Dayton Spencer Bird was born January 7, 2010 at 10:23 a.m. Weighing 6 lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long. He has beautiful curly dark brown hair and we will have to wait and see what color of eyes he really has. I have a pretty long story about his arrival that is included after these fun pictures. He is a miracle and he has brought us so much joy and love.
I had just been to the doctor on Monday the 5th and he had checked me and said that I was a 4 with no thinning. We continued with our errands after the Dr. visit and I didn't feel good at all after he had checked me. I opted not to do all the things that I had planned to do in Pocatello. We went to lunch at Chili's and went to Wal-Mart for a few things because Blaine was headed to go trucking the next day from Mudlake to Malta. We had planned for me to stay at Mom and Dad's so I was not alone and just incase I went into labor. I insisted on us taking hospital bags just in case. I also had the diaper bag packed and ready for the hospital. The next day on the 6th Blaine and I left the house at 5:00 am and headed in the semi to Mudlake. I was still feeling kind of yucky so I got in the semi and slept in the bed. We got to Mudlake at about 8:00 am and I continued to sleep. We got to Idaho Falls around 10:30 am and Mom picked me up at the Dad's truck stop while Blaine left to deliver the load of hay to Malta. He was going to be gone from Wednesday to Friday where Mom was going take me back to Idaho Falls where Blaine was going to pick me up in the same place...that was the plan...Mom and I we shopping and found some really good deals at Macey's. I found the blessing outfit along with a bunch of other clothes. We went and ate Chinese then we left to go to St. Anthony to talk to Hathaway's about our home plans. Then Mom and I went to Teton to get fabric. We got home just after 6:00 pm and then watched a movie. I went to bed just after 11:00pm. I told Blaine to call me when he got back to Mudlake just before he went to bed. He called me after 1:00 am.
I was sleeping so sound and wonderful when I was suddenly startled awake with a small pop and wet I couldn't control. I thought I had wet my pants (because being 9 months pregnant that some times happens) It was about 6:45 am when I was awakened. I jumped out of bed just incase my water broke I didn't want it to go all over the bed. I went to the bathroom and was nervous because I didn't have and more come. I thought I would wake Mom just in case it was my water. I went down stairs and said, "Mom I think my water just broke but I am not sure". It was about 7:00am when I told Mom. I went back up stairs and called Blaine. I told him "Do you want to be a daddy today" then I told him I thought my water broke but I was not sure and I didn't think we should call everyone to worry because maybe I only wet my pants and then I would be embarrassed to call them all back and say that I wet my pants. I felt fine and thought that if it was my water the pain would have already started. I went back down stairs and talked to Mom. We went into the office to look up the Pocatello hospital number. Dad brought my phone in and said that if I should tell my husband my water broke I should keep my phone with me, because I had already missed one of his calls. I called him back and He wanted to know if I was in labor and I said I am not sure and then I felt the pain and said yes this is different. I told him I wanted to shower before I left because the Dr. told me that a first labor would take between 12 to 36 hours so I wasn't worried. Blaine said you better leave and get to Pocatello now. I said no I want to shower and then we will leave. He didn't like that idea but I told him I wanted to.
I had tested positive for Strep B a few weeks earlier and they told me that I needed to have two doses of antibiotic before I delivered the baby. I thought ok with 12 to 36 hours to go I would surely get the medication but I wanted to be clean to meet my new baby. I went up stairs again and got in the shower. I wanted to shave and have clean hair. While I was in the shower I got a big contraction and decided I would shave between contractions. I got out and dressed and then another contraction came. I then had to hold on to the counter to brace myself. I decided to only put gel in my hair and let it air dry and I would do my makeup in the car. I got my bags packed and took them down stairs after the pain let up a little. Dad scolded me for talking my bags down when I was in labor but I thought it would just make things go faster so we could get on the rode. Mom and Dad were hilarious because they were in a rush and were frantic racing around getting things ready. I just kept thinking hurry we have a long way to go to Pocatello. Mom and I got in the car and I was in a good amount of pain. I didn't even feel good enough to put my makeup on by then. As we drove mom was on the phone making contact with the hospital in Pocatello. I was determined to make it there because my Dr. was there. We were about to Ucon when I got a call from Melanie and I didn't really want to talk on the phone but I answered anyway. She told me that she thought if I couldn't make it to Pocatello then I should stop and go to Idaho Falls and have Glenn Leavitt deliver. (Glenn is Blaine's Uncle Dirk's Brother.) Just after I got off the phone with her, Mom told me I needed to count the time between contractions I remember the clock reading 8:33am. I told her I didn't know how to count them, she said from start to start. I told her there wasn't really any ease or lift from contraction to contraction it was kind of constant pain. Mom was on the phone talking between Idaho Falls hospital and Pocatello hospital. She had me talk to a lady at the Pocatello hospital and she told me that it is better for me to stop at the nearest hospital because it would be terrible that deliver a baby in the car. Somewhere in there Mom also called Dad and told him he needed to get in the car and call Blaine and arrange how and where to pick him up and get him to the hospital.
We approached the Hitt road exit and Mom said do we get off or keep going. I said I don't know Mom you decide. Then she said I don’t know and then I said yes lets get off. Blaine called and I answered and I can't remember the conversation but I told him that I just didn't want to talk on the phone any more. By then Mom said she got worried because I never snap at Blaine and then she recognized it as transition. I told her I felt bad for getting after Blaine. She said I was entitled to say anything I wanted to because I was in labor. I called Blaine back and told him I was sorry and that I loved him and that Mom said I was in the second stage of labor that’s why I was acting the way I was. I told Mom that I felt a lot of pressure and that I thought I needed to go to the bathroom. By then she really got nervous but hid it from me. Mom got back on the phone and talked to Pocatello and had them fax my information to Idaho Falls Hospital. She called Idaho Falls hospital to tell them we were on our way and to see if we could request a Dr. this short of notice. They said yes, which Dr? She told them Dr. Leavitt and they said well he is already on call. I really relaxed when I heard that because I knew I would be in good hands.
Hitt road was extremely bumpy and icy and I felt every bounce of the car. We got to the intersection at Hitt road and 17th street and the light was red. It turned green and the volts-wagon bus that was in front of us sputtered and nearly stopped in the negative 20-degree weather. We were in the left hand lane and Mom was hollering saying don’t stop because we couldn’t slide into the right hand lane due to the early morning traffic. We pulled into the emergency entrance and Mom jumped out to get me a wheel chair. I got in the wheel chair and by the time I was in the door they had a bed for me to get on. I was in a lot of pain and the ride on the bed was a long one down many halls. I had my eyes closed the entire time and keep thinking the man pushing me should not be asking me questions I didn’t want to answer, such as; what I was having and what my baby’s name was and other stuff like that. They wheeled me into the delivery room and by that time Mom had parked the car and came in shortly. The time on the clock was 8:45am. I dressed in a gown and they immediately checked me. Mom said what is she? They said a 6 and fully thinned. She called dad and told him to hurry and get Blaine there.
I remember lots of questions and I was just not wanting to think about my birth date, my weight, medications I was allergic to, etc. but Mom was fabulous help and answered the questions for me while she was giving me encouragement and being my labor coach and talking to people on the phone. My mouth was so dry and they didn’t do anything about it because they had to finish my paper work and other things. The nurse finally brought me some ice and she was cute and said she put a little bit of strawberry syrup on it. Once I got some ice, my mouth was much better. I don’t remember much that happened through this point. I wanted an epidural and I insisted on getting one. Mom and the nurse both told me that I was complete and that I made it through the worst part and that I was nearly done. I got an epidural anyway at about 9:45 a.m. My entire right side went numb but I could still feel everything in my left side. The Dr. walked in after the epidural and I felt at ease. He gowned up and they pulled out the stur-ups. He told me to start pushing. I told him I was scared and that Blaine wasn’t there yet. He said it would be ok to take a few practice pushes. Mom went to the door and I heard here say oh good Blaine is here. He walked in at about 10:10 a.m. and the look on his face was just priceless. I think he was in slight shock when he saw that I was completely ready and pushing. The Dr. asked if Blaine wanted to gown up and help deliver but he shook his head and said no. I was so relieved to have him right there. He gave me a big kiss and then they said ok now bear down and push. I looked up and saw 5 or so people looking at me and I thought I have never had to go to the bathroom with 5 people watching me. That is exactly what it is like having to push a baby out. There were 4 more contractions and Dayton was here. He wasn’t crying and I was nervous and then the Dr. suctioned out his mouth and then I heard him cry. He was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. Blaine cut the cord. He was born at 10: 23 a.m. (Blaine barely made it!) He weighed 6 lbs 15 oz and was 20 inches long with curly dark hair.
I had been tested for Strep B a few weeks ago and they told me that I would have to have at least 2 doses of antibiotics before he was born. The reason is because the Strep B it could be really dangerous for him coming through the birthing canal and the medication had to be there 4 hours before he was born. The Strep B was not harmful to me but they said it could be extremely dangerous and even fatal to newborns. Considering I only had 1 dose of medication and from start to finish I was only in labor for nearly 3½ hours, they had to do more testing. He went straight to the Newborn Intensive Care because of the lack of medication and they had to wait and see if the placenta tested positive for the Strep B. The test for the placenta came back positive the next day. With that they said he needed to stay in the NICU for 7 to 10 days for the antibiotics. We stayed in the hospital for a week. I had to go down to the NICU to feed him every 3 to 4 hours. He was born on a Thursday and Blaine had to go back to work and he had to leave on Monday night so I stayed from Monday night to Thursday by my self, well I only had to be by my self at night. Yes, it was difficult to have to stay in the hospital for a week but I kept thinking it could be worse.
We are so grateful for the countless blessings we have received in his behalf. We are very excited to have the opportunity to be Dayton’s parents and to enter this fun new chapter of our lives. Thanks to everyone and their love and support and help in this new journey we are entering!
