Birth Story Part II.....

We had the car packed up for the biggest life changing event since our wedding and were on our way to Kennestone Hospital. I probably drove a little faster than I needed to since the roads were empty at 4:45am. Kim and I spoke to one another but I couldn't tell you what we said at this point...my mind was racing and I know Kim's was too.

We pulled into the hospital atrium, I grabbed the camera bag and helped Kim out of the car. I few minutes later we were on the third floor of the Purple tower talking to a nurse about what Kim had been experiencing this evening. Remember...two hours of sleep for each of us at 5am. the nurse checks Kim out and says that she hasn't dilated past the first centimeter yet. And so what does that mean? Essentially we're not ready yet....we could go back home. The on-call Midwife relayed directions to walk for an hour around the halls of the third floor and we'll check you again at 6:35am. Walk? What the? Where to? For an hour? Woman....we've been up for nearly 24 hours save those two precious hours of sleep late Thursday night and you want us to walk. Oh....ok.

So we walk. The halls are shaped almost like a big "C". You shouldn't go beyond a certain point so we turn around and shuffle back down from where we've come from. All along the hallways are these little desks where RN's and Midwives and whoever else pays attention to you, pays attention to you. You soon find out that there are women in these rooms giving birth at 5-something in the morning. One room held a group of people in there counting to 10 very loudly and some periodic groaning....was this what was in store for us? Kim would stall out every now and again with severe pains - contractions - that would literally stop her and then slowly release its grip. We seemed to get stopped in this same little hallway and then we would ease out of there and shuffle some more. We stopped walking down one hall because this nurse had on some awful smelling perfume and Kim's sense of smell has been on Defcon-5 since Las Vegas when we found out we were expecting little Reese.

At 6:35am, PROMPTLY, we shuffled back into the nurse station for a new examination. The small framed nurse checks Kim out and declares.....You've dilated to 2cm! You're a keeper! So I call the parents to give them the news....we're staying to have a baby today!

After an IV is inserted and some other formalities take place....we go to Room 11 on the same floor. The delivery rooms are HUGE. It's like a suite! Kim has this macked out bed, I have this nice little cot....I don't need much as I'm not the one working here....and next thing you know, we've got Aunt Celeste with us!

Celeste showed first...she came ready for the duration and just happy to be able to experience the process. I think it will probably help to know what to expect for their own one day...Anyway, once she showed I decided to run get our bags since I had only recently parked the truck in the parking garage. While I did this....Beth, our Midwife, stopped in to break Kim's water. I think Celeste was ready to leave now....

Part III....to be continued.