My little Levi, your birth story was pretty magical. We were getting induced Thursday, June 9th at 12:30am! June 8th is your sister's birthday so we spent the day filled with anticipation and excitement while simultaneously celebrating her. This was truly the best day of multitasking that I've ever had. Mimi took both Ella and Jojo to go see a movie and then we enjoyed pizza and cake when they got back. Jennifer and Andy even came by with balloons and presents. Mimi stayed to spend the night and we attempted to get everyone in bed by 7:30pm so that we could get 4 hours of sleep before we called the hospital to make sure they had a room for us.
Just before midnight we called Hoag and they were ready for our 12:30am arrival. Daddy and I were so excited and ready to meet you, we could hardly stand it. We sprang into the car and listened to our favorite tunes while driving on an empty PCH (both of which are rare)! It was blissful :) Daddy dropped me off in the empty valet area so I could get checked in. When I walked up, the nurses were all ready for me and informed me that I was the only induction that was not canceled (my doctor had put me down as high risk for an unstable lie since you kept moving). I felt really lucky to have gotten in when I did. That being said, it was almost another two hours before they even started my IV. The labor and delivery floor was absolutely packed. At 2:10am, the nurse finally came in and got me all hooked up to the machines. At first I was only getting sugar water and had to urinate every half hour so it was super annoying to have to drag the IV into the bathroom with me every time I needed to go. At 3:15am, they started the pitocin and I began to get really excited! For the next 3 hours though it felt like nothing was happening. Luke had fallen asleep on the couch in the room and I sat just playing on my phone and talking with the nurse as she routinely checked the monitors and increased the pitocin levels. Finally, at 6:45am, my own doctor came back in the room and broke my water. At that point I hadn't progressed much (I came in at 2cm dilated) and she thought that this would really move things along. Shortly after that, they offered to call the anesthesiologist to get my epidural. I hadn't really even labored at all so I felt so lucky to get it this early on. At about 8:15am my Dad came to visit and kept us company before he had to go to work. By 9:00am my mom had switched places with our nanny, Gisela, and had come to the hospital as well. As we chatted for a while, I realized that they hadn't come to check me in forever. The gal that was in the room next to me had been rushed to the OR because her cord had prolapsed so I knew that the staff was assisting with that. Meanwhile, they were starting to take labor patients to deliver in triage because they had run out of room.
An hour or so later my little sister Sarah had joined us. Up until this point, I had hardly felt any contractions, they were coming and going but because of the epidural I could hardly feel them. Then, around 10am, my mom said my whole demeanor changed and I felt like I was feeling way more than I should be. The anesthesiologist came back in and increased my epidural. I demanded that Luke grab a nurse and when he finally got her in the room, she checked me and I was 10cm dilated and fully effaced. I told her I needed to push and she insisted we wait for the doctor who was in her office across the street. She turned off the pitocin to slow things down but I honestly felt like your head was coming out. She kept telling me it wasn't, but I didn't believe her. I asked her if we could deliver without the doctor and she joked that there would be too much paperwork :) When my doctor entered the room, she was sweating and panting and had literally run from her office (had to give her credit for making it)! My legs were already in the stirrups and we were ready to rock and roll. I expected to have you out in one set of pushes like Elise and was super surprised after the first set to hear the doctor say that you were sunny side up. She was attempting to move you with her hands as I pushed and explained that this was going to make getting you out a little bit more difficult but that we could do it. It took just under twenty minutes of pushing but, during the last set, both the nurse and the doctor kept saying, "You got this, this is it!" It was amazing!! You get such a high from everyone's encouragement. That moment in time when they pulled you out and layed you on my chest was nothing short of breathtaking. As your shoulders emerged, Dr. Flora kept saying, "Look at your baby, look at your baby, here he is!" Truly life's most priceless moment (for me anyway)! I wish I could feel that way forever :) Levi Stone, you entered the world at 10:51am weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces and were 20.5 inches long. Everyone in the room kept commenting on how beautiful you were and we all just wanted to smother you with kisses.
We didn't change rooms until the late afternoon. The postpartum floor was completely full so we were placed in one of the rooms on the NICU floor. Family and close friends were in and out until dusk and it was just magical having them all hold and adore you. Right as Daddy was picking up your sisters to bring them to meet you, the nurses told me that they wanted to take you to the NICU (just since we were on that floor anyway) for about an hour to monitor your breathing since you had swallowed so much fluid. I would normally have gone into panic mode but Manuela, who is an OB, happened to be with me at that exact moment and was able to calm my nerves. Your sisters waited anxiously for what seemed like forever, but they finally brought you in to meet the rest of our family. Ella and Elise were smiling ear to ear and fell in love with you instantaneously. You are the absolute perfect addition to our family and we are overjoyed that we get to spend the rest of our lives with you. I'm so blessed to be your mommy and I will never take it for granted. You are my absolute dream come true. I've always wanted a son and it meeting you was more magical than I ever could've imagined. I love you with all of my being sweet boy!!
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