
After I got off work, I come home to my still very pregnant fiance and we are just sitting and talking about how excited we were and now we don't want to wait anymore. Then Ashley gets a phone call and it is the hospital. They told Ashley that someone cancelled their induction and wanted to know if she still wanted to get induced tonight. We of course say yes because we are so impatient!
So we had to be at the hospital between 8 P.M. and 9 P.M. When we got there the registration desk person said to us, "Well let me make sure we still have a room for you. We got a lot of emergencies since we called you." Here I am thinking, "I swear if they send us back home I am going to cause a scene! I am not getting this close to be turned away!" I felt like I was standing in line for a premiere event and only the first 100 people get in, and every time I counted the people in front of me we were numbers 101 and 102. They tell us to go sit in the waiting room and they will let us know. I've already sent out numerous mass texts telling people this was happening. You can't take back that kind of information. You can't send a, "Sike!" text. Luckily for the people working that night they got us a room, because if they hadn't I might of missed my daughter's birth for being banned from the hospital.
They started the induction process at 11 P.M. and said that she would start feeling minor contractions sometime tomorrow morning. So I grabbed a blanket, tried to figure out how to make that chair extend out to a bed. Couldn't figure it out, so I just pulled up another chair and slept on two chairs. See you in the morning!
Tip #41: Get induced, it's less stress, no rushing to the hospital, no ruining of your car's interior, and it's just calmer.
And this is when the "Please Fasten Your Seat Belt" sign came on on my journey to, destination... dad.
So now here I am at work and it's starting to kick in that this is it, the time has come. The past nine months have finally led to this moment. I couldn't work anymore, my mind was so far gone, I just wanted to go home, but we hadn't even gotten the word if she was even going to be induced yet.
Ashley calls me within the hour to tell me that the hospital does not have any rooms. Well there goes all that excitement!
After I got off work, I come home to my still very pregnant fiance and we are just sitting and talking about how excited we were and now we don't want to wait anymore. Then Ashley gets a phone call and it is the hospital. They told Ashley that someone cancelled their induction and wanted to know if she still wanted to get induced tonight. We of course say yes because we are so impatient!
So we had to be at the hospital between 8 P.M. and 9 P.M. When we got there the registration desk person said to us, "Well let me make sure we still have a room for you. We got a lot of emergencies since we called you." Here I am thinking, "I swear if they send us back home I am going to cause a scene! I am not getting this close to be turned away!" I felt like I was standing in line for a premiere event and only the first 100 people get in, and every time I counted the people in front of me we were numbers 101 and 102. They tell us to go sit in the waiting room and they will let us know. I've already sent out numerous mass texts telling people this was happening. You can't take back that kind of information. You can't send a, "Sike!" text. Luckily for the people working that night they got us a room, because if they hadn't I might of missed my daughter's birth for being banned from the hospital.
They started the induction process at 11 P.M. and said that she would start feeling minor contractions sometime tomorrow morning. So I grabbed a blanket, tried to figure out how to make that chair extend out to a bed. Couldn't figure it out, so I just pulled up another chair and slept on two chairs. See you in the morning!
Tip #41: Get induced, it's less stress, no rushing to the hospital, no ruining of your car's interior, and it's just calmer.
And this is when the "Please Fasten Your Seat Belt" sign came on on my journey to, destination... dad.
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Gameday: September 11, 2011
As discussed in "The Teams" there is a huge competition amongst Ashley and I when it comes to which team we are going to raise Kherington to root for. This heated debate has slowly cooled down since my post but with today being the first Sunday full of NFL games the debate started early in the morning. Like at 9 A.M. early in the morning when I turned on NFL Gameday and started my four hours of pregame television. We debated on whether Kherington would wear her Redskins onesie that my mom had bought for her. I agreed to let Ashley change Kherington into Chargers attire after my game is over and her game starts. This plan usually works perfect since my team is an east coast team (1 o'clock games) and hers is a west coast team (4 o'clock games). The problem today is that Kherington doesn't have any Chargers attire to change into. So Ashley was claiming that it was unfair for her to wear Redskins but not Chargers. In the end, it's not my fault she doesn't have Chargers stuff, so she proudly wore her Redskins onesie all day.
Tip #40: There is always a way to win a debate. Even if Kherington would have had a Charger onesie to wear I would have made sure it was "lost" on game day.
Tip #40: There is always a way to win a debate. Even if Kherington would have had a Charger onesie to wear I would have made sure it was "lost" on game day.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
The Classes: September 10th, 2011
So being the awesome fiance and future father that I am, I decided to attend these two baby classes with Ashley, because again, I'm awesome. The class starts off with us of course being late, so now we were labeled "those" parents by the other parents, I could read it on their faces as if it was written on their forehead. We were being categorized as the parents who don't take this serious enough, who put themselves before their child, and will end up raising the next Columbine kid.
The first thing they did was separate the men from the women. The women stayed in the room while the teacher dragged the men in a single file line out in to the hallway and lined us up against the wall. The teacher then walked back and forth down the line looking at all of us and explaining that we need to take this class very serious. I felt like I was in the middle east, being interrogated because they were looking for the American liaison who was then going to be stoned to death. For some reason this women who weighed 90 lbs. soaking wet had me so scared to even think about cracking a joke. But that wore off in a matter of minutes.
No matter where I am or what I am involved in, I think I have that face that just screams at the teacher or instructor, "Pick me! Pick me!" because I am always picked first to do demonstrations. Whether it was in school, at sports practices, in driving classes, or at these child birthing classes, I am always picked first. The good thing is I am not a shy person and am very hard to embarrass, so whatever the situation is I always make the best of it. Now for those of you who do not know me very well, I ALWAYS quote movies. Especially classic guys films like 40-Year Old Virgin, Superbad, Accepted, and in this case, Knocked-Up. The teacher asked me to come to the front of the room and show the class how I think my baby is currently positioned inside my baby momma's stomach. Well because, like I said before, I am awesome, I got this question right and the teacher made a comment that no man had ever gotten that question right. So this is how the dialogue went...
Teacher: "OK, Rickey, you show me how you think your baby is positioned in your partner's belly right now."
Me: (Holding the baby doll and folding her appropriately) "Like this!"
Teacher: "Wow! That's really impressive. No man has ever gotten that question right!"
Me: "Well, I read the baby books."
Teacher: (Holding her hand up for a high five) "Did you really? Good for you!"
Me: (Giving her a high five) "No, not really."
I don't think the teacher was very happy with me because I cracked a joke but I am also not sure if she knows that it was a joke.
Our teacher also told us that every 30 minutes the pregnant women need to empty their bladder because it helps the baby move into the birth canal. So I made sure that every 30 minutes I would let the teacher know that it was bathroom time. The reason why I was so keen on making sure I didn't miss a 30 minute break is because this was the only chance I could check the college football scores.
Tip #39: If she wants you to go to the classes, then go. It will make her happy, and at this point in time it is very hard to get her to, and keep her at, the emotion called happy.
And this is when I was learning the instructions for a proper landing on my journey to, destination... dad.
The first thing they did was separate the men from the women. The women stayed in the room while the teacher dragged the men in a single file line out in to the hallway and lined us up against the wall. The teacher then walked back and forth down the line looking at all of us and explaining that we need to take this class very serious. I felt like I was in the middle east, being interrogated because they were looking for the American liaison who was then going to be stoned to death. For some reason this women who weighed 90 lbs. soaking wet had me so scared to even think about cracking a joke. But that wore off in a matter of minutes.
No matter where I am or what I am involved in, I think I have that face that just screams at the teacher or instructor, "Pick me! Pick me!" because I am always picked first to do demonstrations. Whether it was in school, at sports practices, in driving classes, or at these child birthing classes, I am always picked first. The good thing is I am not a shy person and am very hard to embarrass, so whatever the situation is I always make the best of it. Now for those of you who do not know me very well, I ALWAYS quote movies. Especially classic guys films like 40-Year Old Virgin, Superbad, Accepted, and in this case, Knocked-Up. The teacher asked me to come to the front of the room and show the class how I think my baby is currently positioned inside my baby momma's stomach. Well because, like I said before, I am awesome, I got this question right and the teacher made a comment that no man had ever gotten that question right. So this is how the dialogue went...
Teacher: "OK, Rickey, you show me how you think your baby is positioned in your partner's belly right now."
Me: (Holding the baby doll and folding her appropriately) "Like this!"
Teacher: "Wow! That's really impressive. No man has ever gotten that question right!"
Me: "Well, I read the baby books."
Teacher: (Holding her hand up for a high five) "Did you really? Good for you!"
Me: (Giving her a high five) "No, not really."
I don't think the teacher was very happy with me because I cracked a joke but I am also not sure if she knows that it was a joke.
Our teacher also told us that every 30 minutes the pregnant women need to empty their bladder because it helps the baby move into the birth canal. So I made sure that every 30 minutes I would let the teacher know that it was bathroom time. The reason why I was so keen on making sure I didn't miss a 30 minute break is because this was the only chance I could check the college football scores.
Tip #39: If she wants you to go to the classes, then go. It will make her happy, and at this point in time it is very hard to get her to, and keep her at, the emotion called happy.
And this is when I was learning the instructions for a proper landing on my journey to, destination... dad.
Friday, September 9, 2011
The Shower: September 9th, 2011
My mom decided to throw a coed baby shower so I could also celebrate the birth of Kherington, but it wasn't really a shower, it was just a big party. There were so many of our friends and family who showed up that we could barely move around in the house. It was so nice to see, and know, that we have that many people in our lives who care about us and were there to celebrate that moment with us. It was absolutely ridiculous how many presents we were showered with. It looked like someone built The Great Wall of China in my parents living room. We are very gracious and thankful for everything and everyone that night. Also if you still have not received your thank you card, I'm sorry, but thank you!
Tip #38: Be thank ful for everything you receive beacause if it wasn't for friends and family there is no way anyone could afford a baby.
And this is when I realized how much luggage I had on my journey to, destination... dad.
Tip #38: Be thank ful for everything you receive beacause if it wasn't for friends and family there is no way anyone could afford a baby.
And this is when I realized how much luggage I had on my journey to, destination... dad.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
The Game: September 3rd, 2011
Old Dominion kicks off their inaugural season in the CAA (Colonial Athletic Conference) today. This is one of maybe three games that Ashley will be able to go to this year. She won't be able to climb up the stairs at the stadium once Kherington is born, but I will still be able too!
Ashley was a trooper though. She is a pregnant woman who looks like she is about to pop, (seriously explode not metaphorically) and still tailgated the four hours before hand (without consuming any alcohol) and stayed for the entire game. Now notice how I did not say "and never complained." Well there is a reason for that. The game time temperature was somewhere in the high 70s, but the wind was being blocked by the stadium and the sun shines directly on our section for the first half. So Ashley was sweating like a whore in a church. She kept telling me how miserable she was and she was starting to feel claustrophobic because she was so big and there was such little space. I looked at her with the most serious face ever and said, "Now you know how I feel all the time. So I don't ever want to hear you tell me to stop complaining when I am sweating wherever we are." Not only was she sweating though, around the beginning of the 3rd quarter I look down at her feet and mistaken ed them for elephant feet. Her feet were so swollen she could have been the foot double for Gwyneth Paltrow in Shallow Hal. Ashley had been on her feet all day (a pregnant woman no-no) and was trying to hide them from my mom and dad because they would have yelled at her. She didn't do a good job though because after the game they were telling her to put ice on them and prop them up and then I was getting in trouble from them for allowing this to happen. Like I have the power to constrict her veins!
Tip #37: I don't and will not do it because I hate feet (I even hate my own feet), but rub her feet for her, it helps with the swelling.
And this is when I realized the toll that this plane was taking during my journey to, destination... dad.
Ashley was a trooper though. She is a pregnant woman who looks like she is about to pop, (seriously explode not metaphorically) and still tailgated the four hours before hand (without consuming any alcohol) and stayed for the entire game. Now notice how I did not say "and never complained." Well there is a reason for that. The game time temperature was somewhere in the high 70s, but the wind was being blocked by the stadium and the sun shines directly on our section for the first half. So Ashley was sweating like a whore in a church. She kept telling me how miserable she was and she was starting to feel claustrophobic because she was so big and there was such little space. I looked at her with the most serious face ever and said, "Now you know how I feel all the time. So I don't ever want to hear you tell me to stop complaining when I am sweating wherever we are." Not only was she sweating though, around the beginning of the 3rd quarter I look down at her feet and mistaken ed them for elephant feet. Her feet were so swollen she could have been the foot double for Gwyneth Paltrow in Shallow Hal. Ashley had been on her feet all day (a pregnant woman no-no) and was trying to hide them from my mom and dad because they would have yelled at her. She didn't do a good job though because after the game they were telling her to put ice on them and prop them up and then I was getting in trouble from them for allowing this to happen. Like I have the power to constrict her veins!
Tip #37: I don't and will not do it because I hate feet (I even hate my own feet), but rub her feet for her, it helps with the swelling.
And this is when I realized the toll that this plane was taking during my journey to, destination... dad.
The Pictures: September 3rd, 2011
Ashley wanted to get pregnancy pictures done but I hate having my picture taken since I am wanted in three states (not really but that's always my excuse). So I decided that I would bypass my need for Ashley's need (what a great fiance I am!). She set up an appointment for 8am on a Saturday morning, and we were late.
Ashley bought me a button down shirt to wear for the pictures, I didn't complain because I got a new button down out of the deal. Well I went to iron it that morning and asked Ashley to plug the iron in so it can get hot while I showered. So after I shower I start ironing my shirt and it is taking forever, the wrinkles are not coming out! So I ironed that shirt for about 15 minutes until I decided to feel the iron, it was cold. Ashley plugged it in but didn't turn it on. So I wasn't ironing my shirt I was just flattening it out.
We arrived at the picture place at 8:14 a.m. and a big fat gay guy who looked like Cam from Modern Family told us if we had arrived one more minute later we would have had to reschedule, but what he doesn't know is there wouldn't have been a rescheduling, because I only agree to do this once.
We got pictures with her ODU bib and more importantly with Jonny bear. Ashley loves all of the pictures and we ended up buying way too many of them. Fortunately we have enough friends and family who love us and will help find a wall to hang them all on.
Tip #36: I hate having my picture taken and no matter how bad my fake smile is, Ive never loved any pictures more than these. Get them taken if you have the chance.
And this is when I just kept looking at the same pictures over and over again wasting time until my landing on my journey to, destination... dad.
Ashley bought me a button down shirt to wear for the pictures, I didn't complain because I got a new button down out of the deal. Well I went to iron it that morning and asked Ashley to plug the iron in so it can get hot while I showered. So after I shower I start ironing my shirt and it is taking forever, the wrinkles are not coming out! So I ironed that shirt for about 15 minutes until I decided to feel the iron, it was cold. Ashley plugged it in but didn't turn it on. So I wasn't ironing my shirt I was just flattening it out.
We arrived at the picture place at 8:14 a.m. and a big fat gay guy who looked like Cam from Modern Family told us if we had arrived one more minute later we would have had to reschedule, but what he doesn't know is there wouldn't have been a rescheduling, because I only agree to do this once.
We got pictures with her ODU bib and more importantly with Jonny bear. Ashley loves all of the pictures and we ended up buying way too many of them. Fortunately we have enough friends and family who love us and will help find a wall to hang them all on.
Tip #36: I hate having my picture taken and no matter how bad my fake smile is, Ive never loved any pictures more than these. Get them taken if you have the chance.
And this is when I just kept looking at the same pictures over and over again wasting time until my landing on my journey to, destination... dad.
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