More Baby Pics

Here are more pictures of the boys at the hospital...  Have I mentioned how much they love her?

And Then There Were 4!

So... I had a baby, kind of a while ago.  But she made it here safely and we love her...

At the hospital check in desk.

Thursday morning on November 7th I woke up and had several contractions.  They were not close together, but they were less than ten minutes apart.  I had just had a doctor's appointment earlier that week and the doctor had said that she thought there was a good chance I would deliver that weekend.  So I was trying to be aware of what was going on.  Also, I wanted to make sure M was there...  I texted M at work letting him know what was going on, then I had to get up and get going for school.  Things stayed about the same during the morning, and M decided to stay at work.  I got Benjamin off to school and then hurried to get ready for the RM's playgroup that was coming over that morning.  I debated about cancelling, but things had sort of tapered off and so I decided just to do it.  The morning went well, and the boys had fun playing together.  Matthias came home, and asked what he should do.  His boss kind of wanted to know what the plan was.  I felt great, and the contractions were super irregular, so I didn't really think anything was a "go."  I sent him to bed promising to wake him up if things changed.

C letting us hear her voice.

She was quiet for so long.

I think I am still amazed that she came so fast after breaking the water.

After playgroup we had lunch and played, then Robert went down for his nap.  I ran a quick errand with John to my doctor so that I could pick up something from my doctor for a test they wanted me to run after the weekend.  I didn't think I would make it until Monday to do the test, but I was being obedient.  Plus I needed something to do...  Things were still very irregular.  I did call and talk to Grandma E and she was super excited and reminded me that I could walk around to get things going.  Once I got home our day sped up.  It wasn't long before B-man got home from school.  We started working on homework and things, and I started working on dinner.  We were having the missionaries over for dinner that night.  Once again I debated about cancelling, but I was pretty sure I was okay.  By the time I was cooking dinner, I was pretty sure that the baby was coming today.  I was not in a panic, but the contractions were getting stronger and more regular.  While dinner was cooking I woke up Matthias and told him to let work know that he was not going in.  I packed my bags for the hospital.  The missionaries came over for dinner.  Everything seemed very noromal, except that B-man and J kept saying how "My mom is having a baby right now!" or other things to that effect.  I tried to just brush the comments off as childish banter.  I didn't want to freak out those poor missionaries.  We didn't let the missionaries dawdle.  The contractions were getting more obvious as real contractions, and I have a history of quick progression.  The missionaries left, and we went into organizing mode.  Matthias got the kids into the shower and in their pajamas.  I sent a quick email to our families letting them know that we were going to the hospital, and then I got into the shower.  I stayed a long time in the shower.  It felt really, really good. Once the boys were settled and in bed our neighbor came over to sit at the house and watch the boys.  We have great neighbors!  We threw the bags in the car and then we were off!  I remember that the moon was so beautiful on the drive to the hospital.  It was a beautiful moon that night.  Fifteen minutes after breaking my water C came into the world.  I saw her head emerge reached down and was able to pull her onto my stomach.  I don't have the words to tell you what that feels like, but it was truly amazing.  She was quiet for a bit.  Not scary quiet, just quiet, and then she started wailing.  They let her stay on me for a long time at least fifteen minutes before they took her to weigh her and clean her a little bit.  The nurses were all exclaiming when they weighed C.  She was a whopping 9 lb 5 oz and still two and half weeks early.  I really loved all the nurses that were in the room that night.  It was really a magical night.  I was so happy that I was able to know I was in labor, and that I was able to get M to the hospital and out of work in plenty of time.  And even though the last fifteen minutes were a little insane, the whole affair was very relaxed and wonderful.  C was so wonderful and the hospital let us hold her and feed her and love her without getting in the way.






We checked in at the hospital at about 8:15 and got into the gown so they could make sure that was actually in labor.  While we were there the friend that was with me when RM was born also came to be helpful.  They checked me and I was dilated.  I think to a 4 or 5.  We were then transferred to the delivery room.  We really had such a great time.  The contractions were not super close together, nor were they very long, so it was pretty easy to stay in control.  We were laughing and having a really relaxed great time.  When I felt a contraction coming I would get out of bed, lean over the bed with my hands on the mattress, and M and JQ would take turns squeezing my hips.  It was great.  After about an hour I started to get the shakes, so M started the bath for me.  I got in the bath and it felt so great.  I was in there for a long time.  At one point I went to get out of the bath, and it was so difficult to get out of the water, that I just stayed in for another twenty minutes at least.  Once I was out and back on the bed the contractions seemed much more intense.  The doctor came in to check me and I was about a 6/7.  I was really disappointing about that...  Have I mentioned how much I love my doctor?  By some divine blessing he has been on call for all my babies.  Seriously so lucky.  He really wanted to break my water, but I know that breaking my water makes it hurt a lot more.  So I didn't really want to.  After a little bit of debate on my part I decided to do it.  The doctor broke my water, and on the very next contraction things were intensified by a lot.  After two contractions I started having the urge to push.  The doctor let me know that if I wanted he would let me pull the baby out and onto my chest.  I had been pushing on my side, so eventually I rolled over.  It was an intense couple of minutes, but I was the most aware of any of my births about where the baby was and what I was doing.  Even though I was very uncomfortable.  Also I remember that C was moving around so much, during the labor.  I have not felt any of my babies move during labor, and she was really moving. 

The rest of the hospital stay was pretty uneventful.  I loved the first day, and then when it was time to go home, I was really ready.  It's hard to manage a wife and baby in a hospital, while your have three others that need to be looked after!