James Daniel Birth Story

My sweet little boy was born was January 7, 2018. Here is his story while it’s still semi fresh in my mind

Just to review. I had really quick labors with the girls. Genevieve I showed up 9 cm and had here with 30 minutes. Eleanor I showed up 8cm and her within an hour. So based on this and the fact that you go quicker the more babies you have, I was preparing for another quick process. Boy was I wrong

This time around I also tested positive for group b strep. This doesn’t do anything to me but there are concerns of passing it along to the baby during delivery. To prevent that, they administer antibiotics through an IV during labor. They hope to give at least two rounds prior to delivery.

So based on the quick history and now the need for antibiotics, josh and I were concerned that I wouldn’t make it in time. I became very observant to any pain or twinge. I was trying to figure out when labor started so I could get to the hospital in time for antibiotics

Saturday, January 6 I started having lots of pain and pressure during the afternoon. Around dinner time I started having some contractions and we started timing them. They soon became consistently every 9ish minutes apart. We decide to call the midwife on on call. It’s determine hat based on my history and the need for antibiotics that I should go in to the hospital even though I haven’t met the 5-1-1 rule.

We grab some stuff together and put two sleeping girls in the car. We take the girls to josh’s sisters house. And head to the hospital. They get me in s room and hook me up to see how things are going. After 15 minutes of monitoring they say I’m having contractions every 3-5 minutes but I’m only displayed a 2-3. They don’t admit patients until they are a 4. They instruct me to walk the halls for 45 minutes to an hour hoping to give me the added push to be admitted. We walk the halls for 30 minutes then I pace around the hospital room for another 15.

After that they hook me back up to check progress. After monitoring me for 10 more minutes they check and I’ve made no progress. They decide to send me home with a little bit of medicine to take the edge off my pain. Both josh and I are upset by this. I know that I’ll just go home and lay awake through contractions and not be able to get done rest. Josh expresses his fear that we will go home, I will labor more at home then come back with no enough time for antibiotics. We also are confused on how we will know that anything has changed and I should come back. The nurse calls me doctor back and he gives the go ahead to keep me overnight for monitoring.

So we settle in for a night at the hospital. Between the contractions, the uncomfortable hospital bed and the machine that was monitoring the babies heart rate (which we found out later had a volume button and we could have turned it off) I didn’t sleep well. I had s read an article about visualizing breathing the baby down during contractions so that’s what I tried to do since I couldn’t sleep.

A new nurse came on duty at 7am. She checked me a few times, let me eat breakfast and finally at 9:30-10 it was determine I was far enough long to be admitted. Things were kinda crazy for a while which helped distract me. Signing paperwork, getting the IV started, drawing blood, etc. While filing out paperwork I was asked if I wanted an epidural, I immediately responded yes. The whole pregnancy I felt like this was something I was going to do. I just could wrap my head around going through the pain again. Particularly now when I’ve already been at the hospital for 12 hours and have s long way to go.

The whole time josh and I are asking lots of questions because in the past there hasn’t been time for lots and done if these experiences are new. The nurse and doctor keeping laughing it off and explain that this is typically labor that most people go through. I’ve just not even though this is my third.

Around 11:30, the anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural. It was the most nerve wracking experience of my life. I had to sit on the edge of the bed with my legs hanging off. The nurse had me huge a pillow and burying my head in my chest. It was very uncomfortable. Several times I almost told him to stop and I changed my mind. I'm pretty sure Josh thought he was going to pass out. He says watching me get that was one of the most stressful moments of his life. A couple of times what he did hurt but only for a moment. Really the position was the most uncomfortable part of the whole experience. I do have a bruise on my back from it. Once he got it all hocked up and the medicine going I was much more comfortable. It was a really weird feeling. I could feel contractions for a while and the numbness in my legs was so weird.

Soon after that, my doctor showed up to break my water. That was quick and painless, thanks to the epidural. After that the nurse told me to take a little nap so I did for about 1-1.5 hour until she came back in to give me more fluids. About this time I started feeling the contractions again. Not painful, but I could tell they were happening. I could give myself an extra shot of epidural medicine every 20 minutes. I was too nervous at first because I didn't want to be so numb that I couldn't feel to push. 

Fast forward 30-45 minutes, the contractions are crazy strong again. I'm pushing the epidural button. My nurse even noted that she could tell I was having to breath through them again. The contractions get much stronger. Had to have Josh come hold me hand and watch the monitor to tell me when the contractions were almost over. I ended up having to push the nurse call button and all I could manage to say was that "I can't do it any more." the nurse comes in and checks me and I'm 8 and he's much lower. She thinks I'm going to go very quickly now so she calls the doctor to come and the anesthesiologist back to give me another dose. However both are about 15 minutes away.  For the next 15 minutes I'm in crazy pain, like having to squeeze Josh's hand and hold back tears. Josh is crazy worried that the doctor won't get there in time. They also get the room ready for delivery. 

Doctor shows up and says that I'm really close and he'll be near by. The anesthesiologist comes and gives me another round plus I can hit my button again. I'm feeling much better now. Nurse comes in and checks me. She thinks I can get set up to do a couple practice pushes. I give two pushes and she tells me to stop until the doctor comes back. That was a little uncomfortable. I could tell that my body was ready to keep pushing. Doctor comes in and gets set up. A few more pushes later. (I think a total of 5 but they told me "just one more" at least 3 times) and baby James made his arrival into the world. 

8.0 pounds  
19.5 inches

The doctor worked on him on the table between my legs so I couldn't see him for what felt like hours but I'm sure was like 10 seconds. Josh said he was breathing and everything was fine. just suctioning out nose and mouth and Josh cutting cord. He did eventually started crying so I felt much better. Then they placed him on my chest and we started to wiped him off. After a while they took him over to the warming tray and did his stats. The doctor finished up monitoring me and the nurse took off a lot of monitoring devices. After that I finally got to eat. I was starving. I don't know if the mac n cheese they gave me is good but after not eating all day and surviving on ice chips, it was delicious.

Jill brought the girls later to meet baby James. They were excited and a bit overwhelmed. They both wanted to hold him.However it was past there be time and they soon became really fusing particularly when they learned that Josh, baby ansI were staying at the hospital and they were going back to Jill's house. Since the timing of his arrival was hard to predict and plan for it was hard to tell the girls the exact plan.

After the girls left the nurses made me get up and go to the bathroom. That was a very weird experiences. I told them that walking for the first time after the epidural felt like a baby deer learning to walk. I felt like at any minute my legs were going to give out. After that they moved me from my labor and delivery room down the hall to the mother baby section. (We didn't get moved down there with Eleanor because there wasn't any room.) 

The pediatrician came and looked at him and discussed any question we had. After she left I set Josh to go get more food. I was starving and ate every last crumb of my burger and fries.

Due to my positive group B strep and a very strict pediatrician at the hospital, I was required to stay the full 48 hours. So I mainly just hung out in bed eating and feeding baby James. Monday night was the hardest. Josh brought the girls to visit after dinner and before bed. Then all 3 of them went home for the night. I cried and cried. I wasn't expecting to feel that way. I knew it was the best plan for everyone but I felt a lone and bit scared. I didn't sleep at all that night. I couldn't get James to settle to sleep in the little bed. 

Tuesday around 6pm I was finally discharged and we went home. All 5 of us. 

My Kids Make Me Laugh Monday - March 7, 2016

While watching a basketball game-
Eleanor: "Touchdown"
Genevieve: "Where are their helmets?"
(At least the kids have picked up on our love of football.)
.....
Last night at dinner we had leftovers from Saturday night which included peppers stuffed with chicken, slice of avocado, and fruit. We didn't have any avocado ready to eat on Sunday night so I left that off their plates.
Genevieve: "Mommy where's the green thing?"
Me: "We didn't have any to ready to eat tonight."
Genevieve: "Oh thank you Mommy!!!!"

You have to know that you know that you know

This morning during LifeGroup (what my church calls Sunday school) I asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life. At the end of the church service I went up to request to be baptized. I put the following status on my Facebook:

You have to know that you know that you know. 

And now I know. 

I'm a child of the one true King. 

Thanks to my LifeGroup this morning for all their support.

A lot of people have been asking what my story is. Figured it would be best to write it all out here. Now I'm not the best writer. At times my spelling and grammar are horrendous. I'm just pouring out my heart so you'll know my story. So here goes:

I was raised in a Christian home and was baptized at the age of 7 on Easter Sunday. I remember being baptized but I don't recall the exact moments and conversations that led up to this. I don't know if I did it because everyone else was doing it or if my parents told me to do it. I really don't remember. I remember looking to the older kids for guidance even though they made me go first to see if the water was warm or cold. At the age of 7, I can't say there was a dramatic shift in my personality or my way of life. Let's face it, at age 7 there aren't too many "bad" things for one to be getting in.

In the mist of all this, keep in mind that I attending Catholic school from kindergarten through high school graduation. Not because we were Catholic but because the public school system we were apart of was horrible.

Fast forward to when I started dating Josh my junior year of collage. Josh had also been raised in a Christian home and had accepted Jesus into his heart. When we started dating, Josh was a senior and already had accepted a job in the Washington DC area. We needed to figure out really fast if this relationship would be worth fighting for and worth the 1.5 years of long distance dating while I finished up my schooling in Indiana. One of first conversation was the importance of our future spouse being a Christian. Josh is truly the one that open my eyes to the relationship side of being a believer.

We attending a southern baptist church while we lived in DC for 6 years and have been attending one in Cartersville for the past 2 years. While doing so I've really struggled with knowing if I am saved. I'm constantly doubting if I had done things in the right order, the right way, said the right thing, etc.

This past summer a revivalist or guest speaker at church mentioned that you had to know the day you were saved. I text my friend Amy Carpenter in a panic because I had no idea. I thought I had been, I just didn't know when. At the time I believed that if something happened to me I would go to heaven. Amy listened to my concerns and read some scripture with me. Her parting comment to me was that she thought Jesus was working on me and she was excited to see where He was leading me.

This past week it seems like every where I go this has been part of the conversation:

* Josh and I are doing a Disciple Shirt training through our church. Part of Monday's lesson was to write our testimony. I really didn't know what to say so I left the whole page blank.

* Every Monday night a group of girls get together to watch TV. During the tv program the two girls next to me were talking about if other religions use the terminology "being save". The church I grew up didn't use that terminology. In fact, I had never heard that phrase until we started attending a baptist church. I poured out my heart to them about this topic and they offered guidance. 

* Tuesday, I was with a friend that is part of the Monday night group wasn't there that night, so I was telling her about it. Her story is similar to mine and she offered bits of guidance and encouragement.

*Sunday morning when I walked into LifeGroup, a relatively new attendee was talking about how she got saved this past week. Which led to me commenting on what my week had been like. Our LifeGroup leader asked me some questions and one thing led to another my class circled around me. They prayed over me, then I prayed the sinners prayer.

So there you have it. As of today - March 6, 2016 - I now know that I know that I know. 

Eleanor's First Birthday Party

Last weekend we had a first birthday party for Eleanor.

Friends and family came from far and wide to help us with the celebration.

Eleanor loved getting to eat chocolate cake for the first time. She had it everywhere. She immediately had to take a bath.

Genevieve has pretty much stolen all of Eleanor's birthday presents and believes they are hers. Good luck to us on teaching her otherwise.

I wanted a few pictures of Eleanor in her birthday outfit. I have similar ones of Genevieve. My friend, helped me out by capturing a few shots of her.

Favorite!

Sad I took the cupcake away

Hey! Where did it go?

"Mommy! Hold me!"

Eleanor - 11 Months Old

Forgot to post these last month.

Eleanor - 12 Months Old

One year ago we became a family of 4 and our lives changed forever. Our hearts grew with the addition of sweet baby Eleanor (along with our diaper budget). What a wonderful year it's been. Eleanor is a sweet, funny, cuddly baby. She adores her big sister, loves her daddy and is totally a momma's girl. I feel so blessed that God has called me to be these girls' momma. I pray that she continues to be happy, healthy, and strong. (Eating finger foods and sleeping through the night would be a bonus). 

We love you baby Eleanor!

Genevieve wanted in on the action too.

Genevieve was all about these pictures. Eleanor wanted no part in it

Honestly I'm glad the monthly pictures are over now. I have loved seeing the progress and will back on goths girls with fond memories. But they become extremely difficult the older and more mobile the child becomes. Today Eleanor was trying to stand up in the chair and kept rolling off the blanket. Meanwhile, Genevieve was crying that she wanted Eleanor's sticker.

Realize that I've forgotten to post a few months of Eleanor's pictures. Stay tuned...

Genevieve's First Dentist Appointment

A couple weeks ago I took Genevieve to her first dentist appointment. 

The pediatrician said we didn't need to take her until she turns 3 but we were starting to notice some plaque built-up around her gum line that we wanted to get checked out. Turns out the dentist we picked recommends starting to come a year of age. 

After waiting for almost 45 minutes, we were finally called back. Several friends had warned me that I would not be able to go back with Genevieve for the appointment. I was okay with this because my thought would be that Genevieve would be scared and want me but I'd be holding Eleanor and unable to help. 

Well it turns out that since she is under the age of 3, I was asked to go back. The dental hygienist asked me some questions and got Genevieve situated in the chair. Genevieve was a little apprehensive but we distracted her with the movie "Nemo" playing on the tv on the ceiling. 

The dentist came in to see Genevieve. She didn't think Genevieve would do well sitting in the chair for the appointment and asked me to hold her. Which meant the dental hygienist held Eleanor. The dentist was very pleased with Genevieve's teeth and gave her a great report. She advised us to start using really toothpaste on her. She was also impressed we had recently given up the pacifier. She recommends getting rid of them at 3 1/2. 

Funniest question that the dentist ask me was "Tell me about Genevieve". I looked at her like she was crazy. I wanted to answer "She likes bubble baths and long walks on the beach." 

I made sure that Genevieve took her bear with her since I thought she'd go back without me. I thought bear would bring her some comfort. Bear received a good report from the dentist as well.

Both girls left with stickers and pinwheels. 

They will see Genevieve back for her first real appointment in August and want to see Eleanor at the same time for her first appointment. Not sure I'd actually take Eleanor. Currently she only has 2 teeth and I feel weird taking my would be 14 month old.  

Watching "Nemo" on the ceiling

Still not sure what's going on

A little happier