Morning of Inducement...
This morning we went to Summerlin Hospital so Charlene can get induced at 8am. However, last night, she had been very uncomfortable and complaining of lower pain. She was a little nervous anticipating what might happen this time around since Fallon's delivery was extremely difficult. Her blood pressure had been good all throughout, but had just become a bit borderline this past week. She was praying for no preeclampsia and no delivery while on magnesium sulfate (feels like delivering with the flu) - like with Fallon!
We checked in at 8am and had to wait for the room to be cleaned. Char could not even walk because something for sure was going down!! Finally by 9am, she was in the bed and beginning to complain about pelvic pressure. They checked her dilation and she was 3-4 and definitely contracting since last night! Then they gave her the pitocin to induce, beginning at 3-4 cm. The nurse asked her, "on a scale of 1-10, what is your pain?" Char said, "One." Then, they started asking her routine medical history questions, drawing blood while Char's Dad was chatting to the Filipino nurse.
About 20 minutes later, Char started to feel more pressure and the contractions were getting closer together. She was yelling, "It's a 10!! Get the epidural, already!" Of course, they had to wait to get the blood test results before even giving it! Within a half an hour, she went from 4cm - 8cm - no drugs! Char's dad was in the room observing and of course, the doctor in him came out and started doctoring, "Why didn't you guys draw blood upon arrival and then start the pitocin?" Little did they know, I would dialate so quickly. Minutes later, the blood tests arrived and the epidural was given...ahhhhhh!!!! Dad then left and went to pick up Char's Mom and Fallon at home. Within 30 more minutes, the doctor arrived, and saw that the 8cm was already 10cm. I made a call to get Char's parents and Fallon to the hopital asap, but the baby was out in 20 minutes! Wow...it's a GIRL!!! They missed it! :(
The delivery was SO different than when Fallon was born. It was an amazing experience and now I really know why people would want to have another child right away. Char was in great spirits...it was truly witnessing a miracle.
Aspen was reported to have the looks of my Dad (Steve Gregson), then Mr. Magoo, but with her eyes open, she looks just like Fallon when she was a baby. She is Fallon's "twin," having similar birth stats and Fallon's birthday was just the day before! Fallon, is so excited to have her around. She is helping change diapers and taking care of her. Char's parents, Yolanda and Fernando Ayala have been a tremendous help - with cooking delicious meals, laundry, errands, picking up Fallon from school, making sure Char is recovering well and helping us out with the overall adjustment. We are so grateful for their presence! I'm off for the week to help Fallon adjust to the new baby and maintaining her school schedule.
One Week Later...
At her 1 week appt., she gained 2oz. to 6 lbs. 4oz. and they measured her at 19 1/2"! She is alert, moving her head and responding to sound. She is a good eater/sleeper. Char had a few humps to get over with some postpartum pain and getting over the breastfeeding hurdle. She is getting stronger and we are just so glad it was not like the delivery she had with Fallon.
"ASPEN"
She is named after the beautiful tree, Aspen, which is the largest living organism in the world. Its leaves are bright gold in the fall and its spiritual meaning is "far-reaching, strong survivors." We might call her Penny. The Aspen tree is also very abundant in Utah and the mountains of Mt. Charleston (30 minutes from Las Vegas). See below a picture of Fallon in a stroller perched above the beautiful Aspen trees last October. If it was a boy, he would have been Easton Vance Ayala Gregson.
