Two Birth Stories

The following post is my account of the births of my first and second daughters. They say every pregnancy is different, and they're right, but it's my birth stories that truly capture how different my pregnancies were.

Baby #1: Ivie Ashlin, born August 29, 2011 9:12 pm

I was due September 17, but my body and baby had other plans. The whole saga started with a gush of fluid one Monday around lunch time. I called the husband at work and he rushed home. We went to the hospital only to be told, "whatever gushed out of you was not amniotic fluid" and sent us on our way back home.

Later that night, another big gush. Back to the hospital, same negative result for amniotic fluid, and back home we went. Again.

It turned out that the fluid I was gushing was bath water. Gross, right? My uterus had already started contracting (luckily they weren't strong enough to feel yet) and I had been taking lots of baths because they made me feel better. Somehow bath water got trapped up inside somewhere and decided to play mean tricks on us by masquerading as water breaking.

A few days pass with no real activity, other than me not sleeping and just being a big ball of misery the entire time. I couldn't get comfortable and I was a grouch. I've never asked my husband, but I can't imagine I was much fun to be around.

Friday night I started contracting pretty heavily. And boy, could I feel them now. They started out very irregular, but when they hit a consistent six minutes apart, we went on to the hospital. They checked me in to Labor and Delivery, hooked me up to all the monitors, and about 30 minutes later, those contractions vanished. Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

Next day, same song and dance. Contractions picked up, we drove back to the hospital, Labor and Delivery, monitors, and then contractions stopped again. Back home AGAIN. This baby was being very fickle and it was driving her mama and daddy crazy!

Two of my sisters were visiting the next day and I honestly don't think I could have kept my sanity without them. We ate yummy food, watched the VMAs, and laughed more than I had in months, all while they kept a log of my ever-increasing contractions. They were a very welcomed distraction from all the frustration I'd been experiencing.

When my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart later that night, I reluctantly let my husband take me back to the hospital in my pajamas, with my hair a mess, and my legs very unshaven. I should have known then that THIS would be the trip that stuck. And it was. Shortly after being hooked up to the monitors, my water broke. For real this time. Game over, I was getting to stay this time!

The next few hours are a big blur, but I assure you they were not fun. Epidurals, meds to help me rest, people filtering in and out of the room, very painful contractions when my epidural wore off, etc. After about 18 hours of active labor, I had not progressed past 8cm dilation, so my doctor thought it best to proceed with a C-section. I was less than thrilled with this decision, but I was so tired and it didn't take much convincing me.

I was wheeled into the operating room about an hour later and just a few moments after that, I became a mom! And then I threw up. I felt it was an appropriate way to bookend the pregnancy.

Ivie Ashlin was born at 9:12 pm, weighing 6 pounds and 2 ounces. She was a tiny little thing with lots and lots of wild, black hair. Her face was bruised from being lodged in my pelvis for so long, but she was perfect and she was HERE. Finally.



Baby #2: Eden Rose, born October 29, 2015 9:14 am

I showed up at the hospital at the previously scheduled date and time and had a baby.



Okay, okay, that's not entirely true. But I came SO CLOSE!

I was scheduled for a C-section at 8:00 am on October 30, 2015. At 3:45 am October 29, my water broke at home. We left for the hospital right after 6:00 am after we were showered, dressed, and my mom had made it from Mississippi to keep big sister Ivie. I had some pretty gnarly contractions on the way to the hospital, but it was pretty much smooth sailing and Eden Rose was born at 9:12 am. She weighed 9 pounds and 4 ounces and was just as perfect as her big sister had been four years and two months before her, only much, much bigger!

5 Things I Adore: The Low Carb Edition

I've been trying the low carb life for almost a month and I've stumbled on some pretty tasty recipes.  Check it.

 Who knew I liked brussel sprouts? Not me!  It's really good...no lie.

 Bacon-wrapped green beans.  O. M. G.  So good.  

 I love mushrooms.  These stuffed mushrooms are divine.

 Yeah, the holidays are over, but eggnog is always yummy! I left out the rum flavoring and it was still delish.

These cheddar crisps COULD NOT be easier.  Very tasty snack!

Green

The color green evokes many different meanings.  Envy, being economically mindful, money, growth, being a "newbie." Sure, it contains lots of underlying messages, but it's also one of my favorite colors.  It's just so pretty! What does green mean to you?

5 Things I Adore: The Crafts Edition

Jars speckled with glow in the dark paint.  I did this on a wine bottle and it's beautiful!

Buttons glued to fabric-covered canvas.  Love it!

Cut hearts out of significant places on a map (i.e. first date or honeymoon) and then frame it.

Branches.  Glue or Mod Podge.  Glitter.  Brilliant.

Trace hands of all family members and then stitch the outlines.  Frame and hang!

The Blue Door

Filmmaker David Lynch said, "I like darkness and confusion and absurdity, but I like to know that there could be a little door that you could go out into a safe life area of happiness."

As soon as I read this, my first thought was "I know what it's like on the other side of that door!" I used to live in darkness and confusion and absurdity, and it was not a healthy place.  Being on the other side and "into a safe life area of happiness" is ridiculously life-changing.

A small blue door

Though hidden to some

Is worth looking for,

For happiness will come

It is not locked

You must only be brave

To open the door,

Your sanity to save

One the other side

There's new life for all

Where the door once was

Now is only a wall

Mysterious as a Cat

On this day in 1809, Edgar Allen Poe was born.  His tales of horror and atmosphere of mystery have greatly influenced American fiction.  Although I find his stories dark and somewhat depressing, there's no question he wrote with emotion and depth.

He once wrote, "I wish I could write mysterious as a cat."  While I'm not 100% sure what this means, it made me wonder, "What do I wish I could write?" I love to write, but what do I WANT to write about? What convicts me to connect pen and paper?  After thinking it over, I've come up with one word: Inspiration.

What inspires me? What do I do that could inspire others? Where do these creative feelings of inspiration come from?

All in all, I'm inspired by a great many things.  Color, music, written word, movies, nature, etc...

But it all starts with my want/need to write, and I suppose I'll just see where my inspirations take me.

We Were All Yellow

I love a good color combination.  I've never really adored the color yellow, but when paired with black/grey and white, the combo is absolutely stunning.  See for yourself...

 Love the dimensional detail on this pillow!

 So soothing for a nursery!

This color combination has the potential to feel very retro (not that retro is bad, just not exactly my taste), but paired with the right accessories in the right setting, it can be breathtaking!