He's Here!

Warren Kimball Ludlow

Mommy and Warren after delivery.

Daddy and Warren.

The first time Warren threw up, right on Daddy as he was holding him.

Yep our little Warren Kimball was born Wednesday April 20th at 2:11 pm. He weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 21 inches long. He is so precious and we just love him to death.
Here is his story a lot of it is so I can remember the details, I feel like they are already starting to leave my memory~I think that is so I will want to have more children~ But anyway I had my "last" doctors appointment on Tuesday the 19th and was feeling very "done" by then and Zack and I had decided that we would see if the doctor would let me go in and by started Wednesday evening or Thursday morning since I had an exit interview for school Wednesday morning and he had an exam to take Wednesday and then we would be done with school until fall and I really was done working and did not want to have to keep going back! Anywho, the appointment before the doctor had me schedule an ultrasound to check his weight, head and shoulders because she was certain he was going to be a BIG baby. I had my ultrasound and the technician estimated Warren to weigh about 7 pounds 15 ounces but said his head did not look overly large. YAY! Then we waited to see the doctor and she told us that we needed to expedite delivery I was thinking YAY we can set a date for tomorrow, the doctor will be on board. Nope she then proceeded to tell us that the amniotic fluid was low, not emergency c-section low but low enough that we could not just watch and see, then she said his heart rate was a little higher than she would have liked and told us that I was going to be put on a softening agent to get my body ready for delivery-I was still dilated to just over a 1 and maybe 40% effaced. She then asked if we had our bag-uh no we thought this would be happening tomorrow- and told us to go home and get it and not dilly dally and that I would be admitted to the hospital. AHHH! I started to get really nervous-oh and our bag was not even packed completely but we did not tell our doctor that- :) Zack called his boss to let him know that he would not be in to work that day and most likely not at all that week, then I called my mom and when we got home to get our bag we told Zack's dad. On the way back to the hospital I called my dad and left him a message to call me. Then the fun really started, we were admitted to Davis Hospital, room 5 the same room one of our nephews was born in, and then we waited for the softening agent to be administered. We got to the hospital about 3 and at 6 they finally gave me the medication. To make things funner I had not eaten since 11:30 and had eaten hardly anything and was told I had to wait to eat until after 8. Well Zack worked on finishing some homework and tried to contact his professors to let them know and arrange to take his final on Thursday, I called my professor and just hung out. My mom and stepdad came up to see us after 8 as well as my sister-in-law Amy and her husband and they all helped us relax and mix things up a bit and I got to eat my favorite salad from Chilis and a really good chocolate cake (which is a good thing I ate it then cause I cannot have chocolate now-doctors orders-I guess eating chocolate while breastfeeding can increase the chance of allergies in the baby.) Zack, Kyle and Mikey all gave me a blessing before they left and then Zack and I tried to relax and get some sleep. I was hooked up to monitors so I could not move a whole lot or else the monitor would not pick up the baby's heartbeat or my contractions. I really started to feel the contractions about 1:45 am and then again at 3:30 when they gave me more drugs. At 6 am my nurse who I loved Katie, came in and they removed the softening agent and let me take a bath in the jacuzzi tub. Oh that was heaven-I loved it and could have stayed there all day. It helped with the contractions and allowed me to fall asleep 3 different times. I was told the doctor would come in at 10 to break my water and that they were going to start me on Pitocin. Well I was actually started on Pitocin at 8 after both Kyle and my grandma came to visit and then the fun really started. I was only dilated to a 2 but because of the medicine given earlier I was 100% effaced. Sometime after 9 my nurse, Diana, was with me and I felt strange and realized that my water had broke. After my water broke I really started to feel contractions and was not enjoying myself, especially because I had to lay on my back/side so the baby could be monitored and I really wanted to get up and move around to help alleviate the pain, but that poses a risk with the baby's umbilical cord so the nurse suggested they give me the epidural so I could relax instead of giving me more IV meds. I agreed and by the time I actually got he epidural I was dilated to a 5, this was sometime between 10:30 and 11:30 (I think.) The epidural worked for about an hour or two and then started to wear off. I could move my legs and was feeling a LOT more than just pressure. I was feeling the contractions and all of them. This is when things get really hazy for me. I told the nurse that I was feeling pain and they kept sending in the anesthesiologist to give me more drugs. He was really nice and pumped various other drugs into the epidural three different times to try and help alleviate my pain, but nothing was working. I remember being dilated to about an 8 or 9 and really feeling those hard contractions and I just lost it, during one contraction in particular I started crying. My mom, Zack and Kyle were all there and Kyle left the room because it was kind of intense and I know it was hard for my mom and Zack to watch but I really appreciate their support and help. After that they got the anesthesiologist again and he said that we had a couple options he could re due to epidural or give me a spinal block. I just really wanted to have the pain go away and the new epidural would take 15-20 minutes to go into effect. So they removed the epidural and gave me the spinal block. This time I could not move my legs at all and had to have help doing everything. I was numb from the chest down and even had a hard time coughing. Well I was able to sleep for about a half hour and then the nurse and doctor came in and said I was complete and asked if I felt like I could push now or not, I said lets just go for it because I had some energy from sleeping. Well during the time I was pushing the spinal block started to wear off. I could not feel pain but I could feel pressure and knew when it was time to push. My mom was there for part of the time I was pushing but had to run to work to bring back some patients and when she left she told me "don't worry he will be here by the time I get back." I was not sure and was really starting to get tired, this was at 1:45 pm and I had been pushing about a half hour or so. Zack was so great and kept telling me that I was doing great and that I could do this. Then before I knew it the doctor told me they were calling in nursery and then I was told not to push, he was here! It was such a surreal moment that I will cherish, and I know Zack will too. After all this time waiting and wanting a little one, and then labor and delivery that was intense for me and not what I thought, I had this little miracle, straight from Heaven, laying on my stomach, looking at me. Zack was able to cut the cord as I rubbed our little Warren's head, then he was off to the warming bed and Zack stayed right by my side. We were both so full of emotion and so happy, we just kept looking at each other, then at Warren as we cried tears of joy. The doctor finished taking care of me and made sure I was okay while Warren was assessed. When they weighed him and the nurse said 7 pounds 7 ounces the doctor said are you sure? And they checked again and he was 7 pounds 7 ounces, the doctor said I was sure he was going to be over 8 pounds and even wrote 8 pounds in my chart before he was born. Warren was wrapped up and they put him in my arms, but I felt like I did not have complete control of my arms and they gave him to Zack to cuddle. Zack and I then had some time to ourselves to feed and hold Warren and just enjoy the moment before people came into the room with us. It was such a neat experience and I know that I was given strength from my Father in Heaven to complete this task. I felt very looked over especially during the time I was pushing, I was praying that he would come soon because I did not know if I could push much longer and asked Zack to pray that he would come as well and before I knew it our Warren Kimball Ludlow was here. Prayers are answered and things come in the Lord's time but if we open and soften our hearts to Him, He will help us through all things. I was strengthened and am so grateful for those men who were there that night to give me a blessing of strength to endure what was to lie ahead. I had no clue at that time that within 24 hours I would be a mother or that it would be so difficult for me but that Priesthood blessing helped give me the strength I needed to make it through. We just love our Warren so much and are so glad that he is part of our lives!