John “Anderson” Thompson, IV

{Disclaimer- this will be a lengthy and long winded post with picture overload!}

March 18 was quite a day.  That afternoon John and I had our 39 week appointment and I was less than patient at this point.  And that is 100% an understatement. For the past few weeks, I had been making progress- not much, but progress nontheless.  I was determined to have this baby on “my own” despite the fact that both of my sisters had been induced with all {5} babies.  I knew there was a good chance we’d have to evict Anderson as well but I was doing everything {crazy old wives tales and all} in my power to not. 

My appointment went as they normally did- hearing a healthy growing baby heartbeat, the news of a little progress and the reassurance from Dr H that this baby will be here soon enough but only when he is ready.  My due date was March 24 which meant a week overdue would put me at March 31st {Easter Sunday} and chances are I’d be induced April 1st {April Fools Day}.  Umm, if you’ve ever met my husband, you understand why I would never want to be stuck in a delivery room with him on such a day!  I begged and pleaded with Dr. H to schedule an induction for the Friday before {March 29th} as I was going to do anything to assure I didn’t have an April Fool’s baby.  We compromised and the plan was for me to come back for my weekly appointment the following Monday, then again on Thursday and if I was “favorable” {code for enough progressed to induce without fear of an emergency c-section} then we’d move forward with the induction the next morning.  I left the appointment disappointed and while there was an end in sight, I was growing even more impatient with no hope that we’d meet our baby anytime soon.

When we got back home that afternoon, I let my family and some friends know how the appointment went but kept it to myself mostly b/c I wasn’t going to set myself up for the disappointment of not being favorable and the induction date being a no-go.  I was in a terrible mood so I took a nap and while John cooked dinner, I decided to take a warm bath.  After dinner {and a dairy queen heath bar blizzard}, I headed to bed- but not for long.  Around 10:30 I woke up with mild back pain and some spotting. The doctor had warned that I may experience some from “checking” so I passed it off as that.  Within 10-15 minutes, the pain had intensified some so I called my mom.  She told me to call the doctor and make sure the type of spotting I was having was normal so I did and it was. Another 15 minutes later and I was in excruciating pain so we started timing what we thought were contractions.  Sure enough, I was having {MAJOR} back contractions every 3 minutes.  Freak out mode set in and at one point I remember John and I standing in the middle of our bedroom with me repeating “I don’t know what to do, is this really happening?”.  For anyone that has ever experienced back labor, I feel your pain- literally and if you haven't- I hope you never do. 

We packed up the car, put our families on stand by and on our way into town, picked my mom up and headed to the L&D floor of the hospital to be monitored in Triage.  I was still 2cm dilated as I was earlier at my appointment and the nurse suggested walking the hospital floor to see if it would progress me more so we did. The nurse even mentioned something about watching me and maybe sending me home if I wasn’t progressing- there was no way that was happening.   About an hour later she checked and I was still 2 cm but “changing”.  At this point I was in so much pain, it was paralyzing and becoming nauseating.  After many requests of pain medicine,  she shot me with some morphine in the arm and gave me something for nausea.  Another hour had passed and she checked again- I still remember the enthusiasm when she said I was 3-4 cm and had earned myself a bed!  They transported me to a L&D room and got my IV hooked up where I requested more morphine until the doctor arrived to OK the epidural.  I remember our families arriving but the rest seems pretty blurry.  Around 4:15, Dr Lafitte showed up and ordered the epidural and at 4:40, the anesthesiologist arrived to administer.  The pain immediately subsided and I felt like a whole new person- Hallelujah!  Within the next few hours, John and I tried to get some sleep with occasional visits from nurses and family.     My water had broken on its own and sometime after 10:00-10:15 the nurse came in to check me again- I was fully dilated and it was time to push!  Around 10:45, I started pushing through contractions.Dr. Guidice {the doctor on call for Tuesday} barely made it in before I was told to stop pushing. Anderson was ready to make his arrival! I pushed through 3 more and at 11:05 a.m., John Anderson Thompson, IV made his way into the world ad let us know with the sweetest and strongest little cry! My labor was terrible but my delivery was a dream.  I pushed for 20 minutes and through 10 contractions which seem like a total blur because of how fast it all happened.  I remember the moment he came out, hearing his first cry and the waive of emotion that took over my entire body.  I debated sharing this picture but it is truly my delivery wrapped up in one snapshot.

My mom was {and is} amazing!  She was there with us all the way through labor and delivery to the moment he arrived and the days after.  It was special to have the person who brought me into the world by my side as I brought my own child in.  The old cliché “you never know how much you can love your husband until you see the way he loves your child” is beyond true.  We fell in love at first sight together at 11:05 that day but nothing could’ve prepared me for the love I’d feel for his daddy all over again. For 9 long months, not a day went by that we didn’t talk about what he/she would be, what he would look like and praying that he would be healthy.  In the blink of an eye, our world was changed with the arrival of our healthy baby boy with 10 fingers and 10 toes that looks exactly like his daddy.  

John “Anderson” Thompson, IV

March 19, 2013- 11:05 a.m.

6 pounds 15 ounces

18 1/4 inches