Daniel’s Birth Story

On Sunday, April 17, at 5:12 a.m., we welcomed Daniel Keith Ripplinger into the world.  The story goes something like this…

My c-section was scheduled for April 21.  If you read my previous posts, you know that I was very happy with this day.  Tax season was over, it wasn’t too close to my due date…just a perfect day.

Well, Daniel had other plans.  I started having contractions on Saturday afternoon, around 2 p.m.  I had been having contractions on and off over the past week, so it wasn’t anything surprising or concerning.  I figured they would follow the same pattern as they had all week – contract here and there, or even somewhat consistently for a couple hours, and then stop.  After a couple of hours, the contractions were still going, and they were getting closer, and they were getting stronger.  Hmmm…I’m sure they’re going to stop.  I did this for weeks before Caleb was born, and the contractions always stopped, and they never caused any progress toward birth.  I’m sure this is what’s happening.

I tried to just chill out, which happened to work quite nicely.  Jared was supposed to be at work, but was home because there was nothing more he could do at work, since the server was down.  (tender mercy for sure!)  He was planning on going back in during the evening after the server came back up.  We ran to get dinner and a few groceries around 5 p.m., at which point I was starting to feel sort of miserable.  I didn’t eat any dinner – I didn’t feel like eating, and I knew that if I was going to need a c-section, I couldn’t have any food.  Jared wouldn’t let me go in for groceries – he’s such a good, wise man!  When we got home, we sent the kids down to watch a movie, I got serious timing contractions, and Jared ran around gathering things for the hospital…just in case.

Jared got the kids put to bed around 8 p.m., and then wondered if I was OK enough for him to run to work for an hour.  I wasn’t sure, but thought it would be OK, since he was so close, and it was only an hour.  I changed my mind after he’d been there for 15 minutes!  So Stacie came and sat with the kids, and we ran up to the hospital, just to check. 

I was only at 1 cm, so the plan was to fill me up with fluids over 2 hours and see if that would get rid of the contractions and keep me from progressing.  If so, I would go home.  If not, I would be on my way to SLC in the helicopter!  YIKES!!  That part didn’t sound so fun.  After 2 hours, I had progressed another cm, so my doctor said I was on my way to SLC, but in an ambulance instead of the helicopter. (another tender mercy)  That was THE BUMPIEST ride I’ve ever had in my life!

We got to the Univ. of Utah around 3 a.m., and Jared got there just before 4 a.m.  The doctor(s) decided that they would just deliver me.  So I headed into surgery around 4:30 a.m.  It just so happened that one of my docs was on call, so was in charge of delivering the baby.  But I really don’t think he did anything besides stand in the room and supervise the residents.

At 5:12 a.m., Daniel Keith was born.  He weighed 7 lbs., 4 oz., and was 19.25 inches long.  He was taken to the regular pediatric nursery, not even the NICU!  They let me have a little snuggle time before they took him away though.

I look a little weird, but I was so thrilled to see this boy here safe and sound.  It was love at first sight!  Actually, it was love at first sound, since I could only hear him crying for the first several minutes before I got to see him.

Welcome to the world little man!  We love you!