With first pregnancies, labor is typically pretty long, so I wanted something that would take me awhile to complete. I must have had a craving for cheesecake at the time, because I focused on chocolate chip cheesecake.
Well, I found this gem: Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cake
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| source: Bird on a Cake |
I thought it was the perfect labor cake.
I bought all of the ingredients during week 39 and waited very impatiently to go into labor.
Week 40 rolled around and still no baby and by then I was down a bag of chocolate chips.
I sat around all week twiddling my thumbs just waiting to start this cake. In the meantime, we set an induction date for Monday, November 25, and Andrew and I began planning our last weekend as a twosome: movies, errands, dinners out, etc.
On Saturday, November 23, I decided that I should start making this cake because I wouldn't have time on Sunday if we were going out to brunch and to the movies. And I wanted to finish it before Monday. So on Saturday afternoon, I started the cheesecake and made the buttercream frosting. I had started having contractions, but irregular and nothing that I couldn't manage. But I started timing them anyway. Shortly after making the frosting, we headed out to an Arbonne Mercedes car presentation (I had thought I wouldn't be able to go because we'd have a baby, but I still got to go while pregnant). Throughout the two hours we were there, I continued having contractions, but nothing unbearable.
We got home about 9pm and that's then things started to pick up. I started pacing the house and swearing up a storm.
(Many people are surprised by two things about me:
1. I LOVE scary movies. The SAW movies being among my favorites (only 1-3)
and
2. I swear like a sailor sometimes.)
I still wasn't really convinced that this was the real deal because I had had contractions on Wednesday night for a few hours and nothing happened. Plus, I still had to finish my cake!
By 10pm, I told Andrew that he needed to call triage because I couldn't handle it anymore. My contractions were anywhere from 7 minutes apart to 2 minutes apart. I talked to the nurse and she told me to hold out for another hour or two until the contractions were more consistent. I hung up with phone and I believe I said "Are you f-ing kidding me?"
I took a shower while Andrew timed contractions and then paced the bedroom as the dogs watched from the bed. I remember sobbing and telling Andrew that I don't know why anyone would have a baby and I didn't think I could do this. But I waited it out for an hour and demanded that Andrew call triage again at 11pm. They finally told us to come in (the ride to the hospital was almost unbearable, but thankfully, we only live about 15 minutes away).
We headed in to triage after nearly every person asked if I needed a wheelchair. Walking was the only thing getting me through every contraction. Once up in triage, we had to wait about 30 minutes before even seeing the nurse which, of course, made me swear even more. After confirming that I was 4cm dilated and, in fact, in active labor, we were sent to labor and delivery (after being stuck with an IV needle twice. I still have the bruises to prove it).
I told our wonderful labor and delivery nurse, Amanda, that I wanted the epidural ASAP. At that point, there were 2 people ahead of me. I continued to watch the monitor and watch the numbers climb with each contraction. Amanda monitored us for a bit and then decided she needed to talk to the doctor because my contractions were coming on faster. And then she managed to bump us ahead on the epidural list (thanks, Amanda!). The anesthesiologist came in shortly thereafter and relief was finally in sight. Trying to sit still during each contraction was rough, but I somehow managed to do it.
After the epidural was placed at 2:40AM, I got to rest, but not for long. Our doctor came in not long after the epidural and confirmed that I was 9cm dilated and broke my water. Within a few minutes, Amanda had me pushing. Dr. Cardwell told us it would take about an hour of pushing while Amanda said it would be more like 2 hours with first pregnancies.
I started pushing at about 3:15AM. After a few pushes, Amanda called in another nurse to confirm that this was going a lot faster than anyone thought it would. I continued to push for another 20 minutes or so before Dr. Cardell came back in and told us to get ready to have a baby. The room was quickly transformed to deliver the baby.
I pushed for another 20 minutes and at 4:12AM our sweet, sassy little lady was born with a full head of dark hair weighing in at 7lbs 13oz, 21 inches long. After just 5 hours in the hospital (10-11 hours total of labor) and 1 hour of pushing, Charlotte Jean aka Charlee decided to grace us with her presence.
Ok, back to this cake.
I only got to make the cheesecake and the frosting before heading to the hospital (and you better believe that Wendy will be getting an email about this!). During our time in the hospital, I kept telling Andrew how mad I was that I didn't get to finish that GD cake.
By Saturday night when we left for the hospital, this was my progress. Only half done.
So Thursday night while Charlee hung out with my parents, Andrew and I got to work finishing the chocolate cake part. Then Friday morning was assembly. But let me tell you, when you have an infant, everything takes so much longer to do! Normally I would have gotten up early and just finished it by mid-morning. But with Charlee bear, we didn't get going until around 11am or 12pm after feeding and changing and repeat.
Once assembly was done, it was beautiful! (only a few days late)
So then we had a little 1 week birthday celebration for Charlee. And we ate her cake :)
Moral of this story: don't listen to your birthing instructor and bake a birthday cake for baby while in labor because chances are you won't finish it.
And to expect the unexpected because even though first labors are supposed to be ridiculously long, you could have a sassy pants who rushes the process and won't let you finish your cake!
