OUR DAYS IN THE SUN

Here is a cute picture of Averie and the Gingerbread House we made for Christmas! She placed almost all the candy on it. Didn't she do a good job!

Well Holy Cow. I never ever in a million years would have thought that Pierson Andrew would have made such an early appearance. Especially on his Daddy's birthday. Bryce had been back in NY for finals. We flew in together for Thanksgiving and I stayed and he went back for 2 weeks to finish his classes. My due date was the 30th and he was due back on the 12th so we had plenty of time.....RIGHT? So the day he got back we went to a party at his brother Andy's house and we did some line dancing.....maybe helped out with some dilation. The next day, Saturday the 13th we had a bowling party at Fat Cats for our birthdays, mine was on the 8th and his the 14th. I only bowled a couple times, Averie took most of my turns but I was running around getting Pizza cake and drinks for everyone. Not to mention I woke up at 7am to make a batch of cupcakes, a cake and a gigantic salad to be at the bowling alley by 10:30. We left fat cats and headed straight to the Marriott in SLC (a surprise for Bryce's birthday). It was snowing on and off all night, we went to a movie at 3:40 at the Gateway, went and walked around temple square, slowly but surely, then went and had sushi (of course no raw fish for the pregnant one) at Happy Sumo. Then at 8:30 we were back at the hotel sitting in the Hot Tub with lots of Kids splashing us and lots of stares wondering why such a huge pregnant woman was sitting in the hot tub. Not the most romantic part of the evening. I woke up at about 2 with some contractions, then 3, then 4, not thinking much of it until I had some other signs of labor (if you care to know diarrhea and loss of some mucous). I woke up Bryce about 4:30 and told him I thought I might be starting Labor and I thought should get up and drive home because I didn't have my bag packed for the hospital, I didn't have any of my Hypnobabies books with me (the hypnosis program I did to prepare for my natural birth)I didn't have my birthing ball to labor on, nothing comfortable to wear, SO UNPREPARED TO BE IN LABOR and so scared I wasn't going to be able to keep myself hypnosis under control in the hotel. I called my doula and she told me to take a bath and see if it eased some the labor I was having in my back and she told me to go eat breakfast. SO I obeyed and they didn't ease up in the bath and they were getting to be more like 4 minutes apart instead of 5. They weren't unbearable so I just kept feeling like we had time to go home but I called my mom and had her pack some things up for me and had Bryce's mom go get Averie from her so she could come to the hospital if she needed to. My doula said she would come meet us at the hotel since it was snowing and we didn't want to drive back to Kaysville in the snow. I guess I should mention I was planning to have the baby at the IMC hospital in Murray so that's why we didn't want to drive to Kaysville because we were already so close to the hospital. Well we headed down to breakfast bar at about 6:45 and I couldn't really eat as my contractions were pretty apparent and getting to be about 3 minutes apart. We headed back up to the room and I layed in bed listening to my hypnosis tracks while Bryce called the doula my mom and the Midwives to make final plans. He was on the phone calling everyone all while I was making him put firm pressure on my hips so I could lift up on my belly (a technique I learned to ease back labor). Men are not the best at multitasking so it was difficult for him but necessary for me to survive. He later told me he didn't even really think I was in labor and he thought I was just sleeping, little did he know I was on the verge of loosing it at any second. But thanks to my hypnosis tracks I was able to remain relaxed and let my body do the work. I got up to use the bathroom and sitting isn't a good position to be in while having a contraction. I gave out a little yelp and Bryce said "Get up, WE ARE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL!" It was a rough drive but I was relaxed and made it to the hospital, when I got there my doula was waiting for me at the doors and I had to stop and hug her, go limp and had about 4 contractions in a row with no break at the nurses station before going into a room. That's when everyone knew it was for real, (everyone else that is, I had known since about 4am). So I got back to the room and they asked me to give a urine sample and get into a gown. I sat down on the toilet and got a cup and crinkled it up and threw it on the ground. The toilet is not a good place to be while trying to be in hypnosis and not conducive to relaxing during a contraction. The nurse said never mind, you don't HAVE to give a urine. So I ripped off my clothes, put on a gown and laid down on the bed flat on my back and didn't move again. The nurse checked me right away and I thought to myself, if she tells me I'm only 5 cm. dilated I just might quit right now. Well she said you are 8 cm and I thought Okay, I can do this for maybe another hour. The midwife walked in a couple minutes later and she checked me and said....You are a nine and I can push back your cervix all the way so with the next contraction or two you may want to start pushing. I then thought PUSH, what I just BARELY GOT HERE AND JUST LAID DOWN. Sure enough the next contraction I got the most intense feeling I have ever felt in my life and with a ho heave ho and a lusty yell I pushed with all my might. I have been asked, how did it feel? I cannot even begin to describe the innate and automatic feeling that comes with pushing a baby out. I asked Bryce what he thought it was like watching me when I first started pushing. He made a great comparison. It may sound weird but he said it was like watching someone throwing up violently where the urge is uncontrollable. I had to agree, but it it of course didn't feel like throwing up, it's just a good comparison to the uncontrollable nature of the desire to push. After about 3 pushes she said she could see the head and it was almost through my pelvis bones and if I gave this a good push then I would almost be home free so I pushed him through the bone. Then she said I could get him to crown with the next push, which he did. So when having a baby naturally they tell you when the baby crowns you will feel what they call " THE RING OF FIRE" which it somewhat did, but not as terrible as it sounds. It did burn somewhat but they tell you not to be scared and hold back because that feeling may make you reluctant to push, but you need to push through it and it will feel much better to push then it's pretty much over. So I pushed again and out he came at 10:37 am after a few short hours of what I would deem completely bearable labor. Let me quote my dear friend Natalie though who also just had a natural birth...."Please don't tell me I am LUCKY" or that "I had an easy labor." Trust me that wasn't the case. The 2 contraction that I mentally let go of my hypnosis and gave into the pain were what others would call unbearable, but through out my intense preparation for this birth I learned how powerful the mind is and because I was able to relax and let my body do it's thing is why I believe he came in good time. Thank you Hypnobabies. I highly recommend the program.
Well they put my baby on my chest and he felt like he was about 2,000 degree's. He lifted his head up and looked right into my eyes and it was so amazing that he just wanted to meet his mommy and take a good look. After about 5 minutes and a little contraction I delivered the placenta. I had two tiny tears on the side which took about 4 quick stitches and I was good to go. The nursery didn't even come in to maul my baby(via my request) Bryce and I cleaned him off ourselves and he stayed with us for the first 2 hours. They didn't even weight him for about a half hour. He weighed in at 6lbs 12 oz., a tiny little fellow and was 20 1/2 inches long. I nursed him in the delivery room then I got up out of bed by myself, went to the bathroom and they wheeled me and my baby up to post partum. They even came in our room to give him a bath and he didn't leave the room again. It was such a great experience. For anyone considering a V-bac, throw your fears out the window and give it a go. It went great as a normal pregnancy and delivery should. And may I say that the midwife that delivered my baby from IMC Midwives, Angel Murdock was AMAZING. She was truly an angel and she's only a year older than me.
We do have some pictures but I'm waiting to get the CD and we got some more done today so stay tuned for pictures of the tiny squirt to come.
I do have to say one thing about having a natural delivery. It is fabulous and all, and the recovery MUCH EASIER THAN ANY OTHER WAY, but.......Everyone thinks you are FINE the second you get home from the hospital. I think my husband was fooled by going to the hotel one day and sitting in the Hot tub, and coming home the next day with a baby. Even though it's an EASIER RECOVERY, there is still a recovery. I still felt very tired, my body was weak and sore and hormones, well lets just leave it at that. Not to mention raw nipples. Put that all together and there is still some time needed to just LOUNGE with out any other responsibility. I have to say the hardest part has been that no one will cut me a little slack. I might have had what seems to be quick and easy labor, but it still took A LOT of work and my body is still recovering. That's my only gripe of the week. Otherwise, my baby is wonderful, has a great set of lungs, eats fast and well, and sleeps a lot. I am one HAPPY NEW MOTHER!!