Luke's Birth Story

Here I am at almost 40 weeks. HUGE!!! This pregnancy had been completely different from the beginning. I started showing earlier this time around, I started feeling more achy earlier, and I just knew that this baby was going to be bigger than all the others....I didn't know why...but I knew he was going to be bigger....and my first sign wasmy stomach!!! Even when we got back to AZ my midwife said that I was always measuring bigger. I mean look at the size of that belly...Luke was seriously projectile baby and stuck straight out!

I was always planning on going into

labor on my own with this baby. There was never a reason to be induced and I didn't necessarily want to be either even if I was measuring large and in charge. I had had an appointment the previous Monday and I was still dialated to a 1 not effaced or anything and well....that was basically it. Janice talked about induction, but Doug has always been very against me being

induced after my long bad delivery I had with Jake. So to him that was never an option. I had another appointment scheduled for the following Monday, Nov. 1st...but Friday night(October

29th) I got a phone call. It was from my midwife and she said that she was going to be at the

hospital this weekend and that if I was feeling up to trying the outpatient gel process that we

could go ahead and give it a try and see if my body was ready to have this baby or not.

I called Doug at work and his first reaction was no and I was fine with that, but then we kept going back and forth and late Friday night I called Janice and told her that we would give this little guy one more day and we would try the gels on Sunday. This decision kicked me into high gear. If my body didn't respond to the gels they would just send me home and I would go into labor on my own...which would probably happen that following week when my midwife was to be out of town, which I didn't want! If this happened then who knows who would end up delivering me, but I wanted to try and avoid that if at all possible.

Saturday night I was cleaning, catching up on laundry, and getting the boys ready for the

possibility that I was going to be gone for a couple of days. I was supposed to check in at 7:30

on Sunday morning, but the hospital called me at 6 am and said that they would have to push

me back until that afternoon. Kelsey came to be with the boys that morning and so she was

there with them and took them to church.

Meanwhile, I wanted to head to the hospital to see Melissa's little Anna because I knew that I

wouldn't be able to see her once I was checked in. So here is Doug with tiny little Anna....she is a doll and so sweet by the way!:)

And did I mention that it was so fun to be in the hospital at the same time as Melissa? It seriously was the best. She came down to visit me when I started having some pretty bad contractions....and I was shaking and could not get warm! This happens to me every time...my body kind of goes into shock when I start going into labor and after I deliver....so this was me trying to get warm....they had covered me with tons of blankets.

Anyways, I am digressing....We headed over and when we walked in the nurses told me that after I was done visiting that they would have a room ready for me to start the process. We were in Kyle and Melissa's room for a little while and next thing I know the nurses came and got me and we got started in another room. This wasn't until around 1:30 in the afternoon.

Before we started the first gel pack they checked me and I was a 3 and 50% effaced! I was not expecting that....I still thought I was a 1 and not even effaced!

My body responded to the first gel pack immediately and I started to contract and after the second gel pack my contractions were getting so close together and I was a 5 and 60% effaced. This was moving rather quickly and since I was strep B positive and had to get my antibiotics in they opted not to do the third gel pack because they didn't want me to have this baby without

getting those antibiotics in me. Dayna (my nurse) came in and said "I am calling Janice and we are officially admitting you and I am starting your antibiotics." From there on out it was rather smooth sailing....by now I was a 6 and 80% effaced. Janice was going to come back at 8:30pm to break my water, so I got my epidural shortly before. This epidural was the most effective one I have ever ever had! I could not even move if I wanted to! Janice came and broke my water and they started me on some pitosin to strengthen my contractions even more! My new nurse Courtney who was AMAZING and who had also delivered Melissa's baby girl first thing that morning was so good! They had me flip sides multiple times and when she checked me at 11:15pm I was still a 6 and 80%. She said "This little guy is just taking his time, but I am going to give you 15 minutes and when I come check you again you are going to be

complete and ready to deliver." I started to feel some pressure,

but I am telling you, this epidural was unreal so I really couldn't tell how much pressure I was feeling! She came back in at 11:30pm and checked me and said "You are complete...lets give a practice push to see where we are at and then I will call Janice down here" So that is what we did and then she told me not to move and that she was getting Janice and by

the way...he has a lot of dark hair!"

By 11:46pm after pushing three times, Luke arrived! No one could believe the size of this baby. Janice and all the nurses could not believe that I delivered that size of a baby! And neither could Doug and I for that matter! I mean I was thinking high 8's but I wasn't thinking just shy of 10 pounds and 22 inches long!

He was huge!!

I couldn't even imagine how big he would have been if I would have gone any longer than I did! It was so exciting and I loved welcoming this new little guy to our family! Doug couldn't stop laughing at how big he was.

We were all shocked!

Welcome to the family Baby Luke!! oh yeah....and Happy Halloween!!!