Ethan's Birth Story

I haven't written in quite some time, and managed to skip those last 10 weeks of updating the pregnancy on the blog.

Oops.

Let's just leave those weeks to themselves, as they were filled with lots of excruciating back pain, heart burn, Braxton hicks contractions, and me impatiently waiting to go into labor. I truly thought that this sweet baby would be at least a week early and be born in October. I worried so much (for nothing) that I wouldn't be able to go trick-or-treating with Gavin and Arabella, when in reality I was almost a week late.

So, let's start from my 40 week check-up (Wednesday 11/2), where I was told that I had not progressed at all from the 39 week appointment and was only 1 cm dilated. While I usually don't put a lot of stock in dilation (Gav was a week early and I was only 1.25 cm dilated at that point), I was feeling really defeated. How could we be 40 weeks pregnant and not being dilated more than 1 cm??? This appointment was on a Wednesday and I made it through the weekend and had another check-up on Monday, November 7.

During Monday's appointment (11/7), we learned that I was only 2 cm dilated and that my blood pressure was elevated. Normally my blood pressure is normal or low, so for me a 123/88 reading was concerning. We decided to schedule an induction for Wednesday, November 9th. I left the appointment feeling both relieved that I wouldn't be pregnant for much longer, but also nervous because I did not want to be induced. For Gavin and Arabella, I was able to labor without any medication and had both babies naturally without an epidural. I was hoping to do the same for Ethan, but obviously his safety was the most important thing.

I got home from the appointment and surprisingly began having contractions every 8 minutes. They never got closer, and I went to sleep for the night knowing that if I was actually able to rest, then this was not active labor.

I woke up the next day...still pregnant and still having contractions. This day just happened to be Election Day (11/8). Gavin was born on Leap Day and it would be pretty fitting that Ethan would arrive on another unique holiday...but thankfully he didn't. Due to E being almost a week past his due date most of our Charleston family members were going to be out of town or unavailable to watch Gav and Bella when I went into labor, but luckily my littlest sister, Lacey, flew in from Florida and arrived on Tuesday (11/8) at 6PM.

Thank God that she did, because two hours later I started having contractions that were every 3-6 minutes. After about an hour of this, I called my doctor, grabbed my stuff, and Keith and I headed to the hospital!

Last bump picture that Lacey snapped!

We arrived at the hospital around 9:30PM, and I was told that I was 3cm dilated. This was definitely an improvement, but the contractions were horrible and I knew we had a while to go before the pain was over.

KC and I before things got crazy

Two hours later, it was hell on earth. This labor seemed to be 10 times more painful than it was for Gavin and Arabella, and I was desperate for relief. While I didn't get an epidural, I did request pain medication in an IV. I was given a dose of Dilaudid for the pain and a dose of Phenergan to prevent nausea. Let me be very clear -- The drugs were POINTLESS. They did NOTHING to "take the edge off" of the pain and literally made me SLEEP during labor! I would pass out for a few minutes and then wake up to feel the most intense pain I've ever felt. However, I'm somewhat glad that I took the IV drugs, because Keith was able to have some amazing God conversations with our sweet nurse and photographer. :)

Since I was super drugged up and passed out I don't know the exact details of how fast I progressed, but let me tell you...the whole shebang only lasted 5 hours! From arriving at the hospital to delivering our boy, it was a hard five hour journey.

My doctor arrived at some point, and at 8cm he offered to break my water. (My water broke naturally for Arabella at 9.5cm and literally pushed her almost all the way out, while my water was accidentally broken during a check for Gavin, and I spent the next hour and 16 minutes in excruciating pain. It was an easy decision for me -- let my water break on it's own.) Well, this didn't sit well with my doctor, because he ripped his gloves off and said, "Are you serious? Well, fine! If you want to be in more pain, go ahead." And he walked away. Now, had I not been drugged up I would have likely kicked him out of the room, since who in their ever loving mind speaks to a patient like this at all, nonetheless DURING active labor?

Anyway, he walked out and I progressed from 8cm to 10cm, and my water was still intact. Once I began pushing, my water broke, and my doctor made his way back...only to walk away again while I was pushing to watch the Election results on TV. (Yes, we had the TV on...we didn't want to miss the news since we were awake anyway!) So as my nurse and husband are holding my legs and coaching me, my doctor is watching TV.

After a few pushes, the ring of fire, and the most horrific pain of my life, out came our beautiful baby boy! At 2:30AM, right when Trump was being announced as our president, we welcomed our third child into the world. Weighing 7lbs. 15oz and was 18" long. His head circumference was 14" and the nurses informed me that was a little on the big side...which also explains the pain this time around.

Proud Daddy

Cutting the cord

Keith told me that after each time I give birth, I let out a certain cry. It's a cry that is both joyful and sad -- one that reflects the pain of labor with the exhilaration of birth.

Since Ethan was born in the middle of the night, we stayed in the laboring room for a few hours and then around 6AM made our way to our recovery room. Keith and the older kids met us around 1PM that day, and it was the sweetest little meeting. Arabella was absolutely infatuated with Ethan, while Gavin was impressed but also wanted us to go home with them. :)

While it was a bit lonely and isolating being in the hospital with just me and Ethan, it was also refreshing. I loved spending time with my new son and learning this new person's needs. I did experience very intense stomach cramps that were caused by nursing (the suckling makes the uterus contract, which is ultimately a good thing because it helps it get back to it's normal size a quicker, but man did it hurt), and that was a bit difficult. I also tore (only 1st degree, surprisingly), and that made things uncomfortable to say the least.

One thing I absolutely have to say is that through all of the struggles, stress, and turmoil that Keith and I have experienced during this pregnancy (it's been a tough season), our God is good. He is so good, even when things are not. A huge worry of mine was having Ethan circumcised (even though Gavin is and it's a pretty normal thing, I've just read too many articles recently and was worried about the pain our little baby would feel), and when the pediatrician came in to check on him, he told me that Ethan has barely any foreskin and that he is naturally circumcised. That even if we wanted to get the procedure done, he would have referred us to a urologist when E was 6-9 months old! GUYS. I didn't even think this was an option or even happened, but it did! So all that worrying I did was for absolutely nothing. God took care of it in the most unexpected way, and we are so thankful!

(I contemplated putting this part in, but it's part of the story so...)

Unfortunately, my doctor continued to be difficult after delivery (he wanted to give me one particular pain medication and I only wanted something mild like Motrin) and I had to fight with him (through the nurses) to get it. He refused multiple times to give me Motrin and I had to threaten to speak to hospital management before he caved and let me have it. He never came by to explain to me the reason for his choice, and I am at a total loss as to why he treated me this way. It was very out of character for him, as he is usually kind and gentle. Maybe his candidate lost, maybe he was having a rough day...I really don't care either way. His unprofessional and borderline unethical behavior negatively impacted my experience and I will no longer be seeing him for any of my OB needs.

(Okay, back to the good stuff...)

While my doc was a total imbecile, the nurses that took care of Ethan and me were incredible! Charlotte, Helen, Deb, Jennifer, Nicole....thank you, thank you for all of your kindness and professionalism! And again, my experience (minus my doctor) at Trident Medical Center was wonderful. Keith actually joined me for a Celebratory Dinner that the hospital provided, which included a delicious steak dinner, cake, sparkling grape juice, and wine glasses. It was lovely! (I know this birth story is a bit negative, but if you want to read about the wonderful experiences I had with Gavin and Arabella, click their names.)

I am beyond thankful to have carried these babies in my womb and to have experienced natural childbirth 3 times (I'm counting Ethan's as natural due to the fact that I didn't have an epidural and felt everything regardless of the pain medication), and to have been pregnant four times (sweet Hayden, you are not forgotten). However, after my experience with Ethan I am pretty sure that we've reached our maximum for biological children. (But let's not rule out adoption and fostering ;))

Ethan Andrew: 31 Weeks

My last update covered my pregnancy experience during weeks 13-20, so I'll pick up at week 31 and briefly summarize weeks 21-30. :)

Current Week: We are 31 weeks today and I still can't get over how quickly the time is passing. It took me a week before realizing we'd entered the third trimester (at 26 weeks), and we only have 9 weeks left until meeting our sweet boy! 

Baby boy at 27 weeks

Size: At our 27 week ultrasound Ethan was weighing 2.2lbs. :) At 31 weeks, he is currently the size of a coconut. 

Movement: This little guy is very active, and I am so thankful for this. While the huge belly is enough, these little/big kicks are sweet reminders of the life growing inside of me. 

Arabella loving on Ethan :)

Cravings or aversions: I'm still not craving much, but around week 25 I started craving cheese. Sharp cheddar in little cubes, to be exact. I've also been eating lots of snowballs since being back in Charleston. During my visit to Louisiana I purchased a gallon of wedding cake snowball mix, and now I make my own at home in SC. :) Not only are they delicious (complete with ice cream and condensed milk), but they also get rid of heartburn pretty quickly. 

Weight Gain: I'm very happy to report that I've only gained 10 pounds so far! Not sure how this number has stayed so low, but I'm certain it has a lot to do with my very active days with Gavin and Arabella. 

Sleep: Sleep is getting more and more uncomfortable, as this belly of mine is hard and huge. I'm no longer able to roll face down and usually sleep a little twisted. While Arabella has been sleeping in her and Gavin's new bunk bed since July, she's recently started getting in our bed in the middle of the night. This happened after spending two weeks sleeping with me in Louisiana, but I'm hoping she gets back to her bed before Ethan arrives. 

Symptoms: Up until last week things were going well...and by well I mean I only had heartburn, exhaustion, and moodiness. I'm still experiencing all of those things, but now I'm having crazy back pains. (These pains are typically isolated to the lower and middle right side.) Also, for the past few days I've been having pretty intense pain that begins right below my belly button and ends at the top of my pelvic bone. I saw my doctor yesterday and was perscriebd an antibiotic that will hopefully heal anything that's going on down there.

That's all for now! Hoping for this back pain and weird stomach pain to go away soon, and to get Ethan's nursery together by my next update :) 

Our Rainbow Baby - Halfway There!

Somehow time has flown by incredibly fast, and I am already 20 weeks pregnant with our sweet Rainbow Baby! My last update covered my pregnancy experience during the first 12 weeks, so I'll pick up at week 20 and briefly summarize weeks 13-19. :)

Current week: 20 weeks and I cannot believe we're halfway through this pregnancy! We visited the doctor yesterday and got the cutest profile picture of our sweet boy! Everything is looking perfect and I'm so thankful for a healthy, growing boy. We also confirmed the gender again (since we found out so early at 14 weeks), and after 20 minutes of poking around he finally let us see his boy part. :)

Size: According to the ultrasound tech he weighs 12oz, and according to the app on my phone he's the size of a mango.

Movement: For the past week I've been feeling his sweet kicks every day, and boy is he active! This feeling is so magical and I'm thankful that I get to feel them again. Last Monday (6/6) Keith felt him for the first time and was the sweetest thing.

Cravings or aversions: As much as I liked eating oranges, tomatoes, and all things acidic in the first trimester, all of it caused a lot of trouble and I had a flare up of my IC (Interstitial cystitis...a bladder problem I've had for years), so I've had to stay away from them. I can't really say that I've craved anything specific, but I will say that I will all of a sudden be starving, eat a few bites of something, and then be sickly full. Oh, the pregnancy fun. :)

Weight gain: I've happily gained only 7 pounds! Hopefully I won't gain a ton more so that I'll be around the 20-25 lb. range. I started out heavier than I would've liked to be, but I'm remaining hopeful that my body still knows how to grow and have babies.

Sleep: I'm sleeping pretty well, minus the fact that I have a toddler (Bella) next to me and she sleeps horribly. We're still co-sleeping with her and are hoping to move her to a Big Girl bed very soon.

Symptoms: I'm quite exhausted and am usually passed out by 10PM. I also get heartburn frequently, pee all of the time, and can be a bit moody (just ask my husband;)), but honestly I wouldn't change a thing. I know what a big blessing this baby is and I'm thankful for each moment.

Gavin is SO in love with his baby brother!

Name: Oh, the name! We had originally decided on Ethan Elijah, but after much thought and going back-and-forth with Keith, we've finally decided on Ethan Andrew!!! I'm SO excited about his name and finally feel at peace. For some reason Ethan Elijah never felt right, but I'm thrilled with Ethan Andrew. :)

After the Storm, There is a Rainbow

It’s taken awhile to write about this miracle blessing, partly because I’ve been protective and partly because I didn’t know what to say…but only two and a half months after miscarrying our sweet Hayden, I saw the words “pregnant” on a Clear Blue pregnancy test.

It was three days before my period for February was due, and for a few days prior I had been experiencing symptoms associated with implantation bleeding. As much as I wanted to deny these symptoms, I know my body and I know when things aren’t normal, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up. Losing the baby we tried all of 2015 to conceive right before Christmas was devastating, and I was still struggling greatly at the end of February to cope with this loss.

Technically, I should have waited to test on Thursday, February 25th, but I was anxious and decided to test on Monday, February 22nd. I’ve never had a pregnancy test come back positive that early, and in fact Hayden’s test didn’t register positive until the day I missed my period. But there it was, that big fat PREGNANT written on the Clear Blue test.

February 22, 2016

 I immediately cried, and felt joy and fear and thankfulness all at the same time. I ran to Keith and told him our great news and he was overjoyed that we were pregnant again! I called my doctor and they had me go in that day to check my hCG levels. I went back on Wednesday and Friday of that week, and my numbers jumped from 14 to 47 to 146, and then the following week we tested again and the hCG number was 2,560. 

We waited a week before telling the world about our newest blessing, but those closest to us knew right away.

Since February 22nd I’ve had quite a few prenatal appointments and one ultrasound. So far, everything is looking really good. I will be 13 weeks on Thursday and thankfully entering the 2nd trimester. I have felt very tired and hungry, and have had a constant uneasy stomach. Up until week 8, I craved nothing, could not eat any meat, but was always hungry. (Thank God for saltines and ginger.) Since then, my stomach is still uneasy but I am craving organic oranges (because they are sweet, juicy, and freaking delicious), tomatoes in Italian dressing, pineapples, and dill pickle chips.  I’ve been able to eat meat again, but I’m taking my time adding this back to my diet because one wrong move and I’m nauseated for the day! Also, I've had to remove dairy from my diet because anything from cheese to milk to yogurt upsets my tummy. 

Rainbow Baby Christmas at 6.5 weeks

Gavin and Arabella are incredibly excited about our new family member, and Gavin often kisses my tummy and talks to the baby. We’ve told him our baby names and he loves them all, and he also likes to stick things down his shirt and tells me that he’s having a baby, too. 

Rainbow Baby at 12 weeks

As for me, I am thankful for this new life. I have not forgotten about Hayden and sometimes I even feel guilty for being happy and not dwelling on our loss, but I’ve read that’s a normal feeling to have. It’s strange to think had Hayden lived, this new baby would not exist. As a mother, I will always mourn the loss of our sweet Hayden, and even now I can’t stop the tears just thinking about him/her. I had a dream recently and there was a beautiful, red-headed baby with a button nose in it. The baby was happy and smiling, and while I’m not sure, I think this was my Hayden. And my heart broke a little, but I do feel peace knowing that my baby is with Jesus.

This new precious life growing inside of me has helped heal my wounds from the miscarriage, and I like to think that Hayden helped pick this baby out. I will never question God’s plan, but will count my blessings as they are given. We are only a few weeks out from finding out the gender, and either way, we are so thrilled to welcome our newest Little Christmas.

My Lovely Baby Bump

I realize that due to my lack of posting, I have severely neglected documenting this pregnancy for sweet Arabella. Here are few bump shots starting from week 23. 

23 weeks

27 weeks

28 weeks

30 weeks

31 weeks

This week, Bella will be 33 weeks. During my second trimester, I felt pretty great. However, as I've been in my third trimester I've experienced quite a few aches and pains, to include severe back pain, excruciating inner thigh pain (from the way she is laying), heartburn, a little vomiting, and exhaustion. Blah. I do have some really great days though, and I've actually been walking with Gav a few times a week. 

So far, I've gained 20 pounds and I'm extremely pleased by this number. At this time with Gavin I had gained almost 30! When it comes to movement, baby girl is very active. So active, in fact, that it's becoming quite uncomfortable. A few days this week she was moving non-stop and I could not find a comfy way to sit/sleep. I'm not having too many cravings at this point. More or less, just many aversions and too much indecisiveness. 

Early on in this pregnancy I was worried about juggling two children under two years of age, but at this point I'm just ready to meet my sweet girl and do life with my kids and sweet husband. Right now I'm in the process of getting the nursery together. (Hopefully, I'll post pictures of that!) Life is hectic, but I wouldn't change a thing. :)

My Bella Reese - 19 Weeks

I'm almost to the halfway point of this pregnancy and I've yet to write any updates. :/ Then again, I'm quite the slacker when it comes to blogging, but I do have an adorable 11 month old keeping me quite busy. :) 

Anyhow, yesterday Arabella Therese (Bella Reese, Bella, Ari, etc.) began her 19th week in my womb. During the first trimester I experienced a lot of nausea, a little vomiting, and tons of exhaustion. This really caught me by surprise because my pregnancy experience with Gavin was flawless. I was rarely sick and mostly felt amazing. Well, for my second time around I've felt more pregnant. But, once I changed my prenatal vitamin to one that has ginger and entered the second trimester, I've felt great. Although I'm still exhausted, I'm confident that has something to do with chasing my sweet boy around all day. :) 

With Arabella, I definitely think I began showing sooner and personally think that my tummy is way bigger at this point than it was for Gavin. I'm happy to report that I've only gained 5 lbs. (at this time with Gav I'd gained 12!) so I'm hoping that I can keep my overall weight gain to a lower number (with G, I gained 37 lbs.). I originally planned on delivering at a local birth place and had hoped to try a water birth, but I decided to switch to a doctor and deliver au natural again at the hospital. I was unhappy with a few things at the birth place and am satisfied with my decision to switch to a doctor.

When it comes to movement, I have been feeling flutters for around 2 weeks now, and just yesterday I even felt a few kicks! I am so very happy that I am able to feel baby girl move. :) It's still just as amazing as it was when I was experiencing this with Gav. Our next ultrasound is on February 12th and I am so excited to see my sweet baby!

As for food, in the first trimester I had more aversions than I care to remember. I rarely wanted to eat anything, but was always hungry! Recently, I've had a huge sweet tooth and have been craving ice cream, strawberry nutragrain bars, peanut M & M's, and frozen raspberries and blueberries. Another yummy (and terribly fattening!) item I want all of the time is an order of cheddar peppers and ranch from Sonic. Mmm mmmm. I'm trying to keep my cravings satisfied, while also trying not to over do it

I think my biggest issue right now is comparing this pregnancy to my last, and keeping my worry to a minimum. I know that every pregnancy, just like every child, is different and I really need to stop comparing Bella to Gav. Although, Gavin is an incredible kid (and was an incredible infant) and I'm hoping his little sis follows in his footsteps. As for the worry, I am confident that I can do this but sometimes I don't think that I'm qualified. I just keep telling myself that I can be a great mom to two kids under two years old. I can be a great mom AND wife. Will it be difficult? Yeah, probably. But you know what? I know how blessed I am to be pregnant again and how blessed I am to be living this life. So my plan is to take everything one day at a time, breathe, and just enjoy the ride. 

(And because I can't help myself, here's a picture of my sweet boy. :D)

 

Baby Bump - Weeks 34, 35, 36 and a Baby Shower!

34 weeks, 3 days

Weeks 34, 35 and 36 were a bit more rough than I've been used to. During week 34, Keith and I traveled to Charleston to our baby shower and then to Charlotte, NC to Keith's job interview. During this time, my feet got extremely swollen and it was very painful. Luckily, after a few days the swelling went down and my feet returned to their normal looking selves. Sleep is becoming more uncomfortable, as I am constantly tossing and turning with my big ole belly. The hubs tells me that I'm apparently still snoring, but the good news is that I think he's getting used to it. :) Gavin's been very active and I'm loving it. My energy level is still pretty high and the only thing I'm still struggling with is random heartburn. Still craving oranges and as of recent tomatoes with Italian dressing. I am so thankful for this smooth pregnancy and hope that things stay like this through week 40!

As of our 36 week appointment, I am not dilated at all and everything is looking good!

34 weeks

35 weeks, 3 days

36 weeks

*************

Our co-ed baby shower was held in Charleston during week 34 and we had such a fantastic time! My mother-in-law Pam did an amazing job with everything and we are so unbelievably blessed to have so many wonderful people in our life. It was a great day and we can't wait until we can get back to Charleston so everyone can meet Gav! 

Love notes for baby boy

 Us as babies

I adore this man

Our precious niece

One of our cakes, made by Pam!

"My Dad is cooler than your Dad" bib...Keith loved it!

 Loved ones

Some of my favorite Charleston ladies!

Thanks again to everyone who made this day wonderful! 

We love you all so much!