Trauma? Not So Much!

Lots of people want to share their traumatic birthing stories...this isn't one of those. Sure there is a story, but it is mostly my thoughts on our beautiful new addition.

By the beginning of July I was totally ready to have our little girl. I had been stuck in bed for 6 weeks...no bueno... then was up and about for a month and still no baby! Finally on July 6th I went into labor after walking with a friend for 2 hours in the rain. I called Kevin home from work to take me to the hospital and by the time we got there I was at a 6. We checked in and 15 minutes later I had my epidural (thats when the clouds opened up and the angels started singing Hallelujah). During the next 5 and a half hours I slept and Kevin watched movies while enjoying the daddy snack bar. At 1:30am we met Evelyn. She came into the world howling like a world class opera singer.  8lbs 1oz and 21 inches long with a full head of dark hair! I was so proud of her for not coming early! Kevin checked her fingers and toes while snapping pictures for me. Silly? I think not! Polydactalism runs in Kevin’s family so extra fingers and toes were a viable outcome. I am pleased to announce that she had NO extras!

After I had a chance to hold her for a moment Kevin rolled her to the NICU to have her lungs and stomach cleaned out. I thought I would be afraid for her, but I had full confidence in the NICU at UVRMC.

She was back in our room just after 4am, very alert and ready to meet us properly. I was SO excited to be a mom that I only slept for 4 or 5 hours the whole time we were at the hospital after Evelyn was born.  Every time Kevin picked her up at the hospital he would say “She is so cool!” I walked back into the room once just in time to hear him tell her he loved her…what a special moment. Kevin was amazing through the whole experience. We had a lot of complications during pregnancy and a few times thought we might lose our little girl. Kevin promised me that we would be able to keep her forever if we kept our covenants. His perspective really buoyed my spirits. I feel very blessed.

I have wanted to be a mom since I was a little girl, so when an Endocrinologist told me last year that I might not be able to have kids I was more than a little worried. As it turns out the PCOS didn’t prevent us from having our little sunshine. It did however present us with feeding issues which caused Evelyn to lose more weight than was healthy. Once those were figured out she began gaining like a champ. At 3 months old she weighs nearly 14lbs and is super healthy!

Motherhood is both more and less than I thought it would be. More work and less sleep, but more love than I ever thought I could feel. A couple of weeks ago I was singing to Evelyn (one of our favorite pastimes). I finished a cute little song my mom taught me and started singing I am a Child of God the reality of the text struck me very strongly this time through. Little Evie IS a child of God, fresh from heaven, and she has been entrusted to Kevin and I. That thought brought on one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had. I felt the Lords love for Evelyn very strongly. Almost the same instant it struck me, she must have felt it too. The most brilliant smile I have seen to date lit her precious little face and stayed there until I finished both the second and third verses. I regularly feel like it is an honor to raise such a sweet little one.

Well thanks for sticking it out to the end! I assure you the next posts will be more lighthearted. Flying baby poop and the like…stay tuned!