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
Wow!!! After having four kids I still get choked up at birth stories but this one takes the cake! My sister and I always joke that you are Super-Woman…….now it's official!!!!
i am currently 38 weeks pregnant and can't even hardly handle this post! i am so proud of you and don't even know you! i cannot imagine that pain–but it looks like you just took it like a champ. what a miracle that you dad was there. congrats on a beautiful baby. i love how you call her your christmas evie. it's so perfect.
What an amazing story. Welcome to baby Evelyn. What a blessing she is.
Congratulations! It's a real miracle, I'm so happy for your family.
This is my favorite post EVER on any blog I've ever read. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes for the beautiful story that you so graciously shared with us.
Please thank your beautiful new little one and her 2 big sisters for sharing you and your talents with us all here in blogland.
Best wishes to you all at this most joyous and blessed time of year.
Sincerely,
Pat B.
What a fantastic story!!! So glad it all turned out so well. Beautiful little one . . . Congrats!
WOW WOW WOW! This story is amazing, and you LOOK amazing for just having had natural childbirth so unexpectedly! Congratulations to you and your family!
Congratulations to you and your family! Evie is beautiful and I'm amazed by your wonderful Christmas story! Best Wished for a blessed 2010!
Totally in tears right now. Wonderful story, and I am just glad that you and the baby are okay! This Christmas has been a Christmas FULL of Christmas miracles…loved hearing yours…and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the name!
What a wonderful Christmas gift and story! Congratulations! Happy Christmas and Merry New Year to you and your beautiful family!
WOW… great story. CONGRATS. I'm glad it was a short labor and well worth every painful second. Imagine, having her at home. I love how Evie is short for Evelyn and Christmas Eve. Did you plan for her name to be Evelyn?
Seriously, loved the story and soooo very happy for your new addition.
All my best,
Keidy
Hooray for you! I love the name.
Oh my!! Congratulations! So glad your Dad was there. Glad everything went well. You are blessed.
oh my goodness, Congratulations! I cannot believe that you had her at home. YAY that your dad was there and that all went well. Congrats again= what a great Christmas gift!
There is always a big surprise hidden, when it comes to childbirth! Amazing and well done! I am happy it went rather smoothly and thank goodness for all the right help and support at hand! Congratulations, she looks like sheer perfection! And you too! You look wonderful and happy and reliefed! I am so glad she is with you all now!
Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!
May Evelyn Jane grow to become a beautiful woman, inside and out!
Blessings for your family!
XX
Victoria
You only *thought* you weren't a "home-birthing type of gal"!
I had all three of my girls at home (planned) and it got better every time…wouldn't change a thing!
How wonderful that your family was there to share the experience :)
Welcome, beautiful Evelyn Jane!
(I have an Isabelle Jane :)
omg!!!! how wonderful and congratulations! what a lovely memory for you and your family! :)
congratulations!
I just started reading (or stalking) your blog and this is my favorite post yet! Congrats! Evie is just GORGEOUS!
Hi Jenny. I found your page via Darlene at The Only Thing Worth Walking Toward. Congratulations. What a heart story and incredible post. Truly a blessing, and I do love her name! Paula
I recently found your blog and I'm so glad I did so in time to read this post! Major congratulations. My middle name is Eva and I've always loved it but I would have loved it even more had I been born on Christmas Eve and I went by Evie!
Looking forward to more pics of that beautiful baby!
PS, I have to tell you, you have great taste, I think my daughter's bedroom wallpaper is the same as your header :)
Congrats again!
You so made me cry with this story. Congrats!!!!!!
Congratulations! What an amazing story. Evelyn is beautiful and you are just glowing! Hard to believe you just gave birth. Cheers!
That is fabulous!! She is beautiful! What a wonderful experience for your entire family! God bless and happy healing!
Congratulations! Love the name you chose, what a beautiful Christmas present!
Amazing, amazing story. I'm SO thrilled for you and your family! She's gorgeous – congratulations!
Congratulations on such a beautiful baby, and such an amazing birth story! You are truly blessed!
OH. MY. GOODNESS. I just found your blog (blog hopping), what an A*M*A*Z*I*N*G story…WOW! Praying for your precious family of 5! What a Christmas miracle!
Wow! That is an incredible birth story! I'm sure you're thrilled to finally have her here. Congrats! Evie is adorable!
My mouth dropped! Jenny- I started following your blog a few months ago. My sister and I love your taste and laugh at how much you remind us of ourselves with all of your $ saving techniques.
Anyways- what a story!!! What a great experience for you and your whole family…congratulations, and have a fun with your sweet new miracle.
I don't know you, and although I read your wonderful blog daily I don't think I've ever commented before, but I just had to tell you that your beautiful story had me crying real tears of joy for you. Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful baby and best of luck! BTW – you look fabulous!!
Karin
Wow, what a story, I loved hearing all of this. Big congrats to you and your family. She is a beauty and I know this has to be such a special time for your family. Miracle, yes!
so you just may be my hero. The story brought tears to my eyes. she is absolutely gorgeous. Congratulations Jenny. I am so proud of you, although I may never see your ottoman the same way again:)
Really got chills reading the beautiful birth story. So amazing!
Jenny,
All we can say is wow! You are so blessed to have such an amazing experience, surprising and scary as it was. My sister and I love reading your blog! I awoke with a call from my sister telling me you had your baby and all about your exciting Christmas Eve morning. What a fantastic way to enter the world, worth every casserole dish and ottoman!!!
Love, Holly & Jenny
Milwaukee, WI
Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful little girl! What a story!!
Natalie :)
I can honestly say that I was not expecting that story–what an amazing woman you are!! Congratulations to your entire family and please give a high five to your dad. Rock star timing on his part.
What a blessing.
Congratulations! What an amazing story to tell her someday! She is beautiful – love the cheeks!
I hope I would look 1/2 as beautiful right after giving birth as you did! I love your story and your easy-going attitude about it, although I'm sure you were freaking out!
Congratulations!
Rachel (a subscriber to your blog)
What a woderful amazing story!! My husband still has the stocking he came home in 37 years ago. :) Thank you for sharing your story and your new baby girl is beautiful.
Congratulations!!!! She is so cute!!
Best regards,
Paty
Congratulations Jenn.
It's an incredible story.
Kyla
Wow, what an unbelievable and amazing birth story!! Thank you so much for sharing. What a special blessing for Christmas. I am so glad you are all doing well!
Oh my goodness! What a tale indeed! From first contraction to delivery in literally minutes. I'm glad everything worked out for you guys. What a blessing she is and look at those sweet round cheeks! Looks like Christmas eve will forever more be the most special day for you guys. Congrats!
Tears are streaming down my face. I cannot imagine what a special expereince that was. Sweet little Evie. I love her name. You are an amazing woman. So glad your Dad was there. Congratulations!
Almost 200 comments and I will quickly add that I am in awe at your Christmas miracle. You must have felt some strong parallels! So your Christmases will now involve another wonderful birthday. So glad ALL is well!
Oh my gosh what a beautiful story. I'd been praying for you since your last post. I also had my baby on the way to the hospital. My first was born in our car right across the street from the hospital and its something I will never forget. God bless your family and that sweet little baby.
Oh my, what an amazing story! Never heard one like this, congrats! She is beautiful, and my, what cheeks she has!
HOLY HECK! Now that's better than any TV Christmas specials we've been watching. Yay for dad who was there and knew what to do. Go you for delivering a 9 lb beauty at home with no pain meds. Congratulations…what a special Christmas eve to remember!
What an amazing birth story! Congrats on your Christmas Eve baby!