Bryce is here!!

Bryce Owen Guthrie was born Thursday November 19th, 2009 at 10:18pm via c-section. He weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was a whopping 21 5/8 inches long!

First off here is my final belly shot taken around 7pm the evening before we went to the hospital, so a little over 27 hours before Bryce was born.

As I had posted earlier in the week we had scheduled an induction and arrived at the hospital as planned at 7:30am (actually a little before). The two evenings prior I had gotten acupuncture which targeted some points that would help labor. Who knows if it really helped, but I had dilated 2 cm when I first arrived. They started my IV after blowing the first vein they tried, then my Doctor broke my water around 8:50am. That its self was quite an experience. We soon learned that there was meconium in the amniotic fluid, which meant Bryce was possibly going to have it in his lungs so they said they would have neo-natal in standby, but I did not need to worry. Surprisingly I didn't at that moment.

Around 10am they had me start rocking with the aid of a birth ball because they suspected that he was face up because I was feeling my contractions in my lower back. I did that as long as I could, and I started to feel contraction pain in the front.

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As expected and intended my contractions got stronger and stronger. After being asked many times if I was ready for my epidural I finally caved and got it around 1pm, at that point I was dilated 4 cm and was 90% effaced. All I can say about the epidural is WOW! I can't imagine why anyone would turn that down. From that point labor was pretty effortless...but long. I was able to go back to smiling and visiting, and relaxing. I'm sure I even got a couple naps in. The picture below was taken around 2pm, and trust me before my epidural it was getting really hard to smile and visit.

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However, a couple hours with the epidural I was put on oxygen because Bryce wasn't as excited (based on his heart rate) as they would have liked him to be. My blood pressure also was really low, going as low at 90/44. After flipping from side to side we found my blood pressure was better and Bryce's heart rate activity was better on one side than the other.

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Here I am with the annoying oxygen mask, probably also getting a little bit of rest.

At some point they took me off the pitocin because I was having regular contractions (2 to 4 minutes apart) all on my own. Regardless I stalled at 5 cm for hours. Around 6pm they started me back on the pitocin. Slowly I dilated to a 6 then to a 7. Then around 9:30pm, while we were all watching the OSU/Colorado football game (that for some reason was being played on a Thursday night), the doctor came in and looked at the monitor and frowned and decided Bryce was going to be born via c-section.

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I was definitely upset because a c-section was the last thing I wanted, but the first thing I wanted was our baby to be born healthy and I was willing to do whatever that took. Of course I cried to myself even though everyone who was in the room when the announcement was made knew I was. Now that I look at the picture below, Nic may have been crying as well. From the moment they told us, Nic was absolutely wonderful holding my hand and stroking my face.

Here is Nic, prepared for my c-section.



Shortly after they took me away to get me prepped and medicated for the c-section. Then just before they began they went and got Nic and he held my hand until he began his role as daddy and Bryce became his responsibility.




After a long day that surprisingly went by really fast with my Mom, Nic's Mom, my Dad, Melissa, Kell, Nic's brother Brian, and Amanda sticking it out until the very end, our beautiful baby boy was born into this world.






We are very thankful for everyone that visited and helped the day go by.




Bryce just a couple minutes after taking his first breaths. Despite having to have the meconium vacuumed from his lungs, they worked perfectly. There is also a video at the bottom of the page.





Here he is weighing in at 7 pounds and 6.4 ounces.

He made really good use out of his lungs, I remember laying there while they were sewing me up and just smiling hearing him scream and scream. It's a reassuring sound, especially when there's nothing else you can do.






His Mamo and Uncle Brian watching and waiting.



Right from the beginning he was very bright-eyed and alert.






When I was laying in the operating room, Nic briefly brought him in and showed him to me. Below is the first time I got to really study him and of course hold him over an hour after he was born.

He was soon out of my hands so I could rest and recover and quickly met everyone. Here he with his his Granny.

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Here Bryce is with his Mamo.

With his aunt Melissa.

With his Aunt Amanda.

It was worth all the wait and all of the work.

The first night wasn't too bad. I couldn't get out of bed for 12 hours after my c-section, so Nic was the one who had to get up and hand him to me. He was really great. Of course I still had to wake up and nurse him.

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Friday was the day for visitors. One of our early visitors was our friend Trisha. It was easy for her to come see us because she worked in the hospital. Here she is helping Nic change Bryce's diaper.

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All of our visitors for Friday were: Nic's dad, my Mom, Melissa, Audrey, Amanda P, Trisha, Joey, Melanie, Kristi, Carolyn, Amanda A, Ashley & Cambrey, my cousin Angela, my Grandpapy, my cousin Evan and his wife Channing, our friends Jesse and Amy with their daughters Jacy and Ally, our sister-in-law Wendi, Nic's Grandpa, Bryan & Frankie, and Steve.


Me and our baby boy.

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The video taken minutes after his birth.