Baby has Landed

Well he made it! Little Phillip made his debut right between his two due dates. He was born on August 15^th, and he is absolutely perfect.

Once again, the doctors were wrong in estimating his size. He was a whopping 7.4 lbs; Just a tad smaller than his sister was. But he was quite a long baby, measuring 22 inches.

Labor and delivery. Ah, what a story. Allow me to share my experience. I chose to be induced upon the doctor’s request. There is always a slight fear of induction, because I never want it to be the case where I don’t progress and end up needing a c-section. But thankfully that has not happened!

This time with the induction I held off getting an epidural until I just couldn’t stand it any longer. The contractions were strong, long and very painful. But they were endurable. However, 8 hours into labor I opted for the epidural. And let me tell you…that experience was worse than the contractions! Looking back now, I probably could have held off on that because it was less than an hour later that I delivered my son. Hindsight, ya know.

Anyway…the lady administering the giant needle to my spine had to have been in her 90’s. My initial thought: who let’s an elderly lady near a needle?! Yes, it was a disaster. She didn’t get it at first. And then she made it out like it was my fault. Apparently I wasn’t leaning over properly. Well thanks for giving me those instructions BEFORE you attempted to stick a needle in my spine! And it’s not like the contractions decided to stop while this was taking place. Misery. Complete misery.

After that ordeal and the dreadfully old and mean epidural lady and all the nurses left, Phil finally came back in the room and suggested that I try to get some sleep. I thought that was a fabulous idea! He turned out the lights and left me to get some rest. Well that lasted all of 20 minutes.

Suddenly I started to feel some immense pressure- like perhaps I needed to go to the bathroom. And I panicked a little because I remembered from last time that if you feel that kind of pressure, it’s time to push. I reached for the call light. No call light. Where was that call light?! The old lady must have moved it and forgot to put it back. I was reaching all over the place trying to get that call light. In my effort to find it, I managed to knock my cell phone onto the floor. Now I was really panicking! It’s not like I can just get out of bed and get it. My legs don’t work!!

Then I remembered that hospital beds have call light buttons on them. So I frantically push it. Nothing! It’s not working at all. I was trying to figure out how I was going to deliver my baby in the dark hospital room all by myself, when suddenly the nurse walks in an nonchalantly says “Well it’s the end of my shift. So and so is here and she will be your nurse for the rest of the night” (she probably said the girls name, and not actually so and so). Before she could finish her whole sentence I said “Something’s happening! I think I have to poop”. Now, I’m really not sure why I said that last part. I knew that I didn’t really have to poop. And that’s such an awkward thing to say!

She calmly said “Well we will have the other nurse check you”, at which time the other nurse walks in, checks to see how dilated I am and announces “There’s a head!”. Immediately the lights come on, the nurses get busy preparing the room, someone is scrambling to call the doctor, and I’m trying really hard not to push or cry.

I asked one of the nurses if I could have my cell phone to call my husband. I thought for sure I would be delivering the baby without Phil there. Luckily though, Phil, my mom and the doctor all came in just in time. 3 or 4 pushes later, little Phillip was born!

Aside from the painful epidural and the fear of thinking I’d deliver by myself, the whole thing was a piece of cake. I pushed for about 10 minutes. That was even easier than with Jaelyn, where I pushed for about 30 minutes.

And that, my friends, is my birth story.

The end.

Well, not the end. Here are some pictures of my gorgeous baby boy, and then it’s the end:

Due Date...

Well it's happened again. My due date has come and gone. I thought for sure that this pregnancy would result in an early delivery. No such luck.

I suppose though, that I do have another week. After all, the doctor decided to change my due date not that long ago. How unfair to go the majority of your pregnancy believing your due date was on August 12, only to be told that no, your due date is now August 19th. Who wants to wait an extra week?!

Yes yes, I'm close. I get that. It’s just one more week. Well try telling that to a woman who had been anticipating the arrival of this precious little baby for over 9 months already. A week is a big deal! Not to mention…I feel like I’ve been pregnant for 2 years! We found out we were pregnant when Jaelyn was 5 months old. Only five months of not being pregnant from August 2011 to August 2013. So yeah, a week is a big deal, thank you very much.

My doctor wants to induce on Thursday if he hasn’t made his debut by then. She thinks that he is already a big boy and doesn’t want me to wait too much longer for fear of him getting even bigger. Well thank you doctor, for your educated guess. I am all for evicting this baby out of me, but I can’t take seriously your guess at how big he really is. After all, my previous doctor with Jaelyn was convinced that she was going to be quite large and scheduled me for an induction. She wasn’t even 8 pounds! Thankfully everything went very well and there were no complications with the induction, but I really don’t want to be induced again.

I want to go into labor naturally. But I also don’t want to wait another 2 weeks. Once again, I’ve tried all of the natural home induction methods to no avail. Obviously they are just a myth. Obviously. But I at least like to believe that it is doing something- even if that something is simply me doing anything to pass the time. Even if it’s not doing one darn thing, it sure is fun to try.

There have been a couple of times that we were sure it was “go time”. Contractions getting quite painful and 5-7 minutes apart. Eventually though, just before we decide to actually go to the hospital, they end up subsiding. So FRUSTRATING! But it’s also quite promising. I know that my body is preparing itself for labor. Unlike last time when I really didn’t experience any contractions prior to being induced, I am having contractions daily. I’m convinced it will happen eventually. As they say…the baby will come when the baby is ready (Gosh I really hate that saying).

And so we wait…

A Tribute to Moms

I have been reading Tender Mercies for a Mother's Soul. It's an amazing book- encouraging, inspiring, uplifting, and very practical. I love it! Every time I pick it up I just get refreshed and renewed.

In this last chapter that I read, there was a blurb from "A Tribute to Mothers". It was so good. I actually teared up several times. Maybe it was just from the pregnancy hormones. I don't know. It doesn't matter. This tribute just got me thinking about children, my children, and what I would do for them. I know Jaelyn is only one and baby boy Kemp isn't even here yet. But that doesn't matter. I would do anything for my kiddos. A mother's love is so unique. I wish I could explain it. But if you're a mom, you know exactly what I mean. And if you're a mom, then this tribute is for you!!

A Tribute To Mothers

Author Unknown

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms..., wiping up puke laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here".

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.

And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football, hockey, baseball or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.

For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids t o school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart?

Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...And mature mothers learn to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without