2016 was going to be an epic year. . . I had this very thought spring of 2015. You see, 2016 would be Jon and I’s 10-year wedding anniversary and we had been saving for a trip to Hawaii. To say I was excited was an understatement. I had everything planned out. I had a savings account specifically for our travels, we had points piling up on our credit cards for the plane tickets, I even started back at Swamp Rabbit Crossfit so I could have some sort of hope of looking decent while in Hawaii.
Fast forward to the end of October 2015 and I had a sneaking suspicion something was just a little bit off. I hadn’t been sick or anything, but just had this feeling that I could be pregnant, but probably wasn’t. Or at least that’s what I told myself.
I decided not to put it off and bought a pregnancy test. I actually bought two, because who really buys just one and doesn’t want a second to either confirm or deny? Sure enough, it came back positive. So did the second one.
I have to say, I was really surprised. This would be baby number three. Both Jon and I wanted to have another kid, but I wanted to wait until after we returned from our Hawaii trip to even start talking about it. Of course, God’s timing is perfect. I have always said, I wish it would just happen so I wouldn’t have to think about it and try and plan another pregnancy out. God knew this when He sent our little surprise along. It took me a day or so to wrap my head around the fact we were having another kid. Jon was just as shocked as I was, but of course, we were both happy and excited.
We found out at the first ultrasound we were more than likely having a boy! This of course opened a lot of discussion about a name. We pretty much knew the middle name would be Nelson, after my great Grandpa. The first name. . . we struggled. We narrowed his name down probably two weeks before he was born. Levi was a name we had picked out with Wyatt, but obviously didn’t end up going that route. Levi was the only name that we both agreed on. I didn’t want one of us to compromise with his name. We wanted something different and unique and as a friend put it, we “went old school”.
Up to this point, I had been working out at Crossfit for about four months and continued to do so all through out my pregnancy. I have to credit working out was really a difference maker for me in this third pregnancy. With Wyatt’s pregnancy, I was still working and working out wasn’t a huge motivating factor to me at the time. I stayed active, but no where near where I should have been. With Sadie’s pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes, so I had to watch my diet closely. I was more active with her, but again, not a lot. I immediately let my coach know I was pregnant and we modified movements as I progressed.
One of my biggest concerns was having gestational diabetes with this third baby. Going through the highs and lows of sugar levels and diets and everything we did was not something I wanted to repeat. Then there was being induced. Again, not something I wanted to repeat. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. Of course, I’m one of those weird people who was induced without having an epidural, so maybe I am a little crazy.
I watched my diet and started monitoring my sugar levels, praying that I wouldn’t have gestational diabetes this time around. At 28 weeks, I had the glucose test and praise the Lord, I passed with a great number! I didn’t realize how much I was worried about it until it was over and the result was good. I strongly believe working out and sort of watching my diet were the two factors to passing the glucose test.
My official due date was July 5, which was on a Tuesday. But secretly I was hoping he would be born on July 2, which is my grandma’s birthday. I was born on my great grandma’s birthday, so how cool would that be for my son to be born on his great grandma’s birthday?
July 1 was my 38 week appointment and I told the doctor I was hoping to be early and she thought it might happen. I was at 2 cm dilated, so we decided to strip my membranes, (if you don’t know what means google it, but it is a tactic used to help start labor). I had some mild discomfort for about ten minutes, but nothing after that. Another week came and went and I was back in the office for my 39 week appointment. This time around I was at 3 cm and we stripped my membranes again.
I went home and continued on with my day. As the day progressed, I had some stomach pains, but it really felt more like indigestion and it definitely wasn’t consistent. We decided to head over to my in-laws and let the kids swim in the pool after dinner. Somewhere around 8:45 my stomach pains started getting a little more intense, although they still were just a bad stomach ache. We headed home close to 9:30 and by this time the stomach ache had turned into more consistent contractions and I started timing them on my phone.
I hadn’t really mentioned much of this to Jon because I knew he would be more concerned about it than I would. Everyone had told us, “if your water breaks, get to the hospital, because this is your third baby, he will probably come fast!” As soon as I mentioned that contractions were about 30 seconds long and 4 minutes apart, he went into super dad mode. He called his parents and they came over to pick up Wyatt and Sadie. He finished packing his bag and added my bathroom stuff to my bag, then started the car. I texted our douala, Jaalah, and she met us at the hospital around 10:30 pm.
Contractions were coming pretty regular now and were getting intense. We got through triage and into our delivery room around 11:00 pm; at this point I was at 7 cm. Our doula, Jaalah, who helped with both Wyatt and Sadie was great to have by my side. Our labor and delivery nurse was awesome as well. I wanted to deliver naturally if at all possible and those two ladies helped make that happen.
Up to this time my water had not yet broke. This was kind of the final piece we were waiting for to fall into place. But, it never happened.
Around 11:50 I started to feel like I should be pushing so we had the nurse check to see how far along I was. I was at 8 cm and it felt like he was moving down and all over the place. The doctor was called a few minutes later to assess the situation and I had progressed to 9 cm in about twenty minutes. During several contractions, I wanted to push, but was told that the baby was still too high.
So, I got up to go to the bathroom one more time in hopes it would help, this was around 1:05 AM. As soon as I got to the bathroom, I felt him coming. The nurse told me, “you better not have that baby on the toilet!”. We quickly got back to the bed and I laid down and the room was a flutter of people all at once.
As soon as they were ready, I pushed twice and baby Levi came into the world at 1:19 AM. The first comment I heard was from the doctor as his head came out that she thought he was nine pounds. Once he was actually weighed, he was 8 pounds 9 ounces. The nurses got him cleaned up and Jon held him for a bit, then I held him.
Come to find out, my water never broke, although I was told there was probably a leak, but not enough to break. I didn’t know that was possible, but apparently it is. It’s called being born in the caul and roughly 1 out of 80,000 babies are born this way. He came out with the membranes still around his face. Some of the nurses said babies that are born in the caul are more aware of their senses. Another one said they can tell the future. I’ll have to get back to you on that last one.
Another interesting fun fact, he came out face up. I had no back labor or anything that usually accompanies babies being born face up. His poor nose was a little squished, but has since straightened out and is super cute.
He was born on July 2, 2016 at 1:19 am weighing 8 pounds 9 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long. We went home on Sunday and started our new journey as a family of five.
Wyatt is Mr. Mom with him and lets everyone know about his baby brother. Sadie just wants to hold him and constantly points out his facial features to him by touching each one. I decided Wyatt will keep him safe and Sadie will teach him out to take a hit. It will be interesting to see how that changes in the coming months. Our dog, Daisy licked him, so I guess that means Levi is in. The cat, Jack, he’s keeping his distance for now.
Oh, if you are curious, Hawaii is on the docket for 2017. . . Lord-willing.
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