Meet our Son Marcus William 8lbs. 14 oz Born March 4, 2008

This is what we were doing 5 hours after the previous post.
1:00 p.m Kashann notifies Brent that this is probably the real thing but "Stay in class until you let out at 5 because I am going to be doing early labor at home, and you will make me nervous" (even though I was currently having hard contractions 2 - 5 min apart and keep in mind Marcus would have been born by then).
2:00 Brent calls me and says "I am coming home early" Kashann- "Okay, that's probably a good idea."
2:30 Kashann has left 3 crying messages on Brent's cell phone. "Where are you? Get home Now!"
2:50 Brent comes home with burgers for him but wonders what the kids are going to eat. He leaves for Chinese takeout for them.
3:05 Brent and all the kids come home on the bus. They are mauling me, and luckily Brent runs in and gets them to back off their mother almost crying on the couch.
3:10 Kashann makes a mad dash to the car. IT'S LOCKED! I lean against the car with a contraction until my safety conscious husband gets out there and lets me in.
3:15 My seat is stuck and won't recline, so I am stuck straight up the whole way. Brent cracks a joke during a serious contraction, "Do you want me to turn on some rock'n'roll to contract to?" I could have murdered him but have to wait thirty more seconds to tell him to shut up.
3:35 We arrive at Buffalo Women's and Children's Labor and Delivery on the 3rd floor after a crowded elevator ride. I lean against the wall while Brent kindly tells them his wife needs to get in NOW! They tell him to "wait his turn, we are third in line for check in, and fill out this paperwork."
3:40 Kashannn starts to lay down on the filthy waiting room floor. They suddenly have a free bed.

3:45 Lying on a stretcher I am examined by a family resident Dr. in a black turban doing a rotation this week in labor and delivery. He thinks I am in "early labor." You are suppossed to be having this pain in your stomach during contractions" and I am screaming about my rear end. He told us more than once that this was probably false labor because the pain wasn't in the stomach. Brent assured him this was the real thing. I am demanding pain med and a Dr to break my water now!

This goes on until 4:30 with papers being shoved in my face, an endless stream of questions I am physically unable to answer, and no real Dr. coming in and checking me.

4:30 I am in the middle of the most horrible contraction ever and Brent and I hear a huge explosion. I scream- "Brent I just wet the bed" "No, Kashann, that was your water". NOW the Dr's and nurses coming running in and declare me fully dialated. I am wheeled into the OR immediately, where I am asked to move myself to a new bed where I will deliver. HA! Like I could possibly do that. I muster everything I can and move beds. Then demand that they do an episitomy. Do they listen? No. Less than 5 min later, after a tear, at 4:37 p.m. our 8 lb. 14 oz Marcus William is born after the worst experience of my life. I can't believe that I am not dead and am still alive to see my son.
Now they come in with the pain med in an IV. Where was it a half hour ago? I don't want it now! They insist and within an hour of hooking up I am throwing up like I always do from IV pain medication. Finally at 10 pm. I convinced them to unhook it and I am almost instantly better.
Brent meanwhile is long gone, home with the kids studying for a big exam the next day.

By 3 a.m. Marcus is in the NICU. They did two blood tests and found that he had increasingly elevated white cell count 3 times. By noon the next day he has another bad looking blood test so they are treating him for a possible infection and even talk of a spinal tap to see if there is infection in his brain. I hate seeing him with an IV in his head. Everytime I pick him up I have to bring about 4 cords along with me to hold him. My mom calls for a multi-family prayer and I really feel peaceful that he is going to be just fine.

I go home on Thursday without my baby! It is so sad. The next morning I am back at NICU to be with him. By 10 a.m the results for the cultures are back and he is cleared of any concerns for his health. I collect all my stuff and baby and head out by myself in a huge snowstorm to bring him home. The kids have just gotten off the bus when I walk in. They haven't seen their brother yet and have been crying about it since Tuesday night. These pictures are of them seeing their brother for the first time. At the same time I got there a girl from the ward (Stephanie Tranquil) has shown up with tons of food from ward members. She snapped these happy shots.

This other picture is Caroline and Camille displaying Marcus's new blanket I sewed for him.

We have had a great time the last couple days. Everyone wants to hold Marcus and everytime he cries Kennon, Savannah, and Camille stop whatever they are doing and race off to take care of him. I hope it lasts. It is awesome.

I am so glad it is over. I really don't think I could go through this again. I would not recommend laboring at home to anyone. A mad dash is horrible. I have to say it didn't take more than a minute of holding him to make it all worth it though. I love having Brent's son.