Finally!

The baby is finally here!

(Warning, because this is the closest thing I have to a journal this is my full birthing story. If you don't want the details, don't read!)

Our little bundle of joy decided to finally join our family on July 6, 2010.
I woke up at about 2:30 in the morning and was having light surges. I stayed in bed for about an hour and hoped for them to come faster and stronger. I had an appointment with my midwife that morning at 10:15 and I did NOT want to make that appointment. I couldn't sleep, but the surges were not really turning into anything substantial so I decided to get up and shower. I was hoping that this would either strengthen them or make them stop. Well I showered and got ready and they were still coming so I decided to wake up Kory. Kory got up and got ready to go to the hospital and of course everything stopped. It was about 5:00 a.m. so we decided to go back to bed. After a little while they started back up again and Kory started timing them. They were coming about 10 minutes apart. It was about 6:30 in the morning, but I knew it was time to go. I wanted to get to the hospital early enough that I could get settled into my room.

We arrived at the hospital at about 7:00 a.m. and they put us into a triage room. They like to monitor you for about 30 min. to make sure you are far enough along to admit you. Once they started monitoring me Kory called my sister Manda to let her know that we were at the hospital and it was time for her to come. I still wasn't sure they would admit me, but felt it was time. I was lucky enough to have a friend of mine, Jenni Carter, starting her shift at the hospital about the same time that we got there, so she was able to be my labor and delivery nurse. It was really fun to know everyone in the room. I usually have just Kory and I attend the birth, but my sister wants to become a doula and so I thought it would be really cool if she could be there too.

While they monitored me I wasn't really doing anything and was afraid they would send me home. In 30 minutes I only had two surges, however, during those two surges they found that the baby's heart rate would drop. Jenni told me that this is normal if I am dilated to an 8, but I was only a 4 and so she was pretty sure they would keep me there to make sure the baby was okay. She went and called my midwife and she told them to go ahead an admit me. At that point I got to move to my labor and delivery room and Kory and I started to set it up the way we wanted. We put on some music and dimmed the lights. I was able to get a birthing ball and just started to relax. I asked Kory to help keep the mood light and that I wanted to be laughing. He did his job very well and when Manda got there at about 8:00 we were just finishing getting settled. She told me I looked too happy to be in labor. That was a very good thing for me to hear. I had hoped that I would stay happy and smiling through this labor.

We talked and visited for about half of an hour and I still didn't seem to be doing very much. I wanted to get into the tub to fully relax and so Manda went and filled it for me. They let me get in just as things started to pick up. It felt so good to slip into the hot water. I remembered with Holland how much more at ease it put me to be in a warm bath. Well it relaxed me and I stayed in there for about 10 min. when my midwife got there. She started getting the room set up while I relaxed. Unfortunately, I was not able to stay as relaxed in the tub as I had with Holland, so after only about 20 minutes in the tub I was ready to get out. I got dressed in another hospital gown and got back in bed so my midwife could check me and they could monitor the baby. I was dilated to a 7. At this point everything seemed to happen very fast. I am not sure what time it was at this point, but I am guessing it was between 9:15 and 9:30. Right after my midwife checked me I changed positions in the bed to get more comfortable. It seems like I only had about 2 more surges when I felt the urge to push. My midwife told me to go ahead and do what my body was telling me to do. I started pushing and within what felt like two or three pushes the baby's head was out. Then another push and the baby was here. I had delivered on my knees facing the bed and I couldn't see the baby at this point. I looked over to Kory and we were both emotional and I asked him what it was. In a soft voice he told me we had a baby boy! I was so happy he was finally here!

The baby's umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck three times and that is why every time I had a surge, the heart rate would drop. They put the baby in my arms and it was over. I am amazed at the wonder that is birth, what a miracle. I have done this four times, and it is always an amazing experience. It is such a wonderful thing that our loving Heavenly Father created our bodies in a way that makes it possible for us to reproduce. I love the spirit that a new baby brings with it. I am so blessed.

It took us another day to finally come up with a name, but we are so glad that Lukas Willijns is now part of our family.