Labor / War Stories

All mothers have them...and all mothers love to share them. Here is mine (I will include references to all of my childrens birth stories so that they are officially "put down on paper" - the one thing I've learned is that a new baby brings on LOTS of questions by your other children about their OWN births. I have assured all of them that I held them like I do Ella and I kissed them and I was a very nice mommy to them too.)


Sunday, Father's Day, was pretty smooth. I made my mom go on a walk with me...we took Laina and Mac with us. We walked up and down hills. Then I went and jumped on a trampoline for 15 minutes (almost killed me - especially when the kids would steal my bounce...very hard.) Went to bed feeling nothing...woke up feeling nothing...Oh wait I felt like a lamb (more like a cow) going in to the slaughter. I had an induction appointment at 7am. We went in and it was so weird....I hated it...I dreaded it. Matt wanted to know when the party would get started...I told him to go to work :) About 11:30 I started having noticeable contractions. About 1pm the anesthesiologist was called, but I wanted them to check me before I got the epidural. By the time he got there I was dilated to 5cm...


Now...Indy was 5 days overdue and I had to be induced with him. It took awhile to get started, but then we rolled pretty fast...I got an epidural when I was about 4cm and by the time the epidural was done I was at an 8. However 1.5hrs of pushing landed me in the "outer zone" of reality and if it hadn't been for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law Jennifer telling me he had dark hair I would've given up completely and rolled over and passed out. But he made his entrance finally with eyes wide open and a tiny little squak. He had some dark hair and he smiled and laughed all the time in his sleep.


Laina was an overwhelming rollercoaster. My mother showed up and told us we'd better go to the hospital. I was only a 2.5cm so they wouldn't admit me, but said they'd monitor me for an hour. After the hour I was at a 3 so they said I could stay. I changed and by then hit a 4 and all HEck broke loose. 30 minutes later she was there and they told me to wait for the doctor. I had always sworn that I would NEVER wait for a doctor, so I pushed and whatdya know...the nurse caught her and the doctor walked in and she had a ton of dark hair...all on top. I had it in 2 french braids when she was 9months old...her father tried hairspraying it slicked back at 6 weeks old :). It was totally overwhelming and a labor I would never ever want to re-live it.


So when I went into labor (2 days early) with McLaren I was determined to get an epidural and have the perfect labor. We went in and the anesthesiologist was one of the only people who knew what a McLaren was (formula one car :) and I thought that was a good sign. I got my epidural and then waited and waited since apparently an epidural slows you down...I was spoiled with a rapid delivery on Laina and Mac's took forever, but finally he came with all of his beautiful silvery blonde hair...not to mention an exact replica of his father and would go on to make people laugh in the hallways at church whenever they saw him...my little benjamin button.


Which brings us back to Ella and the anesthesiologist. I decided that I didn't need him...and he assured me I could call him back if I changed my mind. I asked for my ipod and decided to go for it. The second song that came on was "Under my umbrella" by Rihana...and the basis for her nickname "underbrella" given to her by her brother Mac. I immediately started to tear up and made Matt listen to it and he started crying and for the first time in 9 months I could "VISUALIZE" beyond the labor and picture a baby. I listened to the song over and over and finally went on to the next song...and as the intro was playing, one of the nurses asked "Is that Run DMC?" I didn't know...and I had no idea how it had gotten on my playlist (I think Matt had downloaded it for some reason) but sure enough "Walk this way" started groovin'...then I started groovin' and everyone had a good laugh...I had my music on really really loud (I treated the volume like it was a morphine drip hoping it would help stop the pain). They had to tap me on the shoulder if they wanted to talk to me :) I swayed back and forth to the music since I couldn't stand to walk too far from the bed. I was checked and only a 7-8 and felt like I had reached my limit...thought about calling for that stupid epidural but realized it would never happen...I got back off the bed made it through 2 contractions and told the nurse she was coming...NOW. I couldn't even get back on the bed and everyone had to hoist me up. The nurse tried to get me to focus...I ripped the ipod off and said goodbye to Chumpawumpa "I get knocked down" :) (a personal favorite) and just stared at her afraid to move...I was frozen-like deer in the headlight frozen. My dear husband, who was a totally active participant in this labor - complete with a washcloth and back rubbing...something he would never had dared to do on any other labor - told me I had to push. We finally (after four labors) made a good team. At 3:11pm - Ella came into the world - she weighed 6lbs 12oz - 18.75in...my tiniest baby by far. Apparently she had like another week worth of baking to do - so whoever tells you that each baby gets bigger and comes sooner is a LIAR...plain and simple liar. And NO, my dates are not off...when you can have every child born in the same month, better yet same weeks, then you have very good/solid dates :) Every child, every pregnancy, every labor is totally unique.
She had the cord wrapped around her neck 2 times and was purple and "gunky". This is very important to my other children who I had already told "all you babies came out squeaky clean". She was a screamer and continued to scream for another hour or so - she had swallowed a lot of junk - just like Indy. My first and last delivery were so very similar, and she smiles and has even laughed in her sleep already. I was totally euphoric and my doctor walked in to help clean everything up :). I told her that I felt so wonderful I could just walk out of there...and she said "okay...you can go home tonight if you'd like". And so I did. Everyone thinks I'm crazy for wanting to leave the lame hospital with its cell-like room for the comfort of my own bed and bathroom, but like I said..."at least I gave birth in the hospital" (my husband made me do it)...so leave me alone.


My mom was at home when we arrived around 10pm. We had a little birthday party for Indy the next day and then he and Laina left with my father-in-law (bless his little heart) for Utah, followed by Matt and McLaren the next day. So I got to stay home with my mom and baby for 4 days without children. My husband deserves a huge thank you, because its not easy to make that drive with all the rascals. I told him he could golf his little heart out this month (unfortunately he has too much work, so golfing isn't coming too easy :(


And there you have it. The labor/war/battle stories. We all love to tell them and now mine are all down on paper for my rascals to read...hopefully they'll read them when they're holed up in their bedrooms stewing about how mean and unfair I am. I hope they'll remember how special each and every one of them are to me and how much I love them.

My thoughts on photographing my own children (newborn) will have to wait for a later post....let's just say that stabbing my eyes with a pencil might be funner!

Figured I'd post the "womb" picture as my mother called it.

I LOVE this little outtake with grandmas hands.