Isabel's Birth Day, A Timeline

Tuesday March 30, 2010:

10:23 am: Text from Kati: "I think my amniotic fluid is leaking. I think I should call the doctor soon if it continues."

10:24: Butter: "Just call them now, no reason to wait."

10:30: Phone call from Kati: "I think my water just broke."

10:34: Phone call from Kati: "I called St. Francis and they told me I need to come in."

10:35: Butter sprints out of ATK and only moderately speeds on the way home.

11:00: Butter arrives home looking a bit frazzled and quickly packs up the remainder of the items (that are mostly not used at the hospital).

11:15: Butter: "Kati, are you having a contraction?" Kati obviously in pain: "No, I don't think I have had any contractions yet, the pain is too low." Voice in Butter's head: "Um, I am pretty sure this is a contraction, but I am not going to push it."

11:35: Out the door and on the way to the hospital. Kati: "Butter, you don't have to drive so fast."

11:40: Arrive in St. Francis Parking Lot. Kati grimacing in obvious pain in the passenger seat starts to try to move. Butter: "I think we should just wait this one out."

11:42: Contraction over. We grab the bags and head into the unknown. Butter's mind is racing a million miles an hour.

12:00 pm: Checked into the hospital and brought to our room.

12:11 pm: Phone calls to future grandparents Hoen and Mousel letting them know that the stork is coming.

12:20 pm: Dilation check: 4cm

12:30: Nurses check on Kati while she is constantly contracting. Butter watches as Kati's pain continually goes up and gets to answer fun questions like "How do you learn best..." Hmm, seems like there would have been a better time to ask that question. Nurse asks Kati what our plan is: sit in bathtub, go for a walk, sit on birthing ball, epidural.

12:45: Doctor checks on Kati, dilation: 6cm

12:46: Nurse: "Have you decided what you want to do?" Kati, in as much pain as I have ever seen: "I will take the epidural now!"

1:10: Kati: "I don't think my contractions are letting up at all. The pain is always there." Nurse: "The chart shows you have a nice contraction cycle, 1 minute of contraction, 1 minute of rest. It may not feel like they are letting up, but they are. The anesthesiologist should be here shortly. "

1:20: Nurse: "I just want you to know that I have paged the anesthesiologist twice, so I am doing my job. He should be here shortly."

1:30: Epidural administered.



1:35: Kati back to moderate pain. Dilation 9cm, getting close to showtime. Butter texts Sara: "Kati just got the magic juice!"

1:45: Kati resting comfortably. Let the troops in!


2:00: Dance Party!




215-3:30: Kati continues to rest comfortably. Everyone just sits around the room chatting.

3:45: Room is cleared.

4:00: Dilation check: 10cm, Labored down as much as possible...SHOWTIME!

4:15: Kati begins to push.

5:00: Doctor arrives, we are getting close!

5:15: It is obvious where labor gets its name (even with an epidural). Kati is working extremely hard and good progress has been made. Butter is in awe of what is going on.

5:34 pm: The baby is here! Doctor shows Baby Mousel to Butter so he can announce the gender. Butter (thinking: "don't screw this up, don't screw this up, don't screw this up" racing through his head): "It's a girl!"

5:36: Butter tries to kiss Kati, Kati yells at Butter: "Go with her!"

5:46:


6:00: Butter announces the arrival of Baby Girl Mousel to the anxious crowd in the Family Lounge.

7:23:


9:30: Baby Girl Mousel now has a name: Isabel Elizabeth, the name of Kati's Great Grandma (Arlen's Grandma). Kati's middle name was supposed to be Isabel, but Grandma B would not allow it (she was not a fan of her name). Grandma B was often very wise and right about a lot of things; however, she was not right about her name. We, obviously, think Isabel Elizabeth is a beautiful name.

10:15: First family photo.