Mason's Birth Story

I think it’s obvious that I no longer update this blog, but I did want to get Mason’s birth story on here as it’s still really fresh in my memory and I never want to forget it.

With this pregnancy I had Braxton Hicks contractions from very early on. I found this interesting because I never had a single BH contraction during my pregnancy with Kenleigh. My first contraction with that pregnancy was a true labor contraction and I delivered her that very day. Anyway, for about a week before Mason was born I’d get a contraction here and there that just didn’t seem like a BH to me. There was a little more pain and discomfort, and then it wouldn’t happen again—certainly nothing measureable.

I was scheduled to be induced on 9/18/12, one week before my due date. When going to bed the evening before, I was having a few more contractions than normal and I knew they weren’t Braxton Hicks, but again nothing that I could measure. I woke up to get ready to go at about 5:30 the next morning. When I woke Zach up I told him that I think my body is making the decision for Mason to be born today and that I felt like an induction wouldn’t even happen. I still called the hospital and asked them when they wanted us to come in. They were full so they said they would just call us when a room opened up. We woke up Kenleigh and got her ready for daycare in the meantime. I made the comment to Zach that if they didn’t call soon we might show up on our own accord because my contractions were getting stronger. Still bearable, but I felt like something was happening.

We loaded up around 8:00 am to take Kenleigh to daycare. On the way to the daycare the hospital called and asked us if we could be there by 9:00 am. I was starting to get excited now! When we dropped off Kenleigh there were some mixed emotions. I was so excited to go and finally get to meet this little guy that I had been carrying the last nine months, but it was also bittersweet knowing that Kenleigh wouldn’t be an only child in a short time.

We arrived at the hospital right on time around 9:00 am. It still took them awhile to get me to a room. Around 9:30 they came and got us and took us to the room. Gave me the gown and the urine cup and asked me to get changed. The nurse came in at 10:00 am to start my IV. I made the comment that I thought I was having contractions on my own and that I’d be curious to see what I was dilated to. She said she’d get my IV started and then check me to see where I’m at. As I was climbing into the bed so she could start my IV my water broke right then and there. I was so excited like a little child because I knew my body was doing something. The nurse changed the pad under me and then I got comfortable for the IV. Right when she started the IV I got super nauseous and thought I was going to have a heat stroke. She laid the bed back and I asked her why the put a heating pad on the bed. My back and shoulders were on fire. She said there wasn’t anything on the bed and I’m probably just having a reaction. It was the strangest feeling. It didn’t last long and I quickly starting feeling better again.

The nurse checked me at 10:45 am and I was only dilated to a one. I was a little disappointed because I thought since my water broke maybe I’d be a little farther along than I was. With Kenleigh I was at a one forever so I figured we had a long day ahead. The nurse told me that I could get an epidural whenever I was ready. I told her I’d wait it out until the contractions got stronger because there was no reason to be numb any longer than I had to be. Around 11:30 am the contractions started getting a bit more intense as well as painful. I called the nurse and told her I was ready for the epidural. She said the anesthesiologist was in surgery so it would be a while. Uh oh, bad idea waiting—I should have taken her up on her offer earlier. The anesthesiologist came in at 12:00 pm to administer the epidural and it was just a lovely time in my life!!

The nurse checked me again at 1:00 pm and I was barely dilated to a two. I was getting nervous because I kept picturing my labor going well into the evening and Kenleigh wouldn’t get to meet her little brother that day. I didn’t want her to have to have her first night away from both parents the same night her life would change forever. I was checked again at 1:45 pm and surprisingly progressed to a 4. I made the comment to Zach that if it’s anything like Kenleigh’s delivery I’ll just start progressing and we’ll have a baby in no time. At 2:20 pm the nurse checked me again and said I was at a 5. I started getting excited because I knew that my body would just keep progressing at a steady pace.

At exactly 2:30 pm I told Zach that it felt like my epidural was starting to wear off and it made me nervous. I called for the nurse to just give her a heads up. She said she’d send the anesthesiologist in to take a look. At 2:35 pm I felt incredible pressure in my crotch. I yelled over to Zach and said, “Mason is going to fall out of me. He just slipped down!!!” Before Zach could even respond I called for the nurse. When they answered the call button I yelled, “I think my baby is going to fall out of me.” The person on the other end let out a little chuckle and said she’d send a nurse right in. Zach was laughing so hard but his nerves were through the roof. He kept asking me what I meant and he said he was so scared that we wouldn’t have any help delivering. I tried telling him that I wasn’t even kidding and that I know Mason just fell into my birth canal and that I felt like I could reach down and pull him out. The nurse got in there really quick and went to check me. **Graphic content ahead** She didn’t even get her fingers in an inch and said, “yep, your baby is just waiting for us to grab him out!” You’ll remember that just 15 minutes ago I was only a 5 so my doctor wasn’t even on his way to the hospital yet. They put an emergency call into him and he said he was just a few minutes away so to try and hold off. The nurse leveled out my bed so my pelvis was low and she just sat there with me the whole time LITERALLY holding Mason in me. His heart rate was perfect so there was no concern. The problem I was having was her begging me not to push. I felt the pressure of every contraction and I wanted to push more than anything, the sensation was incredible. She would count backwards with me with each contraction and help me breath through them. There wasn’t any pain or discomfort, just the strong urge to push. I was trying to keep my mind occupied and I asked her why they couldn’t just deliver the baby. She just reminded me that it’s always the safest option for a doctor to be available. The on call doctor was in a surgery doing an emergency cesarean and since Mason’s HR was fine there wasn’t any rush to get him out. I mean, that’s her perspective. I was getting more and more concerned that I wasn’t going to be able to hold off on that big push my body was begging me for.

The doctor finally got there at 3:00 pm and got positioned. He told me not to push and that he’d tell me when I could. A minute later I asked very loudly, “why isn’t anyone telling me to push?” Zach responded with, “why, he’s already out. Our baby is out.” I looked down and the doctor was suctioning Mason and handed him right to me. Mason was born at 3:02 pm, weighing 8 lbs. 3 oz. and was 21” long. He was just as beautiful as his sister because he was her exact replica (a pound heavier). I kept crying to Zach, “they are twins, they are twins!”

I had a second degree tear and the doctor said that my recovery would likely be a little rough because we went against my body’s natural response by holding off delivery. Even though, thank God Mason was healthy, in the off chance they were delivering a baby with complications as long as his HR was good he was safer inside at that point. While at the time I didn’t understand why the nurse couldn’t/wouldn’t just deliver my baby I’m so grateful that the medical team had mine and Mason’s best interest on their minds at all times.

As A Perfect Parent I Shall Judge!

I am on a blog hiatus. In fact, I’m still on one. If anyone asks, you never saw me here. I am by no means the role model for good parenting, correct parenting, A+ (heck, maybe not even B-) parenting. I do what I can and I try to teach Kenleigh right from wrong with every opportunity that presents itself. She’s young…sometimes she learns…sometimes it takes her a while. I can say that I’m trying. I have a list of few things that I want her to understand from an early age and I try to stay consistent. That’s what this is about, consistency. I believe that children are creatures of habit and it’s up to us to keep consistency in their lives and be good role models. I don’t judge how others parent and I don’t usually have an opinion on others parenting styles…ie…if they are parenting “right” or “wrong”. Who am I to say what’s right or wrong. Anyway, I have a HUGE vent. It’s big. If you’re easily offended and can’t take an opinion for what it is…which is very little, you probably shouldn’t read this. I also believe I’m saying what so many wish they can say. I did something today that I swore I’d never do. I’m certain I’ll likely never do it again. *An example is about to present itself on why I have NO right to judge another parent’s parenting style* It’s cold here in Salt Lake. Kenleigh and I are bored. On the weekends Zach and I usually try and stay busy for the most part…Kenleigh is like her dad…can’t sit still for too long. Now that it’s getting cold we are running out of things to do to stay busy. Zach worked late so I took Kenleigh to McDonalds so she could play in the play land. It’s true, I also purchased her a kids meal and watched her slowly eat a meal that could never disintegrate on its own…it’s plum full of preservatives…and grease…and the cholesterol just radiates off the fries. Yummy! It was delicious…Don’t judge me! :) Anyway, there are these signs all over the play land. Something like “don’t climb on the outside of the play apparatus”, “no hanging from the beams”, “no shoes in playland”, “please use kindness while playing” (this one I made up). Doesn’t really matter, for the most part these kids can’t read. It has become clear to me their parents can’t either. The entire time we were there I was watching these…I’ll guess 5ish and 7ish year old boys playing like mad men. I’m not sure there was one time I watched them play inside the lavish slide sculpture of fun. They only climbed on top like monkeys…they climbed, they jumped, they hung, and swung. Can’t count the number of times they almost landed on Kenleigh. Where was their mother? She was right there, “Dumb, dumber…get down from there…how many times do I have to tell you?” Their names weren’t really dumb and dumber…that was mean of me to say. Hmmmm…. Usually if I’m in public and I have to tell Kenleigh something a second time we leave…I’ve never had to ask myself the question “how many times do I have to tell you.” She’s not perfect…nor am I. She doesn’t always get it the first time. I usually allow for a learning curve. Not when it’s at expense of others. I counted 5 times between the two of them they were put in time out…AT MCDONALDS. Who does that? Take the dudes home… I’m not sure how long their time outs were intended to last. She usually went back to chatting with Norma (her BFF) while they slipped out of time out and back to their asinine shenanigans. Of course I didn’t want one of them to fall off the machine of complete, illegal fun. What if they broke their ankle? McDonalds would be out millions for having a play land. Of course maybe all the signs (the ones I listed above) would help their case. They sure learned their lesson with the hot coffee incident. Yeah, it’s true…I'm not sure if y'all heard by now...McDonalds lost millions in a lawsuit because that woman burned herself on their coffee. Did y’all know coffee is hot? I read that somewhere…oh yeah, on my styrofoam hot chocolate cup. When they don’t print that on there (you know, certain gas stations) I forget it’s hot. I just chug away and die of blistery throat illness for the next 72 hours complaining that my HOT chocolate was hot. Maybe their own mother was hoping they’d fall and break a bone so she could sue. It’s not totally ridiculous. Oh back to my rant…then the hoodlums kept calling each other “son of a bitch”. Apparently their mother didn’t mind being called such vulgerness. It is her they would be speaking of, right? She’s the mother of these sons. She mustn’t have minded. Her response, “we don’t talk that way.” “Yes, we do. We just did.” “Sigh.” Is this the world I we live in? I’m aware that boys will be boys…kids will be kids. I have a child, I’m not ignorant. At what point in public do you as a parent put your foot down with your kids and just remove them from the situation? Kenleigh and I had to basically suffer (too much? We suffered, ok) because the mom wanted BFF time and wanted McDonalds to babysit her kids. I watched her tell the boys it was time to go almost too many times. I threw up in my mouth twice. She put their shoes on multiple times only to have them take them off and continue playing. I’m not sure when they left. Poor Kenleigh, her playland date was cut short because I couldn’t bare it any longer. Oh, while I’m at it there was another mother there SLEEPING. I swear I can’t make this stuff up. Her kids were playing and she was sleeping. Am I a rude, judgmental person? Please tell me if I am. I’ll work on my acceptance of what I see as complete disregard for those around as well as their own children…maybe I expect too much. Maybe I should stray from McDonalds. I think I will!

Happy 1st Birthday!!

I’m late, but she’s still one! I can’t believe it’s been a year since the day my life changed beyond what I could have ever imagined. What a year it’s been. Kenleigh has taught me so much. Things I couldn’t put down on paper. She’s just amazing. I’ve changed because of her in so many ways. I relate to people differently and so much more deeply. Anyway, the last year in our household has been a blast. I watch in amazement as she shows me something new every day. I laugh because she’s hilarious and I cry when she cries. Sometimes just inside but I’m crying none-the-less. I think it’s taken me this entire year to learn that people at my work don’t care to watch yet another video of Kenleigh eating, walking, sleeping, talking, laughing, etc. I can’t count the number of videos on my phone I’ve walked around the office to show my co-workers. They’ve all been so patient! I think even Zach is ready to kill me. Although, he’d never say it. I can’t imagine how he loves hearing me reminisce on a daily basis. “Hey Zach, do you remember when….we used to have Kenleigh sleeping in the bassinet next to our bed and I fed her 4+ times a night because I didn’t know differently…we used to comb her hair in a mow hawk because it was only an inch high…the first time we fed her solid baby food…her first laugh...oh do you remember the first video we made of the day she cried actual tears….” Yes, he remembers it all just like I do. I could go on and on. I could vocalize it non-stop. I LOVE talking about the many events in this last year. Kenleigh is so smart (like all our kids of course). She says, Mama, Dada, Nana, Hi, Uh-Oh, Baby, No (as she shakes her head no, it’s cute), More, and Shit (I’m convinced – Zach, not so much. It’s denial though I think). She waves hello and bye-bye, she gives kisses and loves, she blows kisses, she gives high fives, she started walking about a week before her birthday…ish. She still loves her baths but hates getting washed. Makes it so much fun! She still isn’t the greatest eater. Right now she’s going through a stage where she’ll eat something one day and wants nothing to do with it the next. At her one year check-up she weighed 18.12 pounds (20th percentile) and was 29.2 inches (60th percentile). She’s completely off her bottle and formula. That part was easy considering she hardly drank a bottle to begin with. A few ounces here and there weren’t missed. She transitioned to her sippy cup really well! She, by far, favors her daddy still. This has been a source of contention in our household. I’ve always been happy she loves her daddy but I’m not going to lie it makes me really sad to see her react to him so excitedly when he comes home but she doesn’t for me. I’m learning though that she really does love me. She’ll just be a daddy’s girl. I’m ok with that. I’m lucky to have such an awesome husband that makes such a great dad! She’s super independent. Not a fan of being held or carried around. Lately when we’ve gone grocery shopping she thinks she needs to walk. This has been a problem and I’m not sure how to get around it. It’s fine if she wants to walk but she wants to go where SHE wants to go and not where I need her to go. She still loves doing anything outside. Although, back to her independence…we love taking walks around the neighborhood but can’t figure out how to keep her happy in the stroller. We’ve let her walk on her own but it takes her FOREVER to get from one point to the next. She also wants to pick up every rock along the way. That’s daddy’s fault because he keeps giving her the fun rocks to play with. She also thinks she can walk down the stairs like an adult…also daddy’s fault. He holds her hand and lets her walk down going forward. Now she won’t turn around and go the right way AND NOW she wants to walk down forward without holding our hands. A couple nights ago she had a break down until we let go of her hand. Of course her first step she flipped forward and fell off the stair face first and had a cow. Luckily we were there to catch her. She’s definitely feisty! I look forward to so many more years of watching her become her own little person, watching her learn, and learning with her!

Bear Lake

As tradition every year we go to Bear Lake with Zach's entire extended family on his mom's side the last weekend in July. A family reunion if you will. Although, I can't imagine they'd call it such. Anyway, we were pretty excited to take Kenleigh on a little vacation. She really enjoyed the water but unfortunately her mouth enjoyed the sand and seashells more. It made it pretty hard to enjoy ourselves at the lake so we spent a lot of time at the condo and took advantage of the huge amounts of grass and sidewalks!

She didn't mind the water being so cold but hated that stupid hat!

Ah, just catchin' some rays.

just

11 Months Old!

Wow, I should get mom of the year for my awesome updating skills! Again, I won't go into detail now. Below are some pictures of Kenleigh's 11th month of life. What a month it was!

 

It was certainly has gotten harder for her to let me just take the picture! Then again I think that started around 4 months. Ha ha!

4th of July (celebrated on the 3rd in Utah) with her cousins on Zach's side. We're just missing Brayden!

She loved her dad wheeling her around in this little jiggy!

And HATED getting off...

Watching some fireworks! She loved them for the first few minutes and then got bored. Shocker!!

10 Months Old!

Since it's been forever since I've updated I'm not going to go into detail about what Kenleigh's doing at 10 months old. In fact, her birthday is a week from today so I'll be updating her talents next week...er - next month knowing me! I have, however, included pictures from her tenth month of life.

It was this month that we noticed Kenleigh's hair might be going curly!

Kenleigh loves to swim or be in water of any kind!

We got a bike trailer this summer and she LOVES it. It's actually really fun riding along next to her and just watching her amazement.

She wants to drink like a big girl but I wouldn't say she's a natural!

Bath time! I mentioned above that she loves water. Seriously, if she's ever upset and we can't calm her down (feisty red-head) we start her a bath. She giggles with excitement!