Lylah's Birth Story

We are almost 4 weeks in to our new normal as a family of four! I can't believe how fast time is going by and how much our girl has changed already! I wanted to share Lylah's birth story, mainly so I can share it with her later on and so I don't forget the details :) But also for anyone else who is interested. I personally love hearing about other moms' birth experiences.

WARNING: I write about waters breaking, contractions, and all the usual birth stuff so skip to the pictures if you don't care to know :)

This entire pregnancy we really weren't sure how Lylah was going to come. With Josh I was induced due to my high blood pressure, endured 36 hours of labor, and then had an emergency c-section. It was exhausting! (but worth it of course!!) My doctor said as long as my blood pressure and other vitals were normal, she was fine with me going into labor on my own and trying for a VBAC. Just to be sure though, we scheduled a c-section at 40 weeks in case labor didn't happen. I honestly was preparing myself for a scheduled c-section and although I was hopeful she would come on her own, I didn't really believe it would happen.

On Monday, March 28th, around 10:30 pm I was laying in bed watching Netflix (which was a normal part of my bedtime routine for the past couple of months) and I felt a slight "trickle". I didn't think much of it as I thought maybe it was just normal discharge (gross I know). It continued for about 15 minutes and I finally decided to get up and go to the bathroom. As soon as I stood up I felt a gush of water. I was SHOCKED! I knew it was my water breaking (because it was either that or I had just peed myself).

I started shaking, crying, trying to wrap my head around the fact that this was happening. I walked to Jon who was in the other room and told him "Um...so my water just broke." Needless to say, he was surprised as well and asked if I was sure.

Whoosh. Another gush onto the floor. Yep, I was sure! Amazingly, Jon stayed super calm and matter of fact, while I on the other hand was freaking out a little. I couldn't believe it! Here I was going into labor a week before my scheduled c-section. Our little girl was coming!

I wasn't having contractions yet so we took a little time getting packed up and ready. I took a shower because I wasn't sure when my next one would be, and Jon started making calls to the family. I started having contractions about an hour later but they were mild and only about 12 minutes apart. We woke up Josh and drove him to my mom's house. By the time we got to my mom's my contractions were getting stronger, so we went ahead and went straight to the hospital.

Once at the hospital, they had to make sure I was indeed in labor (yes I definitely was thank you very much) and they got us checked in. This process took FOREVER and the contractions were definitely getting stronger and closer together so I was eager to get to a room. Jon played music for me and I just kept breathing. About an hour and half later we were in a labor room and my nurses got an IV started and took some blood. I was able to talk through the contractions but they were definitely strong. Jon did great talking me through them as he watched the monitors and told me when each one was almost over.

Since I was only a couple centimeters dialated, my doctor wanted me to walk the halls for a while to try and get gravity to help me progress. I walked for about 40 minutes and then got sick (fun!) Contractions at this point were about every 4-5 minutes. And they HURT.

A couple hours later I was progressing (3ish cm), contractions looked great, and I decided to get the epidural. I knew how wonderful it was going to feel since I had one last time as well and I honestly was eager to get some rest since it looked like Lylah's delivery would be fairly quick. My doctor arrived around 6am to check on me and said that Lylah's head was still high, but my contractions looked great. They kept changing the way I was laying to try and encourage her to move down, and a couple hours later, I was at 5 cm and she had moved way down. I was thrilled!

Over the next hour I got to 6 cm, however Lylah started having decels, meaning her heart rate started dropping too much and too often. Flashbacks of Josh started going through my head. It was the exact same thing that happened to him! I knew at this point that a c-section was very likely since a drop in heart rate is usually a sign of a baby in distress. We waited another hour, but unfortunately I hadn't progressed any further. I also started having significant pain in my lower right side that was consistent and not coming and going like contractions. Once the pain started, my doctor wanted to get me to the OR right away and get the girl out! I was completely in agreement and at peace with everything. I knew that Lylah's safety could be in jeopardy if we waited.

The c-section went wonderfully, although slightly more complicated than last time. I was much more "aware" this time around since I had only been in labor for 12 hours instead of 36 so I felt a lot more discomfort. It took a while to get me completely numb but eventually I couldn't feel any of the test pricks (it's such a fear of mine to be able to feel the initial cut happening so I'm glad that wasn't the case!), Jon came in and the surgery began. Not long into the surgery I started having horrible pain in my upper right side and shoulder. I still don't know what it was from but I was in tears screaming for something to take the pain away. If it had been on my left side I would've thought it was a heart attack. They were able to finally give me something to take the initial edge off but the pain continued until they sewed me up. About 20 minutes later, they started to prepare to bring Lylah out. They held a mirror for me so I could watch her come out (SO COOL!) and on Tuesday, March 29th at 11:29 am our Lylah Jo entered the world!

They got her weighed and measured (a 6 lb 9 oz little peanut!) and brought her over to me right away. We were able to go skin-to-skin while they finished my surgery (something I wasn't able to do with Josh because he had to go get bloodwork done since he was born with a fever) so it was really special to have that bonding time right away. They got me sewed up and moved to recovery, and just like that we had a daughter!

During my surgery, my doctor was able to determine why both Josh and Lylah never made it out the "usual way". It turns out that my kiddos like to come face up first and my pelvis doesn't allow my babies to turn when it's time for transition. This is why I get "stuck" at 6 cm and both my kids got wedged in my pelvis and started losing oxygen, resulting in low heart rates. I'm glad to know there is a medical reason for my "failure to progress" and any future children we have will be delivered via c-section.

In recovery we oohed and ahhed over our tiny princess, shared the news with our family and friends, and Lylah started nursing right away (another answer to prayer!) A few hours later we got moved to our recovery room and got a visit from Mimi and big brother Josh (who declared "I don't like it" when he first saw her, much to our amusement!) My recovery from surgery went very well, and we were able to go home on Thursday afternoon. Having been through a c-section before was so helpful for me because I knew what would help me recover best (getting up and walking ASAP and getting off the pain meds ASAP).

Although I didn't get the VBAC I was hoping for, I am so thankful that God answered my specific prayers of going into labor on my own, knowing I was for sure in labor and not having multiple 'false alarms', a healthy baby, a good nurser, and an uncomplicated recovery. He answered each of those prayers for me and I could not be more grateful that HE cares enough for me and Lylah to answer my requests. We couldn't be happier that our family now includes our Lylah Jo. We found out about her existence during a very sad and difficult time for our family, losing our beloved Mom Jo, but her life has already brought us so much joy. What a gift from the Lord, to allow this little girl to represent the legacy my grandmother left. I know that she would be so proud and just love her to pieces!

Here's some pictures from LJ's birth and our days in the hospital. More on our family life is coming soon!

Last belly pic while in labor!

She's here!

Meeting my girl for the first time

Bonding

Josh isn't so sure about this!

My hero

Sweet visitors

My favorite picture 

All dressed up to go home!

Going home!

Lylah's Baby Shower

We celebrated our Lylah Jo this past weekend with a beautiful baby shower thrown by my dear friend Hilary (Thank you Hil!!) I absolutely loved how relaxed and intimate it was, not to mention girlie and feminine :) It was exceptionally hard not having Mom Jo at the shower, and I kept expecting her to walk through the door. I know she was celebrating with us, but we sure did miss her presence. We also had a fantastic time with Pop Pop, Gigi and Miri who graciously made the drive down from Atlanta to visit and celebrate with us. Next time we see them will be once L arrives in just a few weeks! Gisele graciously helped me make freezer meals, Miri played and played with her buddy Josh (he LOVED all the attention of course), and Bill helped Jon with numerous tasks around the house, specifically constructing and moving pieces of furniture. We are so grateful for their help! Here's some pictures from our fun and full weekend!

A beautiful setup at Infusion Tea

In love with this embroidery hoop for Lylah's room from Hilary!

Enjoying the tea and food

My helpers ready to open gifts!

All things pink and frilly!

My mommy gave me this picture of Mom Jo to put in Lylah's room...there were tears

4 generations in this picture

Love these ladies!

Girl clothes are so fun!

Memere and Gigi (thanks for making the trip!)

2 peas in a pod

Love you Mel!

Most of our pictures turn out like this :)

Thank you Hilary for such a special day! 

Lylah Update:

How far along: 37 weeks +  days
Total weight gain/loss: +25 pounds
Maternity clothes: Very few things fit right now! Mostly in workout clothes (even though I'm not working out...haha!)
Stretch marks: I have a few from Josh and I noticed maybe 2-3 more the other night. I'm earning my stripes!
Sleep: I'm still sleeping pretty well (much better than I did when pregnant with Josh). I'm waking up once to go to the bathroom and sometimes it takes me a while to go back to sleep because baby girl is usually VERY active during the night. Also heartburn will keep me up sometimes.
Best moment this week: Celebrating Lylah at her baby shower and spending time with family with friends
Miss anything: I miss energy! I was doing really well until last week...now I HAVE to take a nap in the afternoon to feel like I can make it through until Josh's bedtime
Movement: She's still very squirmy and I can tell she's really starting to run out of room in there! Jon and I watch my belly and laugh at all the bumping and wiggling she does
Food cravings: Still vanilla soft serve ice cream but other than that not really anything in particular
Anything making you queasy or sick: Heartburn sometimes makes me feel bad when I'm laying down, but otherwise I'm feeling good!
Have you started to show yet: Yep! About to pop status over here!
Gender: Girlie Girl!
Labor Signs: I'm getting Braxton Hicks and some cramps that are sometimes a little painful. I'm still not effacing or dilated at all though. It's pretty much what I expected since I never progressed with Josh.
Symptoms: Swollen ankles sometimes at the end of the day, heartburn/indigestion, cramps and pressure

Belly button in or out: Out

Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, but READY for her to be out!
Looking forward to: The final countdown (2.5 weeks until our c-section date!) and enjoying these last couple weeks as a family of 3.

36 weeks & Maternity/Family Pictures

I am now 36 weeks and 6 days into this pregnancy! I can't believe we are so close to finally meeting our girl! We have set a date for a c-section at 40 weeks (April 4th) just in case she doesn't come on her own by then. I had a c-section with Josh (after 36 hours of labor) so I know what to expect if that ends up happening (which I'm completely fine with!) but our plan right now is to keep praying that Lylah decides to come on her own. My vitals have been really great this time around (much better than with Josh) so there's a good chance for a successful VBAC if she decides to come before the c-section date. Either way, she WILL be here in less than 4 weeks and we couldn't be more excited!

We are making progress on her room. This week Jon will be adding polka dots to her accent wall, setting up the rest of her furniture (and putting Josh's new big boy bed together too!) and I will be busy washing all her clothes, organizing and continuing to check off things on my to-do list. My nesting instincts have hit me pretty hard this time around so I'm cleaning out closets and drawers right and left. I'm grateful I still have energy to do that, although I'm usually pretty wiped out by the time Josh goes to bed. We also have Lylah's baby shower this weekend and Pop Pop, Gigi and Aunt Miri are making a trip down from Atlanta! Josh can't wait to see them!

We had some maternity/family pictures taken last week by a dear family friend and I am in LOVE with how they turned out! Josh did so well and I love that our photographer was able to capture candid moments of our 'real life.' Here's some of my favorites!

                                      

How far along: 36 weeks + 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: +24 pounds
Maternity clothes: I think I'm just going to stay in maternity jeans forever. Who needs buttons and zippers you know? Elastic waistbands forever!
Stretch marks: I have a few from Josh but I don't think I've gotten anymore yet!
Sleep: I'm still sleeping pretty well (much better than I did when pregnant with Josh). I'm waking up once to go to the bathroom and sometimes it takes me a while to go back to sleep because baby girl is usually VERY active during the night. Also heartburn will keep me up sometimes.
Best moment this week: Seeing our beautiful family pictures and setting the date for Lylah's delivery!
Miss anything: I'm starting to "waddle" so I miss walking normally, and poor Josh asks me to hold him all the time and it's just very hard on my hips so I have to tell him no a lot more which makes us both sad.
Movement: She's very squirmy and is pushing out all her little limbs. Sometimes it takes my breath away because I'm not expecting it. She still gets hiccups pretty much every day and moves the most when I'm trying to sleep :)
Food cravings: Vanilla soft serve ice cream, super cold ice water and I never turn down Chick Fil A!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Heartburn sometimes makes me feel bad when I'm laying down, but otherwise I'm feeling good!
Have you started to show yet: Um...yes. I feel WAY bigger than I did with Josh and much more "out." Everyone has been so encouraging though telling me I'm still small and compact (including my doctor!)
Gender: Girlie Girl!
Labor Signs: I'm getting Braxton Hicks and some cramps but nothing very painful. My doctor said I'm not progressing yet in effacement or dilation but it's still kinda early.
Symptoms: Swollen ankles sometimes at the end of the day, heartburn/indigestion, and overall pressure

Belly button in or out: Out

Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! 
Looking forward to: Finishing Lylah's nursery, her baby shower this weekend and the final countdown of tasks before she gets here!

35 Weeks

Well here we are in the last few weeks of pregnancy #2! I know I still have some time left, but so far this pregnancy has really gone quickly. I'm sure being busy and keeping up with the toddler has something to do with that, but I'm really grateful! Our days are pretty low key (except for Fridays when I work at the school teaching music and coaching cheerleading) and I'm enjoying the leisurely times while they last. Most days we are hanging out at home with the occasional outing for errands, playing at the park, walk around the neighborhood, or getting the latest food cravings :) Jon has been taking over most of Josh duty for me once he gets home at night and just allows me to rest which is wonderful! I love watching the bonding that happens between my boys as they play cars, build elaborate train tracks or have dance parties together. I am constantly praying for Josh and his adjustment to baby girl when she arrives!


Speaking of our little lady, we had a bit of a "scare" (or just mom being paranoid) a little bit ago when her movements suddenly slowed way down for a couple days. She was still moving it just felt different and she wouldn't respond quickly to the usual stimulants (sugar, drinking something cold, etc) So, we had an ultrasound just to make sure everything was a-ok. It was very comforting to see her again! She looked absolutely perfect and healthy...except she had flipped head up, which explained her lack of movement in her usual places. My doctor assured me that there was still plenty of time for her to flip again and get in birthing position, and at my appointment last Monday she was head down! Hallelujah! She IS moving a lot more now, especially at night because I feel her the most right before I fall asleep and any time I wake up at night she's kicking away! She is measuring a little bit ahead (she was over 4 pounds at the ultrasound) but of course estimates can be wrong. Mommy is measuring on track with my belly measuring right at 34cm and a weight gain of 23 pounds. She wasn't too cooperative at giving us a good face shot at the ultrasound because she was sleeping with her sweet little hand up by her face (just like her brother!) We are SO eager to see what she's going to look like!

35 weeks at our maternity/family photo shoot

We started work on her nursery and are almost finished painting (her walls are a beautiful pale mint with a white accent wall) and most of her other things (bedding, storage bins, picture frames) will be pink. I'm starting to get the nesting bug and want to organize all the closets and drawers which sounds great until I actually start and then run out of energy! Everything will eventually get done right? And if not, Lylah obviously won't care one bit! Once I'm finished working (only 1 more week to go!) I plan on tackling more of the cleaning and organizing side of things to keep myself busy. Here's some pictures that I'm drawing inspiration from for Lylah's room!

Jon and I went away this past weekend for a night (THANK YOU to my mom for keeping Wubba for us!) We enjoyed a MuteMath concert Friday night and stayed overnight on Disney property. The next day we slept in (!!!) had breakfast in bed, went shopping at the outlet mall and had a quiet sit-down lunch together (I can't remember the last time that happened!) I'm so grateful for my hubby. He is my favorite person to spend time with :) We also visited my grandma Jo's grave because it would have been her 82nd birthday on Saturday. It was the first time I had been to her grave since we found out about Lylah, so I was a bit emotional. I'm grateful for the legacy Mom Jo left and for the stories of her love that we will be able to tell Lylah.

Meeting Todd after the Mutemath show! He plays keys, guitar and BGV's and is awesome

Visiting Mom Jo's grave with Lylah

Next up on our agenda is buying a new car (Jon's need a lot of work done to it and instead of fixing it we are looking at getting a bigger family car), finishing the nursery, Lylah's baby shower, and tackling my "to do before Lylah" list! Not much longer before our little girl is here!

3rd Trimester Update

I figured I'd do a quick update on Lylah since we are only about 2 months away from her due date. I feel like the time has gone very quickly so far (I'm sure these next two months will seem slow as our anticipation grows!) We've been keeping ourselves busy with everyday life and are so looking forward to meeting our little lady!

Here's mama at 30 weeks

How far along: 31 weeks + 2 days
Total weight gain/loss: +18 pounds
Maternity clothes: If we are going out I "try" to make somewhat of an effort putting on something cute. But for the most part when we are home or just running errands I stay in my trusty yoga pants and tshirts!
Stretch marks: I have a few from Josh but I don't think I've gotten anymore yet!
Sleep: It's been fairly good the past couple of weeks. Occasionally when I wake up to go to the bathroom it will take me a while to get back to sleep due to hunger, heartburn, powerful kicks, etc.
Best moment this week: Super happy to receive the news that I passed my glucose test and my iron level is good! Also my vital signs continue to be great (I struggled with high bp with Josh), which is great news!
Miss anything: I miss being able to bend over and hold Josh on my lap without him slipping off :)
Movement: Definitely feeling movement several times a day, usually early morning, after meals and at bedtime. She also gets hiccups pretty frequently which I find adorable!
Food cravings: This week I've wanted potstickers! I'm still craving berries on the regular too! 
Anything making you queasy or sick: Heartburn is rearing its ugly head again so sometimes indigestion makes me feel kinda sick. I keep Tums with me at all times!
Have you started to show yet: Oh yes! Giant whale status (not really, but that's what I feel like!) Everyone tells me I'm tiny still. My belly measured at 29 cm my last appointment (when I was 30 weeks) so right on track. I always measured 1-2 cm behind with Josh as well. 
Gender: Girlie Girl!
Labor Signs: Maybe some Braxton Hicks? I can't tell sometimes if my belly is tight because of L moving something around, or because it's contracting. Either way, nothing painful.
Symptoms: Some lower back pain, round ligament pain when I roll over in bed, heartburn and my nose has been stuffy. I haven't experienced any swelling yet which is wonderful!

Belly button in or out: Out

Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy for the most part. Towards the end of the day my patience is usually pretty thin. My poor hubby often is the recipient of that (sorry babe!)
Looking forward to: Starting on Lylah's nursery (I've been Pinteresting up a storm!), going on a weekend getaway with my hubby in a couple weeks, and my baby shower next month!

Josh Update

Josh is keeping us laughing (and praying) these days! We are in the midst of figuring out the whole potty vs diaper thing (we still don't think he's quite ready but he's successfully tried a couple times). He loves playing cars and legos and watching "McQueen". He also loves turning music (which he calls mucus) on and dancing around. We read our big brother book almost every day and we got him a little baby to practice holding and sharing Mommy's attention with. He's talking in full (hilarious) sentences and is quite the social guy. We are so excited to watch him become a big brother!

Getting a cake pop (which he LOVES) after going with Mommy to check on baby Lylah

We are registered at the hospital, have chosen our pediatrician, and Mommy is finishing up her job at the school this month. Once I settle on a nursery color for the walls (hopefully this week!) we will be painting and getting little girl's room ready! 

*A lot of people have asked me my birth plan this time around. Well, my only "plan" is to have a healthy baby and get her out when it's time, however that needs to happen. My course of action right now is to try for a VBAC, unless I begin to have complications or if I'm not progressing enough. If that's the case, then we will have another c-section. Either way is completely fine with me! I trust my doctor completely and know she will make the right call. We are trusting God to bring Lylah to us in his perfect way and timing!