Musings

A Christmas Evie Miracle

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,…

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
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477 thoughts on “A Christmas Evie Miracle”

  2. WOW!!! What an amazing story! Praise God for her safe arrival! We have an Evelyn Anne and Evelyn Jane was our second choice so I LOVE the name!!!!!! What a great way to celebrate Christmas!!!! Oh and she is too cute with those little fat cheeks and you look wonderful!

    Reply

  4. Jenny-
    I have one baby girl and I thought the birth would kill me, this is an incredible story. Its ok to crack up when I see you holding your Christmas miracle next to the blue wingbacks, right?

    Reply

  11. Congratulations! Such a Christmas blessing. Mine arrived the 9th of December, also our third little blessing. Love your story and love your blog. Thank you for sharing. Happy New Year to you and your new growing family!

    Reply

  15. amazing story! so glad to hear that everything turned out. what a special story that you'll be able to tell for the rest of your lives. congratulations!

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  19. I just stumbled on your design blog and end up reading the most captivating story of your "Christmas Evie's" birth. This is out of the movies! Congratulations! You are beautiful and so is little Evelyn! –Delores

    Reply

  21. Congratulations! Evie – how darling! what a story!!!!!! Unbelievable!!! I'm curious, I guess that wasn't the named you picked out before – but changed it at the last minute?
    Joni

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  23. OMG – this is amazing!! Congratulations to you and your family. What troopers you all are, and what a gorgeous little chubster Evelyn is! I'd love to know if the ottoman survived the ordeal or if you'll have another upholstery project on your hands. ;-)

    Reply

  24. I don't know why but your sweet story made me start just bawling. It is so sweet how your family came together and was able to share in this birth. My husband was born on Christmas Eve and almost died in a foreign country on an airbase. I think babies born on
    christmas eve are so special!! Thanks for sharing. Carol Sanders

    Reply

  28. that is the most beautiful story of love, family and Christmas miracles that I have ever heard…EVER!

    There isn't a dry eye at my computer, either.

    I wish you and your family peace and joy!

    Reply

  29. Oh my goodness! What an experience! Congratulations to you and you're family…truly amazing! Her birth was your best "do it yourself" projects yet!

    Reply

  33. My sister, Rebecca Roberts sent me a link to your blog. After reading your story, I am in tears. What a beautiful story! Having a baby just the way you were meant to have her. What a blessing.

    Reply

  35. Oh my, Congrats!! She is beautiful and what an amazing story. A little Christmas miracle:)Love her name! I am due with my first baby in about 4 weeks! I love your work and your blog:)

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  36. You are amazing and look amazing for just having a baby naturally! You are a strong lady and I just loved reading about your experience. Something none of you guys will forget and a special Christmas gift!

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  37. I'm completely biased but the name Evelyn is not only old school and beautiful but it's impossible to make fun of for little kids. Great pick, I've always liked my name, I'm sure your little one will too.

    And way to deliver in your own home, you're a champ.

    -Evelyn (EvY)

    Reply

  43. a thousand blessings for you and your family! i have two children myself, a toddler and a 5 month old, so your story struck familiar sentiments. i shared bits with my husband and we laughed out loud. rest up, as much as you can, and i look forward to your design posts down the road.

    Reply

  44. That' is the most amazing story!! Even more that its true, Congrats!! I had a big baby too 9lbs 10oz…at the hospital I couldn't imagine having one at home!! Congrtas again

    Reply

  49. What an amazing story! She is precious, and girl, you look Fabulous! Congratulations on your little Christmas miracle!

    Reply
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