My Baby Stories

Okay, this was a challenge from my friend Lorrin. And for once I am on top of things and getting it done!! I loved your baby story, Lorrin!! By the way, it may be a while until my next post after this because my tonsils are acting up AGAIN!!!!! (Urrrggghhhh!)

I was barely 18 when I got pregnant with our first babe. I wanted to breastfeed and just enjoy life with our new family. When I found out I was pregnant, I put the pee-stick on the bathroom counter for Shawn to see when he came home from work since I was gone for the night. I found out later that he found it, was shocked, and then slipped it under the bathroom door where my sister was changing after work (we shared an apartment for a time). She saw it and was scared because she thought she had seen it before Shawn. Oh no! So they were both thrilled when I came home. Anyways, it was a good pregnancy. No troubles or anything. He was due January 25, 2000. Wow! What a way for the first babe on Shawn's side of the family in the next generation to be born... right after the turn of the century! We were so excited! Well, apparently so was the babe! He decided to come December 19, 1999. That was the same evening we were heading out to pick up Shawn's mom from the airport for her Christmas visit. So, along with her little gifts under the tree, she became a grandma for the first time for Christmas that year.

Zachariah Vincent, 1 month old, in his blessing outfit, given to us by his Great Aunt Louisa.

(We weren't quite in the digital stage yet, so this is a professional picture I scanned a couple years ago.)

Zach was a pretty simple babe, once we got over the first month hurdles. I wanted to breastfeed, but that was not happening. Too many factors to go into at this time. But once we got him on Formula, he just grew and grew and was such a peaceful and happy babe! It was because of the scares from breastfeeding with him, though, that I decided right away that I did not want to even try with the second. Who, by the way, was due December13th, 2001. Pretty basic pregnancy again. Healthy one, too. I went into labor at 8pm December 5th, with very mild contractions. I sat back and let them pass every five minutes as I looked at the clock. At 9pm they stopped, and (many know the long version of this story, but I will leave it out here) got a pretty sad phone call. After I had recouped from the news I had just received, my contractions came on again at 10 pm, once again very mild and every 5 minutes. At the end of the hour they were more constant and sharp, and the doctor wanted us in early because I tested positive for Group B. So, we get to the hospital at about midnight, where they start hooking me up to different IVs and such. I am a no-epidural gal, so that was out of the question. The pain was sharp all through the night. They had me on my side because it was tailbone pain, and then they put me on oxygen at about 4am. Now, even though Zach was born early (despite the efforts made to keep him in), it was a smooth and almost painless labor. With Ranoah I tried pushing at 4:30, 5, 5:30, 6... and finally was allowed to push at 6:50 am. Ranoah was born at 6:58am. Big and healthy girl, pinker than pink could be (which explains why it is her favorite color). Zach was a little scared of the new baby, but quickly warmed up to her!

Ranoah Lynn, 3 weeks old, in her blessing gown that Grandma Holcomb made from the material left over from my wedding gown.

After Ranoah was born, I swore off having anymore! I sold everything. She wasn't a bad baby, but I was sure I was done, and my friends around me supported me. Shawn just stood by and supported me as well. Weeeellllllllllll..... when Ranoah was about 18 months old, I had the hankering for another baby. Shawn and I really prayed long and hard about it (although he didn't really have to because he already knew he wanted another one), and we decided we needed to have another one. That our family still wasn't quite complete. So, several months later, we found out babe #3 was due August 23rd. I wanted this one to be different though. I had a midwife/OBG office I was at. I was supposed to see the Midwife, unless anything happened that made me see the doctor. Well, something happened. My protein count was too high. So, I was labeled High Risk, and had to see the doctor. She was nice though. Very supportive of my wants and such. And this time, I wanted to breastfeed!!! Shawn and I took classes, and read books. We felt so prepared! Shawn had to go on a business trip for a few days on August 15th (I think it was). Since I was having a healthy weight-gain and the baby was, too, the doctor said she would schedule me to be induced on the 13th so Shawn could be there. Well, August 10th, Shawn and I went to a Cajun Restaurant that we loved to go to, and then we went shopping ( a last date thing that Grandma let us do before baby came). While we were shopping, I was having contractions! They were still only 15 minutes apart, but they were steady. So, we went home and sat with Grandma and waited. Nothing progressed. So, we sent her home and told her to sleep with the phone next to her. At 11pm, the contractions stopped. So, I went to sleep. At 8am, they started again. This was turning into a funny day. I had a meeting to be held at my house to discuss preschool in a couple months. So, since the contractions were only 10 minutes apart, I decided to go ahead and have the meeting, stopping every 10 minutes to mark on my little scratch paper the time, and to take a deep breath. It wasn't until half way through the meeting that one of the moms looked up at me when I did that and asked if I was okay. I just quickly responded, "Oh, I'm fine... I am just in the first stages of labor". They all gasped and had these looks on their faces like I was crazy. I was so calm and actually enjoying the peaceful laboring.

We did that all afternoon. The ladies and their kids went home, and we had quiet time. At around 4pm, the contractions became pretty hard. They were about 5 minutes apart, and I was getting uncomfortable. My mother-in-law came directly to our house from her work and made dinner for the kids and herself. Shawn came home from work, and sat down to eat before he asked how I was doing. At that point, it was 6pm, and I needed to go! I looked at him and told him we needed to get in the car and go. He finished his dinner and we calmly got into the car and drove the 5 minutes it took to get to the hospital. The Emergency staff didn't even acknowledge us as we waddled through the ER to the elevator. We made it upstairs, and told the nurse we were there. She asked if I had pre-registered, and I said "Yes!". To which she responded, "well, did you register before this date?" Oh, no! I had to register all over again!!! So, here I am at 7pm answering questions like, "Is there central heating in your home (in the middle of Houston Summer)?". Then she had us wait 10 minutes while she went and answered a phone call and was out gabbing away. She came back in and I told her we needed the doctor now. She said I would be in there for a while and that the doctor would be called later. My water broke while I was answering one of her lame questions, and then my pain was SHARP!! I told her I needed to start now! She told me to answer 2 more questions, then she would get the doctor. So, I answered the "Do you drink?" and "Do you smoke?" questions quickly and she checked me.... I was ready!! They gave me an IV to hold me off until the doctor could come in. So, I am waking up for each contraction, then going back to sleep every minute. The doctor had to wake me up to push. "Okay, Hope... you need to push now... I am here... wake up.... you need to push"....

Skylah Marie was born at 10:03pm, August 11th, 2004.

So there you have it! Our family is complete.... that is of course unless someone else has something to say about it!! (And if He does, we most definitely will NOT complain!!)