Mothers Day May 9,2010 until May 10, 2010

I have no pictures of mother's day. It was a nice enough day, but I was miserable. I had been having contractions, hard contractions every night for days, but no baby. I was huge, trust me I was. Aaron has pictures on his I phone that he needs to down load before I can post them. I was desperate to get this baby out. The kids made me breakfast, and we had chocolate covered strawberries, and we went to church, and hung out at home. That evening we went to our friends house, where I bounced on their big trampoline for awhile trying to encourage Drew to come out. The contractions that had stopped that morning were starting to come back but nothing serious. We put the kids to bed, then frustrated and annoyed I went to bed, knowing that I had to work in the morning, and that it was going to be a long day.

At about 11pm I woke up with hard contractions. They consistently came, and became harder every 10 minutes. I started throwing up with contractions, and I was sure it was the real thing this time. However, they never got any closer together. I was not going to call my nurse practitioner, or go into the hospital where I work unless I knew it was the real thing. My contractions went on like this till 3am when they stopped, I had a melt down to say the least. I have hyperemesis for my entire pregnancies. This one was no different. I had been puking everyday, sometimes multiple times every day. I wanted nothing more to have this baby, for the puking to stop, and return to my normal self. My coping skills went out the window, and I had a tantrum like a two year old. I couldn't sleep, and all I was thinking about was that I had to get up and go to work at 5am and I hadn't slept at all. At 5 the contractions came back! I called into work, and waited till 7 to call my nurse practitioner Stacey. I told her my story, and that the contractions weren't consistent but they were hard. She told me to come in. I was a 4.5 the other day in the office, and being that I lived an hour away she didn't want to play with fate.

We packed the kids up Jenna went to school, Payton to our neighbor and babysitter, and we headed to Wenatchee. On the way there, I had some killer contractions. Aaron had to pull over so I could hurl on the side of the road, and while I was taking care of business a semi drove by and honked at me. I'm sure I looked great! We stopped at Rock Island so aaron could grab some sort of breakfast, and caffiene! (He had been up all week for frost protection on the orchard.) I told him he had time to stop.

We got to the hospital, and met Stacey there. My nurse Amanda was a good friend and coworker of mine, and I was excited that I was going to have her. She got me checked in, and they monitored the baby and my contractions for about 20 mins. Here I am looking like death warmed over. Trust me I felt like death warmed over too.

They admitted me, and once everything looked good they unhooked me from the machines, and sent us walking. My mom was with us too, so the three of us went for a walk. We were told to come back at a certain time, and they would evaluate things more then

Well, when we came back Stacey checked me, and then we discussed our options. I was a five, and having contractions. I live an hour away, so stacey asked me if I wanted her to brake my water. I told her to please do, and let's get this show on the road please! She broke my water, and holy cow it was an absolute flood, I couldn't believe how much better I could breathe!! Then Drew with out all that water in the way could settle lower in my pelvis and hopefully move things along. There was meconium in the fluid which is the baby's first bowel movement. Which means nursery would have to attend the delivery. Meconium deliverys make me extremely nervous. I've seen bad things happen from this, so that made me nervous for my baby.

I bounced on the ball for awhile, then when contractions got really hard I spent sometime in the jetted tub. Water really does help with contractions. Aaron sat in there with me, and played music on his i-phone. Stacey had some nice oils to go in the tub to help with calming. It was like I was at the spa! When the contractions got harder and closer together I got out and tried to walk around the room. This didn't last long cause they went from hard to oh my goodness what have I gotten myself into. Drew was facing OP which means sunnyside up. Babies are supposed to be born facing down. They fit better that way, and it hurts less. Stacey had me get into different posistions, while she messaged my back and hips with a cooling lotion to try and get him to turn. Then all the sudden I had to tinkle, so I got up and went, but on the way back I made it to the baby warmer, when I couldn't walk any farther. My legs went numb from my breathing being to fast so that I wasn't oxygenating well. my nurses/coworkers/friends had to help me back to bed. Some of you may be wondering if that was weird having all my friends that I work with all the time at my delivery. It wasn't I have never felt so supported, loved, and taken care of as I did. I had three labor nurses Amanda, Alicia, and April. They did an amazing job caring for me, and I never once felt any awkwardness from them. I gained strength from them, when I didn't think I could go on, their encouragement gave me strength and courage.

I made it back to bed, and things started happening in a hurry. I flew through transistion and felt the urge to push. I completely panicked. I started telling Stacey that I was losing it, and that I was panicing. I could feel how big Drew was, and I was sure he was going to get stuck. I kept repeating I can't he's too big, he is going to get stuck. This is where being a nicu nurse bit me in the butt. Instead of just listening to Stacey I was panicing about him getting stuck and being a shoulder distocia. This is where the baby is to big, and gets stuck in mom. I have coded several shoulder distocia babies, and I was terrified that Drew was going to have this problem. I told stacey that I was crazy, and said "who does this." She told me to breathe and push! I caught Alicia's eye's, and she urged me to push, aaron kept telling me that I could do it! I gritted my teeth and 2 pushes later Drew was born. She placed him on my belly, and I couldn't believe how big he was. He was fine, healthy and huge!!! The support I had erupted, everyone was ecstatic!! They celebrated with Aaron and I just like it was their baby! I did it. Delivered a baby with no modern day medicine. No IV, NO PITOCIN, NO NARCOTICS! It was an amazing experience, exhilerating! It is amazing what the human body is capable of doing! After Drew was born the contractions instantly stop. The Nausea that I had for 9 months instantly stops. The puking instantly stops!! Amazing, is the only word that I can come up with for this entire experience!! Now that many of you know much more about me than you ever wanted to know I'll show some pictures!

Mom and Dad holding Drew Arthur Riggs. He was named after Aaron's grate grandfather Delbert Arthur Riggs. He lived to be 98 years old I believe, and Aaron has a lot of love and respect for him.

Here is the team. R-L April, Melonee, Stacey, Aaron, Alicia, My Mom, and Amanda. The team! I couldn't have done it without you guys. I am humbled to call you my friends!



This is Aarons, Drew, and I with our midwife Stacey. She is amazing I would recomend her to anyone. She made the entire pregnancy amazing, and I wouldn't have survived without her.


This picture is blurry but it shows how bruised his face was. OP babies often have a lot of bruising on their little faces..

The first diaper change, way to go dad! You still remember how to do this!


This boy is a super duper cuddler!

Jenna and Payton came the next day to visit, and meet baby Drew! They stayed the night with some really good friends of ours the Starelman's. They had a blast! Thanks Phil, and Jody!

Everyone is ready to go!

Home at last!

Drew Arthur Riggs Born at May 10, 2010 8 lbs 10 oz and 21 in long