On the morning of January 2, 2015, we proudly welcomed our third son, Ezra Paul, into the world.
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8 lbs. 12 oz.
20 inches long
I can hardly believe it's only been 2 weeks since our newest little guy made his appearance. Anyone who has experience with a newborn knows that 2 weeks can feel like an eternity when you're living in the land of eat-sleep (maybe)-poop-cry-repeat. This being my third time experiencing the newborn twilight zone, I knew what to expect and, for the most part, I have taken each day in stride with the help of my amazing husband and extended family.
So before my brain goes to complete mush and I forget everything that has transpired over the past couple of weeks, I want to document the events surrounding Ezra's birth. Because during my pregnancy with Ezra I told people that I was three centimeters dilated when I went into the hospital with Liam, but I was actually only one... and they almost sent me home (read Liam's birth story here). How could I forget that? Well, because it all becomes a blur after a few years. That's why I write.
So here we go...
The Birth Story
As you can imagine, when December 30th rolled around and baby boy was still chilling in my belly, I began believing the lie that he was just going to take up residence in there forever. Because the mind starts playing tricks on you when you get to your due date with no signs of a baby coming. And, y'all, my body was done. D.O.N.E. I wasn't sleeping at night, I was extremely swollen, and I was just overall achy and exhausted.
My bags had been packed and in the car for several days, and I had been keeping the house as clean and newborn-ready as possible. So when we decided to head to my parent's house on New Year's Eve, I did so without hesitation. I needed a change of scenery, but mostly I needed to take my mind off of the fact that I hadn't had a baby yet! So off we went...
The good thing about being with grandparents is that we had plenty of extra help with the big boys so that I could sit and put my feet up. And that I did. I brought in the New Year in bed listening to the fireworks outside my window.
New Year's Day I woke up to discover that I was losing my mucus plug. It was the first sign of the day that maybe Ezra would indeed come out after all. All throughout New Year's day I could feel subtle changes in my body. By the end of the day, through teary eyes, I told my mom that I really felt like labor was close at hand. I hadn't had a contraction yet, but I could just feel it coming. We were packing up our bags to head home when my mom suggested that I leave the boys with her for the night just in case. I was hesitant, but Kevin and I decided it was probably best so that at least I could get some rest.
About 20 minutes into our ride home I had my first contraction. I wasn't sure if it was the real deal, but I decided to start timing anyway. Well, it turns out it WAS the real deal. By the time we got home my contractions were averaging 7 minutes apart and getting stronger. We stayed home for about 30 minutes, enough time for me to call the hospital (and my mom) and for Kevin to throw a few things into an overnight bag. And off we went.
We arrived at the hospital close to midnight. We got checked in, and I got wheeled to a room. A nurse came in to check me, and much to my surprise, I was already 6 centimeters dilated. 30 minutes later I had progressed to an 8/9 (two nurses with two different opinions). I was in P.A.I.N. and things were moving very quickly. Everything except the epidural! The nurses were beginning to hint that it may be too late to get the epidural. That's about the time they wheeled in the medical supply cart and a baby bassinet. And that's when I panicked!! I recall saying something like, "Am I gonna have a baby right now?!?!" And then started chanting, "I can't do this! I can't do this!" Kevin and my mom immediately went into cheerleader mode and began assuring me that I could. But I really didn't want to find out!! So I made one final plea to the nurses, and they agreed to call the anesthesiologist.
Twenty minutes later they checked me again, and I was the same. The anesthesiologist arrived shortly after, and he said if I could sit still long enough he would give me a good dose of pain relief. I assured him that I could, and within minutes I was pain-free with no regrets! {I know all of the all-natural Mama's out there are probably cringing right about now, but, seriously, I have NO regrets! haha}
Of course, the epidural slowed down my labor quite a bit, but the good news is that I was able to rest during the early morning hours. Unlike my epidurals with Silas and Liam, this one actually worked! So things were pretty uneventful for a few hours.
When the doctor made her rounds the next morning my water still hadn't broken, so she broke it to get things moving. She also gave me some pitocin to help strengthen contractions. Not long after, I began feeling the pressure and urge to push. The nurses set me up for delivery, and 2 pushes later, the most beautiful cry filled the room. Ezra Paul made his grand entrance.
And I was in love all over again.
More on my recovery and our family's adjustment to come...
