Baby Calvin

I started going in to get my membranes stripped at 38 weeks.  Dr. Kasteler was just as determined as I was to get baby Calvin out!  Monday, got stripped, progressed to a 4 by Wednesday.  Stripped again on Wednesday, Dr. Kasteler was CONFIDENT I'd go into labor that night.  Well as luck would have it, I didn't.  In fact, I vacuumed the house and helped push someone's car out of the snow and STILL nothing.  My bags were packed and Mom was planning on staying with the kids so I could go to the hospital after the girls' dance performance that night.  I was having some contractions, but I knew it wasn't labor.  I decided to wait.  Well on Friday I went back AGAIN!  I was still at a 4 and Dr. Kasteler stripped my membranes and told me to just GO to the hospital that evening if I was feeling any contractions.  He promised me they wouldn't send me home.  Well I was having contractions, but they didn't feel like labor.  I didn't care.  We had dinner as a family and called Tammy to come watch the kids (Mom and Dad were at a Christmas party).  We got to the hospital, told the nurses I was in labor (HAHA, they probably couldn't figure out why I was so calm and clearly not in much pain), and got checked in to a room.  I was still at a 4 so I was told to walk around for an hour.  Oh man, did I ever walk....and jumped and did squats and did hip circles and ran and basically whatever I could come up with!  She checked me an hour later....still a 4.  She was threatening to send me home and I was NOT happy about that.  Dr. Kasteler had promised me!!!  She called Dr. Kasteler and told him the situation and he told her to have me walk for another hour.  I repeated my earlier routine :)  By this time, Mom and Dad had come to the hospital from their party expecting to meet their new grandson.  Instead, they got to watch me dance around the room in a hospital gown....almost as exciting as a baby :)  The nurse checked me an hour later and concluded that MAYBE I was at a 4+.  She called Dr. Kasteler and he told her, "Good enough for me!  Hook her up!".  Best news I've ever received.  I got hooked up to my drip, got my epidural (which made me light headed and sick until they could get my heart rate back up with some more drugs), and Dr. Kasteler arrived to break my water.  After getting a little shut eye (Nic slept on the couch bed), I could tell my contractions were getting harder and it was time to push!  Calvin was out after 2 pushes :)  He was kicking and screaming and just perfect.


Calvin Sellers Clark
12/21/2013 2:24am
7 lbs. 20 1/2"
Perfect

There is no better feeling than having a new baby placed on your chest.  It's completely surreal.  Calvin had the highest pitched, squeaky little yelp.  Melted my heart instantly.  I was able to nurse him right off the bat and just like my other babies, he did great.  We were quickly  moved into a different room and decided to get a little sleep :)

The visitors came the next day.  It was so fun to have my kids come meet their new brother.  Nixon was hesitant, and I think it was mostly because I was in a giant bed with a hospital gown on.  The kids went with Nic to give Calvin a bath (they watched from the window), and while they were gone I decided to get dressed and out of bed.  Nixon did MUCH better after that.  So interesting.  He didn't care for Calvin though.  After everyone got a chance to hold him, hang out, eat snacks and watch some TV on my bed, they went home.  We had a few other family members come over that day to swoon over the new babe.  Nic and I decided that night that we were bored of the hospital and planned to go home the next day... And we did!  We brought our baby home on Dec. 22 and the craziness began :)