Our sweet girl has been in this world for two weeks now and I can't imagine a day without her. She is such a blessing to our family and we are so deeply in love with this little gift from above.
I wanted to try and jot down as much of her birth story as I can remember before time slips by and I soon forget. I'm still a flood of emotions just thinking about this amazing day. It truly couldn't have been any better. All of my births hold a very dear part of my heart but this one was just a little extra special. I will treasure the memories of it forever.
And here is her big story told by her proud mama...
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As my due date of November 4th approached, I became more and more uncomfortable with frequent contractions and just an all around uncomfortableness. But I knew all too well that my body needed that little extra push to help true labor kick into full force. It's happened with all three of my other births as well so I wasn't expecting this time to be any different. After having an appointment with my midwife Lori on Halloween day, I left her house with a drinkable concoction of homeopathy that tasted mostly like dirt. It was a mixture of black and blue cohosh and evening primrose oil among a few other things. It was thought to possibly help speed labor along if and only if my body was truly ready to give birth. I was excited at the possibility of it working and having another baby born on the 1st. Colton's birthday is March 1st, Gracie came three weeks early and landed on August 1st and Fletcher has his own specialness being born on my birthday, September 20th. I thought it would be awesome if Maggie could be born on the 1st also but never imagined in a million years that she'd make it that close to my due date.
So I woke up at 4:13 the next morning to drink my shot of "labor aid" as Lori instructed me to since early in the morning is when a woman's hormones are at their peak, therefore giving the stuff a better chance of working. She said between 4:00 and 5:00 but Josh set the alarm for 4:13. Lucky number? I don't know but it turned out pretty lucky for me.
Lori was all set to come by at 8:00am to check on me and I even asked her at my appointment if she really thought that the potion would work that quickly. What I was really thinking was 8:00? That is SO early! I figured I would take the stuff then go back to sleep for a few hours knowing that this could turn into a long and tiresome day for me.
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After chasing the drink with some Vitamin Water I quickly got myself settled back in bed snuggled next to my baby boy and hubby. Within 5 or 10 minutes I could no longer lay in bed comfortably. Labor had begun.
I quietly snuck into our bathroom trying not to wake the boys and decided it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and shower and get myself ready for the day. Within minutes I began having the shakes (which has always happened prior to giving birth with my other three) and the contractions were at least every 2 minutes if not closer together. Yes they were uncomfortable but not excruciating at all. But looking back the shakes should have been my clue that birth was coming... quick! I just wasn't in enough pain though for me to believe it was happening that quickly so I brushed off that fact and focused on preparing for Lori to arrive at 8:00am. I showered and got myself dressed in my favorite skirt and new white tank top thinking that I wanted to look presentable for those who happened to be coming and going throughout the day. Not to mention I was so excited to have my friend Jenna coming over to take photographs of Maggie's birth and I wanted to look decent for those pictures as well.
While I did my hair and makeup I sat on my exercise ball taking breaks at least every two minutes to breathe through the contractions. Using the ball to rock back and forth and even bounce on proved to be an amazing form of pain relief. The contractions were getting more and more painful as the morning went on but again, were completely bearable. Sometime during the morning Colton and Gracie woke up. They saw that I was in labor and I told them that it would be a while but to go get dressed because Miss Lori would be coming over in a little bit and then to play quietly in their room (they share a room these days since Gracie's room is not finished).
By 7:00am I decided that maybe I should go ahead and wake up Josh and have him give Lori and Jenna a call to tell the two to go ahead and get ready to head over. Josh got up, got dressed and called Lori.
After a few more contractions I felt something changing up there. I felt up there and could feel Maggie's head crowning. I told Josh that she's coming now and had him go into the babies bathroom to start filling up the tub in preparation for the water birth that I longed for. The very next contraction caused me to uncontrollably push even though I tried so hard not to. I yelled for Josh but he didn't hear me. Somehow I got myself up off the bathroom floor and walked to our bedroom door and yelled for Josh to come quick! Fletcher was still sound asleep on our bed and the kids were preoccupied playing in their room. I went back to the bathroom and got down on my hands and knees and just let my body do what it already knew how to do. My water broke as I pushed the baby's head out. Josh got to the bathroom just in time to see me pushing Maggie's head out which all happened in one quick contraction. He called Lori to tell her what was happening but the phone was breaking up so badly that he couldn't hear her. He knew she was on her way but also knew that there was no way she would arrive in time. It was in his hands to deliver this baby of ours.
As soon as Maggie's head was out he felt for a cord around her neck which thank God there wasn't one. At this point his exact words to me were "I am so nervous right now..." I couldn't blame him. I was surprisingly very calm. I just breathed through the pushing and let my body do it's work.
With the next contraction I pushed her body out as he reached his finger up there and hooked it under her armpit helping to guide her out of my womb.
And our baby girl was born. As simply as that.
Immediately I turned myself around and sat down with arms wide open ready for my husband to hand my sweet Maggie to me.
She was perfect. In every way, simply perfect. Josh and I just looked at each other stunned and amazed at what just happened as we listened to our girl test out her beautiful lungs.
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Around the corner came Colton and Gracie running in to see the three of us sitting on our bathroom floor in awe of God's creation. They joined us in celebrating this beautiful moment but not before going to the bed to wake up Maggie's big brother Fletcher. What a sight for him to wake up to! He came wobbling into the bathroom with sleepy eyes and a saggy diaper to see his baby sister in mommy's arms. It was quite the moment for us as a family of 6. A moment I will cherish forever. Just the six of us alone in our new home.
Even though her birth was not anything like we planned and I didn't get the beautiful pictures of it like I'd hoped for, I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. It is my absolute favorite birth yet.
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The only part that concerns me is it was just way too easy. After Fletcher's birth I looked at Josh and said "never make me go through this again!" And I meant it. This birth gives me a whole new perspective. I look at sweet Maggie and seriously cry thinking of her as being "it". Her birth was just all too easy and my pregnancy was as uncomplicated as it gets not to mention she's just the sweetest little thing ever! I just love my kiddos more than words can say.
Back to her birth, I suctioned her out with the bulb syringe but she really wasn't mucousy at all. We put the cute little hat on her with pink curly ribbon tied on the top which came with the birth kit and Josh clamped her cord in two places with the cord clamps. At least he's seen this done a time or two or three so he knew just what to do.
So I woke Josh up at 7:00am and he delivered his girl at 7:20am. Not too bad I'd say.
Lori arrived within 15 minutes after her birth and took care of all the after birth care. I was grateful to have her there for that part. After feeding the baby I was able to take a shower and get cleaned up while the kids held and admired their new baby sister. That nice hot shower made me feel like a new woman. It was amazing that I had just taken a shower a few hours prior to this one completely oblivious to how soon my pregnancy would be over. It truly was a crazy feeling. Almost surreal.
Maggie was perfectly healthy in every way. All 7 pounds, 6 ounces of her. We had a little bit of a hard time calculating her weight since being in such a rush Lori left her baby scale behind along with her shoes. We wound up getting out an antique baby scale that my mom had bought years ago and that is how we came up with her birth size. We weren't 100% sure how accurate it was but the next morning Lori came back over and brought her scale. She weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces which made Lori believe that her birth size was accurate knowing that newborns usually drop an ounce a day in the beginning.
She was so easy to fall deeply in love with. It's so amazing to me how that feeling is as strong with the fourth as it was with the first. When Colton was born I couldn't imagine loving another child so deeply. It must be a gift that God gives us moms s the ability to have those strong feelings with each of our children. I cherish that and just love each of my kids for their unique individuality. They are all so special in so many ways and make life so fun and exciting each day. I truly have been blessed and I will never take this gift for granted.
So there you have it. A very long birth story of a not so long birth. And I'll follow it with a load of pictures because you know me and that's just how I am.
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Moments after her birth...
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When Lori arrived...
ouchy Vitamin K shot
Gracie didn't leave her sisters side for a moment
Lori using our antique baby scale
Maggie getting her very first outfit put on
Gracie absorbed everything Lori was saying
proud, proud daddy
Lori delivered Gracie but with Maggie daddy stole the show!
he is so in love with baby Maggie
my oldest and youngest
my two pretty girls
and the babies : )
Grandma brought over a sweet baby cake in celebration of Maggie's birth and that Colton, Gracie and Maggie were all born on the 1st.
The next morning Lori came by to check on us and weigh Maggie again
This sweet baby crib has been in Josh's family for years. 55 years ago his aunt Paulette was the first to sleep in it followed by Josh's mom, then Josh, his sister, cousins and Maggie's siblings too!
Can you tell I love baby feet?
Maggie "sunbathing" to scare the jaundice away. Thankfully she never got it too badly.
Aunt Kelly and the girls made a special trip from Costa Rica to meet Maggie.
We love this little girl so much and are so excited to see who she becomes and what big plans God has in store for her. To have her in our lives is pretty amazing to me and I couldn't be happier!
