To
our sweet Rebecca Dorothy,
You
will be six weeks old on Monday. I can't believe how quickly the time
has gone and how much you've grown! I have been wanting to write this
to you and I'm realizing I better do so soon before I forget all of
the wonderful details of your time growing in my womb and your
beautiful arrival.
It
was about two weeks before Christmas when we found out we had been
blessed with another sweet baby. We were so excited! I am so
thankful that it was another great pregnancy. During the 18th week
ultrasound, we were surprised and so happy when we found out that you
were to be our second little girl, and that all was well with you. We
loved feeling your little kicks and movements as you grew in my
belly. The weeks seemed to fly by, as it was a busy time in our
lives. You painted many murals with me! :-)
Before
we knew it, August arrived! Your due date was the 21st, so
we started getting things ready and organized. On July 31st,
I had a midwife appointment. I had her check my cervix, just to see
where we were at. It is a long way into Chapel Hill, so I wanted to
know what we would be starting at when I went into labor. She assured
me we wouldn't have an “I-40 baby” and to not worry so much. She
didn't think you'd be coming any time soon as she said something
along the lines of, “Your cervix is so posterior, I can barely
reach it! And you're totally closed-Relax”. With three weeks to go,
I was a bit relieved. There was still a lot I wanted to get done
before you arrived.
Well,
you can imagine our surprise when that Sunday, the 3rd, I
woke up with contractions. I hadn't slept well at all the night
before, I might have been contracting through the night, too. I woke
up around 4:45, and decided to just get started on my day. It was
when I was in the shower and getting ready that I realized these
contractions felt real and had some rhythm to them. At 6:00 I decided
to time them. They were about 4 minutes apart. At 6:30 I woke your
father and told him that today might actually be the day. I could see
the surprise and excitement in his eyes. I was excited, too!
I
decided to take a bath and drink a lot of water to rule out false
labor. While in the bath they were 5 minutes apart. At around 7:00 I
called Grandma Bear to give her the heads up. She was going to be the
one to come get Julianna and bring her to Uncle Jason and Aunt Kim's.
I then paged the midwife and received a call back from Deb O'Connell.
She was the midwife who delivered Jules! She advised me to just relax
and go about my day and see if the contractions intensify.
The
contractions got closer to 3 minutes apart as I talked more to
Grandma Bear on the phone. We decided it would be best for her to
come and hang out just in case things progressed. I went to lie down
to try and get some rest. The contractions then slowed to 7-10
minutes apart. I started getting a bit discouraged as I thought maybe
this wasn't going to be your birthday. Daddy was getting everything
together on the list, just in case it was the day. Grandma Bear
arrived around 9:00 or so. Julie was playing in the exercauser and
having fun while everything was going on. After an hour or two of
going between laying down, sitting down, and pacing around, I decided
I would just get up and go about my day. I couldn't sleep with the
contractions anyhow, and thinking about it was making me crazy!. By
that time it was about 11:00 or 12:00.
So
I made two meatloaves, one to freeze and one to take to Aunt Kim's.
We finished cleaning the apartment and putting things in storage.
From about 1:00-3:30 the contractions were consistently about 3
minutes apart. We started talking about how it might be smart to make
the 40 min. drive to Chapel Hill, so we knew if Grandma Bear should
take Julie to Aunt Kim's for the night. In the next hour the
contractions got more intense, so I told Daddy, we should probably
hurry up a little bit, just in case.
I
called Deb and told her we would be coming in. We left around 4:30 or
so, and got to the hospital around 5:15. We waited in the waiting
room while they got a triage room ready....which leads to a funny
story. I was finishing a contraction and I heard somebody say, “Do
you eat a lot of salt?”, so I looked up just to see who he was
asking, and this young man asked again, “Do you eat a lot of
salt?”, and I realized he was talking to me! And he said, “Because
your feet are kinda swollen.” So I said, “Well, I am kinda
pregnant”....(Wow)....He explained his wife was in labor, and she
too had swollen feet due to eating a lot of salt and kool-aid. All I
could think was that it was probably good he was waiting out in the
waiting room.
Around
5:30 Deb checked me and I was 3 cm. dilated, 80% effaced and at a + 1
station. She was amazed at how low your head was! She told us to walk
around some and then come back to see if we should be admitted or
not. We made some calls, and decided that Grandma Bear would take
Julianna to Aunt Kim's. We went to the cafe and got some food to eat.
At
around 7:30, Deb checked me again, and I was now 3-4 cm. She left us
for a half an hour to monitor the contractions, which were growing in
intensity. Dad read some scriptures out of my journal. It was a sweet
time together. At 8:00 Deb decided to admit us due to the fact that
I was GBS positive and needed antibiotics.
The
next 14 hours are a bit drawn out, so I will write a little synopsis.
Throughout the night, I worked on relaxing through the contractions,
made many a trip to the bathroom. Daddy raided the pantry many
times, and ate a lot of cereal. He got a few hours of sleep in here
and there. Of course, I didn't get much sleep except for a few dozes
in between contractions. I was so antsy at times-the hours seemed to
go by so slowly, as I just longed to hold you in my arms! I watched a
few episodes of The Cosby Show, and did a lot of walking around the
halls, as well as hanging out on the birthing ball a bunch and
praying.
I
got checked a few times throughout the night-Deb was so great as well
as our nurse Cherese. At 10:15, I was 4 cm, and completely thinned
out. At 2:30, I was 5-6 cm. At 4:30, 6 cm. At 7:30 we got new nurses
Margaux and Wendy, and Susan Nickel came on as the midwife. At 8:30
she checked me and I was 7 cm. She advised me to keep walking and to
try some different positions during contractions to open up my
pelvis. At 10:30 I was still 7 cm, so after much consideration we
decided it would be best to break my water, as at this point I would
only progress, and I was growing very tired. The whole labor was just
like Julianna's....very gradual. Thankfully, your heart rate remained
beautiful and everything was fine, and the midwives weren't one bit
worried at the slow labor. I feel so blessed by them and their
confidence in the whole birthing process.
The
water leaked out slow at first, and then began to come out very fast.
It was then that I really moved into active labor and the
contractions grew very intense. From about 11:15 to 12:00 I tried a
few different positions, just doing my best to relax and breath
through the contractions. I ended up standing and leaning over the
bed side table on wheels and doing a lot of rocking. Daddy kept the
table steady for me and just encouraged me as I worked through the
contractions. Once again, he was my rock.
Here
is the part that just amazes me. We had wanted to hire Robin and
Lara,the doulas that helped us through Julianna's birth, but weren't
able to. We were a bit disappointed about this, because they were
such an amazing help! Well at noon, our nurses took their lunch so
they had the hospital's volunteer doulas come to help us. This is
right when things started getting really intense, and I was having
contractions right on top of each other, so this was such a blessing!
They took turns with one keeping me cool with a fan and wash cloth,
one rubbing my lower back, and both them and Daddy encouraged me
through each contraction. We saw that as such a blessing from God,
that He provided that help right when I really needed it. At times I
felt as though I couldn't go on, but was encouraged by that as I
remember Robin and Lara reminding me just a few days before that when
I felt like that, it means I would be holding you soon!
Soon
the nurses came back and checked your heart rate and were getting
everything ready as it looked like you would be here soon. I heard
Susan back in the room, and really started feeling a lot of pressure,
like I might have to start pushing. I felt the need to tell Susan,
(as if she didn't know), but all I could get out was
“Sue!.....Sue!!!....” It was funny looking back on it. Susan
assured me that she was right there and ready to catch you, so I
could start pushing when I felt the urge. Well I most certainly did
in the next few contractions so I began to push, still in that
standing up position. Everyone was commenting on your full head of
hair! Susan warned me that soon my legs might give out, so if we
needed to, we would move to the bed. Well sure enough, the next
contraction I felt really wobbly-and I think Daddy was growing tired
as I was holding on to him with all of my might!
Susan
said, Okay, we're going to move you to the bed and you're going to be
on all fours. Those two feet seemed like a mile, but I thought, let's
do it! In the middle of moving I had to push again, so I had three
people holding me sort of in mid-air as I pushed! Thankfully, I was
able to get on the bed for the last two contractions. I pushed with
all of my might, just knowing I would be holding you soon, and felt
your little head pop through and then the rest of your body slither
out. What an amazing feeling!!! I was able to see you right away in
this position, and what a beautiful sight!!! You came out
posterior-sunny-side up, or down, due to my position, that is. :-)
That explains all of the pain I felt in my back at the end. You were
worth every second, of course.
You
let out a nice cry and shortly after, Daddy cut the cord. I turned
over and laid in bed and then the nurses placed you on my chest and
Daddy and I were just so thrilled to see you and hold you!! You
calmed down quickly in my arms and we just stared and stared at you.
We were just so thankful that God had blessed us with anther
beautiful girl. Soon after, I pushed out the placenta, and then began
to nurse you, and everything just seemed absolutely perfect.
You
were 7 lb. 1 oz and 18.5 inches, and so beautiful. God is such an
amazing Creator, and we are just so thankful to Him that He gave you
to us. We will do our best to follow Him as we raise you, with our
prayers being that you may grow up to know Him and love Him with all
of your mind, heart and soul.
We
love you, sweet girl.
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