Ready or not...here she comes! With this pregnancy, Tyrel and I had just both set in our heads that we wanted to and were going to go right to the due date, December 10th. We have noticed that a full term baby is much easier to care for, better at eating, sleeping, and just healthier and December the 10th sounded great. Then at my 36 week appointment, my doctor checked me and said she didn't think that would happen. I was already at a 2 and 80% effaced and she thought I'd go 2 weeks early! That pretty much made our lives spin as we thought we had 4 weeks left then all of a sudden had maybe 2. I took it very easy that week so as not to bring on the labor and my 3 boys were such amazing helpers to me.
A week later I went to my 37 week appointment, was at a tight 3 and 90% effaced. She thought I'd deliver on Saturday. She also told me that I was positive for the group B strep and I asked if that meant my water was going to break. She said it was a little more likely but since it hadn't with my other two, it probably wouldn't.
The next day my sister Izzy was at my house and we were just hanging out and having the kids play. I had been contracting for about an hour but nothing consistent or very hard. Then all of sudden I was standing there and said, "I feel like I just wet my pants. That or my water just broke." So I went to the bathroom and after a few minutes I realized that indeed, my water had just broken...surprise! Not at all what anyone was expecting on that day. I was seriously calm and unrushed, asked Izzy for some advice since her water broke with Clifton. I called Tyrel, surprised him and he hurried home from work. I was contracting consistently now and in touch with my doctor. It broke at about 12:45 and we went in to the hospital at about 1:30.
As it was last time, no one was in any rush to help us at the Emergency Room check-in. In fact, Tyrel had to go up to the counter and remind them we were there and explain that I was in labor. I think I was so calm and in only mild pain when a contraction came, that no one thought I really was in labor. They said things like, "Is this your first baby?" or "Well if we do end up admitting you..." Finally they got us upstairs and were also quite lax about checking me. Finally she realized that indeed my water had broken and I was in labor and I made her aware that I was positive for Group B Strep and needed to get the antibiotics going soon because my last labor was only 4 hours once at the hospital. So things got moving and the contractions were getting more intense but the duration of each wasn't very long. In fact, when they asked if I was ready for my epidural, I wasn't really sure, because I hadn't felt like it had gotten too bad yet. I almost felt as if I'd be cheating labor by already getting an epidural. But I decided to get it and the anestasist was amazing! It was the best epidural I have had, hardly painful at all to get put in, and I had plenty of feeling in my legs.
Sitting in bed I no longer felt any contractions and the nurse told me that the goal was to keep me pregnant until 7 pm so that the baby had had 4 hours of antibiotics in my system. She soon realized that probably would not happen. At around 5:15 my midwife arrived and I began to push. Pushing was quite easier than I remembered at first. Between pushing I was sitting having a conversation with everyone, then on to the next group of pushes. But the last 3 or 4 got super intense and I could feel them, and they hurt! I said a silent prayer asking her to come in those next few pushes because I didn't think I could push any more than that. Prayer answered, and she did come after 4 more, only 15 minutes total of pushing.
At 5:30, our little girl had made it safely into this world and we were thrilled! Immediately they put her under my gown for some skin-to-skin time which was amazing. She calmed right down and stopped screaming so quickly. We were instantly in love with our little Oaklee. After about 5 minutes they had Tyrel cut the cord, checked her vitals, and brought her right back to me to nurse. We were thinking she looked kind of small, it was hard to tell. But both Tyrel and I were very pleased when she weighed in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. For 3 weeks early, that was good enough for us! She was a mommy's little dream at nursing! It didn't take her long at all to latch on and to begin eating. What a sweet experience it was.
After nursing, they took her away for about 10 minutes to take her blood and check for infection since we did not make it the 4 hours with the antibiotic. So far, she's fine and has not shown any infection from that.
Back in our room, Daddy got to hold his little girl for the first time, which was so precious to watch. I can't describe all the tender moments that Tyrel and Oaklee have already shared at the hospital.
After her bath, when they put a bow in her hair, it became really real to us that this was our little GIRL and we haven't stopped smiling about it since. What a joy she already is in our lives!
And speaking of joy, when Silas and Logan met her that evening for the first time, nothing but pure joy and amazement they had for her. They are so tender and loving with any baby, but they just have a special place in their tender hearts for their little sister already.
Heavenly Father has blessed our family so much with the arrival of Oaklee, with the help from family, and especially with the safe and healthy delivery and the ease of labor that I had. We are so grateful!
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