Rhett Daniel 4-16-14

Around 3am on Tuesday, April 15, my water broke and we made our way to Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas.  Two tests and an hour long walk around the hospital later, the nurse had determined that my water did not in fact break and politely told me how common it is for pregnant women to wet themselves (I think I can tell the difference but ok).  Exhausted and disappointed we made our way back home.  By this time it was 7am so Erik just went to work.  By 8am I knew i was in labor.  I had started getting cramps during our hour long "walk" in the hospital but didn't think much of it. But after a couple hours and as the cramps worsened, I knew they had to be contractions. Obviously my water DID break (duh), and I was now in labor.  Fortunately, I had a doctors appointment already scheduled for 1:30pm that day so I waited it out at home until then.  I attempted to eat some toast, showered, shaved my legs (you never how long you may end up being in the hospital) and waited for Erik to come home.  

At the doctors office they did an ultrasound so they could see how much amniotic fluid was actually there and to no surprise not much and we were sent back down to the hospital.  By the time we got to the hospital, got my blood work done, and epidural I had already dilated to an 8!  Can I just say the epidural was like the best thing ever?! To make a long story less long, lets just say by the time a nurse came in and had me start pushing it was like 10pm that night, the epidural had worn off, and the pitocin was in high gear.  Those who know me know I have pretty much a zero pain tolerance. I'm such a baby, but I was impressed with how good I'd done and calm I was til this point.  But by now I had already been awake for 36 hours and been in labor for the last 17 and I was done.  After exhausted tears, 4 hours of pushing, and 2 vacuum attempts, Rhett was delivered via C-section the next morning, April 16th.  I was so relieved he was out and healthy and the last 24 hours were behind me.  

I was so worried about labor and delivery while pregnant.  Everyone said there is no pain worse than childbirth.  But my mom told me throughout my entire pregnancy that yes it hurts, but is worth it when you are holding your baby in your arms for the first time and she was right.  I opened my eyes while on the operating table and saw Erik holding our little angel in his arms and felt so much love and relief that our baby boy was here.  As they placed Rhett in my arms for the 1st time I was overcome with so much love for this human I'd been carrying for the past 39 weeks.  He was perfect and so fresh from Heaven.  Those 4 days in the hospital were so surreal.  It was strange to think now we're parents.  I love the saying, "You don't know what love is until you have a child" because it's true.  This doesn't go to say I don't love my husband because I do, more than anything.  But with a baby it's just a different kind of love.  It's a love that you devoted the past 9 months to pain, doctors appointments, different eating habits, restrictions on what you can do, and getting fatter than a house.  9 months of anticipating this precious angel you can feel kicking and moving inside you every day.  This little heart beat you can't wait to hear at every doctors visit.  The worry that came over you when couldn't get his kick count for the day.  By the time your baby is delivered you can't help but feel anything other than unconditional love for this human being you and your partner created (you did the most work ;)). 

I will admit, although I loved Rhett with every ounce of my being, he was still a stranger at first.  It took a little while to take each other in.  I've worked with kids my entire life and yet somehow being a new mom felt foreign to me.  I relied on Erik a lot that first week and a half since I was recovering from surgery still but after two weeks I had healed a lot and felt well surprisingly fast and then it was just Rhett and I at home every day.  As his smiles grew bigger, his gaze held longer, and those thighs got chunkier, I finally had that connection with my baby.  He grew into my best friend (along with daddy).  Every week that passed I thought, "how could I possibly love you even more than I do now?"  I did.  We grew closer and closer and he got cuter and cuter.  I love being a mom 100% of the time.  I enjoy being a mom like 90% of the time.  Those sleepless nights, teething days, and sick times can be rough.  Being a mom is the most rewarding job.  Sometimes you feel like you have failed;  You didn't get every room cleaned you'd hoped, didn't get to shower as long as you would have liked, or felt like you lost your patience too quickly that day.  But as unconditionally as you love that baby, he loves you that much right back.  Your heart has been open to so much in this world but his little heart only holds love for mommy and daddy at this point...and maybe milk ;)  There is nothing sweeter than when your baby looks into your eyes like you are all he needs and depends on in this crazy world.

I love seeing Rhett grow.  I love seeing his personality come out and his skills develop.  I would say yes.  After a 39 week pregnancy, with sciatica the ENTIRE time, after a 24 hour labor, after experiencing every form of child birth, after a few months recovery from surgery, and after many tired nights, YES he is worth it!  Our world changed for the better and we were so blessed when Rhett Daniel Tyler was delivered at 9lbs 3oz, 20.5 inches long, at 5:51am on April 16, 2014.