wehadababyitsaboy!

Josiah Robert came into the world on Tuesday April 24th at 6:41 pm. He weighed in at 8lbs 1oz and a whopping 21.5 inches long. He arrived in a very unexpected way.  

We had hopes of a natural (drug free) labor and delivery but Josiah had other plans. I went to the hospital on Monday morning to get checked because over the weekend I noticed some leaking "down there." I really thought they would tell me it was just one of the joys of the last weeks pregnancy (losing control of my bladder) - nope! The test came back as amniotic fluid and I was 2cm dilated. 

I was admitted to labor & delivery where I was then told I needed to be induced immediately because my water had been broken for more than 24 hours and both me and Josiah could be at risk for infection. I was able to wait until Steve arrived to start the pitocin. I count my labor starting when they started me on pitocin at 1:15pm on Monday afternoon. I labored on pitocin for quite a while but didn't progress very far by the evening. They were able to do some things to help me dilate and one point early in the morning I was taken off pitocin (with the hope my body would take over), but sadly my contractions slowed down again - back to pitocin. I hate being attached to machines! Fortunately my IV was put in on my forearm so I wasn't hitting it against things when I moved. Tuesday morning I was exhausted and requested a little stadol to help me relax. Coming off the stadol I knew I hit my wall. I was in too much pain and completely exhausted so I requested a epidural. After it was in I was checked again - 9cm! Finally at 12pm on Tuesday I was 10cm, and my sweet nurse told me to just let Josiah labor down a little before we started the pushing. I pushed for 4 hours but still nothing was happening. The Dr's came in and explained that Josiah should have been much lower in the birth canal after being fully dilated for so long and I needed a c-section. I was heart broken, all this work and they wanted me to have a c-section! Steve & I talked it over and talked with my Mom and nurse. My nurse explained that she could feel his head but he really should have come out by now. Steve & I made the decision to go with the c-section before Josiah was in distress or I became any worse. At this point I had been having very high blood pressure and starting to have a temperature (sign of an infection). 

I thought with our decision things were over, cut me open and let us finally meet our son, right?

Wrong.

As soon as we said yes to the c-section I was in the OR within 15 minutes. The Dr's had been waiting and  as they called things out in the OR they coded my section an "urgent section." I'm grateful that neither Steve nor I felt they were pressuring or ordering us into a c-section, they presented the facts and strongly recommended but let us make the decision. Once they made the cut things got complicated. I felt lots of pushing and pulling, and I really thought Josiah's feet got stuck up in my ribcage from all the pulling. We finally heard him cry and Steve called out the time of birth! Steve left with Josiah and I thought I would be joining them soon. Turns out, I had pushed so efficiently that Josiah's head was stuck in the birth canal and all the pushing and pulling was the Dr's and nurses trying to get him out. My uterus tore during pushing and pulling and I hemorrhaged on the table. They were able to fix the damage but my "urgent c-section" became an obstetric emergency with a "code white" being called. The typical c-section takes around an hour to complete, I was in the OR for over 2 hours. I was held in the recovery room for quite a while and was released up to my room shortly before midnight. I arrived to the room to be greeted by Steve but no baby, I cried! They released Josiah from nursery and we were finally together as a family of 3 a little after midnight. 

First family picture

Finally holding my baby boy, 6 hours after delivery.

Steve was incredible through this whole process. I love watching him with Josiah. He does so much. 

My Mom is now a grandmother, Bebe is her name. She has been such a blessing. 

How much stuff does a baby have coming home from the hospital...a lot!

Josiah means "the Lord Saves." His name was very prophetic, God saved both our lives. This would have been a labor 100 years ago which would have ended in either my death, Josiah's, or both. God was gracious and we're both alive. Josiah is a healthy little boy and I'm recovering. Due to the amount of blood loss during the hemorrhage I'll be anemic for several months while my body recovers. Steve & I are so grateful that God blessed us with such a prefect baby boy. Something that God showed us through this process was that Josiah is His child first and he did not come into this world by our strength but through God's grace. 

A few days before Josiah's arrival a friend gave me a verse that brought a lot of comfort during the 29 hours of labor. 

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say again rejoice...The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippines 4:4-7