Welcome Maverick Thomas Martin!

On September 25 at 5:30pm, we checked in to the hospital to start the induction process. I was 40 weeks and 3 days pregnant, and it was time for him to make his appearance. I was told once they got me hooked up to the monitors that I had been having contractions already that I was not feeling. By 8pm, I was beginning to feel them. They continued to administer the cytotec throughout the night and by morning labor had truly begun. My water broke at 7:10am. Contractions had already become nearly unbearable, but once my water broke, it was beyond excruciating. It had been my plan to avoid an epidural at all costs, but after a few hours of those insanely intense, back-to-back, no rest in between contractions, I caved. I was worried that if I continued like that for the several hours I knew I still had to go, I would be too exhausted to push when the time came. I needed rest. It was almost immediate sweet relief. I could still feel every contraction, but it just felt like pressure. There was no more pain. I could finally rest. Unfortunately, my cervix got stuck at 9cm despite the increase in pitocin they had given me at least 4 times. Maverick was also still too high and would not drop despite all the positioning to try to work him down. (Turning over and getting into all these awkward positions is not easy when the lower half of your body is completely numb.) The doctor that my midwife consulted with was concerned that trying to continue with a vaginal delivery could cause too much damage to both me and Maverick and there was too much risk of causing a brain bleed. He was also developing a cone head. I was left with no other choice but a c-section. It was terrifying, but I knew it had to be done. Thankfully, I had already gotten the epidural, so administering the needed meds was easy, and I would not have to be put under. They quickly prepped me and rolled me to the operating room. The anesthetic they pumped through my epidural made my arms and shoulders shiver uncontrollably. I didn't even realize when they started cutting. I thought they were still prepping me because all I felt was some tugging. Before I knew it, I heard Maverick cry. That sound was such a relief. He was here! He was ok! And man did he have some lungs on him! lol I started crying as soon as I heard him. I couldn't see him because of the drape in front of my face. I didn't get to see him for several minutes. But as soon as they checked him out and cleaned him up, Theo brought him over to me.

I could not move my arms very much, so I barely got to touch him, but I could kiss him. He was so beautiful! Absolutely perfect! I wanted to start yelling for them to get me off that damn table so I could hold my son! But I stayed calm. Once they got me sewn up, they took us to the recovery room where Mom and Grandma were waiting. We were given some time as a family to bond before they weighed him or anything.

He was born at 12:45am on September 27. He weighed 8 pounds 1.7 ounces and measured 21.5 inches long. Everyone kept commenting on his full head of hair. We stayed in the hospital until Sunday afternoon.

In less than 24 hours, Maverick was running a temperature of 100.5F. We ended up taking him to Arkansas Children's Hospital where they found markers indicating there was some kind of infection. They ran a whole bunch of tests, admitted us for a minimum of 48 hours, and gave him IV antibiotics. His fever quickly disappeared, and he was eating, peeing, and pooping normally. All of the tests kept coming back negative. So at the end of 48 hours (when the last of the results from cultures came back) they discharged us.

Theo has been such an amazing daddy. I would have been completely lost without him through all of this.

On our way home!

Our first family photo outside of a hospital.

This has been the most difficult and most rewarding experience of my life. Our first week as parents was not an easy one, but we made it. We are still trying to recover and regain some sense of "normalcy" if that is even possible. But we could not be happier or more proud of our little rainbow baby. Welcome to the world Maverick! Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know! <3 <3 <3