Finn's Story

As told by Steve on Twitter (blue)/Facebook(purple) ... with color commentary by me. (In reverse order because I'm too tired to switch it)

Going home1:21 PM Oct 3rd from txt

I was ready to go home even though I'm personally a big fan of the post birth time in the hospital. Somehow you just never get the same sort of break/nursing no matter how wonderful and attentive your family is when you are home. There is just too much to do, and in my case, two too many little uns to take care of as well as myself and new baby. It was the perfect amount of time - by the time it was time to go I was getting impatient to go ahead and start this new life with the new family.

Jack wanted nothing to do with me in the hospital, though I think that might have had more to do with the small room feel than anything. So going home we were very conscious of just going slow with him, not forcing anything. I had put the baby down and carried Jack straight to the toy room away from everyone and everything. And he hugged me and we sat for a little while.

Abby of course was in love with Finn from moment one. She wanted to hold him as much as we'd let her. Jack kind of flipped a little seeing her holding the baby - but we're not sure if that was jealousy on account that his sister was holding another baby or if the baby is considered HIS already and she was holding him. Because he ran up crying, "Baby, baby, my baby." So we all sat while he was fascinated with Finn's hands and he pat him like a puppy. It was perfect.

Just very thankful. Very happy. In good spirits and already weeks ahead of my recovery last time. Very very tired too. But most of all, thanking God every few seconds that we are where we are.

Steve Scheidler There is a Starbucks here and I always wanted to know what it would be like to have Starbucks in your house....now I know...... I'm broke and havn't slept in 72 hours.

October 3 at 12:14pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like

If there is something better than a Drifitng training montage then I haven't seen it.9:10 PM Oct 2nd from web

you know sometimes...not all the time but sometimes I feel like the toilets in the maternity ward aren't designed for men9:08 PM Oct 2nd from web

You see the Drifitng is his friend but its hard for him to admit that.9:04 PM Oct 2nd from web

i think the lesson of this movie is that Drifting can lead to a better life.9:02 PM Oct 2nd from web

no comment

Finn was crying and the Drifting calmed him down!8:46 PM Oct 2nd from web

This is a total lie. I think he started fussing WHILE watching actually.

So much Drifting8:45 PM Oct 2nd from web
Steve was a little punch drunk like me - just so relieved to be done with the pregnancy portion of this experience

watching some Drifting right now.8:42 PM Oct 2nd from web
We each had a tv and a bed... Steve found Fast & the Furious : Tokyo Drift. You should not be surprised that I was NOT watching the same thing.


I had this weird dream that we had the baby last .... Wait.....Ooooohhhhh

October 2 at 8:53am via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like

Not sure we did this before iPhones

October 1 at 11:36pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like

Seriously. Steve keeping everyone up to date on the phone was so helpful and he specifically made sure to tweet or update at important transitional moments so that when we went back and put it all together it would read like a story for Finn (okay probably more for me, but Finn may appreciate it someday).


Mom is doing so well she is requesting Roundtable.

October 1 at 8:33pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like

Samantha ran out to get me roundtable and she stayed with us in the recovery room for a while. That's where Finn had his first bath. There had been a mini-babyboom so all the normal infant warming stations were used and we had a crappy one that beeped to high heaven every few minutes. This made me annoyed. But otherwise no problems - nurses were all great, friendly and helpful.

Mom is doing great

October 1 at 8:29pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like
We were just so happy it actually happened - Finn was actually out where we could see and touch him and I was finally oh so NOT PREGNANT.

Came out hungry and is eating like a champ

October 1 at 8:28pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like
It was so funny - I had to insist to try to feed Abby right away - but I didn't even have to ask and they gave me Finn all slimy - cleaning him up as I tried to get him to latch on. The baby nurse totally helped me get latched and all that. It was pretty cool. Family came in and he was still eating away so that wasn't perfectly ideal, but oh well, what can you do.

20.5 inches, 7.6lbs7:57 PM Oct 1st from mobile web
The nurses and I were making fun of Steve because it took him five tries to remember the stats long enough to type them in.

Happy Birthday Finn Albert Scheidler7:44 PM Oct 1st from mobile web
Fortunately I didn't have anything to worry about. We had one cycle of pushing with one contraction - had to wait a full minute or more for the next contraction and out came Finn!

Here we go 7:35 PM Oct 1st from mobile web
We waited for the doc, they go me prepped. I prepared myself mentally that it might not be as quick this time. I might have to push for more than thirty seconds...

10 7:08 PM Oct 1st from mobile web
Lisa was awesome. She turned me to my side and two seconds later I was at 10cm and we were calling the doc on call (our doc was on vacation, have I mentioned that?)

Btw the symbol I used for Twitter is the character for father5:49 PM Oct 1st from mobile web
Lisa wanted me to call out at the first hint of pressure. But I really didn't feel any. Believe me, I was wanting to accommodate.

The end is in sight... Although I do have binoculars with me.5:43 PM Oct 1st from mobile web
Says him! I don't remember thinking we were doing any better until Lisa our nurse - who was trying to rush Finn out so she could be there (she was going off work shortly).

You're doing great babe, your almost done5:26 PM Oct 1st from txt
Apparently my water breaking (probably helped by the nurse putting on the monitor without knowing that my water HADN'T broken) wasn't tweetworthy. So that finally made everything made sense. I think I was feeling emotional or tired -hence the encouragement tweet.

I love the sound of the BP cuff as it goes off every 30 minutes5:07 PM Oct 1st from txt
It was rest time now, though there was a certain amount of concern because we were worried the epidural would slow us down. This is the beginning of the "stuck at 8 phase" of the day. Nurse Lisa was monitoring baby's heartbeat pretty closely - he now had one of those little sensors stuck to his head, poor guy... but we needed to know he was good. But that also meant they didn't care too much about my sensor anymore so we weren't really able to see my contractions very well. We were nervous they were slowing down and actually I think they were, but we were apparently the only ones worried about this. What they were worried about is that I had said my water had NOT broke and yet they had fastened on that monitor thingee in just fine - so how could they do that if my water hadn't broke? SO Steve and I sort of worry about this because I swear it hadn't leaked or broken, and I would know, right? But what if I didn't and he was in some sort of critical condition because of lack of water etc etc. But we had just seen the doctor four days previously and been assured specifically of water level so... whatever - everyone lets it go


Status. : No Change

October 1 at 5:09pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like
Stuck Stuck Stuck at 8cm. I suggested Steve tweet some disparaging remark about my body being difficult and he refused, not wanting to send out anything negative about me even in jest. Awwwh.

Fantastic Nurses!!!!4:01 PM Oct 1st from txt
I had suggested that once the scare was over Steve tweet "praise" but he thought that would freak everyone out. I think no one had any idea anything nerve-wracking was happening. But I appreciated Steve's desire not to make it melodramatic. I was just happy to be out of pain AND not have to live with the low blood pressure feeling which was just as bad in it's own way.

Finn is making things interesting3:49 PM Oct 1st from txt
The epidural came and went pleasantly - Lisa checked me and sure enough, as per my weird repressed body I had been 3-4 for hours and sudden I was 7-8 cm dilated. But then, I had warned Lisa right at the beginning that whenever I get the epidural the next thing that usually happens is that the baby's heart rate drops - but that usually means he's dropping. I didn't know if the nurse thought I was crazy or she was listening. Turns out - she was listening more than I even intended. This time, my arm went numb after the epidural and I started feeling really not good. I thought about not complaining (stupid I know), but I just felt so bad I struggled to describe it though. Finally - nausea - that's describable- Nausea - I raise my hand, ask if nausea if a side effect of the epidural. Lisa says no and in about ten seconds has me on oxygen and has run out of the room to get the other nurses. My blood pressure dropped this time and baby's totally did. They turned me on my side and almost automatically I felt better - but baby wasn't recovering as quickly. On my hands and knees they insist (I was only half tingly numb at this point so it was possibly). Three nurses are hovering around doing stuff, I'm holding Steve's hand because he has been tasked to keep my iv in perfect position. I feel not TOO scared because I know if they can't fix this asap they are just going to do an emergency c-section. Granted I didn't WANT that at all in any way. But if its the way to save Finn - sign me up. I look up at Steve to make sure he knows I'm not panicking and see he's scared. Probably the first time I've ever seen that. But sure enough, probably not more than a minute after our pressure dropped, we were both back in the green.


"You want the pain to come because it means you are progressing but then you remember it's PAIN!". - Adrea Scheidler (10/01/09)

October 1 at 3:04pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like

Looking back, I wonder if my body only finally started progressing because it even just knew the epidural was coming. Because I wasn't in significant pain until we placed the request for the epidural.

Awesome nurse!2:58 PM Oct 1st from txt

Lisa was our nurse and she was just willing to go with us - she wasn't intimidated by Steve's joking or me complaining about my crazy non-dilating body. She warned us the epidural guy would be needed for surgery so I'd need to make a decision on the epidural - luckily I was in pain by then so I placed my request.

Ada got a popsicle.... A red one2:58 PM Oct 1st from txt

I was very seriously regretting not eating or sleeping more before coming in. Its just you're not supposed to eat too far into labor and I had already lost faith in the morning that the pain would ever get more intense -I'd decided it was just going to fool everyone, so I didn't feel comfortable having a three course meal. But you know - somewhere in the middle would have been ok.


Adrea is trying figure out what she wants to eat after all the birthing is done.

October 1 at 1:35pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like
I was SO hungry. And so tired.

Progressing nicely1:04 PM Oct 1st from mobile web

I got checked possibly? I don't remember progressing nicely. Smoothly on a slow slow slow slow scale maybe.

Almost went into wrong L&D room

October 1 at 12:28pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like

Still nothing too exciting happening so I encouraged Steve to get coffee and a snack - we han't packed him anything this time. Third baby over confidence I suppose made us forget all about that idea.



Ada's rockin the birthing ball now

October 1 at 12:07pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like
I would have been happy there the whole time but I wasn't trying to be happy - I was trying to get some pain intensity going!


Hey I don't have a stupid face do I?12:39 PM Oct 1st from mobile web

Of course there were many possibilities we went back and forth on this one.

We have moved to the verbal abuse phase12:36 PM Oct 1st from mobile web Still bitter that my pain wasn't progressing I was considering acting as if the pain was worse to fool the nurses and possibly my body into progressing.

More forms, more forms11:57 AM Oct 1st from txt
There is so much business to take care of. You can't romanticize the process, theres just a lot to get taken care of.

Rockin 2 iPhones right now11:54 AM Oct 1st from mobile web
This was when I was being monitored. Just like the night before, the contractions seemed less intense when I was laying down. I'm already doubting my memory - I sort of remember saying to Steve that they hurt most while sitting. Anyway, when we couldn't move around, Steve kept touched base with the masses on the internet.

Should have worn better shoes though11:39 AM Oct 1st from txt
The pain was still very bearable - nothing in comparison to what it becomes. I didn't really want to use the birthing ball etc because I felt like a lot of these methods have to do with pain management and I didn't need that as much as I needed to encourage dilation and progression. So we did a lot of walking, a lot of lunges and squats. Steve was great, it was a nice time, just the two of us, not all that distracted by the pain, but pretty excited about how close we were to the finish line.

Love the chairs here11:38 AM Oct 1st from txt
Nice big labor room. So funny how things have shifted since I was at Huntington with Abby 6 years ago. Back then they were famous amongst the naturalists for their non-natural ways. But I didn't get any trouble from them back then, but this time they practically pushed me to labor alternative ways once we were admitted. Our nurse told us to walk for an hour before they monitored the baby for 20 minutes. Then she proceeded to pull out the birthing ball and the rocking chair etc, ec. So funny. Okay fine I think, I'll labor actively.

Whoops, we are not rooming in yet, that's why that woman looked at me funny.... Labor and delivery is no place for a PS3
October 1 at 12:02pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like

Always with the smooth recovery!


And we are staying... Love rooming in....already brought my PS3
October 1 at 11:30am via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like
I didn't know he'd posted this. Quickly people misunderstood because we were obviously not even close to rooming in!


So nice we decided to stay - just admitted11:14 AM Oct 1st from txt
We could actually hear the phone calls between the triage nurses and the doctor's office, but couldn't tell the decision until the nurse finally told us (hyper happy nurse was cute but totally difficult to understand).

Echo10:39 AM Oct 1st from txt
Hence this post. 2cm was disappointing but just one of those momens where you sigh an realize you weren't exaggerating all the times you told the story of the other births about how I just don't dilate willy nilly. We were very much ready to be ok with being sent home.

I have adrea's phone in my pocket and it keeps vibrating with each tweet10:39 AM Oct 1st from txt
I was determined to be prepared to be sent home. Trust God, trust my body - that sort of thing. I didn't want to push this too far if it just wasn't time. So Steve and I just chatted and laughed as each time he sent out a tweet my phone would buzz in his other pocket.

Ahhhh..... Triage10:37 AM Oct 1st from txt
We arrived within moments of another couple. And were next "curtain" to yet another. As far as I could tell there were four or five of us being monitored / decided to admit or be sent home. The couple we arrived with was 40 weeks and she thought her water had broken - it hadn't. She got sent home. The couple next to us was trying o prove she was having any contractions - though she was 5cm dilated. I waited, trying to be patient - definitely having contracions... but had I dilated? 2cm. Ha if the woman next to me and I could combine labors we'd be like perfect.

And were off10:00 AM Oct 1st from txt
This time doctor's office receptionist didn't even both asking a doctor - upon hearing "90 seconds long, 1 minute 45 apart" (in other words, right on top of each other) they told us to get our butts to the hospital and a doctor would meet us there.

now we play the waiting game9:51 AM Oct 1st from txt
He must have said this right as I went around the block again. I just got the conviction that we should call the doctor as it just seemed to me nothing was going to change ever.
We'll see7:58 AM Oct 1st from mobile web
Indeed. I was at our little Scheidler women's group when the contractions that had been coming and going for a week and a half started to come right on top of each other. These are not terribly strong or painful contractions - tightening *plus I'd call them. I had just asked Sarah why she'd decided to go in on the day or Max's birth since the pain never progressed (and knowing Sarah was going all natural again, the intensity of pain is usually an important sign that true labor is here and it's okay to go to the hospital without worry that the progress will slow). I didn't think much of this whole contraction thing though because I had decided to be on a trust kick. Labor was going to come when it came and instead of second guessing and sort of kind of trying to move it along, I was just going to trust God that He'd move it forward when it was time and that I had nothing to do with it and didn't need to have anything to do with it. So from 10-midnight I just had many many contractions but no real pain. I tried to sleep but was too fidgety. Jack was getting up restless too. Finally around 1 or 2 I decided I might need to page the doc on call (our doc was on vacation) - I woke Steve up to do the honors. I knew intensity wasn't where it should be - but third baby... who knew. Doc suggests waiting for intensity. Steve is so completely out of it. Somehow I caught him at the WRONG night for labor. Steve, usually so completely on the ball with this sort of thing could not get his bearings. So doc's advice wasn't unwelcome. Steve went back to bed and so did I. I didn't get a lot of sleep - two two hour increments. The weird part was that the contractions would disappear when I lay down and yet when I'd stand it was as if they'd been working/progressing while I was laying down. Convenient. But still no serious pain. I called my mom to come over and help with the kids in case this WAS the real deal. Steve took the kids to breakfast, my mom and I walked around the block... and we just sort of... waited. My mom took both kids to drop off Abby while I walked around the block again and then we called the doctor's office again.