MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Our little family is feeling so incredibly blessed this Christmas! Daughter #3, Evelyn Jane, was born yesterday morning and I will never, ever forget the experience. Here’s the play-by-play, for those of you who are interested (and not squeamish about terms like “dilation” and “afterbirth”):
{Keep in mind that, as of Christmas Eve, I was a whole week overdue and extremely frustrated with my OB doctors. I had been in and out of early labor contraction patterns for almost two weeks and was dilated to a 3.5 as of Sunday the 20th. I was so DONE with being pregnant and I was feeling guilty about my mom, dad, and sister, who had come to Delaware to meet the baby a week earlier. We all wanted this baby to come out!!}
7:15 a.m. – I wake up. My husband, Michael, is getting dressed for work. We had been up talking and praying (and me crying) until the wee hours of the morning. He looks at me, surprised, when I whisper that I think today’s going to be the day.
7:20 a.m. – Still laying in bed, I have my first contraction, but I’ve grown skeptical over the past two weeks. I have a doctor’s appointment at 8:30 and I’m worried they’ll make me wait longer if I’m not yet in active labor. The hospital does not schedule inductions on holidays or weekends, and my family was leaving on Sunday. I’m feeling anxious, but decide to get up and get ready for my appointment, hoping that I have another good contraction soon.
7:27 a.m. – The second contraction comes seven minutes after the first. My hopes for real labor without an induction are increasing.
7:50 a.m. – I get out of the shower and the contractions are coming pretty strong. They are increasingly painful but I figure that I’ve got some time because my water hasn’t broken yet. (This was my first experience with back labor – not fun.) Michael and I decide that this is the real deal and we should probably just go straight to the hospital. He calls my doctor to advise them that I won’t be making my appointment. The plan is to get ready for the day, drop off some stuff at Michael’s work, and head down to the hospital.
8:00 a.m. – I put on some make up and start to blow dry my hair, chatting with my family in between contractions. My mom wants my 20 year-old sister to see my labor pains and we all joke about how this is the ultimate birth control! Everyone gets excited that the baby is finally coming! We all hope together that she will arrive sometime before that evening so that I have a chance of spending at least some of Christmas Day with my other girls at home.
8:15 a.m. – Contractions are really starting to hurt and they are coming faster. It takes all my focus to manage the pain. I try as hard as I can to relax and breathe low. There is less chatting and joking with my family – it was game time. New plan: Michael calls a co-worker and asks him to swing by our house to pick up some paperwork because we need to head to the hospital right away. I’m still convinced there is time though because my water had not yet broken. I brush my teeth and pack my toiletries bag for the hospital.
8:35 a.m. – It feels like there is no break between my contractions. They come one after another. Somehow, using all my willpower, and with Michael and my dad on each arm, we make it down the stairs and out the front door. My water breaks during a particularly hard contraction on the front porch and all I can manage to yell is “Water!!” Michael runs inside to grab my water bottle and suddenly realizes that I am talking about a different water.
8:36 a.m. – I’m absolutely frozen in pain on the porch. Even though our hospital is about two blocks away, it felt like it might as well have been in another state. My legs start to shake and give and I blurt out “I need to push – NOW!” My dad (a family doctor in Arizona who also does OB) says, “Looks like we’re having this baby right here.” Thank goodness he was with us!
8:40 a.m. – We get back in the house and head for the living room. Michael and my dad lay me down on my ottoman (you remember my ottoman…). The baby is crowning. I start pushing, with my sister holding my back up and Michael and my mom holding my legs.
8:54 a.m. – Baby Evie is born in my living room, two feet from our Christmas tree. There is not a dry eye in the place. We tie the cord with dental floss (no clean shoelaces available) and Michael cuts it with my trusty pair of sewing scissors (sanitized with Purell, of course). All of the clean towels have been used already, so we wrap her in a beach towel. Evelyn is absolute perfection and I am so in love.
8:56 a.m. – The doorbell rings! Its Michael’s co-worker, coming to pick up the paperwork. My mom and sister quickly hold up a sheet to block the view before the front door is opened. The conversation is very brief and sort of awkward, I’m sure, for Michael’s co-worker. He becomes the first person to find out the baby has just been born.
8:58 a.m. – A rustle at the top of the stairs. Thankfully, both of my girls had stayed up late the night before and had slept through all the commotion of the morning. Claire (my two-year old) is awake now and shouts from the landing “Hey guys! What’s goin’ on?!” We direct Claire’s attention to the baby as she rounds the corner, so that she doesn’t notice the afterbirth just then being caught in my (formerly) favorite casserole dish. Grace (my four-year old) comes downstairs shortly thereafter. The girls begin presenting Evie with pacifiers, blankets, toys, and presents from under the tree. We decide that we should probably still go to hospital to have everyone checked out.
9:45 a.m. – We arrive at the hospital and there are no wheelchairs so we walk up to the labor and delivery wing and announce, “I just had a baby. Where should I go?”
10:00 a.m – We are checked out by the doctors and nurses and the results all come back great. Evie weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs even!! We recount our story about 20 times. A guy comes in and takes my picture with Evie in a giant Christmas stocking ((awesome)) for the Dover newspaper. After a few short hours at the hospital, we are cleared to head back home happily to spend Christmas as a family. Hooray!
The rest of Christmas Eve is full of BBC chick flicks, my mom’s famous Swedish meatballs and collective head-shaking. I am SO not a home birth kind of gal, but the experience was nothing short of life-changing and completely spiritual for me and my family.
The birth of any baby is amazing and miraculous, but we’re all feeling a special connection to sweet Evelyn Jane, our little Christmas Evie.
Thank you for all your love and support. I have the best readers and I truly appreciate each and every one of you!!
Lots of love and Merry Christmas,
jenny
I've never commented on your blog before, I usually just stalk you for decorating ideas, but today I have to tell you that's one of the best stories I've ever heard! I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes while my daughter & hubby nap. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Wow! What a story! So glad everyone is happy and safe. Congratulations :)
Wow! Congrats! That is such an amazing story and I love the name Evie.
Congratulations, Jenny! What an amazing birth story. It is such an encouragement to be reminded of how God truly did fashion our bodies to birth the particular babies we are given, often times with little to no medical intervention!!!
What a wonderful way of having your baby! Congratulations and have a fantastic time with her, I think you just convinced me to have another baby :)
What a beautiful baby girl and an awesome birth story! Congratulations on your newest addition and I am so glad that everyone is healthy and happy.
O
M
G
That is THE most amazing birth story I have ever heard. What an amazing Christmas blessing – surely a story you will be recounting for her entire life!
God's greatest blessings to you and your family this Christmas.
Congratulations!!! That is so awesome. How perfect your Dad could be there!!
OMG! what a wonderful story and birth! Congrats!!!
BTW, Love the name!
What a delightful story! Your little girl is absolutely adorable. This is an amazing entry to the world. She'll always have stories to tell. She's a true gift from God!!
Such an uplifting story. She truly is a precious Christmas gift. Congratulations and so glad everyone is doing well.
wow! what a story!! congratulations!
What a wonderful story of her birth! Her name is perfect and she is very beautiful! Congratulations! This will definitely be a birth to remember! I'm so glad everything worked out so well.
Well done mama!! Yah for home birhs, especially accidental ones!! Evie is absolutely and utterly precious!!
Amazing. I am stunned by your grace through all of this! Congratulations to you, your family & little Evie!
Oh my goodness! What a Christmas Miracle!
OMG!!!
That brings a tear to my eyes! Please enjoy the holiday & she is beautiful!!!
Pass on congrats to the steady hands of the two helpers as well. That is an amazing story,
bless you & your family!
Leslie
Congratulations! What wonderful, sweet birth story. Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday!
Wonderful!!! Congratulations. What an AMAZING story!
Little Christmas angel….
WOW! What a blessing! A little Christmas present! :) Enjoy!
What a wonderful Christmas blessing! Congratulations to you and your family!
It's official! You are the ultimate DO-IT-YOURSELF-ER! :) I cannot believe how wonderful this story is and how fitting it is for you to give birth on that beautiful ottoman. Congratulations to you and your sweet family. Way to go, mama!
Amazing story! thanks for sharing!
Congratulations!! I was tearing up reading it and seeing the beautiful pictures!! Is there anything better to fill a stocking with?! :)
WOW!!! I am in tears reading this sweet and amazing story! Congratulations and way to go! All the best to you all in the coming weeks.
Oh wow!!! Congratulations! What a beautiful story!! So glad that your whole family was there to share and enjoy this priceless memory!!
Amazing!!! What an incredible, beautiful story. And so funny to see the old ottoman in the picture! Congratulations! So happy for you.
WOW! That is the best story!!! Congrats! SHE IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
SO excited about my Christmas gift from my husband…I look forward to having you help me:)
Enjoy this time.
Suzanne Brister
Jen you are amazing!! I just love her so much and am so glad that you both are doing so well and that you were able to spend Christmas with your family. What a wonderful and beautiful experience for you and your family. We love you guys so much! Thanks for sharing your story and some pictures. I have been dying to hear your side of the story and finally see some picture of sweet Evie!
Love you!
Kristine
That is almost exactly my story with my second, named Ivy, coincidentally very close to Evie! I think I was in early labor for a month. Then one middle of the night, the pains came, I waited an hour before calling my father to babysit, since I'd had false pains all month. Then before he could get there, the pains were coming every other minute and I told my husband to call 911. Ivy showed up before the paramedics, with only hubbie to catch. No OB dad, unfortunately.
If my dad had gotten there earlier, I might have had her on the Williamsburg bridge, and named her Willamina Bridget in honor.
But instead, we rode to the hospital and delivered the afterbirth there. All was fine, and the midwife at the hospital told me that when babies come so fast, everything is usually fine.
Congratulations and enjoy your Evie.
AMAZING! That has got to be the best Christmas present ever, delivered right there in your living room with your family around to support you. Congratulations, it doesn't get any better than that. Much love to you and your family.
PS love her name, and how appropriate:)
We cannot wait to meet little Evie! We are so proud and impressed by you! We cannot stop thinking about all of you! We love you all so much! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
Love love love from AZ,
XOXO,
Matt, Kenzi, Eric, and Holly!
your story is so amazing and and beautiful….oh goodness…
Congratulations!
wow! Congratulations on your baby girl! what an amazing Christmas present :)
Wow. What a beautiful story. Congratulations. : )
Congratulations, she is beautiful!
that is an incredible story! I had a similar labor myself a year ago (though we did make it to the hospital! :) and it's just amazing what our bodies can do. she is beautiful and such a precious gift :) congratulations!!!
Congradulations! I can relate…my son was born under simular conditions 5-1/2 years ago—on our stairs no less with my husband attending (no doctor in sight). I loved your story, you told it so well, and it will be something you will NEVER forget I promise you. It's amazing how natural childbirth is isn't it?
I cannot believe this story. Hooray for you and the entire family. Enjoy your new little one.
what a true christmas miracle! Evelyn Jane is just lovely:) Happy to hear that both you and your family are doing well…Happy Holidays!
That was an amazing story – one that I'm sure you and your new daughter will treasure forever.
Wow, amazing. You have a great story. I'm so so happy for you. PS – you look gorgeous for having just given birth, SO SO jealous.
Another Christmas gift (my cousin´s birthday is also at this date)!!! I was crying reading your message. Big congratulations to you and to your family!!!!!! Happy New Year Dear. Jana
Oh, my goodness!! You don't know me, but I've been enjoying your blog for a while now. This story is just amazing. Makes me so teary-eyed! Also makes me want a home birth . . . and I'm already done having kids!! LOL! Congratulations!! I'm so jealous!! Ha!
what a wonderful birth story!!! i'm glad all went well and mom and baby are healthy and happy!!
WOW!! That is quite a story! What a special memory…glad you are all well!
Wow Jenny, that's crazy, and so cool! What a special memory. Congratulations!
She looks like Mike. Absolutely the best Christmas Eve story I've ever heard. Funny, because I just wrote on Mike's FB wall about how the best Christmas stories involve babies born in snowstorms. Wrong. Best Christmas stories go exactly exactly like this. So glad mom and baby are safe, happy, and healthy.
Amazing! Absolutely amazing!
Congratulations to you, your husband, and your whole family on that gorgeous little miracle of yours!
Also, when I say this is the best Christmas story, I mean short of the Nativity. But I feel like that was assumed. :)