Birthy Story/Quick Update

It's a sunny Sunday morning and Sam laying next to me with his blue eyes wide open and is gently waving his arms and legs, he's utterly content. I have a cup of coffee and breakfast on my lap and I'm feeling grateful for my husband, and sweet children. God is good, really, really, good!

I wanted to take a quick minute to write up Sam's birth story for those who like to read birth stories.

I feel like I gave the impression in the weeks before his birth that I was really struggling that he hadn't come yet. I really wasn't. I was feeling well and getting good rest at night. I just THOUGHT he was going to come early due to my doctor and so it was kind of 2 weeks of limbo and feeling a bit anxious that his labor was going to be super quick and we weren't going to make it to the hospital. Anywho, just wanted everyone to know that I was actually doing great in the weeks before he came!

So, on Monday the 13th Kate and I headed out to Target around 3:30 to do our weekly grocery shopping. On the drive and while we were shopping I started noticing that I was having BH contractions that were coming with some regularity and, while not painful, were causing me to have to think about them. I was feeling a bit grumpy and had a few "panic-y" moments wondering if I should just head home. I didn't and made it though shopping but I called Dave when I got home and told him I would feel better if he could get home from work asap because I was feeling different.

We had a normal evening and went to bed around 11. The BH's were continuing but were anywhere from 9-20 minutes apart and felt very mild. I was prepared for this to be "it" but wasn't certain. Kate woke up around 11:30 and couldn't go back to sleep so we brought her into our room and read books in our bed until a little after midnight. It was a really sweet time that I feel like the Lord gave us as a last special moment with her as our "only". I fell asleep easily after that and at 3:12 I woke up to a painful contraction. I dozed and waited to see if I'd have another. When it came just 6 minutes later I woke Dave up and told him I thought Sam was gonna come soon. Because of my history of a fast labor with Kate my doctor had told me to call when I was contracting 5-7 minutes apart. I wanted to make sure this was "for real" since it was the middle of the night. After 30 minutes, during when time I had begun shaking all over which happened with Kate, David told me I had to call the doctor and not keep waiting. In the 10 minutes it took to get in touch with her and get into the car the contractions were 2-4 minutes apart. I was beginning to feel a little panic coming on because I knew things were going very fast again.

We got to the hospital a few minutes after 4 and David dropped me off at the door and went to park. I had to go in through the ER entrance since it was the middle of the night. That meant I had to get checked in by a guy from registration even though I had already called my doctor. I was as patient as I could be while the guy made me spell out my name and give my doctor's office. Thankfully they gave me a wheelchair because I needed to sit down. They put Dave and I in a little waiting room and told us that a nurse would be down to get us. It was really hard to stay calm in that little room, waiting. Then, the registration guy comes back in and says, "Are you having contractions?" Um, why do you think I am at the hospital at 4 in the morning buddy?

The nurse from L & D came down soon after that and thankfully she put us straight into a delivery room instead of taking me to triage. David and I laughed later because he said it was like a movie where the music is playing slowly and the nurse was calmly following her routine....until she checked me and realized I was about to deliver. Cue movie music speeding up and the room filling with nurses setting up the room and pulling out gloves and supplies as fast as they could. After she checked me the nurse was like, "Don't push, just don't push." I told her I would try but I wasn't promising anything. My doctor wasn't even at the hospital yet so they just pulled the only doctor on the floor (who was from a totally different practice) to come in and deliver Sam. He was so kind because I was laying on the bed in a way that made me feel tolerable and in control. The nurses wanted me to move down and I told them no and the doctor said, "She's fine." I was so grateful! He gave me 2 shots to numb me a bit "down below" to make the delivery more comfortable. By then my doctor had come in and about 4 pushes later Sam was born at 4:42 am! He was 8 pounds and 20 inches. I felt the biggest rush of relief and delight when I saw him! He cried before his feet even hit the air and he was beautiful!

He is one of the easiest babies I can imagine so far. He is eating without any trouble at all. He has slept two 3-3 1/2 hours stretches the past two nights and is calm and precious during the day. I'm totally smitten I have to admit. I told David I was afraid I love Sam too much:)

Kate is adjusting well, though I can tell she misses her normal routine with mama. She pretty much ignores Sam except for the occasional kiss.

David and I are both feeling great emotionally and loving having two kids.

My biggest prayer request would be for my quick healing. Sam was born with his hand against his face which led to some stitches that are proving to be very painful. I am trying not to get discouraged by this as it has been even worse then what I experienced with Kate. I know I will heal day by day.

We also all have coughs and runny noses that we can't seem to shake (going on over 3 weeks now.) Please pray for healing for all of us and protection over Sam!!!

Thanks to everyone in advance for your prayers and for all the love you show us!

Final Week

I took this picture last night at 38 weeks and 5 days. I will admit that I probably look at bit bigger then that in real life:) The black tank top is slimming, ha!

I had my ultrasound and 38 weeks appointment on Monday and I am so grateful that Sam's head is down and has also moved down quite a bit! He looks healthy and is growing well (the u/s gestimated 7lb 13 oz, but those are notoriously off in both directions.) I got a quick, albeit squished, glimpse of his face and he seems to look like Kate. He also has hair:) I am still 4-5 cm dilated but I'm not having any signs of labor. I think Sam is going to just take his sweet time.

I had to laugh yesterday because my OB had the nurse call and offer to set up an induction for after I turn 39 weeks (which is tomorrow.) My doctor seems to be pretty concerned over my history of fast labor combined with my already being 4-5. I told the nurse I was more comfortable waiting to let nature take it's course. She said that was ok but to make sure I head for the hospital as soon as I feel any pain. Then she said they don't want my husband delivering the baby on the road side and us ending up on the news. Ha! I informed her that no one is more concerned about that happening then I am and assured her we would head right in when I feel anything:)

So, for now I am just waiting. I have mentally been prepared for weeks that Sam would come early, but now I am realizing he could just as well hold off until late next week when I'm actually due. I do think we'll schedule an induction for next Thur/Fri if he hasn't come. Please be praying I go into labor on my own!

A Ramble

So I have pretty much blogged nothing about this pregnancy with Sam. It's amazing how having another child to care for pushes your pregnancy to the sidelines more often then not. With Kate, everything in our lives was focused on and awaiting her arrival. With our little guy there has been so much going on in our lives that his (now imminent) birth kinda snuck up on me. I guess I am just feeling like a want to record a few thoughts so that I can look back and remember what I was thinking and feeling at this time. I don't expect anyone to want to read it:)

-First, I was never so excited to meet Kate as I am to meet Sam. There was a lot of nervousness over what having a baby would be like and a lot of fear that something would happen to her that tempered my excitement over Kate's arrival. Now, I just can not wait to meet my little boy! I want so badly to see his face, to snuggle him, teach him to nurse, dress him in all his cute boy clothes. I am ready to savor the weeks of his being a newborn. I know how they fly and I'm ready to cherish them.

-I am so excited for Kate to meet Sam. I am full of curiosity as to how she is going to react when she sees him. I want to know how she'll respond when he comes home and she realizes it's "for keeps". She loooooves babies right now and wants to shower them with affection (sometimes by trying to sit on them!) We could have some fun times ahead.

-I'm also a little sad about Kate not being my only baby anymore. I love that girl to pieces. Being her mom has been a joy that I never could have anticipated. She delights me everyday and I miss her when I'm gone from her. The past couple nights as I've put her to bed I've wondered if it's the last time I'll see her before I'm holding her brother. Brother!? How can she be about to be a big sister? She's just my baby girl still in my mind! I'm glad we are having a boy because she can remain my "only baby girl" in my heart:)

-I'm interested to see how David and I respond to this birth/first few weeks both together and separately. We were pretty much tumbled end over end by emotion, ill health because of emotion, and just generally being overwhelmed after Kate was born. I genuinely thought we had ruined our lives by having a baby for those first 10 days or so. It was rough. We both feel so much better prepared this time. We know what to expect. We know how fast the hard times go by. We know we can survive with far less sleep then we'd like (we are both very sleep dependent people!) We are parents already. We know the deep, deep love that comes with having a child. I am confident this time is going to be much better...but, I'm still interested to see:)

-Surprises. I feel like this pregnancy has had quite a few. Heck, even finding out I was pregnant was a surprise! It was kinda fun and surprising to see how different I've felt and looked being pregnant with a boy. Finding out I had gestational diabetes was a big and hard surprise. Then, having my 37 week appointment and finding out I am 4 cm, but the doctor doesn't want him to come until next week (hence restricted activity) was another surprise. She also wants to induce me at 39 weeks because I'm so dilated and had such a fast labor with Kate...Oh, and she's not 100% sure Sam's head is down because he's still very high but didn't order an ultrasound until next Monday.....Do I feel like a time bomb? Maybe:)

-The LORD. I'm so glad He is ruling over our lives with wisdom and love. I was feeling very peaceful about the labor and delivery until my appointment this past Monday. Now I am tempted to think of all the things that could go wrong. I don't want Sam to come before his lungs are fully ready, but I'm so impatient for him to come at the same time. I am pretty dilated, but I know I could walk around this way until past his due date, two weeks from now. I don't want to live each day expecting him to come and then being let down or growing frustrated. I'm afraid about him coming super fast and being born at home (it happened to my mom's mom and my aunt!) I'm afraid he'll never drop but my water will break and I'll end up with a c-section. I can go round and round, but I don't need to because God knows the day, hour, and way in which Sam will come. I can rest in that. I truly can. And I believe I am. I am going to wait patiently and with out fear using the grace that is so abundantly available to me. Whether Sam arrives tonight or in two weeks it will be good.

That's all for now!