I found out I was pregnant on July 27, 2015. That is mine and Sam's anniversary of when we got together. So it seemed like the perfect time. I took a pregnancy test and it came up POSITIVE. I was so nervous and I didn't believe it so I took another one later. I didn't know how to react to it so I took a picture of it and sent it to my best friend Dani. After a few hours of talking to her, I then messaged Sam. He was so excited about having another baby, it helped calm me down. I called my OBGYN and they said I had to be so far along before they could see me so I had my first appointment on Sept 2, 2015, Dani came with me so I wasn't alone because Sam was still in Hawaii.
I met Dani at my OBGYN office. I was so glad to have her there. Dr Russ Smith was a friend of hers so it made it so comfortable. Russ came in and answered questions and said that he wanted to see this baby. It was my first appointment I got to see this little thing growing inside me. I was completely lovestruck and I couldn't believe it. I cried when I saw the little peanut moving around. I fell in love. Russ said the baby was measuring a few days bigger than what it should be but everything was all good. I was then given the due date of MARCH 25, 2016. It seemed like it was so far out but then it seemed not long enough.
At the time I was pregnant, I worked at Middleton Urological and the MA's I worked with were awesome. The office had an ultrasound machine so I was so lucky and got to do ultrasounds whenever I wanted. It wasn't the best machine, but it did its job and that was checking this baby out.
I was about 19 weeks (almost 20) when I had my appointment for the gender. I had it on my birthday and it was the best birthday present I have ever received. I really thought it was a girl but the baby was not afraid to show his junk and show he was a BOY. I had Sam on the phone and the dr told him. I don't think it ever felt like it was real.
My pregnancy went really well. I never had any complications. All the OBGYN appointments went really well and it was smooth sailing. I did have morning sickness my ENTIRE pregnancy. I also had AWFUL heartburn. I also got what's called "rhinitis during pregnancy" which was congestion the entire pregnancy. It was the worst thing ever.
I had my first baby shower in February given by my mom, sisters and niece Lexi. We had it at the church house. It was really good but I STILL didn't feel like it was all real. I think this was because I was all alone without Sam. It wasn't how I had it planned.
Shower #2 was given by my Aunt LuAnn in Salt Lake and that is my dads side. My Aunt LuAnn really spoiled me. After the shower, I started getting cramps and so my mom wanted me to get checked out at the hospital. It took a few hours to get checked but it was just Braxton Hicks.
I was hoping this baby would hold out until after my final shower. It was given by my coworkers. They really spoiled me. That day I was getting cramps so I went back to the hospital but it was just Braxton Hicks again.
On Feb 29, I was working and I was getting AWFUL Braxton Hicks but they said baby still wasn't ready.
On March 2, I felt AWFUL! I called the OBGYN office on call doctor and with the symptoms I was having, he said that it sounded like I was going to be having a baby that day and to get to the hospital. It was a Wednesday and I had to be at work at 6:30 that morning so I was already at work. I texted the office manager and he asked me if I could wait to leave until someone got there. Oh sure, I would love to wait to go to the hospital until someone got there. Mitch then called me and told me to just go. I went to St Marks Hospital and they got me all checked in and tied up to the monitors. Of course, I got the message that it was just Braxton Hicks. The nurse even told me that I wasn't even getting Braxton Hicks because the monitors weren't picking anything up. I told her of course they weren't because the cramps weren't in the front, they were all in my back. Well, they sent me home. I went home and just layed on the couch but the pain was getting intense. I KNEW they would have just sent me home from the hospital so I tried timing them myself. I called my mom and she said to call the Relief Society President to come over and help. She made it over around 7:00 that night and she stayed until about 10:00pm.. Her husband and another male in the ward came to my house and they gave me an LDS Priesthood Blessing. I knew then that this baby was very loved. I had never met these 2 men before but in the blessing, Brother Moss said this baby was getting his final instructions from Jesus Christ and that he was getting loved on by all his loved ones on the other side before coming down here to earth. It REALLY hit me. Sam lost his mother in childbirth and I could only imagine a grandmother giving her grandson instructions. Sister Workman (Relief Society President) then left at about 11:00 that night and said if the contractions kept going, not to hesitate to call her to take me to the hospital. I tried to make it all night but finally around 2:00 am, I called Sister Workman and told her I was ready.
March 3, 2016 at about 2:00 am, Sister Workman came to my house and picked me up to take me to the hospital. I couldn't even walk into Labor/Delivery. The nurse asked me if my water had broke yet, I said no but I have been peeing my pants. She laughed and said that she will swab me and send it on up to the lab to test it to see if it was urine or amniotic fluid. I got on the bed in OBGYN triage, the nurse swabbed to get the sample to send to the lab and right then and there, my water broke. ALL OVER THE NURSE! I called my parents and said my water broke and they were keeping me at the hospital. I got all checked in and I even had the epidural before my parents made it up to SLC. I had called Sam and told him, he said that there's no way I could have the baby because I wasn't due until March 25. Well, this baby was coming whether daddy was there or not.
At about 10:00, it was time for me to start pushing. I pushed for 2 hours and nothing. I did NOT want to have a c-section. I talked to my dr and he said he doesn't want to do the c-section so he gave me the option of forceps. I took that option. I pushed about 2 times while Dr Watts (my dr had to change at week 32) had the forceps and my little baby came out. They immediately put him on my chest. He had a head FULL of dark hair. My parents were in the room with me when I had him and Sam's auntie Malieta and his cousin Talite Si'i were in the waiting room. As soon as I had him, they brought in Sam's family. It is the tongan tradition of the aunties to name the baby. My baby was given the name by his auntie Talite Si'i, Sanitesi Kalani Lei' Ofa Labrum. He is named after her brother Sanitesi who still lives in Tonga. He is having my last name until me and Sam get married, then we will change Tesi's last name.
Sanitesi Kalani Lei' Ofa Labrum was born March 3, 2016 at 12:34 pm. He weighed 7 lbs and 10 oz and was 21 inches long. He was born at 36 weeks 6 days gestation. Any baby born before 37 weeks is "pre-mature".
