Winter/Spring/Summer 2019
Early on, with a blood test, we find out we are having a boy. We tell the kids and then we announce to our families at Jude’s second birthday party 1) we are having a baby and 2) we are having a boy, with blue balloons out of a box. It is an exciting day.
Baby Boy continues to grow and change as Luke completes kindergarten, Kevin and I take a beach trip, and Lily and Jude get taller before our eyes.
I get pretty uncomfortable in the summer and as our due date gets closer (August), my doctor tells me she would like to induce at 39 weeks. I am considered a ‘mature’ pregnancy because of my age (35).
We set a date for August 1, but then I find out Baby Boy hasn’t dropped, so I would need to do Pitocin to get things moving. I’m not sure anyone likes Pitocin, but this girl is not a fan. I get anxious as the time gets closer and pray and bounce on the medicine ball and hope that Baby Boy comes on his own.
I am walking. A dear friend gifts me a massage. I am bouncing on a ball. I even pump to try and get things moving, but nothing works as the day quickly approaches.
August 1, 2019
Kevin and I both shower and head to the hospital for our induction time of 7:00. We stop and I get an iced cascara latte on the way before I start my clear liquids. We check in and I get into my stunning hospital gown as the nurses get vitals and start my IV. It took two three lots of tries to get my IV in, and by then I was ready to walk to get this show started.
We have two nurses for our labor and delivery: one who is training and one experienced nurse. Stephanie, who has helped deliver lots and lots of babes is just about the sweetest and I feel heard and safe in her care.
About 8:00 they start Pitocin and I am cleared to get up and walk. I get on my walking shoes and Kevin and I take to the halls. We know our way around these hallways, as we have done this three times before. We speed walk as we hear the music that plays when another baby is born. We speed walk as we see new moms and dads wheel their brand new baby upstairs. We speed walk as we watch the clock move slowly in a circle. Contractions are starting, but they aren’t too strong.
Around 10:00 they check me and baby has dropped enough to break my water. I am dilated to a five. My doctor comes in and breaks my water and I wait to get up and walk again. As I wait the contractions get pretty strong pretty fast. Stephanie asks if I would like an epidural and I hesitate, but then agree.
Around 12:40, I get my epidural and in-between my water breaking and the epidural, labor is intense. I watch the second hand go around the clock and pray for the anestheisiologist to come soon. I am finally feeling good about 20 minutes later. I no longer feel the contractions and can rest and anticipate meeting our Baby Boy.
It doesn’t take long and I start to feel pressure to push. Sure enough, around 1:45, I am complete and ready to push. Our doctor comes in and I begin some initial pushes. Baby Boy has his head turned up and to the left and he needs to get over my pelvic bone. Stephanie and my doctor work together to help me find positions that help him move in the right direction. After about 45 minutes of pushing, I have made progress. They prepare for Baby Boy to come into this world.
Going into this labor, everyone thought our boy was going to be around 9 pounds like Jude. He was measuring big and even while I was pushing the doctor thought he looked big. And then our little man came out and we all were surprised by his size. He was just a little guy with big lungs that stole our hearts with his first cry.
As soon as he was out, they laid him on my chest and I snuggled him up. He was crying loud and hard, a good sign. They cleaned him off as best they could and did a few tests, while Kevin and I stared in awe at him. There aren’t many better moments in life than this.
The next two hours were spent loving and snuggling our newest babe. We named him Jack James and couldn’t have loved him any more in that moment. The first two hours after delivery, time that flew by, aren’t surpassed by many other moments in this life. Just me, Kevin, and our babe. Jack nursed for awhile, but it was a bit cumbersome because my IV was in a weird spot on my left hand. Kevin ordered my favorite grilled chicken sandwich with mayo and tomato and a Rice Krispy bar. Toward the end of the two hours, they weighed him in at 7 pounds 12 ounces, much smaller than anyone expected.
We wheeled him up to the fifth floor and got settled into our room. Kevin and I couldn’t stop staring in amazement at this little life we had prayed so fervently for. He was absolutely perfect.
Over the next few days family and friends came to visit us and meet Jack. The sweetest visitors were our three babies who came to see him on Friday morning. There is nothing truer than this: The best 20 minutes of my life was when Luke, Lily, and Jude met Jack for the first time. It was the sweetest, most pure thing I have been witness to, besides the births of my babies. I will forever hold those moments close to my heart.
On Saturday, it was finally time to take our sweet Baby Jack home. A moment we had prayed about for months and months. And we did just that. He was welcomed home by lots and lots of family who already love him to pieces.
Our Jack is home.