Baby Lyons | Your Birth Story

Miss Annalee, I wanted to recap the day you arrived, so not to forget a single detail! It was such an exciting day and one we will never forget! 

Wednesday, May 27th started off like a normal work-day. Looking back, I'm glad I decided to shower and fix my hair, rather than go with dry shampoo and a quick up do like some workdays. We had my 38 week check-up that morning and were excited to get some updates about when the doc thought you may arrive. We had a great check-up with Dr. Hoover, but did our second ultra-sound to confirm that you were in fact, breech. We had found out the week prior, but it was still early, so the doc sent us home with options and also exercises to try and let you flip on your own. We took things hard at first - or I did - but quickly realized that you were healthy, and that was all that mattered. So what if you had to be delivered via c-section, as long as you were ok, we were ok. 

We waited to tell friends and family, in hopes that we were able to turn you on your own and have a normal delivery. We also didn't want to add any stress to anyone else that would worry about our little cub. After our second ultrasound we weighed our options - one of which was to try a version to see if we could turn you around. We decided at our check-up with Dr. Hoover to schedule an appointment for Friday, May 29th to do the version. You would be 38 1/2 weeks at that point {late enough to deliver}, but there was a still a chance that the version may work. We left optimistic and felt good about our plan. We would try it out, it couldn't hurt to try, right?  I worked a full day and got lots done prepping to be out on Friday for the version - and on the slight chance that you would arrive early - wanted to be somewhat organized at work. Little did I know that you had other plans, early you would certainly be. After work, your Daddy and I made some final to-do lists, called our parents and told them the updates, and then took J to a lodge meeting before heading out to Wal-Mart to pick up some last-minute hospital supplies and things to put together goodie bags for the nursing staff. 

I stopped by Dollar Tree for some wrapping supplies and Father's Day cards - trying to prepare early. Then went in the shoe store to find some cheap shower shoes for my hospital bag. Next, I headed over to Wal-Mart where I immediately had to pee {hello, 9 months preggo}, and stopped by the bathroom before grabbing a shopping cart. All seemed really normal, and I was enjoying an un-rushed trip to the store. I had made my way through the toiletries section and was on the soap aisle when I felt it. A slight trickle of water down my leg, followed by an immediate gushing of water hitting the floor. It took me a few moments to realize what was happening. Was I peeing on myself? It was surreal. I grabbed my phone and called J immediately, "I am pretty sure my water just broke." Luckily he had his phone by him and answered on the first ring. To which he said, "Ok - are you ok - can you drive?" Me - "I guess I can drive - right? I feel ok, yea I can drive - Ok, should I check out?"  J - "No silly, come right home. I  will call the doctor, or Labor & Delivery? {Yea, that's a good idea.} Ok, I'll meet you at home." I drove home as quick as possible and met J, who has just got off the phone with L&D. They said, "don't break any speed records, but get here as soon as you can."  We'll be ready for you. Of course, we were not "packed" per say, but I had just posted my hospital packing list on my blog that morning, and made some stacks on the guest bed, so I had J open my computer and we started packing. We went as quickly as possible, but wanted to be sure we had what we needed. We threw everything in the car {including the car seat and base that was set to be installed by our local police officer the next day - don't wait until 38 weeks folks, haha} and hit the road to Augusta Health, a nice 40 minute drive up the road to Fishersville, Va. 

At that point I think it hit us - this baby was coming - soon! I picked up the phone to call my parents, knowing my mom would be devastated that she wasn't here. The moment I told her that my water broke, she just started crying. Poor thing! J laughed because I was calming her down and I was perfectly calm like all was normal. We had just told them you were breech, so mom also knew this meant a c-section, so she really wanted to be here. We called Jesse's mom too and then texted friends and family... including my Board President, to tell him I wouldn't be at my 8:30 meeting the next morning. J also called his boss and asked if he would bring J's work camera to us, since ours was MIA in the packing. He was excited to help and he and his wife jumped in the car to bring it to us. Thanks Larry and Dawn!

We arrived at the hospital a little after 8 p.m., which means that all the doors {including the three we checked} were locked. So we entered through the Emergency Room and checked in. They had a nurse waiting for us with a wheelchair to take me up to L&D. From that point it was a whirl-wind. The amazing nursing staff was ready to go and prepping us for a quick delivery. Dr. Coiner was already at the hospital and they were just waiting on the anastegoligist to arrive. I was so glad Dr. Coiner was who was on call that night, he's one of our favorite doctors and made the whole night really light-hearted and fun. J says he would love to drink a beer with him some time, that's a good sign, right? He breezed into my hospital room, where the nurses where working non-stop to prep me for delivery, and went through the whole c-section procedure. Maybe it's best that I hadn't read up on it too much? I still felt really calm and just couldn't believe we were about to meet you!! As Coiner was leaving, he asked what music I wanted to hear in the operating room - to which I replied, country? And he said, "you really want this child to enter the world to country?" So we I looked at J and he said, rock-n-roll, classic rock? haha I think we both just looked at each other and laughed.  So, classic rock it was - and Miss Annalee Estelle was born to Sitting on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding. So fitting! The c-section went great and you were born at 10:34 p.m. on May 27, 2015. We got to experience one of the first "family-oriented" c-sections they had done, meaning baby got to come right to mommy after delivery and Mommy, Daddy and baby stayed together the entire time after delivery. She was on my chest minutes after she was born and I was able to feed her back in our room within the hour. Our nurses stayed with us until around 3 a.m., watching me through recovery and checking Miss Annalee out. You stayed with us in the room that night and were a great sleeper - waking every couple hours to feed and going right back to sleep. 

It took us a day to decide on your name, we knew we wanted to use Annalee, but couldn't decide on a middle name. After going through our list of family names - we settled on Estelle, your great-great grandmothers name. Her name was Sidney Estella Mason and she married your great-great grampa Elleard, my Papa's Mom and Dad. Papa was such an inspiration to me as a little girl, so it means so much to have a little piece of him with you. Ann is mine and GranDe's middle name, which is where part of your first name came from... and Annalee was inspired by the Band. We're so glad we get to keep Annalee company!