Varrin on Edison

Name - 
Edison Micah Swearingen

Birth date and Time - 
January 9, 2001, 10:12 a.m. pacific time 

Weight - 
6 pounds, 9.8 ounces

Length - 
20 inches
 

Edi and I began planning for Edison's arrival long before he was conceived.  All of our planning and preparation began to pay off when we got up early on Tuesday morning, January 9, 2001 to head to Clovis Community Hospital.

We woke up on our own shortly after 4:00 a.m., somewhat before our alarm clock, for our 6:00 a.m. appointment at CCH to be induced.  We weren't anxious were we?  We arrived at the hospital just after 6:00 a.m., after having a bit of car trouble, to find that Beckie (our 2nd coach) and Dr. Peters were already there.  They weren't anxious were they?  We were admitted and got up to the room by around 6:30. 

The first big event was the first internal exam and having Edi's water broken.  Dr. Peters informed us that Edi was already dialated to 4cm and 100% effaced.  She had been at 3cm for at least a week and a half already.  While he was working down below, he broke her water.  Sploosh!  Edi was very nervous about this but it turned out to be a non-event.

Then the morning nurse, Lynn, got her IV fluids started and around 6:45 the Pitocin (a drug that induces labor) was started.  Lynn went off duty shortly thereafter and turned things over to Vikki.  She was with us for the rest of the rather brief time in the delivery room.  At 7:40 Vikki came in to ask Edi all of the kinds of questions that you get asked in the hospital (history, etc.).  The contractions were already coming and by 8:00 they were regular and powerful enough that Edi asked for an Epidural.  The Pitocin really made the contractions come on quick and strong.

While Vikki was finishing up the questions, the paperwork was being done and the Nurse Anesthetist being summoned for the Epidural.  Ingrid came at 8:30 and Edi got another exam.  She was already at 6cm and the nurse commented on how low Edison was already.  Unfortunately the Epidural wasn't as easy to do as we had imagined.  Not only was there precious little time to work between contractions, but the Nurse Anesthetist had to make 3 attempts at it to get a good one in. 

Due to the contractions, multiple attempts to get the Epidural in, and a few contractions that Edi just wanted to sit through before laying down, it was 9:10 before she was back laying down in bed.  Vikki then did another internal exam because she thought there was probably some progress while Edi was sitting up for the Epidural.  When she was done she asked, "How would you like to have this baby right now?"  Sure enough, Edi had gone from 6cm to 10cm in less than 45 minutes!

Vikki called the nurses station to get Dr. Peters on his way and started working with Edi during the pushes.  After only a push or two, Edison's head began to be visible.  It took longer than expected for Dr. Peters to arrive and because of such rapid progress Edi had to hold off just a little bit with some of the pushes.  Dr. Peters finally arrived just before 10:00 and asked how things were going.  He had a look of slight disbelief as he said "I guess I better change my clothes."

Dr. Peters made it back in time to work through the pushing through two complete contractions.  At 10:12, Edison was born, happy, healthy, and handsome.  Despite previous objections, I cut the cord.  It wasn't so bad.  The nurses left Edison with us for a few minutes before taking him aside for a bath and a few tests.  His APGAR scores were 9/9 (at one minute and five minutes, out of a possible 10) and after they got him cleaned up we could definitely tell just how cute he was.

Also present for our experience was Beckie Simko.  She was our second coach.  Because I wasn't 100% sure I would make it to the birth (ahh the life of commuting to work) we had Beckie lined up to be a 2nd and backup primary coach for Edi.  Here she is with her husband Dave holding Edison.  Also, Gloria Miller, Edi's step mom made it just in time to be there when Edison was born.  She stood by Edi, encouraging her through the pushing and helped out here and there when Beckie and I had our hands full.  Looking back, I can't imagine having done it without them.  Thanks to both Beckie and Gloria!

We also had my parents visit us in the delivery room donning surgical masks, though they weren't there during the birth.  They were both sick, my dad more so with laryngitis, so they didn't stay too long.  After my parents and Dave left, and after the delivery room tests and what not were done, Team Swearingen was moved to a post partum room.

We arrived at the post partum room, a semi-private room (we wound up with a roommate a few hours later), and got settled in around 2:00 p.m.  It was a full moon and, thus, a full house in both labor and delivery, and post partum.  We finally made contact with the lactation consultant, Marilyn, and Edi gave Edison his first meal.

Later that evening we had a couple of SUGAR Cubes visit us.  Jan Weston stopped by first around 5:00 p.m. and then Janet Mendoza (Tia) stopped by a little later on in the evening.  They both really enjoyed holding Edison on his first day of life.

After our visitors were gone we were finally able to move towards bed.  As I presume is commonly the case, we didn't have a nice, full, restful night of sleep.  The whole time we were in the hospital, Edison was very calm, quiet, and collected.  He cried a total of maybe 20 minutes the whole time we were there.  We did, nevertheless, have a roommate (her baby was rather quiet too) and any time we heard a peep we were wide awake. 

Between feedings, nurse visits, and just staring at the little guy, we got a couple of hours of sleep.  In the morning our first visit was from Dr. Peters.  We caught him on camera enjoying Edison.  Shortly thereafter, a nurse came in to ask if we would mind being subjects for a Fresno City College nursing class.  We happily volunteered.  Edi and Edison received assessments from the nurse / teacher while the class watched.  It was educational for all of us.

While the class was present, Dr. Insco, Edison's pediatrician, showed up.  He talked some to the class while he thoroughly checked Edison over in the room.  The class left and and we then went to have Edison circumcised.  Dr. Insco performed the procedure and, again in spite of my prior objections, I went with him and watched.  Believe it or not, Edison was only fussy while he was being strapped down.  He practically slept through the rest of the procedure.

Amidst all of this commotion, I happened to notice that we had a nice sunrise in the making that morning.  I remember my sister-in-law Amy mentioning that some of their favorite pictures are those of the sunrise on the day Garrett was born.  We though about taking pictures the morning of the 9th but there wasn't much to see (it was raining).  The morning of the 10th, though, the sun rose over the Sierra Nevada Mountains beneath a high cloud layer.   Though he didn't get to see it in person, this was Edison's first sunrise.

Jeannee Lovelace from the Northwest Church Spirit Choir stopped by in the morning to visit.  Before lunch, our friend Anna Marie also stopped by to visit.  While she was there, a very nice meal was brought in for Edi and I.  It was a Celebratory Dinner for Two on behalf of the hospital to congratulate us on our newborn.  It was a fantastic steak dinner with all the fixins (the cheese cake was great!).

Beginning shortly after delivery we thought we would likely go home the next day, January 10.  In the morning when Dr. Peters and Dr. Insco were there, we coordinated our release and after lunch we got ready to go.  We came home with Edison less than 36 hours after waking up the previous day at home before he was born.  I can't imagine things going any more smoothly.

Here are a few pictures of Edison with mommy and daddy taken on the 10th and 11th.  The last picture is of Edison having his first bath at home.

Thanks for stopping by.  We'll post more baby pics when we have them!

V- (for V, E & e)
 
 
 

Copyright © 1997 - 2001, Varrin Swearingen