Thursday, February 9, 2012

I love my babies

As I sit here early(ish) on a Thursday morning, with one sleeping baby beside me on the couch and another one in my bed, I can't help but think, I love my babies.


I know I've said it before, but 5 years ago, I couldn't have even imagined this life. I couldn't have imagined holding a warm baby against my chest and breathing in the sweet scent of his soft, baby head. I couldn't have imagined having a natural birth--or a birth at all--or contemplating vaccination schedules or breastfeeding or potty training or any of the things that come along with having children.



But I'm so thankful. Thankful that I'm not the same person I was 5 years ago. Thankful for my two, sweet healthy boys. Thankful for my husband who works hard at his job so that I can stay home and do mine. Thankful for quiet mornings like this, when I can just sit for a few minutes and soak in the peace and quiet of our home before all the fun starts.




A baby must be one of the most tangible pieces of evidence on this earth of God's love. Every time I look at these two (and their daddy), I'm overwhelmed by His love for me.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Another blessing

I'm now mom to two boys! Luke turned a week old yesterday and I'm just now getting the chance to blog about it. I thought I'd share my birth story because I'm really proud of it and maybe it will help someone out someday.

Everything that happened surrounding and on the day of Luke's birth was God ordained. When I was 37 weeks pregnant with Kade, I was put in the hospital with high blood pressure and basically induced, even though I was having some contractions. It wasn't a terrible experience at all (especially when you get a sweet baby out of the deal), but this time I wanted to do things differently. Some people probably thought I was crazy, but I really wanted to experience a natural birth. No epidural, no pitocin, no IV's. To do this, I needed to have my doctors on board, to have a negative GBS test, so that I wouldn't need IV antibiotics during labor, to have a baby in the right position, and to have a nice, normal blood pressure. All of it worked out. Every single bit.

On February 24, at 40 weeks and 3 days pregnant, I woke up at 5 am with contractions that were anywhere from 2-5 minutes apart. They were pretty painful, but I was still kind of in that denial "this can't be it" stage of labor. I told Michael I thought he should stay home from work. After several hours, they went to 8-10 minutes apart and I was kind of disappointed, so we took Kade on a walk to see what would happen. When we got home, the contractions came back down to 5-6 minutes apart. We decided to go and eat Chinese for lunch. I had a contraction timer on my iPad, so during lunch, I kept hitting start, stop, start, stop. Finally, I looked at Michael and said, "I think we should go to the hospital after we eat." We dropped Kade off at his grandparents' and decided to stop at Wal-Mart and look at video cameras. We were getting Michael a toothbrush when I grabbed his hand and said, "I think we need to go. Now." On the way to the hospital, I had to really breathe and focus through contractions. The hospital was an hour away, and I called my parents as we got close to let them know I was going in. We arrived at 3:30 pm. We went to check in and they got me seated in a wheelchair while Michael was filling out some paperwork. This woman came in, very pregnant like me, and she was holding on to her mother and bawling. I started getting scared, because I thought, "Ok, I'm not in that much pain. Maybe I shouldn't be here."

I was wheeled to my room, where I put on my own nightgown--which the hospital was not thrilled about, by the way, because it might get dirty. *cue me rolling my eyes about ruining at $5 nightgown from Wal-Mart* I told them that didn't bother me. Then, the nurse came in and told me I would have to stay in the bed during my labor because it was hospital protocol. I told her that my doctors had promised me differently, so she went to get the head nurse. We compromised that I would stay in bed and be monitored for 15 minutes at a time and then I would be allowed to get up. When, they checked me, I was dilated to 4 cm. I had a few contractions while laying in the hospital bed, but they weren't terrible. I started to doubt I was in labor.

Then, they let me get up. I immediately started having contractions, one after the other. Michael followed me around the room, rubbing my back. I was able to breathe through them initially, but I got a little louder later on. The nurse kept trying to get me to get back in the bed so she could check me, but I kept jumping up. I couldn't lay down. No way, no how. Finally, less than an hour after being there, they checked me and I was dilated to 7. I thought, "This is happening way too fast!" Thirty minutes later, I was pretty much at the end of my rope, painwise, but I was ready to push. I looked over at the nurse and said, "Do you think I can do this?!" She said, "Are you kidding me? You're already there!" My doctor ran in the room right as I was getting in the bed. My water still hadn't broken (which, funny enough, was the sign we had been waiting for to know I was in labor), so she broke it. Pushing was scary. It was kind of painful, but it was just really intense. It didn't take long, though. Before I knew it, Luke was out and up on my chest, brand spanking fresh and new. Born at 6 pm--2.5 hours after we got to the hospital. What a gift. I don't think any mother can describe the emotions that come when you see your baby out in this world for the first time. Plus, there was the elation of knowing that I did what I had hoped to do, even though it was hard. I can honestly say, though, that I would do it again. And again. And again.

Luke William
8 lbs, 2.2 oz
21.5 inches 

Our family--minus big brother!
  
Me saying, "I did it! I can't believe I did it!" lol
Daddy and his two boys

We are so blessed! 
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.--James 1:17 NIV