In the beginning

As I have mentioned before, this blog is for family and friends that are out of state to keep up on what is going on in Cael's life, but will also serve as a baby book of sorts for Cael as he gets older (and mom and dad too)! I felt that it was pertinent to include a post beginning with where it all started..... birth!
My due date was 11/11/07 and by 11/1, I was ready for the little guy to be born. Both Ryan and I struggled with the concept of inducing as both of us wanted the to experience everything: labor pains at work, water breaking, the call to Ryan saying 'this is it', but it appeared as though that would NEVER happen. Our OB was perfectly fine with inducing given that the placenta had started to calcify and I was a week within my due date. Something stopped us and we pushed the date back several times hoping for it to happen naturally. Finally, I was ready and we scheduled an induction for 11/14 (Wednesday). We alerted Ed, Barb and my mom and they planned the trip out here arriving the night of the 14th (induction was scheduled for 8:00 Wednesday night). We went out to dinner at PF Changs and the whole time my back was KILLING me. My mom suggested it might be labor and we began timing the 'contractions'. They were approximately 10-15 minutes apart and I really didn't think anything of it. Who ever heard of labor pains in the back?? We arrived at the hospital, they hooked me up to all the machines where we were then informed that they could not administer Cytotec because I was in labor.The nurse suggested we get some rest (HA, yeah right) and that she would be in periodically to check on me through out the night. I had read several books that suggested you hold off as long as possible before getting the epidural, but by 2:00 am I was ready. They administered the medication and I STILL couldn't sleep. At around 4:00 am, my water broke and the nurse informed us she was anticipating the birth to happen around 9-12 on the 15th. I labored all day with the WORST back pain and was told by my OB that Cael was head down, but face up (they prefer the babies to be face down). They would increase the levels of Pitocin (to speed up contractions) only to have Cael's heartbeat slow (I was not the only one laboring - our little guy gave it his all trying to get down the birth canal). By mid afternoon much to my dismay, Dr. Giuffre started talking about a c-section. She said she would give me one more hour (I was dilated at 9 cm) and if I hadn't dilated to 10 cm, she was recommending c-section. I was disappointed, confused, frustrated.... a whole gamut of emotions. This was NOT how it was supposed to go (my first lesson in letting go)! Ryan and I finally decided that although this was not how we had pictured things, it was what was best for the baby (and mommy too as I was EXHAUSTED). It was actually a relief when Dr. Giuffre came into and told me I had not progressed to 10 cm and she was going to schedule me for a c-section. Keeping in mind I have now been in bed for almost 24 hours straight with no food and NO water! I was almost hallucinating about having a drink of water I was so thirsty (chinese was NOT a good idea for dinner). The entire day, I had been struggling with the epidural, it had numbed my left side completely, but I was able to feel mild contractions on my right side. The scary part was laying on the exam table waiting to proceed with the c-section and the anestethiologist was asking me if I could still feel anything from my ribs down. THANKFULLY I couldn't by that time. Ryan watched the whole surgery and I have yet to ask him for the gory details. Cael Ryan Zikas was born at 6:52 pm weighing 7 lbs 9 oz and was 22 inches long. He had the biggest cone head from hours spent trying to get down the canal and I remember one of my first thoughts being that he looked Hispanic (he had VERY dark hair and was jaundiced). I also remembering wanting NOTHING to do with him at the time because I was so tired and worn out. I spent four nights in the hospital trying to master the art of nursing (Cael had a short frenulum and from the very beginning was a big eater, which lead to problems with nursing). We left the hospital on Monday November 19th and it was the most BEAUTIFUL day!!! And the rest as they say is history....