Rewind: Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Today was the day that Danalyn had a doctor's appointment and we had made arrangements the night before at dinner to meet her and Jorno at the Clinic to join them for the appointment that morning.  We were hoping and praying that she would get induced and that Tai would be born!

The appointment wasn't until a little later in the morning/early afternoon, so Matt and I had some time to kill before time to go.  We were able to sleep in a bit, get ready for our day, have some breakfast, and still had some time to kill before time to leave.  Needless to say, we were quite stir crazy and anxious!

Here's what I posted on Facebook at 10:50 a.m.:  To kill time...because we are a little stir crazy...we're going to have out @ Walmart Square...the home of Walmart...for a bit. :)

Bentonville, Arkansas is the home of Walmart.  Pretty much everyone who lives in the NW Arkansas area either works for Walmart or Tyson Chicken.  (Tai's birthparents both work for Tyson Chicken.)  There is a whole Walmart Square, etc, and trails that you can walk, etc.  This is where Matt and I drove over and killed some time at before the appointment.  We walked a couple of the trails, etc.  It was a nice day and the weather was very pleasant.  Here are some pictures of Walmart Square:

 This is the Walmart Home Office:

It was kind of a fun way to kill about an hour before going to the Clinic.  :)

Here's what I posted on Facebook at 12:43 a.m.:  @ WIllow Creek Women's Center. Pray that they do go ahead & induce her! WIll keep you updated!!

We arrived at the Willow Creek Women's Center in Springdale, Arkansas a little early and actually beat Danalyn and Jorno there.  We sat in the entryway at the Women's Center for a few minutes and waited for them to arrive.  My stomach was in knots and I was super excited and scared to death all at the same time!  I was hoping and praying that we would get some good news from the doctor and Tai would be born that day! 

Here's a picture of the Willow Creek Women's Center.....the place where Tai was born:

Danalyn & Jorno arrived and we headed upstairs with them to get her signed in for her appointment.  We ended up having to wait a few minutes before we got called back.  Jorno, Tai's birthfather, is a really great guy.  He told Matt and I to go back with Danalyn to visit with the doctor while he waited out in the Waiting Room.  It meant a lot to Matt and I that we were able to be a part of it and go back with Danalyn.  Once we got called back, we then had to wait for a while longer before finally seeing the doctor.  We actually ended up waiting for about an hour, but during that time Danalyn started to finally open up a little more and actually started to talk to Matt and I and ask us questions about us and our families.  I felt like we finally had a breakthrough with her and she was starting to feel more comfortable with us, which meant the world to me! 

Like I said, after about an hour we finally got called back into a room and waited a few more minutes before a nurse came in and gave Danalyn a gown to change into so that she could be examined.  Her doctor was Dr. James Gorman and he was super nice!  He came in and spoke to Danalyn for a few minutes.  He asked her if she had started having any contractions at all, which she told him she hadn't yet.  He then had her lay back on the examining table.  I stood up by Danalyn's head and Matt stood up on the other side of the table by her head as well.  Dr. Gorman then checked Danalyn out and we got to hear Tai's heartbeat for the first time.  I remember feeling somewhat in awe as we heard his heartbeat and it sank in even more that this was real.  I remember looking at Matt over Danalyn's head and seeing him smile at me as he listened, too. 

After talking with Danalyn and examining her, Dr. Gorman then told her that he really wanted her to start dilating and contracting on her own.....so he told her to come back the next Wednesday for another appointment.  (That was also her due date as well.)  In the meantime, if she started contracting at all, he told her to come back.  Otherwise, to wait another week. 

As you can imagine, Matt and I were pretty disappointed!  Here's what I posted on Facebook at 2:44 p.m.:  Dilated to a 2...the same as what she was on Thursday. No contractions yet. Dr. wants her to start contracting on her own. No induction. Heard baby's heartbeat...very exciting! But pretty disappointed that he's not coming today.

Danalyn got re-dressed and we went back out to the Waiting Room to get Jorno and set up another appointment for her for the next week.  Then we all left the Women's Center and Matt and I went back to Marshal & Lacey's house to continue waiting and praying that Tai would come soon.

As we were walking back out to the Waiting Room, Danalyn and I were walking behind Matt and she looked at me and asked if I was excited.  I told her that I was VERY excited and a little disappointed that he wasn't coming that day.  She just smiled.  I told her to keep us posted throughout the week and let us know if she started contracting at all and that we would drop everything and come back to the Hospital, no matter what time of day or night.  Both she and Jorno promised to keep in touch with us and let us know if anything happened. 

Here's what I posted at 3:03 p.m. on the way back to Marshal & Lacey's:  Stressing a bit about money & Matt's work situation since we came out a week earlier than planned....thinking she was going to be induced.....

We were in for a very long week ahead of us........