The Story of Levi - Part Four (His birth)

It was Tuesday October 21st, 2008 and I was working at Green Mill that evening. I was hosting, it was slow and I noticed the stack of glasses was getting low at the drink station. This would usually be a busser's job to grab more racks of glasses but I was bored and decided to help out. As I'm walking over with the somewhat heavy drink rack my manager hollers at me "You shouldn't be doing that! It will make you go into labor!" I just laughed and told her I would be fine.

I slept like crap that night and woke up in a panic from a dream that I was having Levi. I was supposed to work that morning starting at 11am but I called in because I was so exhausted and was given the day off. I laid around ALL morning. At around 1:00pm I was laying on the couch watching Home Improvement. I felt a little trickle, thought nothing of it and decided to wait until the next commercial break to get up and go to the bathroom. When I stood up that little trickle started uncontrollably streaming down my leg. I started dashing to the bathroom and it hit me. My water is breaking. My. Water. Is. Breaking. Just like when I found out I was pregnant: I started sweating, my heart started racing, my hands were shaking. I had my phone in the pocket of my sweatpants and immediately called my mom at work.

Me: My water just broke!
Mom: Are you sure?
Me: It's gotta be! It won't stop coming out. I can't get up off the toilet because it's leaking so much.
Mom: I'll be home as soon as I can. Should I call Grandma and have her bring you to the hospital?
Me: No. I don't even have a bag packed! I'll throw some things together and wait for you by the door.

When we got to the Labor and Delivery floor of the hospital they decided to do a swab test to make sure that my water did break and it wasn't just me peeing myself (THAT would have been embarrassing). But, it was the real deal so they admitted me. I sent Aaron a text that I was going into labor. My Grandma was the first one to arrive. I was still comfortable at this point. Just nervous as hell. Before I knew it in walked Aaron. I was so glad he came. I had no idea how to act around him though. There was definitely tension and some awkwardness.

I was given pitocin almost as soon as I got set up in the room. They said they "had to" in order to get my contractions going because my water had broke. They're the professionals so I took their word for it and let them do their thing. After that the contractions came on strong. I instantly asked for an epidural. Everyone left the room but my Mom when they administered it. I'll never forget how horrible it felt to get a needle in my spine while forced to SIT STILL during a contraction. From here on out things are a blur. I remember though being in the bed, once the epidural had kicked in, with my mom, dad, Aaron and my Grandma and out of nowhere I felt drunk and started crying. I hated how out of control the drugs made me feel but then I would be crazy if I did it without them. Who would want to feel EVERYTHING?! Because I had an epidural they put a catheter in. The most uncomfortable feeling ever. But luckily it wasn't in long.

It was around 8pm and my mom had finally left my side to go get a bite to eat. Aaron and a couple of his friends were in the room with me along with a friends Mom and I started to feel really uncomfortable. Physically uncomfortable. I pushed the nurse button and told them to go find my Mom. The nurse came in and I told her the catheter was hurting and I wanted her to take it out. She went to check it and told me that's because I was ready to push. Catheter came out, doctor was called back to the hospital and the 20 people in the waiting room were put on alert because Levi was coming!

I pushed for about an hour. My mom on my left and Aaron on my right. A vacuum was used at the end because he was "sunny side up" (face up) which makes it more difficult. Once his head was out my Mom exclaimed "He's opening his eyes!" which was just the most overwhelming thought to me since he was still not completely born yet. One more push and he was out! They put him on my stomach for a second but he was just barely crying so they whisked him away after my Mom cut the cord. 

He had trouble using all of his lungs to breathe and had some fluid in his chest. They brought him to the NICU right away, did some X-Rays, and put a CPAP on his nose which pushed room air into his lungs to help him breathe and push the gunk out. Two hours after he was born me, Aaron and both of the Grandma's got to go see him. I put my finger to his hand and he wouldn’t let go! It was the most precious thing I’ve ever experienced! I finally got to hold him the next day at noon.

Levi was in the NICU for a total of 10 days. Aaron came up to the hospital to see him pretty much every day and even stayed the night with me once in the hospital. Luckily, I lived close because after I was discharged I drove up every 3 hours to breastfeed him. Even at night. It was the most exhausting 10 days of my life.

I was so happy that Aaron was around. I didn't care anymore about us getting back together. The most important thing was him being there as a Dad to Levi.


Levi Jacob was born on October 22nd, 2008 (35 weeks 6 days) at 9:22pm weighing 5lbs 13oz and was 19 1/4 inches long.