A few months after we wed, Dustin and I decided to expand our family. We thought it would be months before we were pregnant and “trying” is the fun part. To my surprise, on May 20, only a month later, I decided to take a home pregnancy test. While Dustin slept, I ran to the drug store. Half-hour later, I stood in the bathroom in complete disbelief. ‘Two Pink Lines’! No, that cannot be right. The test must be defective! I drove to another store and bought two more HPT. Once again, the test read ‘Pregnant’. I took the third test. Two tests might be defective but certainly not three, right? Again, the test read ‘Pregnant’. I guess I am pregnant. Now what do I do?
I couldn’t keep it to myself, but I hadn’t come up with a cute way to tell Dustin. Still in shock, I quickly drove to the grocery store to buy cookie mix, heart shaped cookie cutter, icing, and baby confetti. I decorated a cookie for each member of our family, covered the platter with confetti, and arranged the cookies. I couldn’t take it any longer so I woke Dustin. He was still groggy and lying in bed when I explained I made cookies for everyone in our family. Then I went through pointing out each cookie as I told him, “L for Lucky, C for Corona, F for Fat Tire, C for Cat, D for you (Dustin/ Daddy), M for me (Mommy), and B for Baby”. Dustin shook his head and asked, “what?”. I went though the list again. After, “B for Baby”, he asked “what baby? Are you”? I answered, “well yes unless three pregnancy test are all defective”. We were having a baby! Sprout was conceived! We were thrilled!
We decided we should wait until my doctor confirmed the pregnancy before telling anyone. But we couldn’t. We went to Babies-R-Us to purchase frames for our moms. The frame had three picture slots. Above each slot were words that read, ‘Daddy + Mommy = Baby’. We placed a picture of each of us in the designated slot. In the baby slot we placed a picture of a baby and typed ‘Baby Coleman Due Early 2008’. We also went to Michael’s to purchase a frame to decorate the word ‘Cousins’ on for Dustin’s nephews. In their frame, we typed the same saying. My mom was initially confused. It took her a few minutes to understand. Everyone else quickly realized we were having a baby.
We anxiously awaited our first appointment. There on the sonogram screen was our little Sprout. Sprout looked wonderful! We were already in love.
We first heard Sprout’s heartbeat at our 13-week appointment. 159 beats per minute. Wonderful!
Finally, our 18-week appointment arrived. Once again, there on the screen was Sprout looking beautiful, and VERY active. The tech commented FOUR times how active Sprout was.
Since we didn’t learn if we were having a boy or a girl, we tried to pick names for both genders. We loved the name Tatum, after former Denver Bronco Tatum Bell. However, we liked the name for a girl, not a boy. We never agreed on a boy name.
The whole pregnancy was wonderful! We were happy and excited. The only time I got sick was if I didn’t eat every two and half hours. We learned this the difficult way. One afternoon leaving Lowe’s and on our way to the grocery store I mentioned I was getting hungry. Dustin asked if he needed to stop for something to eat, I told him no. A minute into our five-minute drive I became hysterical yelling, “Why are you starving me? I’m carrying your baby and you’re starving me”. After this we always carried food wherever we went.
My doctor, Dustin, and I had this wonderful plan: I would be induced one week (January 12) before Sprout's due date. I was going to have an epidural. Everything would be wonderful. My fear of going into labor on our first anniversary was gone. I was relieved knowing when Sprout would arrive. Moreover, I was happily having an epidural. Everything would be just as I planned and be great. However, Sprout had other plans!
We spent the New Year deep cleaning and getting ready for Sprout’s arrival. Around 10pm that night, I began having contractions. I woke Dustin and called my doctor’s office. Dustin needed a quick shower to wake, while showering he was also vomiting into toilet from anxiety.
On January 2, 2008 at 1am I was admitted to the hospital with irregular contractions but was dilated to 3 cm. The doctor refused to give me an epidural, something to due with blood results. The doctor might have explained but I blocked it out. I asked for an epidural several more times either forgetting I wasn't getting one or hoping for a different answer, I'm not sure. Labor became more and more intense. I had the fetal monitor on and finger oxygen monitor on, because every time I had a contraction my oxygen level dropped. The machine alarms kept going off, it about drove me over the edge. I threw the finger thing across the room.
At one point, the nurse checked my cervix, I was 7 cm dilated. I again asked for the epidural. She told me I couldn’t have the epidural. She left the room to get IV pain medication. 10 minutes later, she walked back into the room with the IV. By then I had the sensation to push. The nurse put the IV down to check my cervix. She looked and sounded panicky as she fumbled, dropping the phone three times before calling the doctor.
The doctor arrived and before his gown was tied, told me to push. Family outside the room could hear me scream and Dustin dry-heaving into a trashcan. Minutes later a beautiful baby was born. The doctor asked if I would like to call out the sex. “Oh it’s a boy”, I said. The doctor whipped the baby around for a second look and said, “um no, no it’s a girl”. Tatum Ella weighed 4 pounds and 8 ounces and 18 inches long. She was taken to the NICU for low glucose levels and spent 8 days in the hospital. Bringing our little girl home was one of the happiest days of our life.
