keaton's birth story

I want to start by saying that Ryan and I believe the gift of life is truly that - a gift.

Our miracle baby is just as much a miracle as any new little life given graciously by God. We waited a little longer than we would have liked for him to join us, but not a minute longer than we were suppose to. God's timing is perfect and Keaton's entrance to the world was perfect.

~WARNING: this is ridiculously long and probably a little TMI. You're welcome ;-) ~

Keaton Mark was born on April 24, 2014 - just 2 days after his due date!

I was up in the morning around 3:30am with pressure and some cramps - didn't seem anything big to me. I thought maybe I ate too much the night before and just had to poo so I went to the bathroom and went back to bed. I woke up again at 4ish and 4:30 with similar pressure and pain - again I thought maybe bathroom situation??

I ended up getting up for the day at 6 with some regular cramping. I wasn't positive labor was starting, but I had a feeling, SO I did what any crazy normal woman would do and dusted our downstairs {who knew when I'd get to doing it!}.

I kind of putted around for an hour before Ryan woke up and started to feel more and more uncomfortable.

Ryan woke up at 7 and I laid down in the bed next to him and said something like "I think something might be happening today." He was pretty sleepy, but woke up instantly and gave me the "what?!?" eyes with a smile. Haha! I assured him it was just pressure and cramping and I didn't need to go to the hospital just then....or maybe even that day. We had planned to go to the gym, so I told him to go without me and went downstairs to eat breakfast, drink my coffee, and spend some time with my Mom. She has been staying with us for a bit to be around for little man's arrival and help afterwards.

Normally, I'm very hands on in my kitchen and like to be in control, but I was just feeling blah and let her make some dinners for us with no help from me....that should have been the first BIG hint something was definitely in the works. I never just sit around in my own house and let other people work.

Fast forward an hour - I took a shower and got ready for the day. I still had a decent amount of cramping and it felt like it was getting worse, but still not too bad.

I wasn't timing anything and just thought maybe it was pre pre-labor. I never had cramps growing up, so I didn't want to make to much of the pain, because it could have been nothing I was making into something....if that makes sense.

Around 9:30am, Ryan and I took Phinley for a slow walk around the cul-de-sac. We walked super slow and I definitely was feeling pain, but couldn't determine when the pain distinctly started and stopped so I figured what I was feeling weren't contractions. 

When we got home I decided to download a free contraction timing app and did my best to time them. I kept thinking I was doing it wrong because they seemed so close together - bahahaha.

I was not. 

Around 11, Ryan, my Mom, and I watched a TV show and I did my best to time my contractions. The pain just seemed kind of constant with only several definite starts and stops. After an hour, the app was saying that they {what I thought were contractions} were about 3 1/2 mins apart and 45 seconds each.

I thought for sure I was doing something wrong - we learned 511 in our birthing class and I just couldn't believe we were past that already. They told us to call the Dr. when contractions were 511 {5 minutes apart. 1 minute each. For 1 hour}.

I just sat there watching the show {crossing and uncrossing my legs because of the discomfort}and trying not to make a big deal out of it, when Ryan looked over and saw my phone. He figured out what I was doing and was like - what?!? Woah.

Things were starting to feel pretty intense and painful at this point, so I {again, like any normal woman} said "I better go pack up my make-up and hair stuff in case we go the hospital soon and need to stay." Ryan completely agreed - bless him. He even helped me pack my curling iron, blow dryer, and straighter {which never got used!}.

I had a few contractions in our room and after Ryan saw I couldn't talk during them and had to focus my breathing called the Dr's office to see if we should go to the hospital. He told them the "stats" and they were going to call us back to tell us where to go: hospital or doctors office. A half hour later they still hadn't called back {?!?} and my contractions {according the the app and my timing} were still about 3 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds.

We just kept waiting and waiting for the nurse to call when Ryan and my Mom agreed it was time to go somewhere. 

I didn't want to get to the hospital and have to come home so I mentioned not wanting to rush in, then took the next 2 minutes to breath through coupling contractions bent over at the kitchen island. It was right around noon, so I think I suggested they eat lunch too. :-P

Ryan did an awesome job getting us to the hospital speedy quick....even driving behind a VERY SLOW Majik truck on a one lane road. That part wasn't so fun.

We got to the hospital and I got hooked up to the baby heart rate and contraction monitors. I was SO afraid they would check me and I would still be 1.5-2cm like the day before at the Dr's office. I was also afraid that what I thought were contractions, were really just "pre-labor pains". They hurt!

Thankfully, I had progressed from 1.5-2cm --> 5cm through Wednesday and overnight.

It was around 1pm at this point and I remember asking the Dr. after she checked me if I could PLEASE stay - I couldn't imagine getting my pants and sneakers on and walking back to the car. She responded with a "oh yeah. You're not going anywhere."

I'm pretty sure I said "Praise the Lord!!" Haha

I got into my labor and delivery room and after what seemed like an eternity, the nurse came in to get my information and get me officially checked in. My contractions were pretty strong and did.not.stop. so Ryan answered quite a few of the questions for me. I just kept waiting for a break so I could breath and take a break and it didn't come.

I also asked the nurse for an epidural at this point and she said the anesthesiologist was helping someone else and would be in shortly.

So we waited for Andy the epidural man. And waited. And waited. And waited. And over an hour later {around 4} he came in!

At one point, Ryan even went out to the nurses station to ask about him. He took it upon himself to do this, so I must have looked like I was in bad shape ;-) I just remember squeezing the bed rails and trying to keep myself distracted from the pain with worship songs, thinking about labor tips people gave me, and wondering if anyone was going to climb down the ladder on the cement wall located outside the window of my room.

Right before Andy came in, the Dr checked me again and I was 8cm and fulled effaced. I was happy and nervous to hear this....3cm in a few hrs seemed pretty good, BUT I was super afraid that it would be too late to get the epidural.

 When we were in position for him to start {I was on edge of bed, trembling with contractions}, Ryan was standing in from of me and said "you're already at 8cm!" - I didn't say much over the last few hours and was having a super intense contraction and all I could get out was "ssshhhhh!!!." I didn't want Andy to hear, ya know....in case he couldn't give me the good stuff.

HAHAHA

Yeah, he knew I was 8cm. 

So the epidural went in and was working 100% AWESOME by 5pm. It was hands down the best thing I decided to do in regards to my labor and delivery. I was a different person - smiling, laughing, talking :)

I laid in bed for an hour and at 6pm the nurse came in to check again and I was fully dilated. Ryan was convinced I had been fully dilated for the last 45mins and just hanging out. The Dr was completing a c-section and so we were just waiting....again. I felt like we waited a lot and I was okay with that. I was pretty much enjoying every minute  of my new pain-free labor and could wait for a while if I needed to. My stomach was rock hard for the full hour - SO many contractions.

Keaton was ready to come out! But like I just said, I was okay with waiting a little bit. The idea of pushing a human being out of my body was a little intimidating. It sounds stupid, but I didn't know if there was going to be a new pain or sensation and I was feeling pretty good just relaxing for a bit.

Around 6:15, the nurse and resident came into my room for me to do 1 or 2 practice pushes and see what happens. The resident said "oh good push" and then out of no where the Dr, a medical student, and about 3 other people came into my room ready to help encourage me to get Keaton out!

I pushed 12x. I remember distinctly having 4 pushing "sessions" with 3 pushes in each session. I only remember these specific numbers because I kept thinking....in the movies they only push 2x and then get a break!! I have NO idea why I kept thinking this! hahaha

I also remember hearing the song 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman playing on my phone in the background. Once I got my epidural, I had Ryan put on some music so he, my Mom, and I weren't just sitting in silence staring at each other while we waited. There was also a woman across the hall screaming so loudly in pain and it scared me. I needed something to cover that so Ryan put the music on and never turned it off ;0)

It was so incredible to hear that worship song during the delivery of our baby boy.

I pushed my.heart.out. It was so weird to push when I couldn't feel anything, but everyone assured me Keaton was making progress out! His heart rate dropped for a bit and that gave me so much motivation to get his little body out.

There are a few details I'll just keep to myself, but it was an incredible experience.

Keaton and I had an hour of skin to skin immediately after his birth and he latched on to nurse for the first time all on his own. Ryan and I were in awe.

So my labor semi-started around 3:30am and Keaton was here at 6:29pm. It was a fast day!

I had no idea what to expect in regards to labor and delivery, but probably it not going this fast. I packed our labor bag thinking I would get to the hospital {probably leave and return}, get an epidural and then hang out with Ryan for a few hours. I had movies, a game, snacks for Ryan, and all kinds of other stuff we were going to do while we waited for my labor to progress. My body got into labor gear and didn't stop until Keaton was born.

It's been fun to talk about that day, everyday since :0) It will be one of the most special and memorable days of my life, if not THE most special. It's amazing what the body is able to do and withstand. I have a whole new respect for mommies who deliver all natural {you are my heros!}.

I wouldn't have changed a thing about Keaton's delivery day. He entered the world just as he was suppose to & we can't wait to continue our journey at home!

Love you and Daddy more than anything! xoxo