Hello Maya's fan club!
Maya Teresita Buccio is finally here! Our lives have changed forever and the feeling is just indescribable. So many times throughout my pregnancy I heard other moms say "you watch. the feeling is like nothing you have ever experienced." And that is an understatement because until you go through it, you never know what it feels like to literally have your breath taken away. Mine was. And I keep reliving the moment in my head. This little girl has stolen our hearts!
She came into the world at 8:20am weighing at 7.10lbs, and 19 3/4 long on Friday March 2nd, 2012. A beautiful baby girl with a big cry! Let's talk labor. The honest truth. I am very proud of me. I surprised myself that I really could do it. I had so many fears and anxieties about giving birth vaginally. i couldn't visualize it but I did it and it made me feel like superwoman. I was scheduled for an induction Friday at 6:30am since Maya was 5 days late but she had her own plans and started kicking and making noise at about 11ish the night before. The contractions started mild and easy enough and were a 2 on a pain scale of 1-10. When I went to bed at midnight, that's when the music picked up! They went from a 2 to a 4, to a 6-7 in no time! Imagine your worst period cramps, multiply that by 1000 and then someone decided it be fun to take a knife and stab you in the lower back and abdomen. Yes, that kind of pain! I could barely walk or speak and was so eager to get to the hospital that I left the house in flip flops, sweatpants (ewww) and no jacket! We jumped into my mother in law's car and drove the 6 blocks to Lenox Hill all while trying to get through every contraction by whimpering "OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG." Those were the only words out of my mouth. Once we got there I was rushed into a labor room where the contractions were now coming every 2 minutes with barely any time to relieve myself. I switched into a gown which I would later get out of because i was dying of sweat during the contractions. I had a quick cervix exam which showed I was already five centimeters dilated. What the what?!!! Where are my drugs!!!!!!!!!!! My main nurse, Jenn, who was brillz and such a motivator, was talking me through the pain as I held (or should I say crushed) my mother in law's and Coco's fingers. I kept saying I couldn't do it anymore that i wanted the drugs but I had to get an IV first and make sure I had a saline bag in my system before I could get the epidural. Oh dear sweet baby Jesus. I was losing speed. The contractions were now coming right after the other and it seemed like years before the anesthesiologist showed up to alleviate my pain. He finally came, a vision in scrubs, with my needles and my drugs. I didn't even care that i was naked and showing him my pikachu. With Jenn keeping me steady, I got the epidural and it was painless. The actual IV that goes in your wrist was more painful. In less than five minutes, my feet began to tingle, the pain of the contractions went from a million to nonexistent. I was in heaven. The epidural was magic fairy dust, crack, candy- whatever you want to call it. All I know is that I felt normal again. So once I got my magic juice, the Wu suggested I sleep and she would check on me in three hours. And that's what I did- sleep peacefully while coco snapped unattractive pictures of me with my mouth wide open. After three hours, I was dilated 7 centimeters and she told me to go back to sleep for an hour and if I felt pressure to give her a ring. After another hour, i had dilated to 9 centimeters and shortly thereafter I was at 10! So let the pushing begin!!!!! First of all, the whole pushing experience was so relaxed and painless and Wu and the nurses made it look effortless. Coco was my superstar and not once did I curse at him. He held onto one leg, while my nurse Jen, held the other and both of them motivated me throughout the whole process. Coco even remarked "babe, i see her head and she has tons of hair!". I was told that i was a "great pusher" and you know me, anytime I get any sort of compliment it makes me strive for more! So I kept pushing and pushing, and at one point, I threw up a little while pushing but i was more concerned that it didn't get any puke in my hair. I stopped and yelled "omg did it get in my hair?! someone clean it please!!!" But the Wu assured me that my hair looked fantastic. After two hours of pushing, I was exhausted and so was Maya because her heartbeat was going up and down so Wu suggested that it be best to suction (aka vacuum suck) Maya while I pushed. It would help both of us get her out faster. Sure, I love vacuuming so why not?! At that moment, my labor room turned into some sort of spaceship laboratory. All these machines descended from the ceiling, new nurses shuffled in, and stirrups were produced from my transformer bed. Coco and I really wanted my final stages of labor to be a "just us' experience. So I lovingly told my mother-in-law to leave the room so that we could meet our baby girl as a parental unit. Everything happened so quickly from that point on! I started pushing (at this point you are probably wondering, did I poop? you bet your sweet ass I did! and I didn't care and neither did Coco or my delivery A-team) and the Wu let me know that she had to do a small episiotomy because she did not want me to rip straight through my hemorrhoids which had already quadrupled in size and look like a cluster of enlarged grapes hanging from my ass. She said if she cut me sideways and I ripped, I would at least rip sideways and not through the hemorrhoid which would be unbearable pain. I had no choice but to agree. And once she snipped, my final pushes were amazingly surreal! I felt the pressure of Maya's head coming through, then her shoulders and then the rest of her body and with a loud cry, there she was. I was finally able to lay eyes on this little person that Coco and I made and all I could do was cry. I cried tears of deep joy and happiness and I couldn't speak. (I'm tearing up as I write this). My heart was exploding with emotions and they were manifested through tears. My baby. My life. She was mine.
Super dad Coco stepped right into his role, snapping pictures with a smile from ear to ear. He held her in his arms and what a beautiful moment. After I delivered the placenta which I didn't even feel, Wu began sewing me up. Seriously was she sewing me a a new dress?? Because she was down there a long time while I sent quick update texts and emails on my phone. (Some good multi tasking!)
Once my mangled vagina was reconstructed, I was able to hold Maya in my arms for the first time and I was speechless. I never thought I could love someone so much so fast. I had been dreaming of this moment for months and here it was. I felt like I was in a dream. All I kept thinking was "She belongs to me." I wanted time to stop so I could take in every little part of my beba. She was our world now and I promised her to be the best mom for her. I would protect and love her with no limits. Coco came up to me and said "babe, she's our baby!" My heart was whole again.
A couple of hours later, I was moved to my private room. Granted, it was no Beyonce private suite, but I just couldn't imagine having to room with somebody else while I recovered and had quality time with Maya and Coco and a pile of guests that kept coming in and out. Similar to a Cuban waiting room which I absolutely adored. I had the most fantastic nurses hands down. They took such good care of me and helped me with my pikachu dressings and loaded me up with some Motrin and percocet to help with the pain. (Note: it's a nice gesture to give your nurses a little thank you gift because kindness goes a long way. So do perfume samples from Chanel) Plus that little squirt bottle that helped me pee without feeling too much pain is a God sent. It was like my own personal bide (bi-dey). I'll tell you only what your closest friends who have had babies will tell you- your vagina looks like a hot mess and in my case, my vagina and the hemorrhoids that took up residence in my arse were grotesquely uncomfortable and ugly. No wonder there is no sex for 6 weeks (in my case like 37 weeks! haha). I already told Coco that my vagina was closed for renovations. You cannot pass go. You cannot climb the fence because there are guard dogs, barbed wire, and tazer guns at the other end. i am officially closed for business!
I took advantage of the wonderful nurses at the nursery and I had them take Maya both nights so that I could sleep and rest. I definitely recommend this! Maya became known as the "it girl" and fashionista of the nursery because she had a new bow or hat when she was taken to the nursery for pediatrician visits and sleep. Have they not met her mother?! The in-house photographer did a complimentary photo shoot with Maya and she was just delicious and perfect! Of course, we bought every picture.
Let's fast forward to Sunday afternoon when we finally went home! And padrino javy came along for the ride! We took 100 pictures of our departure, her first ride in a taxi (what a new yorker!), and when she finally got home! Tia Gigi and grandma had decorated the apartment with signs and balloons for Maya's homecoming, which was so thoughtful! Grandpa Jorge came by the house too and gave us a very special gift- a song that he had written for his granddaughter called, "Maya, mi nieta linda." It's priceless. After a few hours, everyone left and it was finally just us. It was only our little family and we were loving it! The dogs smelled and kissed Maya and stayed close as they figured out what this thing was that we brought home. They have been really sweet with her even sleeping next to her!
As far as her first night went, she was a gem! She take a bottle like a champ and eats every 3-4 hours, which gives us some time to sleep in between. Coco has been my knight in shining armor and has taken over the night feedings while I rest because my movements have been minimal due to my nether region situation. I felt a little frustrated and useless and I cried because I haven't been able to move around productively but Coco soothed me back to reality and let me know it was okay. So I do the feedings during the day and he helps by getting me situated and then he takes over at night. We are slowly and comfortably getting into our groove and finding our rhythm with Maya and putting her on a schedule that works in our favor. We are working through the kinks but having a supportive partner makes the experience that much more reassuring! But you know what the best part of all this is?? It is watching her change. Everyday she looks a little less swollen and has a little bit more personality. She's physically strong, opens her eyes when she gets burped, loves the boppy and her snuggle nest and the feeling of being in both her mama and papa's arms. She LOVES her tete and even holds it with her little hand in her mouth. Before bed time, I read her a bed time story, stare at her some more, and watch her snooze. What a wonderful high to be on!
As the classic Boyz to Men song goes, we have come to the end of the road. This is my last and final baby update. Crazy to think its been over thirty-something weeks when the first one went out! I hope that you have been as entertained and enlightened as I have reading and writing these updates! It's been quite the pregnancy for dummies and i have loved every second of it! It was my personal journey of the progression of the miracle of life and the transformation of a hot mom to be! Thank you for your love, support, well wishes, and words of encouragement. It's been wild! But this is not the end. I have another project in the works that I hope to share with all of you next year. Until then, here's to more babies, more laughs and cries, lots of healthy narcissism, but most importantly, to family and friends.
In Style,
Kathy.
In Style,
Kathy.
