Welcome Little Ox

I am so far behind on my blogging...partly due to the fact that our laptop was struggling to work with blogger.  But now we have a beautiful new desktop, so I am back!  I am going to be out of order for just a bit so I can get some fresh thoughts out.

Last Spring we decided it was time to expand our family once again.  Fortunately for us, it did not take long until we found out I was once again pregnant in July.  This new little babe was due to be born on Easter Sunday.

From the beginning, this pregnancy was much easier.  I usually lose 10-15 pounds in the first trimester, and I only lost about 3 this time.  I only threw up a handful of times, the nausea was bearable, and since things were so much easier I was so sure I was to have a girl.

That was not quite in the cards for me.  And I am ok with that :)

We decided to wait to tell our families until we could tell them in person.  The last 2 pregnancies we weren't able to tell them all in person, and with Gray we just announced it over Skype which was fun, but not the same.  It just so happened both our families had planned trips up here in October around my 16 week mark.  I was hoping they'd wait a few weeks longer so we knew the gender, but it worked out none-the-less.  After finding out Nate's brother and sister had babies due at the end of February, it was hard to keep it in that we had one due a few weeks later.

17 Weeks Pregnant

35 Weeks Pregnant

Using my built-in table

March 15th 2016

I had my regularly scheduled appointment with Dr. Weaver, and went in that morning hopeful that he would say I was progressing along nicely.  At this point I was 12 days away from my due date, and since at that point in my other pregnancies I had already had 2 kids, I was getting anxious to have it all over.  The anticipation of when it would happen, if Nate would be around, would I have to bother my neighbors in the middle of the night, how fast would this pregnancy progress, etc. were all questions I had swirling around my head.

I was very relieved when the Dr. offered to check me and strip my membranes.  He said I was dilated to a 4 and my water was bulging.  So he told me I was going to have a baby that afternoon.  My standby friends were so gracious in taking my kiddos, and with that I went straight to the hospital.  I was hopeful going into the appointment and took my hospital bag with me and a bag packed for the kids.

Last Prego Pic

Dr. Weaver took the afternoon off from other patients and met me at the hospital with his Nurse Midwife student Hannah.  We were somewhat on a time crunch  since Dr. W had to leave about 5:30 for an overnight date with his wife where he promised he would not answer his phone.  So he broke my water around 1:30 and we hoped for the best.  After they let me get up and move I paced the room, bounced on the labor ball, took a warm bath, did all I could to get things rocking as fast as I could.  By the time he left us around 6:00 I was only at a 6ish.  So he helped Nate give me a blessing and went on his way and left me in the hands of the on call doctor and Hannah.  They told me my contractions were not regular, so they put the peanut ball in between my legs.  Shortly after, Nate and I were monitoring the machines ourselves and found that the machine was not picking up more than half of my contractions which were getting strong and intense.  They knew I was getting close though.

Around 7:15-7:20ish the nurse checked me and told me I was a good 9.  About 2 minutes later I was feeling the intense urge to push.  The nurse told me I had to wait while she grabbed my meds.  She dashed out and the doctor, aides, students, etc. rushed in.  I had to breath through about 3 contractions and not push which was extremely hard to do while they set up and gowned up.  Hannah was able to deliver little Ox with Dr. Galbraith right behind her.  It took me 2 contractions worth to get little man out, and I was overly relieved.  Natural birth pains are no joke.  Why I decided to do it this way again still baffles me.  The back pain was gone, I was extremely sore elsewhere, and I had a new baby boy laying on my chest.  So grateful!

Little Maddox Daryl had made it safely to the outside world.

7.45 oz.   19 3/4 inches   
Born at 7:33pm at Prosser Memorial Hospital

We were able to FaceTime our families and let them meet little man, including Nate's parents who were in Costa Rica.  I had no idea I had mascara smeared across my face for these phone calls, so that was awesome ;)  This little guy was so great the first night...latched on immediately, and then slept all night long no matter what I did to try and wake him up to feed him.

The next day was BORING.  Dr. Weaver would have let me go home as soon as I wanted, but because he didn't deliver Ox, Dr. Galbraith and the on-call pediatrician had to clear me and Ox to go, and the pediatrician is a stickler on the rules.  He did bend them for me by 2 hours so we could leave at 5:30.  And between having to get kids to and from a few different things, Nate made 3 trips back and forth to the hospital, which is about 20-25 minutes from our house.  It was so great to be home and Ox once again had a great night that a he slept all night long, and I had to wake HIM up to change a diaper.  Otherwise I think he would have slept all night long.

Baby snuggles have been missed at our house, and I am taking advantage.  I am also grateful Nate has such great benefits at work that he was able to take 5 full days off work (he is now wishing he would have taken more days) to help out and take care of me and the kiddos.  It was just perfect.  Not to mention it was perfect timing to watch March Madness :)

I don't know if it is the fact that this is my 4th child and taking care of a baby is becoming second nature, or the fact that this baby is so good, it's not normal, or that this is most likely my last baby...but I feel like this time I have had much more time to reflect on what a blessing and a miracle children are.  Their sweet countenance, their big bright eyes, their snuggles...it is so wonderful.  I am grateful to my father in heaven for entrusting me with not only one, but 4 precious souls.  They are each so unique and each come with challenges, but each is so sweet in their own way and all are so loving.  I am not the same person I was 8 years ago, waiting 36 weeks pregnant waiting for my first boy to make his appearance.  I have learned so much patience, understanding, and have learned that I do not have to split my heart into 4 different pieces...my heart just grows to accommodate the love I have for each of these little ones.  I love them each with my whole heart.  Being a mom is the greatest calling I will ever have, and I am grateful that I have another chance to become a better one with a new babe here with new lessons to teach me.