Baby Gracie Jayne

I honestly can not believe how easy it was to bring this perfect child into this world. But hey, with a hard pregnancy, it was time I got something easy right?!

I was scheduled for a repeat c-section on Sunday at 8 am. They told me to be at the hospital by 6:30 for check-in/registration. We got to Davis Hospital right on time. This was a huge surprise to me because, with Sean, we are never on time anywhere!

The hospital was a complete ghost town when we got here. We headed to Labor and Delivery and did not see a single person on the way. And then, there was nobody at L&D either. We made out way back to the main entrance and  used the phone to call the operator who informed us that we needed to check-in in the ER. Apparently we were the ONLY delivery for the day, so most everyone had the day off!

Of course, Sean knew the way straight to registration in the ER and even used the phrase "this isn't my first time at the rodeo" when I asked how he knew his way around. Makes me scared for William and how many times we'll be at Davis' ER with him!

We were in our L&D room by 7am and had our nurse already getting my IV hooked up. She informed me quite a few times that "things move quick around here with a scheduled c-section".
She was right.
After getting my IV and a whole bag of freezing cold fluid, a whole pile of paperwork, half of my medical history quiz taken, and my "quick 411 prep", Julia (my doc) got there at 7:58. She was already warmed up from 2 early morning c-sections up in Ogden.

Sean quickly threw on his "hazmat" suit and we were off to the O.R.

Check-in time to the O.R. was 8:01.

They quickly shoved Sean in a corrner so he wouldn't touch anything that was sterile. The only thing hard about that was he was not allowed on the side of the bed I wanted him when I got my spinal.

Instead the poor nurse had to suffer from my sharp nails being dug into her arms. And, after the anaesthesiologist kept getting after me for pulling my back away, the nurse got my head shoved in her shoulder/chest area.
Yeah, we got a little personal for our half hour spent together!

After getting the spinal, I immediately became numb and had to have help laying down on the bed. It was AMAZING to know that it was going to work this time and I was not going to be put to sleep.

Within minutes, Julia walked into the room. She hung the curtain over my belly as the nurse used that yellow colored cleaning "stuff".

Sean took this time to take lovely pictures of himself as well as me. I was feeling sick from the spinal because the meds they gave me to counter-act that had not kicked in yet. And of course Sean had to capture this on camera!

The anaesthesiologist informed Sean he could roll his chair up to the table now, and even stand up to watch if he wanted. Sean quickly rolled over, but then hesitantly stood up and peeked over the curtain.
He quickly jerked his head back to me with eyes bigger than I had ever seen. Apparently they had already cut open my stomach. There was no "ready, set, go" warning. They were already half way to the finish line!

Sean was not sure going into the O.R. if he was going to watch. But he couldn't keep his eyes away. Now if you ask him, he says it was really cool! 

WARNING - Some of the following could be graphic

We both then heard a gush of fluid and Sean informed me they had just cut into the sack and it was all the amniotic fluid rushing out.
Right away, Julia informed us that "She has a whole bunch of hair". I knew it had to be true if she was commenting before Gracie was even out of my belly.

Julia then informed me that I would feel a whole bunch of pressure. She was right!! It was the weirdest feeling ever. I could feel the pushing and pulling and could even tell the second Gracie was out. I was not pregnant anymore! Just like that, I felt my stomach become vacant!

Gracie made a quick cry, which of course made me tear up. It was so relieving to hear her being brought into the world!
Gracie Jayne Barker born at 8:22 (just 21 minutes after check-in time)
They peeked her around the curtain so I could get a quick glimpse.

Julia then took her to the other side next to Sean for a photo op!

Sean immediately went to the Nursery with Gracie while I choose to stay and get stitched up (haha, like I had a choice!)
They finished putting me back together and my check-out time was 8:36. Exactly 35 full minutes spent in the O.R.

Sean came back to the room about 10 minutes later with no Gracie. Her sugar levels were low, so they had fed her some formula to try to get it up. They didn't want her to leave the nursery until they were higher.

As soon as Sean walked into the room, he informed me that "Gracie is a spitter-upper". That is one of the things he feared. He really doesn't like when babies spit up, and we had been lucky with William because he never really spit up as a baby.

About 20 minutes later they brought Gracie into the room and informed us that she was healthy and completely perfect!
She has been nothing but a bundle of job ever since.
I am so happy I was chosen to be her Mom here on earth.


By the way, did I mention she is extremely cute? Here's a bunch of pictures

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Trust me, there will be more to come!