The picture above was taken about 14 hours before my water broke and Audrey Wanda Tidwell decided to enter the world. There was a Valentine's lunch at the kid's school and I had been running all morning to get so much done including picking out a "big boy" bed for Cutaro with Joe. I made it to the school with barely any time left and proceeded to get plates for me and all three kids. Cuatro sat for about 5 seconds before he wanted his Valentine candy or to run around in a circle from the sugar high courtesy of the 10 am Valentine treat. He was quite the handful that day and I was so READY for the children to walk back to their classroom so that I could get some grocery shopping in. The "good" parents took their one or two kids home from the lunch due to some impending sleet and ice in the afternoon. BUT not this lady. If I am paying for my kids to be at school until 2:15 then that is where the sweet little angels will be....not with me chasing them at H-E-B!! So I rushed through my list and went back to school and then headed home to my freshly cleaned house (I love having a cleaning lady and before you think it is a luxury think of having three kids 5 and under and being 9 months pregnant). I started to feel really nauseous throughout the afternoon and evening and just sat in a chair miserable and teary. Joe told me to go to bed at 8pm so I gladly did and I slept hard UNTIL 2:20am. I woke up and knew something wasn't right. I coughed and that is when I knew my water had broken.But just to be sure, I waited another 30 minutes so I wouldn't be the idiot who shows up to the hospital only to figure out that you have urinated on yourself. So once I was sure, I woke up Joe at 3am and told him what was happening but to not get up yet since I wanted to take a shower. I proceeded to paint my nails, do my hair, and apply make-up because I refuse to be in pictures looking like my grandmother just had a baby. I called my parents to warn them that we were packing up the kids and coming over. At 4am I woke up Joe again to tell him that he really needed to get up and get ready. His response was, "and what is happening?". Seriously...so I told him my water broke and he needed to take a shower and then help me pack the kids. So I started packing all of us in three different bags and started to panic a little bit since we were an hour from being at the hospital which put me at three hours since my water broke. I went back in the room to put my laundry in my hospital bag AND found Joe still in bed. At this point I was not nice anymore and neither was he once I explained what was going on. So we got everyone up and in the car with a slight rain starting (of course) and headed 40 minutes to my parents home. But Joe got hungry and we were out of gas so we stopped at Exxon and Whataburger. We finally arrived at the hospital at 6am and after a quick exam, was admitted into Labor and Delivery. You would think that after having three kids naturally that my body would just know what to do and I would have a fast delivery. NOPE. That was not the case. I needed pitocin to just get contractions to start. So I got settled with the IV and proceeded to text certain people that I was indeed having a baby that day. And of course, I was supposed to be heading up a group of ladies at church that day to make syrup and help another friend set up for a surprise party we were throwing the next day. So then the contractions started and I called for the anethesiologist right away. The epidural was great but I had a pump that I could control for the first time ever and I went a little nuts because about 6 hours into labor, I could not feel my legs at all and while this is comforting to know that the medicine is working, it is an odd feeling not being able to move AT ALL. So I started to have a mini panic attack while Joe rolled his eyes and then put my legs back in the middle of the bed since they kept slipping off and I could not feel it. My mom tried to distract me with TV and it helped a little. At this point I was feeling pressure in my upper ribs and had to keep moving just to breathe. Apparantly, Audrey's foot was pressed up in that area and she was NOT budging. So around 4pm, I was told I could start pushing. This was the home stretch and I was over being in labor. But the epidural was in full effect and thus hindered the best pushing so the pump was pried out of my hand and I was told to let it wear off for about thirty minutes and we would try again later. And that turned into 45 minutes in hospital/doctor world. So at 4:45 I was pushing once again and like a true seasoned professional this time. And Miss Audrey Wanda Tidwell came flying out (she really did) at 4:57pm. Now I am not one of those people who requests that the baby be put on my chest right away so we can bond. Bless everyone's heart that does this and I am sure you are a better momma than me but eww gross. So they took her to the warming table and the woman (Beth) who was my nurse with Cuatro was there to check out Audrey. Just seeing her made me tear up since I had requested her that morning. LOVE that lady. Well, Miss Audrey had some difficulty breathing so they told us that they were going to take her to the NICU to observe her and then bring her right back. I wasn't worried and asked if I could at least take a picture with her. After a brief photo-op, they wheeled her off and I focused on getting cleaned up and ready to see the oldest siblings who were on their way. I fully expected Audrey to be right back but she was not able to meet Grace, Laura, or Cuatro when they arrived. It was so confusing to all three since I had nothing to show for why I was in a hospital bed and could not get up. Cuatro was his usual charming self and pressed the nurse call button three times before Joe took him to the car. Needless to say that by the third time, the nurse at the other end of the intercom was REALLY annoyed. Long story short, Audrey had fluid in her lungs and developed jaundice so her NICU stay was a LONG six days for me. I had to leave the hospital on Saturday without my baby and that was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Sunday through Wednesday was spent at the hospital trying to ask questions like when she was going to be released only to be looked at like I had just uttered horrible things out of my mouth. It was a hard week and my heart breaks for those families whose babies are really sick and are hospitalized for weeks and months. The feeling of helplessness was awful. But Audrey came home the following Wednesday to three very excited siblings and a thankful mommy and daddy who had all their little ones under one roof. What a journey but the outpouring of love and support and meals was amazing from our church family. It was an honor to be cared for by the body of Christ. We are so blessed to be surrounded by people who go out of their way to serve. And that is the birth story in a nutshell. Audrey came in her own time and while the idea of her was so unexpected, we have been so blessed by her little life already.
