To read Angela's account of what happened, click here.
September 18th - 6am
My Side of the Birth Story
By Dustin
Like Angela said, we tried to go to bed early on the night before, but we were both too excited and nervous to fall asleep in a timely fashion. Even though I was tired, I couldn’t help but lie in bed and think about how my life would be different after the next day was done. Sometime after midnight, I fell asleep.
We awoke at around 5am and I began loading up all our gear into the car and making sure we had everything we needed while Angela took care of the important stuff, like making sure that each strand of her hair was straightened and in place and that her makeup was done. We left the house at nearly 6am and headed to the hospital. Having the induction scheduled ahead of time sure is nice because there’s no rushing to the hospital or hurrying because your wife is about to give birth all over the back of your car. Angela and I made it to the hospital at about 6:30am and I dropped her off at the door. After parking the car, I gathered up our suitcase and bags and met Angela in the lobby. We got settled into our room not long before Angela’s parents arrived.
After a couple hours of waiting, they started Angela on the pitocin and eventually the contractions started coming stronger. Angela said she could really feel them but she never really looked like she was in discomfort so it was hard for me to judge just how much pain or discomfort she was experiencing. Sometime after that she decided that she needed more drugs and that it would be a good time for the epidural.
It took about a half hour for the anesthesiologist to arrive so by the time he got to our room, Angela was very much ready to get her epidural. The anesthesiologist was a very nice Haitian man who was probably no more than 5 feet tall. He was very friendly and did a good job of making us feel like he was going to take care of Angela. I’ve heard terrible stories of epidurals and the size of the needle so I made darn well sure that I didn’t look at the needle so that I wouldn’t freak Angela out. I just focused on holding her hand and trying to make her feel better. Judging by Angela’s reaction, the epidural was very painful but she was very strong. It hurt her a lot but after only a couple of minutes she felt the best she’d felt in months! After the anesthesiologist was finished, Angela asked him how long he had been doing this. He replied without skipping a beat, “Oh, this is my first day. They have these really good videos online.” I knew he was joking, but part of me still kind of panicked. I’m glad he made that joke after the epidural.
The next several hours were spent playing the waiting game. The nurses would periodically come in and check her and for a while things seemed to be progressing normally. I guess it was around 7pm when the doctor made the call for the c-section. I don’t know why, but months before her labor, I think I kind of knew that Angela would have a c-section. I don’t know how I knew, but I remember thinking it. Of course, I said nothing to Angela about it because I didn’t want to worry her. I can still remember the fear and the worry that felt like a punch in the gut when I heard the doctor say that they were going to have to cut my wife open. Of course, she didn’t say it exactly like that but that’s what I was thinking. I just remember being scared and worried and praying harder than I’ve ever prayed in my life.
The doctors quickly began filling Angela’s IV full of all kinds of meds and within a matter of minutes that had wheeled Angela out of the room. The nurse said I would have to change into scrubs and they would come get me in a moment when it was time to deliver. She left the room at about the time I realized that I didn’t have any scrubs! I kind of panicked for a moment and jumped into the hallway to grab a nurse just as one was bringing me the scrubs. I changed quickly and my family and Angela’s gathered for a quick prayer. A nurse came and told me it was time. I felt like we were running down the hall. It was like I couldn’t get there fast enough. I stepped through the OR door and I kind of lost my breath. It looked exactly like it does on television. There were nurses and doctors rushing everywhere and my precious baby Angela was lying on the table all strapped down. I was very scared and felt like crying but I made sure to be strong for Angela.
No sooner had a sat on the stool next to Angela’s head when I looked up just to see my sweet baby being lifted from the other side of the sheet. It did not seem real at all. I remember thinking, “I can’t believe that’s my baby. I just can’t believe it.” I remember kind of holding my breath, waiting to hear that first cry that meant everything was okay. I heard a soft whimper from the little table across the room and the nurse called me over. Lying on a towel in a metal pan was my Dallas, my sweet, precious little girl. Tears filled my eyes as she wrapped her tiny little fingers around my finger. I don’t know why I thought what I did, but at that moment I was filled with a level of anger I have never felt. I remember feeling so angry and so mad that anyone could ever think that abortion is okay or acceptable. I don’t why I felt that way at that moment, but I did.
Instead of spanking Dallas to get her to cry, they tickled her, which I thought was funny. As the nurses suctioned her nose and mouth and wiped the pasty material from her body, she cried and screamed the more they tickled her. After mostly cleaning her up, the swaddled her up and handed me my daughter! It was the most amazing experience in my life, hands down. I carried her to my wife’s side all the while thinking, “Don’t drop her, don’t drop her, don’t drop her…” As I headed to the stool to show Angela our baby, I did glance over on the other side of the sheet to see what was going on. I wasn’t as freaked out as I thought I would be, but I did get to see Angela’s guts, which was kind of cool and kind of strange at the same time. I sat next to Angela and I just started telling her over and over again how beautiful Dallas was. I was completely amazed and breathless at how incredible it was to hold my baby girl. Angela was so tired and could barely keep her eyes open, but she was able to see Dallas’s face and stroke her cheek before she closed her eyes out of exhaustion.
After a moment, the nurse took Dallas from me and told me where Angela would be. I went with the baby to make sure the baby snatchers wouldn’t get her and followed
the nurse and Dallas up to the nursery. They cleaned Dallas up and gave her the first bath. I was so distracted thinking about Angela and if she was okay that I left the room before they had weighed Dallas! As soon as I stepped into the elevator, I remembered and ran back but they had already weighed her! And I had missed it! I spent a long time just leaning over Dallas under the heat lamp and holding her hand and talking to her. It was so amazing to see her and touch her for the first time! Just flat out incredible! After they had finished checking her over, the nurse swaddled her back up and handed Dallas to me so I could show her off to the small crowd gathered outside the nursery window. After many, many pictures with cell phones and cameras, I put Dallas back down under the heat lamp and went to check on my wife.
She was asleep, I think, when I first made it to the recovery room, but she woke up after I arrived. She was shaking from the adrenaline, I guess, and she was really thirsty so I fed her some ice chips. She could barely move and was kind of sore. I stayed with Angela until her mom came and then I went back to stay with Dallas (gotta watch the baby snatchers). After a couple hours in recovery, they rolled Angela to her room and I wheeled my little baby to meet her mommy for the first time. The nurse handed Dallas to Angela and we both just cried in amazement at the little blessing we were holding! It was truly awesome and not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for my precious baby, Dallas! I will never forget that day, down to the smallest detail! Being a daddy is so much fun and I could not have hoped for a sweeter, more precious daughter. Thank you, Jesus, for my sweet, baby Dallas! Thank you!
September 18th - 6amMy Side of the Birth Story
By Dustin
Like Angela said, we tried to go to bed early on the night before, but we were both too excited and nervous to fall asleep in a timely fashion. Even though I was tired, I couldn’t help but lie in bed and think about how my life would be different after the next day was done. Sometime after midnight, I fell asleep.
We awoke at around 5am and I began loading up all our gear into the car and making sure we had everything we needed while Angela took care of the important stuff, like making sure that each strand of her hair was straightened and in place and that her makeup was done. We left the house at nearly 6am and headed to the hospital. Having the induction scheduled ahead of time sure is nice because there’s no rushing to the hospital or hurrying because your wife is about to give birth all over the back of your car. Angela and I made it to the hospital at about 6:30am and I dropped her off at the door. After parking the car, I gathered up our suitcase and bags and met Angela in the lobby. We got settled into our room not long before Angela’s parents arrived.
After a couple hours of waiting, they started Angela on the pitocin and eventually the contractions started coming stronger. Angela said she could really feel them but she never really looked like she was in discomfort so it was hard for me to judge just how much pain or discomfort she was experiencing. Sometime after that she decided that she needed more drugs and that it would be a good time for the epidural.
It took about a half hour for the anesthesiologist to arrive so by the time he got to our room, Angela was very much ready to get her epidural. The anesthesiologist was a very nice Haitian man who was probably no more than 5 feet tall. He was very friendly and did a good job of making us feel like he was going to take care of Angela. I’ve heard terrible stories of epidurals and the size of the needle so I made darn well sure that I didn’t look at the needle so that I wouldn’t freak Angela out. I just focused on holding her hand and trying to make her feel better. Judging by Angela’s reaction, the epidural was very painful but she was very strong. It hurt her a lot but after only a couple of minutes she felt the best she’d felt in months! After the anesthesiologist was finished, Angela asked him how long he had been doing this. He replied without skipping a beat, “Oh, this is my first day. They have these really good videos online.” I knew he was joking, but part of me still kind of panicked. I’m glad he made that joke after the epidural.
The next several hours were spent playing the waiting game. The nurses would periodically come in and check her and for a while things seemed to be progressing normally. I guess it was around 7pm when the doctor made the call for the c-section. I don’t know why, but months before her labor, I think I kind of knew that Angela would have a c-section. I don’t know how I knew, but I remember thinking it. Of course, I said nothing to Angela about it because I didn’t want to worry her. I can still remember the fear and the worry that felt like a punch in the gut when I heard the doctor say that they were going to have to cut my wife open. Of course, she didn’t say it exactly like that but that’s what I was thinking. I just remember being scared and worried and praying harder than I’ve ever prayed in my life.
The doctors quickly began filling Angela’s IV full of all kinds of meds and within a matter of minutes that had wheeled Angela out of the room. The nurse said I would have to change into scrubs and they would come get me in a moment when it was time to deliver. She left the room at about the time I realized that I didn’t have any scrubs! I kind of panicked for a moment and jumped into the hallway to grab a nurse just as one was bringing me the scrubs. I changed quickly and my family and Angela’s gathered for a quick prayer. A nurse came and told me it was time. I felt like we were running down the hall. It was like I couldn’t get there fast enough. I stepped through the OR door and I kind of lost my breath. It looked exactly like it does on television. There were nurses and doctors rushing everywhere and my precious baby Angela was lying on the table all strapped down. I was very scared and felt like crying but I made sure to be strong for Angela.
No sooner had a sat on the stool next to Angela’s head when I looked up just to see my sweet baby being lifted from the other side of the sheet. It did not seem real at all. I remember thinking, “I can’t believe that’s my baby. I just can’t believe it.” I remember kind of holding my breath, waiting to hear that first cry that meant everything was okay. I heard a soft whimper from the little table across the room and the nurse called me over. Lying on a towel in a metal pan was my Dallas, my sweet, precious little girl. Tears filled my eyes as she wrapped her tiny little fingers around my finger. I don’t know why I thought what I did, but at that moment I was filled with a level of anger I have never felt. I remember feeling so angry and so mad that anyone could ever think that abortion is okay or acceptable. I don’t why I felt that way at that moment, but I did.
Instead of spanking Dallas to get her to cry, they tickled her, which I thought was funny. As the nurses suctioned her nose and mouth and wiped the pasty material from her body, she cried and screamed the more they tickled her. After mostly cleaning her up, the swaddled her up and handed me my daughter! It was the most amazing experience in my life, hands down. I carried her to my wife’s side all the while thinking, “Don’t drop her, don’t drop her, don’t drop her…” As I headed to the stool to show Angela our baby, I did glance over on the other side of the sheet to see what was going on. I wasn’t as freaked out as I thought I would be, but I did get to see Angela’s guts, which was kind of cool and kind of strange at the same time. I sat next to Angela and I just started telling her over and over again how beautiful Dallas was. I was completely amazed and breathless at how incredible it was to hold my baby girl. Angela was so tired and could barely keep her eyes open, but she was able to see Dallas’s face and stroke her cheek before she closed her eyes out of exhaustion.
After a moment, the nurse took Dallas from me and told me where Angela would be. I went with the baby to make sure the baby snatchers wouldn’t get her and followed
the nurse and Dallas up to the nursery. They cleaned Dallas up and gave her the first bath. I was so distracted thinking about Angela and if she was okay that I left the room before they had weighed Dallas! As soon as I stepped into the elevator, I remembered and ran back but they had already weighed her! And I had missed it! I spent a long time just leaning over Dallas under the heat lamp and holding her hand and talking to her. It was so amazing to see her and touch her for the first time! Just flat out incredible! After they had finished checking her over, the nurse swaddled her back up and handed Dallas to me so I could show her off to the small crowd gathered outside the nursery window. After many, many pictures with cell phones and cameras, I put Dallas back down under the heat lamp and went to check on my wife.She was asleep, I think, when I first made it to the recovery room, but she woke up after I arrived. She was shaking from the adrenaline, I guess, and she was really thirsty so I fed her some ice chips. She could barely move and was kind of sore. I stayed with Angela until her mom came and then I went back to stay with Dallas (gotta watch the baby snatchers). After a couple hours in recovery, they rolled Angela to her room and I wheeled my little baby to meet her mommy for the first time. The nurse handed Dallas to Angela and we both just cried in amazement at the little blessing we were holding! It was truly awesome and not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for my precious baby, Dallas! I will never forget that day, down to the smallest detail! Being a daddy is so much fun and I could not have hoped for a sweeter, more precious daughter. Thank you, Jesus, for my sweet, baby Dallas! Thank you!
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7 responses from the peanut gallery:
I love this! You guys are such sweet parents & I love that you told Dallas' story from both perspectives. Too cute!
Dusty I love this post! I can't believe it has been almost two months since she was born!
P.S. I am so glad the quilt I made her was worthy of a sidebar picture :-)
How precious. I love your perspective of the delivery of your baby Dallas. You are a wonderful son/father. You make both your parents proud.
Oh Dustin, you made me cry! After I laughed a few times of course :)
Great post! I can't wait to read Angela's rendition. Heading there right now.
Congratulations new daddy!! Enjoy these wonderful early months, and thank you for sharing the "dad" version with us. It's wonderful to hear it from your perspective!
God bless!!
Lovely! She is so beautiful. I haven't been by in several weeks and I am so glad to get the update (and the boy version) of her birth story. Praise the Lord for sweet little Dallas!
So sweet! That's a great idea for a post. :)
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