Mrs. Thomas's Class: Gunner's Birth Story

My husband was going to appointments to get himself tested. We had been trying for a baby for years off an on. I hadn't been on birth control in 4 years. It was getting to the point where I was done stressing about it, if it was going to happen it would.

It was late January 2015. My principal had just sent me home from work early, I was very sick, and like any other teacher, trying real hard to stay at work. I got home with sweats and a hoodie on and passed out on the couch. Luckily my husband was home that night, walked in, and told me to get up we are going to the clinic. We got there and sure enough I had the flu, severely. I hadn't had my period in months, but this was normal. I was super irregular so I didn't want to take any more tests and be more disappointed, like many times before. My husband looked at me at the clinic and told me we weren't leaving until they did a test before he had to go back to this guy doctor. She took my sample and didn't come back for about 15 minutes. She walked in, sat down, asked if we had been trying, and were wanting kids.. then proceeded to tell us we were expecting! We were about 4 weeks along.

This is our test from the clinic - of course it's saved and still at the house. Big moment. Our lives were forever changing.

Our first ultrasound - at this time Baby was a jumping bean on the screen.

We were given the ETA: September 18, 2015

Once we finally made it "facebook official," we had Lyla Mae help us in telling the world.

When we found out it was a boy -

& how we told the world again. :)

Fast forward to 9 months later

I had some complications in the ninth month. My fluid levels had been low, I was in and out of labor and delivery almost every 3 days. I was not at 37 weeks yet, so my doctor didn't want to induce me. I was back in a few days later, with fluids so low they put more fluids back in - still no induction - just me super panicked and going back to work the next week. I would then be in one more time, this time for bleeding. I was a wreck. My swelling was ridiculous, and painful. I was still teaching full time and working a hour and half from home. It was brutal, but I either was going to have Gunner, or be at work. The weekend of September 12/13, my doctor called me on Saturday to ask how I was. I really like my doctor, but she was not one to call me out of the blue, especially on a Saturday. So this had us realizing she was also worrying about my levels and the bleeding. We hung up and that was that. She called back a few hours later offering us the option to go in on Sunday for an induction. Doctor gave us the option to discuss and show up Sunday or discuss and wait until he came on his own. Given all that we had went through, my husband was real panicky about my levels, and wanted to go in when we knew he would be coming. So we went in on Sunday, September 13 at 2pm.

The induction:

Everything was fine, I was in the bed, given pitocin, fluids, and eventually the epidural. I was feeling nothing and everything all at once. By 4am I was still only at a 2 so we knew it was going to be a long day. The day went on and we waited, and waited... Around 9pm I was almost fully dilated and they were calling the doctor. This is when the pain really started. I couldn't figure out why I was in so much pain, but I had the lights off and was feeling the contractions ridiculously. I kept pushing the epidural button and nothing. I didn't really understand why I was feeling everything, but I was pushing through it. About an hour later the anesthesiologist walked in and realized that my epidural had been out for that whole hour, very unsure why the alarm didn't go off to alert him that it was out. OUCH

For those of you who give natural birth 100% - kudos.

A little after 9 they were ready for me to start pushing - given low fluid levels they had to make sure NICU nurses were coming in to evaluate baby once he came out. My nurse was on my left side holding my leg, my husband on my right side, and my doctor ready to catch. It was amazing, one of the most unreal experiences. My husband was fantastic helping and holding my leg, he helped and coached me through pushing. I pushed a little under an hour and Gunner arrived at 10:11 pm on September 14. Our lives were forever changed, and we felt the love unlike any other.