Special Delivery...July 14th, 1994

Dr. Westbrook decided on Tuesday, July 12th that I was a good candidate for an induction and it was scheduled for 5:30 AM on July 14th, 1994.

I did not get much sleep the night before my induction and I had to get up at 3 AM to be showered, dressed and ready to leave for the hospital by 4 AM the next morning. I got up, took my shower, put my make-up on, fixed my hair and got dressed...then I straighten up the house and made the bed. I wanted to look my best when I saw my new son for the first time and no one ever gets to see me without my make-up...if I can help it. Roger is videoing me and acting like he was interviewing me the entire time. If it had not been such an exciting time...I might have killed him before the day was over...but it was comical to say the least.

We left for the hospital and my nerves set in...oh, dear...this is really about to happen!!!!! Oh, God...help me!!!! I was an excited, nervous wreck!!!

We get to the hospital, do all the paper work, get in my "cute" little hospital gown, go through all the other "fun" stuff that we have to go through and then I was hooked up to the "pit" drip...Pitocin...medicine used to induce labor.

All the while, Roger is interviewing me every 15 - 30 minutes. We laughed about it while he was doing it. We stayed at the hospital alone until we knew that Dr. Westbrook was going to keep me. Around 9 AM, he came in to see me, see if I was dilated and then he broke my water. He looked at me and said "well, I guess we are staying, huh?" Then I got excited because I knew that I was not going to get sent home and Dr. Westbrook was going to be delivering my baby. Our office was in the professional building adjacent to the hospital and actually on the same floor...so I was happy knowing that he could be there in a matter of minutes if they needed him.

After we had been there for awhile, we called my friend (matron of honor at wedding) to come on to the hospital because we were in for the long haul...an all day and probably all night ordeal. She came and brought her teenage daughter...they stayed with us the entire time. The girls from the office came down during lunch to check on me, which...all the visitors...kept my mind off the pain...for the most part. My mother was keeping Brandon at her house and waiting for me to get closer to time to deliver before making the 45 minute trip to the hospital.

It was early afternoon when the labor pains got more intense and I decided that I did not want to go all natural. They gave me some pain medicine in my IV until I dilated enough to get my epidural. That time could not come fast enough!!! Roger and my friend both said..."well, are you fulfilled yet?" and I said "oh, yes!"...talking about wanting to experience labor.I finally reached that magical number....3 cm dilated!!! Epi...Epi...oh, yes....Epidural!!!! It was not as bad as I had been told it would be but sitting still up on the side of the bed during contractions is not the easiest thing to do. However, it did not take my anesthesiologist very long and he was finished and I was relieved of my pain. Now, I could enjoy visiting with my friends...at last.

Have I told you just how good God is? Well, He is awesome and knew everything that was going to happen that day...even before, I was born...not to mention long before you were born, my precious little Tyler! How awesome is that? I know how amazing God has always been in my life and He has never stopped amazing me to this day.

Before I knew it, the work day was over and Dr. Westbrook was in to see me. I had been there since 5:30 AM and it was now 5:30 PM and I had finally made it to 6 cm! Yeah! He said that it would be in the wee hours of the morning before we would be bringing our precious new baby boy, Tyler into this world. I was ready to see his sweet, beautiful face.

It was not too long after all that...my epidural was not working right....I had a "hot spot"...meaning that I had a place about the size of a grapefruit in my lower right abdomen that had all the feeling in it...I felt every contraction in that one spot while everything else was numb. I told my nurse and she notified the anesthesiologist of the minor problem. He came in and upped my dose that I was getting...the problem was solved.

However, we had been watching the monitors all day...helped to pass the time. We watched the contractions on the monitor because I could not feel them and watched his heart rate. It was 7 PM by now and it was shift change time. My day nurse was going off and the night nurse was coming on...they were standing inside my room...one was giving the other the update on my progress. Within 5 minutes of having my epidural doses upped...Tyler's heart rate dropped from 138 to the 36. My nurse rushed over to put the oxygen mask on me and sent for Dr. Westbrook, who came in to see what was going on. He checked me again and told me that the internal electrode had come off of Tyler's scalp and he reattached it. It was 7 PM and I was dilated to 7 cm. Dr. Westbrook said that we were in for a long night and we would proceed as planned. He joked with me to behave myself and do not do that again...like I could have helped it.

An hour later, my epidural was doing strange things again....this time...the only place that was numb was my butt! I had all the feeling in every place except my fanny. We told the nurse again and she called the anesthesiologist again. This time when he came back...he gave me a direct dose into the catheter that went directly into my spinal area. Again, within 5 minutes of him doing this and leaving...Tyler's heart rate shot up to 197 and Dr. Westbrook was standing at the foot of my bed again within a few seconds. He had been sitting at the nurse's station watching the monitor. He had me turn onto my left side and keep the oxygen mask on my face. Within a few minutes, Tyler's heart rate had settled back down. It was now 8 PM and I had dilated to 8 cm...1 cm per hour was how I was progressing...but things were still not working in our favor to have a vaginal delivery. Dr. Westbrook began to discuss me having another C-Section and said "I know you do not want another one but we have to think about what is best for you and the baby, but we will proceed on as planned for now and if we have to perform one then we will at that time." He wanted to make sure that we knew the seriousness of the situation and if the need arose again...the need for an emergency C-Section.

Now, I know you can only imagine the anxiety that I was feeling at this time. I kept telling myself to remain calm because if I got upset...then it would affect Tyler's heart rate again. Once again, Dr. Westbrook check me and I was now dilated to 8 cm. I was happy with that because I knew that I only had to make it to 10 cm and I could start to push and get this over with. I was really, really scared. Oh, my goodness...I wanted to cry so bad...it was a major fight within me to keep my emotions under control.

I waited until Dr. Westbrook left the room and I had my friend make some phone calls for me because I knew that I wanted everyone there when Tyler was born. My friends...Glenda, Wendy, Stacey, my mother and Brandon would be there soon. But I was really scared about what all was going on with my baby.

I asked Roger to call Pastor Helms (our pastor at that time and our good friends) so he could start praying. All Roger got was his answering machine at home...so he left a message.

Then, my best friend, Tamara, who was there with me in the delivery room with Brandon called to check on me. Roger had his back turned toward me while he was talking to her. I am not sure now what I was trying to tell him to tell Tamara but when I called his name, he turned to face me and he was crying....I LOST IT! He was as scared as I was but neither of us wanted to let the other one see it because we did not want to upset the other. I immediately became hysterical and started crying...the flood gates burst open.

My blood pressure shot up and Dr. Westbrook was back in my room immediately. He said that it was time to do the C-Section before we end up in an emergency situation. Roger told Dr. Westbrook..."please, don't let my wife die" and he began to cry again. I was already crying and I told Dr. Westbrook "please, don't let my baby die". He assured us that it was not an emergency situation yet but he thought it was time. I no longer care how they got Tyler into this world...I just wanted him here....NOW!!!! I had been fulfilled and then some.

Roger called Sharron, Dr. Westbrook's nurse to update her on the situation. I had worked with Sharron for years and we were good friends. She assisted Dr. Westbrook on scheduled surgeries but she did not come in on any emergencies or during the night surgeries...but she called Dr. Westbrook herself and told him to not start without her...she was on her way. Sharron lived 30 miles away and it had started pouring down rain, but she came with her teenage daughter in tow to be with me and assist with Tyler's birth.

God knew that I needed everyone that I had there with me that night and He made a way. Sharron arrived at the hospital before the on call surgical nurse could get there and she lived closer than Sharron.

They had started moving me on my bed to the delivery surgical suite to bring my precious new baby boy into this world. I had been hoping that Pastor Helms was there with us before I went into surgery but Roger had to leave a message for him. They were just about to push my bed out of the doorway when Pastor Helms and Karen stepped in the door. He immediately asked if he could pray with me before they took me into surgery and they stopped, he prayed right in the hall and "all was well again". He also brought Tyler a teddy bear that had a red heart that said "Jesus Loves Me" on it.

At 9:41 PM on 7/14/94, our precious baby boy, Austin Tyler W. entered into this world. He weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20 inches long. Brandon weighed 8 lbs. 10 1/2 oz. and was 21 inches long.

Jermiah 1:5
"Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations-- that's what I had in mind for you." (The Message)

Psalms 127:3
Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. (NIV)

The pictures to help tell our precious story of God's grace, faithfulness, mercy and protection.