Brody Vance Fitzgerald

Here's the birth story for our sweet little Brody, or you can just skip down to the pictures! 

Last pregnant picture. 38 weeks and 2 days. 

Friday, January 10th I had my 38 week doctor's appointment where we found out I was dilated to a 3 and likely to go into labor that weekend. That news put me in the best mood. I was so excited to meet Brody. I went to the gym and walked on the treadmill for about and hour to see if I could get things going. It was a painful walk, but no luck with getting labor started. I was a little disappointed later that night when I was still pregnant, but I figured we might as well do something fun to pass the time. We got a sitter for Boston, and decided to go see Saving Mr. Banks. 

About an hour into the movie I was in a lot of pain. I was having contractions, but I didn't want to make my mom and Scott miss the end of the movie, even though I knew they wouldn't care. When the movie was almost over I looked at Scott and told him to walk really fast to get the car and we'd meet him at the curb. When I was in labor with Boston, I had already gotten an epidural before I was in as much pain as I was by the end of that movie. I thought that meant I must be dilated past a 5 since I was dilated to a 5 when I got my epidural with Boston. We hurried back to the house, dropped my mom off, took the babysitter home, and went to the hospital. When we got to the hospital I was still only dilated to a 3. I couldn't believe all those painful contractions hadn't dilated me further. They hooked me up to the monitors and said if I dilated to a 4 in the next 2 hours they would keep me there. I was already to the pain point where I wanted an epidural (I was to that point at the movies), but I couldn't get it until they were sure I was in labor. After two hours they checked me again and I had dilated to a 4. Yay, I was staying! My contractions were so much more painful this time than they were with Boston, so I asked for my epidural right after they told me I was staying.

Getting an epidural scares me, but not as much as having a baby without pain medicine! While the anesthesiologist was giving me my epidural, I was holding Scott's hands and trying not to think about the huge needles they were sticking in my back, or all the horror stories I've heard about epidurals. Suddenly Scott got really dizzy and his face went really pale, so the nurse told him to go sit down. On his way to the couch he had to catch himself on the table because he almost fainted. He had no idea why because he wasn't nervous and he wasn't even watching the anesthesiologist put the needle in. We figured it must have been because his knees were locked while he was holding my hands. Now we have a classic husband almost fainted story. :) It just added to the excitement of having a baby.

The anesthesiologist couldn't get the epidural positioned right so that it would numb the pain of the contractions, but the contractions did get less intense, so that would have to be good enough. After a few hours I noticed my legs were getting really numb. One of my biggest fears about getting an epidural is not being able to feel or lift my legs. I told the nurse I  didn't like how numb my legs were and asked if we could turn the epidural down. She strongly discouraged that because she said it was really hard to play catch up once you turned it down. She knew that when it was time to deliver, I would prefer dead legs over the pain I would feel if I turned it down. I very hesitantly agreed with her for a little while, but I couldn't stop thinking about the stories I had heard about people not being able to move their legs for months after their epidural and needing physical therapy, and I've even heard stories about girls never being able to move their legs again. I know it's not likely, but I was still scaring myself over those stories. I decided I couldn't stand how numb my legs were so I asked again for the epidural to be turned down. The anesthesiologist came back in and  turned my epidural down from a 10 to a 2. I'm not sure why he turned it down so much, but let's just say the nurse was right. I shouldn't have turned it down. I sat there anxiously waiting to get more feeling back in my legs, but it never happened. The only place I got more feeling was right where the contractions were happening. 

We had gotten to the hospital at 11:00PM Friday night, and I was only dilated to a 5 Saturday morning around 8:00AM. Despite all the contractions, I wasn't dilating very much because my water needed to be broken.  There were no doctors at the hospital because it was Saturday, so all I could do was wait for my doctor to arrive and break my water. I was told she would be there in about an hour, and then I was told the same thing about an hour later. I was so miserable and in pain, I couldn't hold the tears back anymore when she still wasn't there two hours after they first told me an hour. 

About 30 minutes later I let out a huge sigh of relief when I saw my doctor walk through the door at 10:36AM. She broke my water, and then the serious contractions started. I experienced a new level of pain I never knew existed. When I was almost at a 10 I asked if I could just have a C-section, something I never would have asked if I had been thinking clearly, but I had a one track mind at the moment and that was, "get him out."  In fact, I said that several times. By that point the epidural was not working at all where my contractions were, but my legs were still as dead as could be. Once my water was broken, I dilated from a 5 to a 10 and pushed him out in less than an hour. Scott and the nurse were telling me, "There he is! He's almost here!" And the doctor was saying, "Wait for me!" while she hurriedly put her gloves on. What a blessing it was that he came so quickly and that I only had to push about 3 or 4 times before he was here. Although much more painful than I was prepared for, it was a much smoother delivery than Boston's, and the recovery has been easier as well. 

At 11:26AM we finally met our little piece of heaven. 

He weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 20" long. 

Sweetest relief I've ever felt. 

I love my doctor. She gave us her cell phone number because she wasn't on call that weekend and she wanted to make sure she was there when I delivered. I also had an awesome nurse, Bonnie. Turns out she's Mormon and knows a bunch of my friends. After what she's seen of me though, I wouldn't mind if we never crossed paths again. :) 

I'm grateful to Dr. Allsup for helping us get pregnant, stay pregnant, and deliver a healthy baby. :)

Boston was adorable when I called him to tell him he could come meet his baby brother. He was so excited his brother was finally here, and made sure to tell me he was wearing his big brother shirt and that he and Grandma had cleaned the house while they were waiting. 

Boston is a very proud big brother and adores Brody. 

Thanks to Brody for trying to come early because it was so nice having my mom here! 

I loved my time in the hospital with Brody to cuddle and bond. He was so calm and heavenly. I know most people say they hate the hospital, but I thought it was so peaceful and relaxing. I was able to have time alone with Brody because Scott and my mom went to Stake Conference Saturday evening to hear Elder Bednar speak, and then they went to hear him again on Sunday. 

There was one special moment in the hospital when I was holding Brody and realized that the hard and disappointing times of trying to get pregnant, feeling sick the entire time I was pregnant, and the unexpected pain of his delivery didn't matter one bit anymore. They were completely replaced by the little angel in my arms, and I would do it all over again in a second. It was a pretty amazing feeling. I love that memory.

The first picture of my 3 boys. Precious. 

I felt good enough to stay the night at the hospital by myself Saturday night, so Scott, my mom, and Boston came to visit Sunday morning before Stake Conference. 

Brody has 6 aunts! I think he's going to be my chubby baby. I love his cheeks in this picture. 

Trying to console him after his first bath. He hated it, and every bath since. 

First time with his binky. He likes to have it every once in awhile.

One of Scott's favorite memories from the hospital was Sunday afternoon when he got to nap and watch football with Brody while Boston napped at home with my mom. 

I would have gladly stayed another night in the hospital because like I said earlier, I'm weird and actually enjoy my postpartum hospital stays. I stayed 2 nights with Boston, but this time we were sent home after 24 hours since we were both doing well. 

Boston was so excited when his little brother came home. When he was holding him he whispered, "Your big brother's here." He's been so sweet with him. I keep waiting to see some signs of jealousy, but so far he just thinks Brody is the cutest thing and loves to hold him. 

We couldn't be happier with the new addition to our family! We're in heaven!