Luke's Birth Story

I took notes throughout the day on my cell phone. I didn't make many edits from the notes on my phone to this post. I mostly have created this post for my own journal purposes but am happy to share my experience for those that want to read. 

Induced on January 6, 2014

After a week of Collins being sick with an ear infection, popped ear drum, and a sinus infection I finally got a good nights rest Sunday night--the night previous to my inducement. Sunday morning Crew and I ate grape nuts and grapefruit together. I wasn't going to make the mistake of not eating something healthy to fill me up when I knew I wouldn't be eating for the rest of the day. 

After breakfast, Adam and I bathed Crew and Collins and got them ready (one of those last minute to-do items that suddenly seemed so important to take care of before the delivery). Just as we finished getting the kids dressed and ready, the hospital called. It was 9:30 and they wanted us to come in at 10:30. This was such good news because I had called the hospital at 9:00 (when I hadn't heard from them yet) and asked when I should expect to come in. She told me a few hours so I was thinking maybe around noon. But I eagerly said, "yes, we can be there at 10:30!" 

Adam and I got to the hospital and got checked in at about 10:45. A nurse checked me and said baby was head down and I was a 3+ dilated. She started the pitocin at 11:15 pm. 

11:30: Dr. Jones came in and broke my water and said I was dilated to a 5+. That was fast. (Note to self: after my water breaks I instantly progress in my dilation). 

Contractions were starting in strong but not too painful--which was so much different from Collins' (When I was at a 5-6 dilated with Collins I was almost crying it hurt so bad. But I was quite at ease with these contractions). 

Every contraction I have is in my back and they are the worst.  Knowing how terrible contractions are, at 11:45 I asked for my epidural thinking, "I know where these contractions are headed". My epidural was placed wonderfully and I was grateful that there were not any complications. 

1:00 pm: I started feeling light headed and nauseous and my arms were going tingly. The nurse gave me medicine since my I had low blood pressure and some zofran for my nausea. Then she turned down my epidural for a bit to get my levels regulated better. 

1:45 pm: I am a 6+ dilated

2:00 pm: I am starting to feel much better. No nausea and light headedness is lessening. Still numb and feeling good. Sipped some apple juice and that helped too.

2:40 pm: The nurse checked me again and I was at a TEN! Totally surprised me. She called the doctor in and we got ready to push.
My mom made it just in time and poked her head into say hi while the nurses got everything set up (but my mom quickly left since I didn't want anyone, but Adam, in the room with me). 

2:50 pm: The doctor came in. He got everything set up and I started pushing on the next contraction. After my first push the nurse said "WHOA!" Because the baby's head was already coming out. I pushed 1 more time and started a third push but stopped when the nurse said that was enough. 

3:03 pm:  With only two pushes, Luke Willard Nelson was born. 

Luke had a good cry right away and had great coloring. He has lots of blonde hair and gray blue eyes--like his siblings. He weighed 7.5 lbs and is 18.5 inches long. He was ready to come. 

He came out with his hand by his head and even grabbed the doctor's fingers when he was coming out.

Dr jones put him on me right after Adam cut the cord. They wiped him down while he laid on my stomach on a towel and after weighing him put him on me for some skin to skin time. He hardly cried after the first two minutes and just cuddled right up to me.

He has been be easiest delivery and baby thus far. 
The day we took Luke home from the hospital it was a beautiful snow storm. It honestly set just a magical and cozy feeling. It gave me something to look at while we stayed inside and enjoyed our family of five.

On the way home from the hospital I told Adam and that I couldn't quite wrap my mind around the timing of us actually taking our third baby home from the hospital. How did we all of a sudden have three kids? It happened so fast but I love it! I knew I wanted three + kids. I just want to enjoy and feel fulfilled in each stage of life that our family grows into. I feel like I have filled this past year with lots of wonderful memories but it just still goes by so quickly. I love our family of five and instantly, Luke fits into it perfectly. With Luke now in our family I can't imagine not having him. 

Luke's Arrival and Hospital Stay

Luke Willard Nelson

January 6, 2014

3:03 pm

7.5 lbs. : 18.5"

We are now a family of five. And it feels perfect. 

Luke is a very calm, peaceful, and patient baby. For which, I am very grateful for. I told Adam that he must of made a deal in heaven saying, "please send me down early, I promise I'll be good."He may be my easiest delivery and baby thus far. I hold him every second that I can and can't stop starring at how tiny and perfect he is. Crew and Collins are doing wonderfully in the transition of being older siblings. We are all in love with baby Luke. 

(More on his name to come)

Here is his birth story in pictures. 

Lady in Red

I seriously can't get over how cute Collins is. Her cute walk accompanied by her sweet smile is so dang lovable. She is my little lady in red. 

We ended up matching on Christmas Sunday as I sported my 38 week baby bump.  

BOY!

BOY!  

Adam and I went to our ultra sound on Thursday morning to find out the gender of our baby that is due January 5th. We both didn't have a strong feeling towards knowing what the gender was. But I think I was leaning more towards it being a girl. However, I also had this very strong feeling that Crew was not going to be my only boy. When the technician showed us that we were having a boy, Adam and I were both smiling and had a full sense of joy knowing that a BOY will be joining our family.

Although the 20 week ultra sound is a highly anticipated time for parents in finding out the gender of the upcoming addition, Adam and I both felt similar in our desires to find out if the baby would be healthy.

This baby boy was a total surprise to Adam and I. In fact, when I found out we were expecting again I actually had an IUD in. I only had the IUD for about 2 months. It is very clear to me that this baby is supposed to be in our family now because I usually have to track and really try to get pregnant. I can't just do my laundry with Adam laundry and whaala. So getting pregnant on birth control and without trying was a surprise and a blessing. That said, the IUD was removed which has it's risks, and Adam and I  were more concerned than ever before that everything would be healthy with this baby. We also have two sweet special needs family memebers (niece and nephew) which also brought to the surface of our thoughts and feelings just how miraculous health babies really are. Finding out that all is healthy was more comforting and joyful than finding out the gender this time round.

We feel so blessed that this boy is looking to be healthy and growing and moving as he should. It was very clear that he is a boy. After the ultra sound when Adam and I were leaving I looked over at him in the car and said, "I am so completely happy right now". There is something very special about being pregnant and seeing your baby for the first time in the ultra sound.

Growing

17 weeks

Nelson Baby #3 is on its way. I am due January 5th (making Collins and this baby 13 months apart!).  Yes, it was a complete and total surprise but we are excited. Three kids three years old and under is going to be busy. Crazy that I can even put myself in that category of having such young kids--but I'll take it. I love being a mom, even with the whining, diaper changing, and worrying over my kids because on the flip side I get giggles, kisses and hugs, and cozy kids in pajamas to cuddle with. 

The first trimester was rough. I was sick and so tired. I was also trying to emotionally and mentally prepare myself for being pregnant again. I didn't want to miss my time growing close to Collins in these precious infant months and learning who she is. And Honestly, I don't feel like anything has interfered with Collins' and my relationship--which I am grateful for. 

I have been spending a lot of time at the pool with my kids this summer. Sometimes I wonder what people think when they see me. Is she pregnant? Is she pregnant and if so, how old is her baby? Maybe she is still just trying to lose her baby weight? Then again, I doubt I would think those things if I saw me at the pool. Who's really looking and thinking in that mind set--just me. 

I have also met a lot of people, (moms, friends, friends of friends) who have kids 11, 12, 13, 14 ect... months apart. They give me hope. I am nervous to have another winter newborn. It was hard with the colder weather, being housebound, and nasty sicknesses that come with the season. But I just keep telling myself that I don't have another option so I will roll with it and try my best. 

We are feeling blessed and are looking forward to finding out the gender soon. 

Collins' Birth Story

For some time during the end of my third trimester I had a feeling that I might have this baby early. She was sitting so low and I was feeling braxton-hicks all-day-long. Yet, I didn’t know if I really would deliver early. Still, I was hope-full and determined to do what I could to help the process out. So at my 37 and 5 day appointment I asked my doctor to strip my membranes. I was a little anxious about having him strip my membranes because I had this feeling that it might actually work and put me into labor. However, he was hesitant because he wasn’t on call that day and I was already dilated to a 3 plus. So we arranged for me to come back on Saturday, when he would be on-call, and he would strip my membranes then.

On Saturday around 1:30 PM my doctor striped my membranes. It didn’t hurt—just a little uncomfortable. No big deal. When I got home I started walking and didn't stop. I ended up walking close to 4 miles around my neighborhood. Part of the mileage was walking the giant hill into my neighborhood three times. But I wasn’t just walking, I was curb walking. My neighbors all looked at me and would say something like “trying to get that baby out hu?” and then laugh a little.  Of course, I was trying to walk this baby out. Why else would a look like a fool curb walking. I also ran/walked up and down my stairs when the weather got to cold to be outside. After all this walking I was starting to have some contractions. And they seemed legit because most of the contraction was in my back—the worst place. The contractions were far apart and I wasn’t really keeping track. They kind of started to fade away so in the evening so Adam, Crew, and I went to the live Nativity in Alpine. By now the contractions were really far apart and I figured they would just stop. I went to bed that night with no pain and figured I would keep walking in the morning.

I woke up at 4:30 AM on Sunday to a hard contraction. Hard enough that it woke me up from my sleep. Then another came and another. They were hard and I had to sit up to help lessen the pain. I started tracking them. They would 30 seconds long and came about every ten minutes. By 7:00 AM I was still having them. I texted my doctor to see what he thought about going to the hospital. He said that if they were painful contractions to go and at least get checked.

Adam and I drove to the American Fork Hospital around 8:30 Sunday morning. A neighbor came over and stayed with Crew while we went. Once at the hospital they checked me and I was dilated to a 4. They monitored me for an hour. My contractions were two far apart and not long enough so they sent me home. False Alarm. The doctor on-call said if I were 38 weeks (not 37 weeks and 6 days) they probably would have kept me since I was already at a 4. Upon being discharged at the hospital the nurse told me that if my contractions are 5 minutes apart, go for 1 minute, and last for an hour I should come back.

Our neighbor friend had taken Crew to church while we were at the hospital—leaving our house quite for us when we arrived home. A nap sounded inviting so I took a nap and then Adam, Crew,and I went to tithing settlement. My contractions were anywhere from 7 minutes to 30 minutes apart now. I wasn’t keeping track since I knew they were to sporadic. When we got home from tithing settlement I decided to take a quick walk. I walked a mile around out neighborhood and walked the hill once more. I came home and made dinner. Then I put Crew to bed. By now the contractions were much closer together but I was so busy with dinner and bedtime that I still wasn’t keeping track.

I was finishing putting Crew to bed and was laying down with him until he feel asleep when I started to have really hard contractions again. It was 9:00 PM. I went and sat in my bed, with all the lights off, and started to keep track. Out of now where a switch flipped and my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute long. They were hurting bad. One contraction came that almost put me into tears. And then another came. Adam walked in and saw me and he could tell I was in pain. I sat through these contractions for 30 minutes and then I couldn’t take it anymore. They hurt TOO bad. I didn’t care what that nurse said about it lasting for an hour—I was in pain--and the pain is all in my back. So our neighbor friend came over again and stayed with Crew while we went back to the hospital. We got to the hospital close to 10:30 PM. By the time they got me situated in a room and checked me I was dilated to a 6+ (almost a 7 the nurse said). I looked at her and said, “I want my epidural now”. Good thing I didn’t wait at home for an hour before coming to the hospital because I may not have gotten my epidural in time. Delivering a baby without an epidural is not an option in my book.

The contractions were hurting so bad by this point and I remember looking at Adam and telling him that there was no way I could birth this baby natural. I didn’t even know how to breathe right. I was getting light-headed and finally I asked the nurse “how do I breath?”

“Long and slow”. So that is what I started doing trying to concentrate on my breathing and not the pain. I had to wait about 25 minutes for the anesthesiologist to come see me because he was finishing a DNC. When he heard I was already at a 6 he said he ran to my room. It was an “emergency” that I get my epidural in time. I finally received my epidural around 11:30 PM. Heaven sent. I love epidurals. Immediately the pain lessened. 

By now I was dilated to a 7. The doctor came in to break my water. However, Collins was so low in the birth canal she was blocking any space for him to reach in and break it. He didn’t want to push her back since it would reverse the work my body was doing. So he tried and thought he got it.

By 12:30 AM I am now dilated to a 9 but my contractions are slowing down. The nurse checked me and said that my water wasn’t broken which is why my contractions were lessening. So the doctor came back in around 1:30 AM, pushed her back a little, and broke my water for real this time. Once my water was broken the contractions picked right up and 20 minutes later Collins was born. I pushed through 3 sets of contractions (about 15 minutes). When I was pushing I could really feel the pressure and need to push her out (unlike Crew—I couldn’t feel anything). When her head came into view Adam told me he could see it and that she had brown hair. That really motivated me to push her out.

When she came out she was tiny and purple. She didn’t cry. They took her over to the baby station in the room and the nurses pushed the “silent” call button. Four or five more nurses came in and they were all trying to get her to take a breath. I could see her and I could see that she was really purple and I was getting nervous. But all I could do was watch and let the doctor keep working on me. Adam looked at me with some concern and the nurses said everything was fine. But I was getting scared. She finally took a small cry and then started to hold her breath again. About a minute passed before she actually started to breath.  So much can go wrong in the delivery of a baby and it is a miracle when a baby is delivered healthy. I can’t imagine going through an entire pregnancy, delivering my baby, and then having complications or losing my baby. I know women who have had to go through these type of experiences and I have a little more understanding of the hurt and love and worry that is present when this does happen. 

I feel so blessed that Collins came into our family healthy and beautiful. She is such a tiny sweet baby girl. Adam and I love her more with each day we have with her. 

The breakdown (of my growing belly)

I didn't take very good documentation (compared to my first pregnancy) of this pregnancy's belly bump. Most pictures were taken on my phone--not the best quality picture--and I didn't take hardly any pictures in the first trimester because I felt so sick and I didn't even think about it. I often had Adam take a picture of me on Sunday's when I actually got ready--Ha! Yet, here is what I have to show for this little girl's growth. 

15 weeks                                                           19 weeks

21 weeks                                                  24 weeks

     26 weeks                                                      28 weeks

 

30 weeks                                                                 32 weeks                                            

34 weeks                                                     35 weeks

36 weeks

 I do love the belly and I love dressing the belly. Most of my clothes are from Target, Gap, and ASOS. Some of my favorite items (like my Victoria Secret Pink BoyFriend sweats that I wear literally everyday) are not show. But if you are pregnant in the winter do yourself a favor and get some comfy VS boyfriend sweats. I live in them. I also wear a lot of dresses and leggings. They are the most comfortable clothes to wear. To me, ASOS and Gap have the best pants/leggings and ASOS and Target have the dresses/skirts, and I like tops from all three of these stores. H&M had great tops and skirts but I did not like their pants. 

I can't believe Thanksgiving is over and the baby is due in just a couple weeks. Christmas is around the corner and time is flying by. 

I am so excited to have this baby girl join our family!

34 Weeks

I hit the 34 week mark on Monday. Where has time gone? This baby girl is going to be here so soon. 

Adam and I can't wait to see her. This pregnancy has been a little different than with Crew. First off I am carrying this baby girl so low--seriously it feels like I am carry a bowling ball between my legs. She doesn't move nearly as much as Crew did with the kicking but instead I can feel her nudging into me with her head or back. Kind of feels like a braxton-hicks. Other than these little subtle differences in the baby, the pregnancy for me is still great. I have some final to-do/honey-do items to take care of before she comes. But Christmas shopping is 90% done and I have a take-home outfit for this sweet girl. 

Family Pictures

We got family pictures taken about a week ago. The apple orchard close to our house was the perfect spot with all the fresh apples hanging from the trees. Crew was the best little boy for the pictures and our photographer even snapped a few maternity pictures of me at 28 weeks. I love how all the pictures turned out and am so glad we got pictures of this phase of our family before it changes again in December.