Violet's Birthday

Well like anything that we try to do around here, Violet's arrival was not without its drama.  Her birth story actually starts with a car accident....

On Monday, May 27th, Steve was on his way to play golf (which he reluctantly set out for after feeling guilty for leaving me home by myself but I assured him my mom was close by so it was fine) when he calls a short time later to inform me he had been rear ended while pulling over for an ambulance. Everyone was fine but his bumper was severely damaged. He filed his police report and went on to his golf game.

This same day, Steve's cousin Sarah was being induced to have her son and my mom had called me around 6:00  pm to check in and I told her that I was jealous that Sarah got to have her baby today because then she would get relief from being pregnant.

Watch what you say people...!

During this same conversation, I had to let my mom go because of my ever pressing pregnant bladder. It was at this time that I noticed what I thought was leaking amniotic fluid and then some spotting.  I immediately called my BFF Candice (who is a labor and delivery nurse) and asked her if I should call my doctor and she said to go to the hospital instead. Steve ended up calling me as soon as I hung up with her to tell me he was on his way home and I said "Oh good, we're going to the hospital".

Well a short time later he calls back and informs me that he is stranded on the freeway because his bumper decided to fall off.  Fortunately my dad was close behind him so he picks him up and Steve abandons his car on the freeway and makes arrangements for someone to come get it. Meanwhile, my mom has to come pick me up as I haphazardly try to pack a hospital bag. We finally leave and meet up with Steve and my Dad at his house and then we finally head to the hospital.

This is a screen shot from my phone. note the time and date. That's right, 10 minutes before I actually needed the hospital bag I made myself a note to pack it. Nailed it!

We checked into triage and got set up on monitors about 8:00 pm and they say they will monitor me for one hour to see if I'm truly in labor. Since I was 36 weeks and 6 days, they couldn't do anything to help me along. If I was 37 weeks, they would. At this time, they had checked me and I was 3-4 cm dilated and 80% effaced.

Meanwhile, Candice had called up to the hospital to check in with the nurse and I get a text from her telling me that I am having contractions 4-5 minutes apart.

What???

I didn't even know I was having them and she's texting me from home telling me I am.

The nurse comes in and says yes you are having consistent contractions so they were going to take me to labor and delivery and watch me for four more hours to see if I progress on my own.  Candice then calls to tell me she is coming in to take over for my nurse.

I'm starting to get sketchy on alot of things from here. It's the middle of the night and it appears I'm going to have a baby that I really didn't feel ready for. I know that I had started to feel some contractions but it wasn't anything I couldn't breathe through.  I ended up getting an epidural not too long after that so I never had any hard labor.

My doctor finally made it to the hospital and agreed we were going to have a baby and offered me a C-Section if I wanted it. Everyone had the mind set she was going to be a big baby and also she knew my previous history and wanted to make things as smooth for me as she could. I was very undecided on what to do so she said take 2 hours to think about it and then we'll decide.

Fast forward 2 hours to 10:45am on Tuesday, May 28th. Candice had been with me the whole night and it appeared they were going to make her clock out at 11:00am. She came in my room and told me this and said we've got 15 minutes to get this baby out! Well she checked me and turns out, I was ready to push:)

And boy was I ready. She wanted me to do practice pushes to see how I would do and Violet wasn't wasting any time. And of course, my doctor was in surgery.  Candice then calls for a delivery team and they respond, "We don't have one". Turns out everyone went into labor at the same time.

Alrighty then...

Then I remember what can only be described as a Friday night sitcom drama situation.  Steve and my mom are holding my legs and Candice appears that she is going to deliver this baby herself. At the last second, I hear a doctor in high heels running down the hallway into my room just in time to catch my baby. Then a delivery team runs in just in time to clean her up.

And then was our moment. 

The moment that I had dreamt about for years. When our baby would be born and I would hold her for the first time.  I had told them that I wanted to hold her as soon as she came out. They put her on my chest facing away from me but she held my hand with her little fingers, gripping for dear life. I finally got to turn her around and look into her eyes and say the words I had rehearsed in my head for months.

"Hello baby, we've waited so long to meet you".

And then she sneezed.

Right in my face.

All the nasty delivery junk. Right. in. my. face.

And I remember a collective "EWWW" from the room. I can only imagine my look.

God has always had a sense of humor with me. And I'm so glad He does. I know I'll never forget that moment...

Then they weigh her and tell me 6 pounds 14.8 ounces and 20" long.

What??? Where's that big baby everyone was freaking me out about? I guess another three weeks and I would had found out.

Things are really a blur for me after this. I hadn't slept hardly at all and her delivery happened so fast. I know Steve got to cut the cord but I don't remember him doing it. I do remember us seeing this full head of curly black hair and thinking, "If I didn't see them pull her out of me I would never believe this is my baby!" Thankfully after she got a bath later that night her hair straightened out...

 

Look at that hair!

Violet Mae Yager was born on Tuesday, May 28th at 11:32am.

She was delivered by the arms of my best friend and handed into mine.

She is named Mae after her sister Lila Mae.

She weighed exactly six pounds more than her brother Cole.

I look into her face and I see them. They are all there together in this tiny little girl. They are closer to me now than they ever were.

Her story is just amazing to me. And it's only just started. I can't wait to see what He does from here...