Eden Noelle Kanela
Peyton blows Eden angel kisses 
I was wanting desparately to get pregnant after losing Peyton. The empty spot she left consumed me, leaving me desparate to fill it in any way I could. And the only way I knew how was by getting pregnant again. So I was trying using the Fertility Awareness Method, meticulously charting my body's every change.
I knew the exact day I ovulated, etc. And the next day, I was tired and I was sick. I chocked it up to wanting it too badly. That it was all in my desparate mind.
Eight days after I knew I'd ovulated (usually FAR too early to test by any store-bought-test standards) I went out and bought a two-pack of EPTs. I peed on the first one and...nothing. It was too early anyway. I hid the stick and the box WAY in the back of the bathroom cabinet under the sink under the forgotten toiletries so Andris would never know I'd tested (and got a negative.) If I wasn't pregnant, I'd better start being nice or I was gonna get in big trouble!
Two days later, I was still tired and sick. I took Andris to work and, for some reason, when I got home, I decided to test again. So I got out the second test stick and peed on it. While I waited for the result, I reached into the cabinet to get the stick out that I'd stashed before. And to my surprise, there were two lines on it! I hadn't waited long enough! And sure as sure can be, a second line appeared on the new stick.
I couldn't get to Andris fast enough. I wanted to tell him in a special way, though. And sticking a pee-saturated stick in a waiter's face while he is working is hardly sanitary, you know.
So I go to a neighbor's house and ask to borrow one of their son's stuffed bunny rabbits. I put electrical tape in the shape of X's over his eyes and drove to see Andris. He sure was surprised to see me. He looked at the bunny and said, "Aww, how cute. What's up with his eyes?" I looked at him and said, "The rabbit died." He just looked at me and we hugged so tight. It was wonderful and definitely most memorable.
Note: For those of you who didn't "get" the joke. Back in the day, before they had home pregnancy tests, to test if a woman was pregnant, they would inject a rabbit with her urine. If the woman was pregnant, her urine would contain the hormone HCG (human chorionic gonatitropin) and it would kill the rabbit.
Eden's birth story is sure an exciting one, and rather long. We went into the UC Davis Labor and Delivery on Saturday, 1/8/00 because I was swelling VERY badly in my legs, feet, hands and face and my blood pressure was sky high. Eden was looking extremely well on the monitors. They got my blood pressure to go down and sent us home.
I had my regular appointment on Monday, January 10th, and when we were at the hospital on Saturday, Dr. Boe told us that we could either keep our regular appointment on Monday, or come in to Labor & Delivery to see her again.
Sunday night, while at dinner at our friends', Micah and Leslie's house, I started having contractions...good ones, but nothing close enough to time or to get excited about.
Monday morning at about 6:00, I started getting some good, timeable contractions, but I couldn't be convinced that this "was it." Andris thought it would be a good idea to go to Labor & Delivery and see Dr. Boe, just in case.
So we arrive at Labor & Delivery at our appointment time. My contractions were still regular, and my blood pressure was up again, but this time, Eden wasn't looking too great on the monitors. On Saturday, whenever I'd have a contraction, her heart rate would go up (good sign), but on this day, her heart rate was going down. "We're going to keep you and induce you. You're not going to leave this hospital without a baby," Dr. Boe said.
I continue to have contractions and I wonder if it is really necessary to go through the induction process. They get me into a room, and let me just say, this was the nicest hospital room I have ever seen...even on TV. It was one of their 3 "suites." My doctor comes in to check me because I'm in pretty good pain, and I'm at 2 cm.
Adamant about birthing 100% natural, I inquire about not wanting to have an IV of anything. To my surprise, I find out that, because of my PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension, aka: Toxemia) I have to be put on an IV drip of magnesium sulfate to keep me from going into seizures during delivery. And since mag sulfate is generally used to STOP labor, (being used to keep my blood pressure down this time) they would have to give me pitocin to counteract the mag. I would also be put on an antibiotic drip because I was GBS+.
About four hours later, labor was starting to HURT...BAD. We called in the doctor to see if I had been making any progress. I was 2.5 cm and almost fully effaced. BOY was I upset!!! All those hours of pain and (what seemed to be) hardly ANY progress.
Told it would only get worse, I gave the Epidural Man a formal invitation to our party. (hehehe) He came in and it took him 4 tries to get the darn thing in, and then, it only blocked the pain on my right side. Epi Man said, "When you are dialated to 8 cm, call for me because I will need to give you a dose of a different drug for the last stage of labor as the pain that needs to be blocked is in a different region."
About 15 minutes after the epidural, I began to feel my contractions full force again. I sent the nurse to look for Epi Man. Told her to tell him that his "stuff isn't working!" My doctor came in (curious as to HOW the epidural could wear off after such a SHORT time.)
She checked me. I was at 10 cm. (From 2 to 10 in 30 mins.) It was too late for any relief now. I would have to go through the final, most painful stage of labor naturally. (I asked for it.)
After about an hour and 15 minutes of pushing, I was so frustrated. I didn't think this kid was EVER coming out! And she wasn't! Her heart rate began to decelerate to 70. It was a VERY difficult stage. My mom was on my left, Andris on my right helping me and encouraging me as much as they could. The doctor grabbed the vacuum, and after a few good pushes, she was out.
Earlier in the evening, we had signed a consent form for a camera crew from the TV show "Pulse" to video our birth. (They were following our doctor, Dr. Towner on her rounds that night and wanted to video a birth.) So we could be on TV. I've never seen the show and don't know what channel it airs on or when it will be on. When and if we find out, we'll let you know.
A couple of our friends, Micah and Leslie got to stay and see the whole thing. What started out as Micah going to our place to pick up our hospital bag turned out to be, "Hey. Stay and observe." It will be a beneficial experience for them as they are expecting a baby in June. (Hopefully I didn't scare them too badly.)
We were to be released on Wednesday, 48 hours after birth (because of the antibiotics.) They ran some tests on Eden and concluded that because I was GBS+ (Group B Strep +, common in women) that they needed to monitor Eden's blood work to make sure that she would be okay.
Her blood work didn't look too happy, so they had to take our baby to the Critical Care Nursery. That was SO hard on me. I spent most of my time down there with her, feeding and holding her until they'd kick me out. Her condition took a miraculous turn for the better and we got to come home on January 14th. She'd lost some weight. She came home at a hefty 6 lbs 1 oz, but is eating like a little piggie now.
As you can see, she looks nothing like me. The only thing she got from me is my hands, otherwise she is ALL Andris.
Welp, that's our story!
