The birth of Paxton

I thought that the start of a 'new' blog, should start with a birth story. It has been over three months since Paxton entered the world, and I feel like with every day the minute details are drifting away. So here I am, sitting down, to write out his birth story. 

Perhaps I should backtrack a little. Pax was quite the surprise. We found out I was pregnant during one of the most stressful weeks of our marriage, and hopefully life. Yes, we did think the month before, okay I guess we will start trying to have a second... but that was simply because the first took two years and a few rounds of crazy medications. Back to Pax. We found out we were having a baby. and what proceeded were nine miserable months. Aches, pains, nausea, exhaustion. We moved. Ryan started a new job. I had horrible work stuff going on. Yuck. It was not the beautiful easy pregnancy I had the first time. 

The week that labor started, yes, week, I was certain I was going to have him about 13 different times. Eden was a fast birth, so I kept expecting it to go fast. Well it did... once it really started. It just didn't get started as soon as I thought. 

By Thursday so much was going on with my body I knew birth was inevitable. I went to the midwife, she did some midwife things, my doula gave a concoction of voodoo magic, and we went for a walk. The last walk at the park as a family of three. 

I knew this was our last dinner as a family of three so I remember we just lingered around the table a little longer. Cuddled sweet Eden a little longer. And soaked up those last hours together. 

Around 9pm my contractions stopped though. I couldn't believe it. Just over. I even texted my boss and said, well, maybe I am coming in. I'll keep you posted. 

At 2am I woke up and knew it was baby time. 

Coincidentally I picked up my phone, and low and behold, my sister in law had JUST GIVEN BIRTH at 1:45am. I quickly texted my mom and said, well I'm about to have a baby too. 

By 3 am I decided to get up and call our nanny to come keep Eden. I texted our doula and just tried to relax with the glowing Christmas tree and calming music. Bon Iver, Head & The Heart, & The Brilliance are my labor tunes of choice. 

We knew we had a THIRTY minute drive to the hospital (let's not talk about how terrible health insurance in America is), so we (nanny, doula, ryan & myself) decided around 4 that I should get to the hospital. I was really really reallllly worried about birthing at home since Eden came so quickly. 

Spoiler Alert: we made it to the hospital. Around 4:45 in fact. 

If the world was perfect and insurance actually paid for health care, I would have loved to birth at the birthing center only a few miles from my home. But alas, its not and I was 30 miles from my home in a hospital. The beautiful part though, my doula & husband made that labor room as peaceful as any home could be. There was calm music. Candles. Aromatherapy. 

It was magic. 

Well, as magical as birth can possibly be. I mean you are pushing a human out of your body. 

As soon as we got to the room, I sat on this ball. I was 6cms and felt that rotating my hips back and forth would get me to 10cm. I didn't really move. Ryan- my rock- pushed all the right places, rubbed my shoulders, held my hand, did everything perfect. 

 For whatever reason, I had in my mind, if I can just get him out by lunch I'll get to have chick-fil-a and can drink sweet tea, and i'll get to cuddle my baby and all will be right in the world. 

Yes that is right. Chick-fil-a lunch was what was on my mind as I breathed through contractions. Whatever works right?

My contractions were certainly worsening as I rocked on the ball and things started to change. I was getting nauseated and thinking, if it doesn't end soon I am not going to make it. I am tired. I am weak. I need this to be over.  {transition anyone?!}

Around 7:40 my doctor was going off call so she stopped by and asked if I wanted her to check me. Yeah. I need to know, because if I haven't progressed I'm calling it quits. 

So I got up off the ball and realized woaahhhhh this baby is coming NOW! 

I later learned that your body has a natural reflex to push the baby out. You have no control. And that is exactly what happened. I wasn't ready for that first sensation to push out my baby and so I thought I was going to die. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't take a breath. It was horrible. After that first push I was able to turn on my side in the bed and felt so much better. My OB sat right beside me and held my leg. And then after another push.... or two or three, and me biting Ryan... 

I grabbed my slippery baby boy and pulled him right up on my chest. Well the cord prevented me from getting him to high, and it was around his neck. But after that minor hiccup, I got him and held him and did it. He was here. And I was going to get my Chick-fil-A. 

(Just kidding. I didn't think about that for at least ten more minutes)

Little Paxton Roan entered the world at 7:45am on December 22, 2017

Weighing 7 pounds 6 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches long

with a head full of dark hair

He latched on almost right away and sucked away for TWO HOURS. 

After that daddy Ryan held him and he stared straight up wide eyed. 

Around this time, 9:30 my parents arrived. Their second grandchild born that day. Pretty crazy right?!? 

I was very happy to hop in the shower, eat my chick-fil-a that I got for BREAKFAST! and get ready for big sister's arrival. She couldn't have been more excited to meet her baby Pax. She loved seeing him. Smiled, laughed, cuddled, tried to hold him, and read him lots of books. It was absolutely the best. 

We stayed in the hospital for two glorious nights of sleep, movies, cuddling on the couch, and relaxing. No--- I'm not kidding. We were the only patients on the floor. The nurses left us alone. We didn't have a toddler. Pax slept. and slept. and slept. It was a great few days. We were able to go home to our new life on Christmas Eve. The perfect Christmas present.