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Monday, June 17, 2013

Finally....Party of 5

Wow, I haven't blogged since February, and now its June. A lot has happened in the meantime, but the biggest and best news of all is that our sweet baby daughter Gwyneth Gray is HERE!! She burst into our lives on June 9 at 3:37am, weighing 5 lbs. 15 oz. and 19 inches long. To borrow a phrase from People Magazine, we are "over the moon!"

Here's a recap of L&D (mostly so I myself don't forget the details down the road):

At my 35 week appointment, I charted several big contractions during a nonstress test and my dr. checked and found I had started to dilate, about half a cm. That's a little too early for comfort, so she told me to take it easy-ish and she'd check me again at my 36 week appt. At that point, I was about 3 cm dilated and 25% effaced. I normally have babies 2-3 weeks early so I was preparing myself for that anyway, and after that appointment, I wanted to reach 37 weeks and then get this show on the road!

I got confused several times. I would go for a few hours having consistent contractions, and just when I would start to think it was time to head to the hospital--boom, they'd disappear. My other 2 labors hit suddenly and unmistakably, so I felt like a first-time mom trying to figure it out. Last Saturday afternoon (I was 37 weeks 1 day) I was feeling pretty grumpy about it, so Ted suggested we take a family walk to the hardware store and buy some herbs for the garden. Later I picked up Thai takeout for dinner and we rented a movie after the kids went to bed. During the movie, we started timing my contractions on Ted's iPhone app (way more high tech than the stop watch we used during Jude's labor!)  and they were really irregular, although beginning to hurt. We decided to call Ted's dad and let him know we needed to go to the hospital. When he got there, I said I was 50/50 that we'd be sent right back home, but better safe than sorry, right??

We got to the hospital a little after midnight, and when the nurse checked me in triage, I was almost 6 cm dilated. Ted and I were surprised because at that point, I was still "fine" and not in very much pain, when normally at that point I'd be pretty miserable. Around 1am they admitted us and moved us into a labor room, where we did some paperwork and met the dr who would deliver us. My contractions started picking up at 2am,  getting really close together and super super duper painful. I asked the dr to break my water at 9 cm. Then things got a little nuts. He kept wandering in and asking if I was ready to push after that. No, I wasn't. When I get the pushing urge, its like I get a second wind and burst of energy, and that totally wasn't happening then. He said there was a lady also at 9 cm and he was worried he couldn't be in two places to deliver babies at once, and finally picked me as the lucky winner who would push first. Ready or not.

I wasn't very happy about it, but I'd rather have someone deliver my baby than no one, right?! So I pushed with all I had for 6 contractions, and she was born. Ted is always pretty instrumental on our babies' birthdays, and this time took the cake. The dr let him put on gloves and help deliver her on the last push--her daddy was the first person on earth to hold her little body as she came into the world. (For the record, I would faint if I were a husband. Ted is a different breed)

So the labor was almost exactly like the others once it got started. Right around 5 hours, middle of the night, a few weeks early but right on time:) She looks like her big brother and sister, with the chin dimple every one of us sports, and minimal hair! Ted and I settled on Gwyneth (we call her Gwyn) because to us, its strikingly beautiful and feels full of substance and grace. Gray is actually a nod to my dad...it's Grady without the 'd' and although its a rather roundabout way of getting some part of his name into hers since she's a girl, I smile every time I say it.

We are loving being home with her, and I mean it. This isn't "blog talk" where everything sounds rosy when it's really not....I am honestly so ridiculously happy to have sweet Gwyn in my arms that I could cry (and I do, happy tears, pretty often). The last time we left Community North L&D was almost exactly one year ago, and I was empty-handed and reeling in grief. I have been waiting a long time to hold a baby in my arms, and I cannot get enough of her right now. No, she's not the baby we lost and could never replace him. But she's Gwyn, and she's ours, and she's here, and she's healing me and without a doubt, she is a gift straight from Heaven and made perfectly for our family. She gives me joy deep down in my gut. I know it wouldn't run as deep without feeling the losses and gains of this past year allowed by the God who is Only Good, who walks beside us and redeems our broken situations for His glory. He didn't have to redeem ours by sending Gwyn; I knew that. And yet, here she is.

Meet the baby of our family.



"Then, when it seems we will never smile again, life comes back." -Unknown

2 comments:

Mkh said...

well said, as always. You are blesesd indeed. Congratulations to your gorgeous family.

Melanie

Lauren said...

I am so excited little Gwyn is here!! And slightly jealous you are not pregnant and cranky with me anymore!! We are praying for a smooth transition for all of you and are so thankful for the precious blessing of this new life:) Can't wait to meet her! Love you!