HMMM... Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

Since my last blog I have made some serious decisions that will change my life as I know it. My prayer is that they'll end up being the best decisions that I have made other than having my little tyke.

Decision #1: College
I have applied for college courses at Colorado Technical Institute online and start school July 3 this summer. I'm quite excited to be doing this because I will be studying Information Technology, for now the curriculum is general in this area because I don't know for sure if I want to be an over all qualified IT specialist or be trained in a specific area like software or hardware. The Army training that I have received for the past 3 years gave me experience in multiple areas mainly in the Automation area, i.e, computers, printers, copiers, scanners, hard drives, etc.  

Decision #2: Military Discharge
The main decision that kick started this whole thing was my decision to get out of the Army. I let my supervisor know of my decision and he started the paperwork that was required. They call it the Chapter 5-8; Chapter for Family Care Plan, meaning that since I have my daughter I have to put a plan into place so that if I deploy at short notice or have 24 hour duty, I have someone to take care of her so that I can "play soldier." I'm tired of getting beaten up as part of my occupational hazards and I don't want to miss out on any part of my daughter's life. I love her too much to do that to her, she's my life now and I have to act like it, and that for me is being there for her 24/7 and providing better for her. Yeah the military has wonderful benefits, only if it doesn't go above a certain dollar limit though then I have to pay for the rest that Tricare doesn't cover.

Of all the decisions that I have made in the last year and a half, the best two were being with my wonderful boyfriend who has been supportive the entire time and keeping my daughter. I don't know what I would be doing right now if it wasn't for her, motivating me to be better at being a mommy.

Labor & Delivery

The birth of my child was definitely an  experience that I would never want to give up. I count myself fortunate to be able to do what some women can't, to bring life into this crazy world. When I first saw my daughter my mind went blank, i couldn't think of anything else but that of her condition.

Was she healthy? Was she okay? Could she breath? Having all these questions running through out my mind was something that I never thought would happen when I saw her. Through out my pregnancy, I went to the doctor every month to see if she and I were okay and to find out that she was growing at the proper rate. Evidently, I had nothing to worry about, even though I got huge in my last trimester.

When it came time for the last appointment on the 16th of September I was excited to find out if I was close to giving birth. The doctor told me that my dilation had grown from 1 1/2 cm from the previous week to 3 cm that day. I was excited that she was almost here. Then 11:30 am rolls around and the contractions began their torment on my body. At first I believed them to be Braxton Hicks contractions, then later that day they became more intense but still at the same timing as when they had begun. 

Then Friday comes around and everything sped up. The contractions were spaces out at two hours apart. Then, at noon the contractions became more intense and 20 to 30 minutes apart. So, for that whole day, T.F. and I stayed in and talked to family while waiting for the moment that we would rush to the hospital for the rest of my labor and the delivery of our little girl.

After talking to our respective families for an hour, we started watching TV and tried relaxing, but then T.F. got tired so he went to bed around 6 p.m. I stayed up since I had slept through the night, so while I was watching TV I would feel the contractions become more intense and closer together. Then the "last" contraction comes at 10:50  p.m. and I go to get into position to relieve some of the labor pain and after I stand up I feel this kind of pop on the inside and right after the pop I get this sensation like I'm peeing myself, not the best, I know.

I then realized that my water had just broken and it was time for our arrival at the hospital. So I went to the bedroom to tell T.F. what had just happened since he had to drive (duh...) and when I finally woke him up and got him to understand what was happening, he shot out of bed like something had bitten him in the behind and ran to get dressed and everything into the car. Not me, silly me I change my shorts and underwear real quick, and being a female, I brush my hair and put it into a pony tail, then I get the rest of my hygiene products packed into the little bag I had. He comes into the bathroom and tries to rush me out the door and trying to remember if he'd forgotten anything in his "baby is coming frenzy." Which I am guessing is very normal for new dad's-to-be and I just take it into stride and smile tell him everything will be fine and accommodate him, especially since I had just got finished getting ready to go.

We get into the car, and I start to call family to tell them what has transpired and that we were headed to the hospital. Then I look at the time... EVERYONE'S STILL ASLEEP!!!! I forgot that being in Hawai'i we were 5 hours behind Central Standard Time! LOL, I couldn't believe my stupidity, or lack of straight thinking at that time. So, I called my NCO and told her what was going on and she told me to stay calm, breathe, and let her know when I would be close to giving birth, (I forgot to do that). On the way there T.F. would listen to me during my contractions and every time I had one, he'd go a little bit faster, thank the Lord that practically no one was on the " Hawaiian freeway."

Aiyana at 20 weeks

Then we get to the hospital, T.F. gets a wheelchair and takes me up to the Labor & Delivery Triage (which is on the 6th floor) and check in. Now, to even get into the military hospital, you have to show your I.D. to show that you are who you say you are, so on and so forth. We got to the front desk and I can't find my I.D. for some reason, I ask T.F. if he's seen it since we'd come through and low and behold, he carried it in his wallet. Again, my scattered brain took over. Before they can put me into an L&D room they have to check and see if I am dilated enough to even be emitted into the hospital under patient status. It took them half an hour to even get there and start the tests and I'm sitting there in this temporary room, having contractions every 5 minutes or less. I spent 10 minutes of that time alone because T.F. had to park the car instead of leaving it in front of the hospital.

When he gets back, I'm shaking like a leaf because I'm freezing and the doctor still has yet to show up to check my dilation procession. Finally, he and the nurse come in, he asks a whole bunch of questions and the nurse puts me on the baby monitor so that they can see the contractions' consistency and see if the baby was handling them well at all. She was a trooper, especially when I didn't know how to breathe properly. (I tried to take the Lamaze class but everything was booked till two months after I was going to give birth, and this was me calling in May before going to see family for two weeks). Any way, I kept telling the nurse that I couldn't take the pain any longer and asked for some kind of pain reducer. She told me that I'd be given an epidural soon enough... I got the epidural about half an hour later! This hospital is ridiculous and she could tell that I was in extreme pain and my blood pressure was dropping.   

Finally, they say that I am 5 to 6 cm dilated and they admit me to a room. Right after I embarrass myself by peeing on the floor, in front of everybody! I was absolutely horrified! But then when it happened, I was going through one of the toughest contractions of the entire duration of my labor. 

The Medicine works!!!

By now the contractions are one right after the other with only 30 to 45 seconds in between each one; I'm very close. So far, I can't take the pain any more and I'm practically begging for an epidural. About 5 minutes after getting into the bed, the anesthesiologist comes in and I was thanking God for his perfect timing. 10 minutes later, I'm pain free and no longer dizzy from having to struggle with my breathing and almost falling asleep.

The nurse that was assigned to my room later told me that day that she was rooting for me because I was going through my labor at home until my water broke and the from the time that I was admitted into the hospital, she said that I delivered faster than usual for a first timer. She was proud to be my nurse. I also have to admit, she was a great coach when T.F. either dropped the ball or was talking to family and relaying the progress of our delivery.

My Little Angelfish!

Well, 4:29 a.m. rolls around and after pushing for about two hours I hear this cry. To me it was the most beautiful sound in the entire world, that cry told me that Aiyana Marie Turner was perfectly fine and very healthy. Then the nurse tells me that she is born at 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and 19 inches long! The first thing that went through my mind was... WOW, how did that come out of me?!? Then I was relieved that she didn't have to go to the NICU, she would be able to stay with mommy and daddy!!! YAY!