My cute friend Chelsea that is a photographer talked me into having my labor photographed. I never would have done it but as she told me about it and showed me her pictures from her last birth, it made me think… this is one of the most sacred and important days in your life…why wouldn't you want to photograph it?! Although Chelsea generously offered to photograph it for me (she is the sweetest) I asked Zach’s mom to do it because she loves to take pictures and I thought she would love to be there to see her sweet granddaughter born. She did SUCH an amazing job! Every time I look at the total of 600 (yes I said 600…don’t worry they won’t ALL be on here! ;)) pictures I can’t help but tear up. They tell the complete story of that day so perfectly!! They will help tell the story of that special day in our families life forever!!
So…if your having a baby…get your labor photographed!! It is truly so special!!!
Navy Jo was a little past her due date (May 8th). My doctor was planning on taking me in Tuesday the 13th to break my water and give me a low dose of pitosin (not sure how you spell that) if she didn’t come by then. I was starting to get super nervous about that since pitosin is not good for people who are having a VBAC because that is what can cause your scar to rupture. Zach was nervous too and was starting to tell me maybe to just get a c-section instead…which I really didnt want!! As Tuesday came closer and closer I started praying harder and harder that Heavenly Father would allow my body to go into labor on it’s own and that things would happen as they naturally should. I asked Zach to give me a priesthood blessing and trusted that Heavenly Father would know what was best for me and Navy.
Monday morning at 4:15 I woke up and immediately felt a contraction. I wasn’t sure if this was really happening because you hear of false labor all the time. Even though this is my second kid EVERYTHING was like experiencing it for the first time because it had been over 5 years since I had Dakota and his experience was SO different with an emergency c-section. (Read more about his here)
So I laid there uncomfortably and stared at my phone to time them. They were exactly 5 minutes apart so I wondered if they would stick around for the hour that my doctor said they should before coming in. They stayed pretty consistent. Zach rustled in bed so I said…I think this might be it. That of course woke him right up. So after laying there for 10 more minutes we got up and started getting things ready to go.
I called my trusty friend Jina about 5:15 to ask her for a ride down to the hospital since my mom had to stay home with Dakota. The contractions got progressively stronger and started to be 3-4 minutes apart by the time we left.
As they were checking us in the contractions were so intense! I give SO much props to you ladies who can do this naturally. I thought I had a high pain tolerance but when it came to contractions I was MISERABLE to say the least. Any time someone talked to me or asked me questions during contractions…I kinda wanted to punch them in the face!! ;) The nurse checking us in asked during a contraction, “Are you guys excited?” Luckily Zach answered cuz I wanted to say, NO I’m not…this is horrible!!! ;)
By the time we got to the room I was dilated to a 6 ans was VERY ready for an epidural.
This was my favorite thing in the room…big bro: Dakota! ;)
Before the epidural kicked in…
After that sucker kicked in the experience became SOOOO much more enjoyable and then I became excited!! ;) Neither Zach nor I could believe it was really happening!!
We were ALL smiles!!!
They told me that normally on a first time vaginal birth you dilate about 1 cm an hour so I was expecting to be there awhile. I couldn’t feel the contractions anymore so I didn’t care! I could do this all day!! ;)
So we snuggled in for awhile to wait! ;)
We filled our time laughing, talking, filling out paperwork, kissing ;) and just relaxing!!
Love this baby daddy!!
Filling out the papers for this little girl that is about to be MINE!! ;)
We admired my big ole belly one last time…
Even though it will be nice to not have that thing in the way all the time…I will miss feeling those little kicks, hiccups, and movements with me all the time!! There is nothing in the world like that feeling!! I loved that she was with me ALL of the time…wherever I went…especially in the temple! ;)
The nurse came in an hour later to check me and I was at an 8. She was pretty surprised but that got me pretty excited. Things were getting more and more real as the minutes ticked by.
We had the BEST nurse ever…Nicole! So random…she says to Zach…”you did my yard!” Obviously since Zach is blind he can’t recognize people, but once she said who she was he totally knew who they were! She was SO super amazing and sweet…we were SUPER blessed to have her as our nurse!!
My doctor came in about then to check on us. She was debating on if she had time to go on a run or not! ;)
Julia Johanssen from Circle of Life
Now…looking at what time she left…she TOTALLY didn’t have enough time! ;)
About 45 minutes later I started to feel a little different and the machine that monitors your contractions was kinda going crazy.
I called the nurse in to make sure everything was going okay. She decided she would check me…low and behold I was already at a 10. She said even then it can take awhile for the baby to move down so she wanted me to do a few pushes to see how the baby moved before calling the doctor.
I love Zach’s face in this watching me push…he looks a little worried about me! ;)
What a fun job this nurse has! ;)
So we pushed for about 3 contractions and she said…she is right there…dont’ push anymore I am going to call the doctor.
Zach and I just looked at each other in disbelief. We couldn’t believe that this was all happening so fast and so smoothly. We are definitely not used to that!!! We never talked about it until we were home but we both just were waiting to hear bad news somewhere along the way. Not that we wanted bad news but that is just what we are used to hearing!! It wasn’t until we were home with Navy that we could breathe a little sigh of relief that all was REALLY okay!!
When the doctor got there she suited up, the nurses got all of the things ready to rock and roll, and we were ready to go!!
I think it was only 1 contraction of pushing and Miss Navy came into this world at 10:30 a.m. on the dot…beautiful, healthy, and perfect!!
Love the intensity of the “real” moment on our faces! ;)
My GORGEOUS view!!!
I just stared at her tiny little body crying. Nothing else in the room mattered. She was here. She was mine. And my heart was FILLED with love for her!!
Zach was in love too if you can’t see it in his face!!!
The doctor cut her umbilical cord (Zach was not interested in that at all! ;))…
Then they handed her to me to do skin to skin and I fell even deeper in love, feeling her little body on mine, hearing her little cry in my ear! She was sent straight from heaven and my heart was and still is SO grateful that my Heavenly Father gave me this perfect gift!!
I could have laid like that all day but eventually they had to take her to clean, weigh, and measure her!
She didn’t love that so much…can you blame her! ;) She just wanted her mama!!
Big girl 7lbs 12 oz!!
First of many, many diapers!!
19.5 inches long!
And of course her handsome Dad needed his turn to love on her!! This was the most breathtaking view…seeing the man I love so much…holding this sweet little girl!!
I think she was in love with him too!!
And Navy got her first of MANY MANY hand holds from her Dad!!!
Zach’s heaven!!!
We just adored her!!
She wasn’t so sure about leaving that beautiful place in heaven to come here though!!
As if having Vicki be our photographer was not enough pictures…we had to snap a few with our phones to send to my mom waiting anxiously at my house!!
Grammy and Poppy had to have a turn too of course!!!!
Navy has no idea yet how lucky she is to have these two AMAZING people in her life!! Soon enough she will by crying because she doesn’t want to leave their house!! ;)
Then it was time to get to our recovery room!
Check out my sweet pink ride!!
Once we got there we met our new nurses and Navy and I both got checked out some more! Hospitals are SO good at making sure you aren’t left alone for too long! ;)
Navy got her cute little footprints done! Baby feet are the cutest!!!
Then she got her very first bath!
She got all of her gear so no one can steal her away from us!!
I loved seeing Baby Tessie, Friedli!! It was proof she was MINE!! ;)
Then…I finally got her back to snuggle some more…and of course put her first bow on! Every girl needs a bow…I brought like 5 because I didn’t know what would fit her cute little head! ;) I was VERY over prepared for this moment! ;)
The first of many times she will stick her tounge out at me! ;)
I couldn’t stop kissing her!!!
The cheetah bow won! ;) I am a suckor for cheetah…even my nails are proof! ;)
We match! ;)
PERFECTION!!!
I did pass her off to her Dad for more snuggles…even though I could have kept her all day…just staring at her!!
I love this picture because this is truly how close Zach has to look at things to see anything in some detail. He is checking our his beautiful girl!! I can’t wait for that day when he can see perfectly again and he will be in awe at this precious girl he was given!! Makes my heart happy just thinking about it!!
Grammy and Poppy got their turn again too of course!
Once we got settled we called my mom to bring Dakota man.
We couldn’t wait for him to meet his new little sister!! I’m not sure what he was thinking.
Last minute I remembered we packed the video camera…so we had to get it on film of course! ;)
The first moment!!
He didn’t show much emotion that day towards her.
My KIDS…that’s crazy to say! ;)
He was more excited to get snuggles from his mom and dad!! He was missing us I think! ;)
He got to share some “big brother” ice cream with me! That made being a big brother TOTALLY worth it!! ;)
For Zach and I it was heaven to have him there with us even for a bit…we were already missing him and to be all together just felt right!!
Our first family picture! Dakota’s face says it all… “What have you done?!”
My heart could explode with love for these 3!!!
Nana had to have her turn of course!!
3 Generations!
Before Nana took Dakota back home…we got a little dose of what it’s going to be like to change 2 bums! ;)
One big…one little! Yikes!!
We only stayed one night in the hospital because to be completely honest…we HATE hospitals since we have been in them more then our fair share!! Zach was going insane even after being in our room for a few hours! I don’t blame him though! ;) We missed our little Dakota man too and wanted to be near him and in our comfortable little home together!!
So the next day we busted out of that joint!! ;)
After dressing her in her first outfit of course! ;)
So tiny in this big ole carseat!
My mom came and picked us up with Dakota. He just kinda stared at her…wondering who this was next to him! ;)
And already a month has flown by since this day! Today Miss Navy is 1 month old!! Where is the time going?! Already for another update…I can’t keep up with life! ;)
