The Birth Story of Baby #4 {Part One}

To begin this story I guess I’ll have to take you back to the Spring of 2015. (if you want to skip all of the pre-story, scroll down to where it says Coby’s Birth Story) 

We were busy with life, work, kids’ school, a 1 year old running around and our “husband and wife” time had been lacking. So I was trying to be more intentional to make time for that! 😉 

We weren’t sure about having any more kids but I certainly had caught the baby bug. I just count imagine that we were “done.”

Well, on the eve of my 33rd birthday after dealing with on and off spotting for a few days and Aunt Flow being late, I took a test. I had had negative tests before so I waited in anticipation for those 2 long minutes, since I really wanted to be pregnant… PREGNANT… the digital test flashed.

My heart pounded and I was flooded with all kinds of emotions; fear of loss, excitement of another baby, dreadfulness of morning sickness and wonder. My husband had went out of town that afternoon for a seminar and I wondered what he would think. Would it be excitement, would it be joy, would it be fear? 

I texted him a picture of London holding the pregnancy test. No answer. So I called him. No answer. He texted me he was in the airport eating dinner. Later we chatted and he was in disbelief, he thought I was joking or pranking him. He even thought that for a few days or even a week or so until I told him I scheduled an appoint with the OB to make sure it wasn’t an ectopic pregnancy since I have had one before. 

I slightly remember his face, like a… you weren’t kidding face. 

We went to that appointment and the little baby showed up on the ultrasound, too early to detect a heartbeat but there. Another miracle baby. 

If you’ve ever experienced a pregnancy loss, you know that just because you see the baby on the screen, that Satan sneaks in any second he can to cloud your joy with fear. I had to constantly defeat that fear with London’s pregnancy and seems as if I was doing the same thing with this pregnancy. 

The doctor scheduled me for a follow up a couple weeks later before I was dismissed to the care of my midwife. Although we would rather avoid ultrasounds, another one was done to confirm the baby’s growth and heartbeat. 

The morning sickness had already settled in by that point. It was all I could do to finish up those last few weeks of toting my kids to co-op and work on school on home days. But thank goodness it was (mostly) summer time during all of that. Most of the summer was spent on the couch, sleeping the sickness off and praying the kids were safe. A lot more TV was on and somehow the 1 year old survived too. Good thing she has an awesome big brother and sister. 

Although it seemed like forever in the moment, the summer passed and before long, I was feeling better. 

We took a wonderful, much needed, trip to the beach and then the Fall semester flew by and BEFORE LONG, it was Christmas break. And this is where the true beginning of baby #4’s birth story begins. 😉

Coby’s Birth Story:

Christmas had came and went and my hope for an early baby (meaning earlier than 40 weeks pregnant) was gone. Little did I know that just 10 days later, 1 day shy of my due date, I would deliver a healthy baby. 

My parents and sister and her family had been visiting. My sister and her family left on New Year’s Eve to head back home while the rest of us just hung out. I was really worn out by this time and didn’t feel like doing much of anything. All the holidays during that busy season, all while my belly was growing and caring for our other 3 children, took a toll on me. 

The Saturday before Coby was born I had felt a little off and was hoping that just maybe it would be the day. My husband and I went to a wedding that night but nothing happened. (before we left for the wedding selfie above) The next day was Sunday, we streamed church on TV and there were no signs of a baby coming. I thought, I guess the baby will be coming late like all the others. 

I was so ready, I even shared this picture on instagram after taking a nice bath. 

I went to bed that night around 11:30pm which was pretty early (for me)since I had been going to bed around 12:30-1am. 

I woke up at a 10am… YES, I got to sleep! I may have woke up a little before but just laid in bed checking email and fb scrolling. When I got out of bed I definitely felt off, but just like the days before it turned out to be nothing. So I put clothes on, brushed my teeth, started a load of laundry, made my bed and sat on the rocking chair my mom had just re-covered days before. I felt contractions but wasn’t sure if they were intense baron hicks or what. 

I went downstairs where everyone was. It’s nice to have Mamaw in town to get up with the kids, especially London!! I mentioned to my mom that I was feeling off and was going to eat some cereal. Which by the way, I never eat cereal but I guess my body knew I would need some carbs. 😉 

Mom asked about going to Costco since we were going to go Sunday but didn’t end up going. So I ate by cereal, continued to feel contractions once in a while, and told my mom if we were going we needed to go “now.” 

I figured that if these were real contractions they wouldn’t go away, even if we went to the store. I didn’t even wear a jacket as we walked to the car even though it was lightly, sprinkling snow. We went into Costco and got the items we needed. A couple different times I actually had to lean against the cart when I had contractions. I knew this was it just not sure when it was all going to happen. We walked to the car and I walked straight to the passenger seat while mom loaded the van. I texted Jake and my midwife around 11am. 

We got home, mom unloaded car while I went upstairs to lay down on the bed. A while after mom came up to check on me and ask if I wanted a snack. She got me one and I ate only a couple bite. The contractions were consistent but not getting any closer. 

I was beginning to doubt myself, that I really could handle this pain. I was having unrealistic thoughts like what if this lasts all day and night. And I couldn’t bear the thought if that. 

Jake called and said he would be home later and was taking the 2nd shift off from work. Sometime a while later he came home. All I had been doing was laying there and noting my contractions. I voiced my doubtfulness to him. Not sure what he said but probably something along the lines of whatever, you can do it. Then he went back downstairs. 

I *think* I like laboring by myself and no one else in the room. (Not the actual time when it’s getting close but the time before). I finally texted him around 2:30 along with the midwife. Again, for this birth, just like with London’s 22 month earlier, we had decided we did not want the kids to be home during the birth. And my Dad actually was scared of the idea of being home, even if he wasn’t in the room. I am not sure what he thought might be going on but he was hoping to already be back home in Arizona by the time the baby came. Obviously that didn’t happen. 😉

Here are the text conversations from that day:

Blue and gray is my husband and I, green and gray is my midwife Lisa and I. 

Mom and kids all came and said goodbye and left, Jake began to get things prepped. I decided to go to the bathroom and was in such a painful state when I wiped I said “there’s blood” with an gasping voice. Then I got on all fours and waited for him to get the pool ready. 

I walked to the pool and sat down and said this is helping. I had watched home birth videos and in almost all of them, the mother looks so peaceful so that’s what I was imagining for myself. 

Unfortunately I was not feeling like what I saw on the videos. That relaxing, “this is helping” quickly faded and there was no relief, lying on my back just wasn’t doing it for me, even on the pool, so I had to get on my knees and lean forward. 

At this point I was still thinking this is never going to end!! 

Part two… coming soon!