Birth Story

Caleb Benjamen’s birth story May 4, 2009

Sunday (5-3) morning I started having contractions that came every 2-3 minutes that lasted about 2 hours. But they ended up stopping even though they were pretty intense. They even stopped enough for me to go back to sleep around 7:30 am. When I woke up, I still had a few occasional painful contractions through out the day, but never ones that were very consistent. Most of them felt like the ones that I had been having the past 4 weeks or so. Annoying and really, really tight. After we put Luke to bed close to 9pm, I started to have them again. Just like I had that morning. Except this time they were about every 3-8 minutes apart, and not quite as painful as before. So, I took an Ambien and went to bed trying to get some sleep. We didn’t want to call the doctor only to have them tell us to come back into to the hospital and then send us home. So we waited to see if anything else would happen.

I woke up again early Monday (5-4) morning, around 5:30am, (almost the exact same time as Sunday morning) and started having them more frequently, around 2-3 minutes, and definitely more painful. They lasted about an hour and half, and I was able to go back to sleep…again. When I woke up in the morning around 8am, I woke up to a pretty intense one, but they weren’t coming as frequently as 2-3 minutes, they were more like 5-9 minutes. So, I just started to go about my day, took a shower, and then decided to put a call into the doctor just so that they knew what was going on. They told me that they wanted me to come into the office to be checked; just to “make sure” those contractions didn’t do much since I had been dilated 1-2cm for the past 4 weeks.

So, I called my sister in law to see if she would watch Luke for me while I ran up to the doctor’s office. And Brandon offered to come, but asked if I could handle driving up there myself since he had some work he needed to get done, and I told him I could and that it probably was nothing. I just wanted to make sure all was okay. My mom, mother in law and sister all were either working or had school, so none of them were available to watch Luke or even go with me. So off to the hospital I went. All by myself.

I got there, checked in and had to wait for probably 40 minutes before going back. All while my contractions were picking up again and coming consistently. Maybe 5 minutes apart or so. They called me back and my doctor checked me. She said I was 3 cm! I couldn’t believe it. She then asked me “how do you feel about having a baby today?” To which I replied, “really?” She said she would give me the option of either being admitted or going home and seeing “what would happen as the day progressed” I told her I would rather just be admitted. So, she called over to the hospital and told her I was on my way and off to Labor and Delivery I went around noon. All by myself!

I called Brandon and everyone else in the family to let them know what was going on. Brandon had to finish up a few things with work and my mom and sister headed straight over with Luke. (They both left work and school and picked Luke up from Kayla’s). They told me initially I would have my csection between 4-6pm that day, but it kept getting bumped back as the day went on because of other ladies who were more of an emergency than I was. When I got there they gave me Nubain for the pain, and then I got my epidural around 2:30pm. I finally felt so comfortable after a month of having constant contractions.

The rest of our family finally arrived and we waited around until they said it was time. They finally took me back to have the section around 8:15pm or so and Caleb Benjamen was born at 8:51 pm. 7lbs 7oz, 21 inches, and a head circumference of 13.5 inches! He was a big boy and Dr. Gaudreau said that because he was so big, he more than likely wouldn’t have fit and that is why my contractions never dilated me more than they did. He couldn’t push as hard on my cervix as he needed to. And after lying there all day in the hospital, I had only made it to 4 cm when they took me back. So, I’m glad I had opted for a csection anyway.

We stayed in the hospital until Friday (5-8) afternoon and came home around 2:30pm. He lost some weight at the hospital, he went from 7.7 to 7.4 to 6.13 back up to 7.1, which was great news, he was already gaining weight when we left. He is doing great at nursing and wants to eat about every 2-3 hours. Round the clock. We feel so blessed to have this little boy here with us and healthy. Our family is feeling complete.

He's Here!

Caleb Benjamen

May 4, 2009

8:51 pm

7 lbs 7oz 21 inches

Our New Sweet Baby Boy

My THREE Boys

37 weeks....

I had another appointment this afternoon at 37 weeks 3 days. Baby is growing and sounded great. My doctor said that they will probably have to do a csection anyway to get this baby out of me! So, I guess we are still waiting for May 12. I'm not too sure he is going to be coming sooner than that. So, exactly 2 weeks from today we will be holding our little boy for sure.

I am feeling ready. Physically, emotionally....just ready. I'm tired of being tired (have I ever mentioned that before??), tired of the contractions that aren't doing anything, tired of people I don't know constantly making comments about the belly (A BIG thank you goes to the lady at McDonald's today who stated, and I quote" WHOAAAAAAAA lady! You are BIG!!" that is always what you want to hear), tired of being so stinkin' grumpy all the time.

I just don't feel like myself. My doctor said that even though we want this baby out so bad.....a newborn isn't all it's cracked up to be. (She just had a baby around the same time my sweet little nephew was born, so I think she is still going on few hours of sleep...). But I don't care about all that newborn stuff.

I can't wait to get up and see his sweet face and hold his sweet little body. And just smell him.....well the good smells if you know what I mean. I'm ready. We're ready. He's not. *sigh*

So we wait. Knowing God's timing doesn't necessarily have to be our own. This pregnancy has taught me a lot about being faithful and trusting. (Not that I had a hard time before with it....but God has opened my eyes to how much more I need to just lean on him)

Funny that that name we have had picked out for him means just that..."faithful"

Baby Boy's room

Looks like we may be just about done with Peanut's room. Luke said we were.....

We got his new crib in, and things are coming together. I've finally hung a few things on the walls...

and all the little diapers are in place and ready for that sweet baby bottom!

Some of his clothes are now hanging in that huge closet, which makes his clothes seem even littler than what they are! (but...they are really really little....)

Now, if he'd only get here! A little less than 3 weeks now! We are getting very anxious!

Eventful week

34 weeks 6 days till now has been very eventful. With 4 trips to Labor and Delivery and one regular OB appointment, this peanut has kept us on our toes. We know he is doing well, is healthy and strong (as he HATES to have the contraction moniter sitting on top of him...he has literally almost kicked it off every time) and definetly has his own timing for when he will make his debut into this world. :)

My 36 week appointment went well yesterday. She checked me again, (for the 5th! time this week) and has said their hasn't been any change in my cervix. I am still a loose 1cm, 75% effaced, and at 0 station. Which is good of course, because we didn't want this baby to come and have to be automatically admitted to the NICU because he was under 36 weeks. But at the same time, it's getting really difficult to be having contractions all day long, every day, and know they are just not sufficient enough to make anything happen. *sigh*

I just feel ready physically and emotionally. I want to be able to get up in the middle of the night and hold this sweet stubborn boy instead of make my drowsy, dizzy way to the bathroom 3+ times. I want to see Luke hold his baby brother instead of kissing my belly and hugging my belly button. I want to see Brandon hold both his boys and love on them. I am soooo ready to be a mommy to two.

Like my doctor said yesterday, good news is, is that this pregnancy MUST end. It's just whether it's going to be this week, next week, or that final 3rd week on my scheduled day. She said she doesn't think I will make it to May 12, but the other doctor in her practice didn't think I would make it to my appointment yesterday! It's just a waiting game now. :)

At the appointment yesterday, she was taking measurements of my belly and listening to the heartbeat when Luke shouted, "no no no no Guke's baby!!" and lifted up his shirt. So my doctor went over and pretended to measure his "baby" and put the doppler and gel on his "baby" to listen to it. He just thought that was the coolest thing. So that made him feel important. It was hilarious though.

so, this baby will be here, regardless, in 3 weeks. Which really....isn't that far away. We just hope these contractions that aren't making me make any progress actually stop...or slow down enough that I don't feel so tired!

Just so tired....

I am just to the point of exhaustion most days. Just worn out and tired. It's hard to really do much around the house anymore. I'm just soooo tired of being sooooo tired. I can't sleep well at night, Brandon has officially moved from our bed to the couch, just so he can get a decent nights rest, and I can well, not worry about waking him up with every move I make. I probably am getting up at least 3 times a night to go to the bathroom, and my hips are hurting from sleeping only on my sides. I'm just so done. I am wanting so bad to enjoy this time, especially since we are now officially under the 5 week mark, but I just want to feel half way normal. I know that when this baby comes, I will be getting up to take care of him in the middle of the night too, but at least I will get to see my sweet baby's face instead of the toilet. That's a lot more rewarding! heehee.

I know it sounds like I am complaining, and to my husband I apologize for that, because I have done it a lot lately. But waiting for baby number 2 to make his debut is so much different than waiting for baby number 1 to make his. We know what to expect this time around, we know what middle of the night feedings entail, we know about the diaper changes, the laundry, and the new sweet baby smell. We cannot wait to finally have him HERE with us....enjoying him for all he is, and watching our first born interact with his brother. As much as I know he is safe and sound inside of me right now, feeling his sweet movements, and having him all to myself, I am soooo ready for the next phase.

34 week appt

I had my 34 week appointment today...and everything is looking great. I had been having some pretty intense contractions this week. Sunday evening I had them about every 7-9 minutes for about an hour and half, but they ended up slowing down, so I didn't put a call into my doctor. But today when I told her about them, she wanted to do our first internal exam as well as a Fetal Fibronectin Test.

I am not dialated and the cervix looks good. So that is great news. And the results of the FFN test came back negative. So that means more than likely this little peanut will not be here within the next 2 weeks. (she said that test is about 98% accurate). Which is good because in 2 weeks, I won't quite be 36 weeks yet, so it makes me feel better to know he won't be here before then, and more than likely won't have a NICU stay. I have been so worried this time around, especially with Luke coming at 36 weeks and having as many contractions as early as I have, that he would be here, like, NOW. But God is good and I know he is ultimately in control of this situation. Just as He had His hand in Luke's birth.

So we are still playing the waiting game. And we are getting very eager to hold this new little man in our arms very soon.