Introducing Henry David Tatton

Henry, Henry, Henry. Where to even begin? Almost from the moment I knew I was pregnant, till the day he was born, has been quite the wild ride. Let’s start from the end and move backwards to the beginning and make it all really confusing, shall we?

Wednesday (1/2/13) night I started having contractions but they were about every 45 minutes. Not very regular but some were pretty intense. But they stopped when I went to bed. Then Thursday night looked like it was going to be about the same but this time my contractions were about every 30 minutes and most of them were pretty intense. We thought we should make arrangements just in case we had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night. We called a friend and packed our bags. But then of course the contractions stopped again as soon as I went to bed. They started up again at about 1:00 but still weren't very consistent or close together but painful enough that I couldn't sleep. At about 2:30 I had had enough of just laying there and decided to get in the shower hoping that moving around would either make them more consistent or go away. By the time I got out of the shower they were coming about every minute or so. I told Chris, "we need to go NOW!" He ran in and woke the kids up while I dressed and we hopped in the car. It is important to note that I was looking at the clock to time my contractions so I know that when I got out of the shower it was 3:08 am. The poor boys probably thought I was dying because I was making some horrible noises in the car and the way over. Chris was going way over the speed limit because I kept saying, "He's coming, he's coming..." We arrived at the hospital at about 3:20 and Henry was born at 3:48! WOW! We made it just in time, eh?! My biggest fear all through my pregnancy was that I wouldn't be able to get an epidural. With Edison, the anesthesiologist was in surgery and so I had to wait what felt like forever and I was worried he wouldn't make it in time. So, of course, the first thing I tell the nurse is, "I want an epidural!" Well, I think we all know it was a little too late for that. I was terrified! I know, call me a wimp. But I hadn't done any training for this. I had no idea how I was going to deal with the pain. I kept telling the nurses that I couldn't do it. One nurse said, "You've already done the hard part. You've already labored through it all." And I was like. "I'm no idiot. Don't tell me I've done the hard part. I know what comes next. I have to push a baby out of my body!" So apparently my water had already broken (how could I have not known that!) and I was ready to have this baby. No doctor needed. Just 2 labor and delivery nurses and me, oh and Chris. I was screaming. Like really screaming. I am embarrassed to admit. I remember thinking, "What is that awful sound? Oh my goodness that is me!" And afterwards, I even apologized to the nurses for my excessive screaming! I was about ready to quit when out he came. I was so exhausted. All I wanted to do was collapse and not move a muscle ever again.

Honestly, I didn't even really think about holding my baby but then, when they put him in my arms, everything else was forgotten. He was so precious. And healthy! Yay! He didn't really cry, which made me nervous but everything was fine. For being a month early, he was completely healthy. He weighed 5 lbs. 5 oz. (for which I am so grateful because I don't think I could have done it if he was any bigger.) And he was 18.9 inches long with a full head of dark hair! Immediately we noticed that he had the Thomas nose but over all looks more like a Tatton. He has been such a wonderful baby and we have all enjoyed him immensely.

Just to show you how small he was. The nurses at the hospital rolled up two blankets to put on either side of him and that was how we brought him home from the hospital!