First and foremost, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for praying for me, Jon and little Nathan for the last many months!! I so believe that God used all of those prayers this last week!
Prepare yourself for the HUGEST onslaught of pictures ever in this blog! And I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to sit down and write this – I’ve been a little distracted staring at my son. 🙂 And when he looks like this, who can blame me? 🙂
Also, we’ve been trying to take everyone’s advice and sleep when he does (not hard advice to take when I could fall asleep anytime I stop moving – sitting or standing).
Last week did not go how we’d planned, but it went exactly how God planned and that was enough for me! I’m going to write TONS of details here because I just don’t want to forget them!
At my last prenatal appointment, my doctor decided to go ahead and schedule an induction for Tuesday, July 13. He was a little worried about me going too late since big babies run in Jon’s family. So, we showed up at the hospital on Monday night planning on being given a medicine that was supposed to ripen my cervix to ready it for the induction at 6AM the next day.
I’d been having cramping off and on for the last few days, but at my Friday doctor’s appointment, I still wasn’t dilated more than a fingertip.
So, imagine both mine and Jon’s surprise when we show up on Monday and find out that I was in labor! When we got there, I was having mild to painless contractions about every two to four minutes.
They hooked me up to an IV, a monitor for the contractions and a monitor on Nathan’s heartbeat. My doctor wasn’t on call on Monday night, but one of the doctors from his office was and she said I was still only one centimeter dilated. She stripped my membranes and they left to see if that caused me to dilate farther.
I got a little bit farther along. The contractions started becoming more painful. Around midnight, my mom and dad came and my mom ended up staying the night with me and Jon, which was so nice. About an hour or so later, the doctors decided to use a foley catheter to try and dilate me more, since I still wasn’t progressing. I made it to almost five centimeters with that and by six in the morning, the contractions were coming hard, lasting about a minute and were every two to three minutes apart.
I got an epidural (which left SUCH a weird, tingly feeling in my legs. I hated it!) and they broke my water, again hoping that I’d continue to dilate.
Which was when things started getting scary. Nathan’s heartbeat started dropping with every contraction. I got put on oxygen, they started pumping me full of liquids and they also did an amnio infusion, which is where they try to flush fluid back into the uterus in case he was laying on his cord and that was causing the issues with his heartbeat.
At ten-thirty, my doctor came in and first said that we might need to get a c-section, but he was willing to try a few more things before we did that. They started the tiniest little bit of pitocin to see if that would cause me to dilate quickly.
It didn’t. If anything, it made Nathan’s heartbeat drop even farther. I had been laying on my side because the doctors were hoping that would help him roll off his cord, if that was the problem. Around noon, I looked over as four nurses come running into my room because Nathan’s heartbeat had dropped ridiculously low during the last contraction.
By this point, I was no longer scared of a c-section as much as I was scared for Nathan. My doctor came in a little after noon and decided to do a c-section, which Jon and my mom were in complete agreement with as well.
From there it was a blur – At noon, we decided to do the c-section. Ten minutes later, I was on the operating table. It was so painful – I don’t know if my epidural wasn’t working as good as it should have or what happened, but it was incredibly painful. Jon held my hand and he got to watch as our son, Nathan James, was born at 12:34PM.
Nathan didn’t cry at first, which just scared me more. I kept asking if he was okay or not. Finally, we both heard him cry and both Jon and I burst into tears. Jon got to go trim his umbilical cord and watch him get dried off and cleaned and he brought him over to see me a few minutes later.
I cried and cried and cried. God is SO good! So very, very good! I was so afraid of labor, of delivery, of what it would be like to be a mom, and in that instant, I was so completely overcome by love for this little baby that I couldn’t hardly focus on anything else – including how much pain there was. I read Isaiah 41 right before we left for the hospital and in there, God says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
After they finished stitching me up, I was able to go meet Jon and Nathan in the recovery room and hold him for the first time. Our first time as a family!!
God is SO great!!! Here’s my two favorite boys on the whole face of the earth. I just love Nathan’s expression in this picture!
After we got to our room, my family got to come meet him. My parents – now known as Gammy and Poppy – were instantly in love, I think.
And the new aunt and uncles!
Here’s everyone at the hospital. Pardon how I look – I had gotten tons of IV fluids by this point and they were still pumping it into me.
Jon was SO sweet – on our first night with Nathan, he gave me a card that succeeded in making me cry and he also had these flowers delivered.
Our little swaddled peanut. 🙂 I think we’ll probably keep him. 🙂
I LOVE this picture of my two boys!! This was our second morning in the hospital. We ended up having to stay until Friday afternoon.
My parents have been SO helpful with Nathan! Jon and I have been just exhausted and they’ve brought us lunches, dinners, breakfasts, coffee… they even stayed and watched Nathan all day today while Jon and I got some much needed sleep. I am so thankful for them!!! I just love seeing them as grandparents – they are going to be amazing ones. Nathan is so blessed!
Here’s me – can we tell I was feeling SO much better by the third day? Just goes to show the healing powers of a good shower and some makeup! (And a little snuggle bug to hold!)
Such an alert baby boy!
One of the mornings at the hospital. Poor Jon – he got almost ZERO sleep the whole time we were there. And I know the delivery scared him to death – he is such an amazing husband. I have fallen so completely head over heels in love with him all over again – especially when I watch him hold our son. He’s so gentle and so involved. I love these two so much that I sat there and cried thinking about it one day. 🙂
On our way home from the hospital…finally! We bought a 0-3 month outfit just in case he ended up being huge, but he was SO small in his outfit!
First time at home! We had to give him the grand tour. Jon showed him the living room.
And I showed him his bedroom. Here’s the one wall I didn’t show you guys on the post I did on the baby’s room.
Chillin’ on the sofa, waiting for Daddy. 🙂
One of my biggest worries was how Kody would react to Nathan. I think he’s pretty depressed (poor puppy gets absolutely no attention now), but he’ll be fine. He just follows us around all sad faced. Here’s when he first met Nathan. Completely unaware of what was going on, huh? 🙂
On our way to Nathan’s first doctor’s appointment! He had it on Saturday morning and oh. my. gosh. I had no idea how long it took to get ready when you have a baby!!
My in-laws are coming out in a few weeks and we are so excited for them to get to meet Nathan! They sent this beautiful bouquet for him and I think Nathan just loves it. 🙂 And if he doesn’t, I do! We’ve been Skyping with Greg and Connie every day since he was born so they can see their adorable little grandson. SO thankful that we live in this age of Skype and picture text messaging! Again, Nathan is blessed!
Thank you all again SO very much for your prayers!! Please keep praying for us – the recovery from the C-section is a lot harder than I thought it would be. And nursing has been a bumpy road, but I’m praying that we’re coming into a smoother part!
I am so thankful for each and every one of you! Love to you all!
~~
Aww Erynn, I'm absolutely in love! Nathan is adorable and just reading your story is incredible. I can't believe God is soo good! I love reading stories like that. Even though I'm still a teenager, I've always wanted to be a mother and to see my favorite author describe everything is amazing. I'll still be praying for you guys as you go on this journey. I'll also pray that God helps you be the best parents ever! Raise him to be the most wonderful, sweet guy a girl could ever ask for. It's who my boyfriend is and we definatly need more of those guys in the world! Can't wait to hear more!
CONGRADULATIONS!!!
Nathan is sooooooo cute and looks so much like you and Jon 🙂 I look forward to the future blogposts about your little guy.
The only reason I can think of, of why the c-section would hurt so bad is that the epidural wasn't topped up enough but then saying that epidurals work differently for every one 🙂
One day you will look back on the pastweek and think of it as being full of joy 🙂
Though I am only a teenager ( I studied childbirth in my childcare class) I can't wait to be a Mother and cam't wait to meet the right guy! I have enjoyed all your posts on pregnancy and becoming a mother and can't wait for more posts about little Nathan 🙂
You and Jon are so blessed to have such a wonderful son and in years to come more children (but we won't think about that now as you are still recovering from Nathan's birth LOL). I can't wait to get to know Nathan in the years to come.
Love and Prayers
Erin xxx
Nathan is adorable! I can't believe all his expressions already. Such a cutie. I'm sorry your delivery didn't go so well. I had a c-section when I had my little man, too. It'll get easier. I recommend getting a belly band to support your incision. It helped me a lot. CONGRATULATIONS, and thanks for sharing your little miracle with us!
Aw! He's sooo cute.
Mom was due on the 13th, and we're still waiting. Hoping baby sis comes soon!
Oh my! He's absolutely adorable!! What a sweet family you are!
Congratulations! I am so glad that everything turned out well. He is absolutely adorable!
Congratulations! He is so precious! I know, down the road, you will be so happy that you wrote everything down in such great detail. I love hearing birth stories, they are all special and emotional, just like the stories of how couples fell in love. Nathan's birth story is uniquely yours. Don't you think that becoming a parent adds such depth and color to your relationship with God? I look at my little girls and am just overcome with how blessed I am and am in awe of the sacrifice God made for me. I'll be praying for you as you guys adjust to this new, amazing life as parents.
Congratulations! He's precious!
Congrats he's adorable! I hope you can get all the sleep you can. You're going to need it :).
Congrats. Enjoy your precious jewel.
So excited for you guys! Been praying for you lots. Hang in there with the nursing. I know it's hard. I can't imagine how hard with recovering from surgery as well. Hopefully you're getting alot of support with that. Call me if you have any questions. I'm not a lactation consultant but I've been thinking about becoming one. Can't wait to meet the little guy! Lots of hugs to the three of you!
Ack! Congratulations!
Love the pictures. 🙂
Ohhhh, yes. My mom had a c-section for her first and went on to have 5 more….though no more c-sections, thank GOD.
(The doctor DID tell her she wouldn't be able to have em well without a c-section, but just goes to show how amazing and good God is!)
Dang. Pitocin is nasty stuff. Sorry y'all ran into bumps in the road with all that –I'm no amish, but I'm predisposed to home births… hehe:)
So happy for you guys!! He's adorable!
P.S. —my older sister is really into learning about midwifery/being a doula/support, and has literally TONS of books….
She says the most empowering book is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Ina-Mays-Guide-Childbirth-Gaskin/dp/0553381156/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279562623&sr=8-1
I mean, if you ever want to have any more…… 😉
I totally teared up, reading this blog post! Nathan is absolutely perfect & adorable. Love all the pics!
Lord, I thank You for keeping Erryn, Jon & especially new cutie Nathan in Your hands! We pray that You will guide the family as You have planned for them, and help heal Erynn 100% physically and emotionally from the scary and uncomfortable delivery! May You unite this family even closer as they seek to put You first!!!
He is the most adorable baby… so cute, and so alert! Thank the Lord that you and Nathan are doing well… it must've been a scary experience, yay for the grace of God 🙂 The verses you quoted from Isaiah are my favorite. 🙂 Praying for quick recovery, lots of rest, and smooth adjusting 🙂
That makes my heart so happy to see those pictures of your amazing family and beautiful new son. Good for you for sleeping when he sleeps – I wish I'd done more of that instead of worrying about sweeping the floor or writing thank-you cards! (Crazy, I know!)
Nursing was a rough road for me – it was never a matter of them not getting enough – almost moreso and issue that they didn't need to latch on right to get whatever they needed. So, hang in there…..I hope it improves and becomes a time of sweet bonding for you and little Nathan….
CONGRATULATIONS to you all!
Oh Erynn, Nathan is absolutely gorgeous! I'm so glad God brought the three of you through that long process, safe and beautiful and happy. Congratulations, I can't wait to keep reading about Nathan and your new larger family as time goes on!
Nathan was exactly the name I had guessed for you guys!! 🙂 Anyway, I'm glad everything worked out in the end… I remember so well all those feelings… our first son was induced, then an emergency c-section due to fetal distress, same as you guys. It was so disappointing but at the same time we were so worried about him that it was our only option, really. It sounds like you don't take well to the epidural though? You should never have felt the surgery, and I never felt that tingling with the first dose either… I just had my 3rd boy via c-section 3 months ago and it was a dream. They are definitely easier to recover from when you've planned & prepared for them! May God bless you guys and feel free to contact me with any questions or anything!!
P.S. Just wanted to mention I've been told that pitocin & epidurals both can increase the likelihood of a c-section… don't know how much truth there is in that but my first was induced AND I had the epi so I can believe it. I had wanted a VBAC so badly with this baby but it wasn't to be… God showed me I didn't need to be defined by my birth and it was the most peaceful experience I've ever had!! So I just wanted to encourage you that no matter how your babies are born… that does not define you and nobody needs to make you feel guilty for your decisions and the decisions you have no control over! Blessings…
Congrats on your little bundle of joy. He is so adorable and you are incredibly lucky. Sorry about the bad delivery. My mom's medicine only worked on half of her body when she had my sister so you're not alone. I love your necklace that your mom gave you for your baby shower and I was wondering where she got. If you don't have time to find out don't worry because i know you must be so busy. Sleep when you can, I will be praying for you. 🙂
Congradulations!!! Your little boy is so cute!!! Nathan is adorable!
Nathan is the cutest little boy I have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so sorry you had to go through a c section but i am praying you recover quickly. I read Latte Daze is AMAZING I was so shocked when he proposed. It was definitely one of your best.
Erynn, I am so happy for you! This is a beautiful birth story. I know it must have been so scary for you at the time, but just look at the beautiful result! Nathan is one of the handsomest little guys I've ever seen! And he looks so happy and alert! You and Jon are going to be great parents. I'm praying for you guys! Thanks so much for sharing Nathan's birth story with us!
OK, this blog post made me tear up. AND GREG teared up too!! We loved getting the texts to update us along the way and all the text pictures too. It helped us feel like we were there. You guys are amazing, Nathan is beautiful, and we can't wait to come see him. Save some of his cheeks for me, cuz his Aunt JenJen is gonna kiss him good!! =)
Love you!!
~ Jen
He is absolutley beautiful. Thanks for sharing your story.
Don't be discouraged by nursing and andy trials that come – find people who will help you through and you'll discover it's not as bad in the end. I promise. La Leche League and Lactation Consultants abound and they're all very happy to help!
Grace to you in these learning days. I'm glad you're enjoying your sweet boy.
Delighted for you and Jon, Erynn 🙂 Nathan is one cutie patootie!
I won't go into it here but I understand the pain of anaesthetic not working for a c-section 🙁 But I went on to have two more children whose delivers, while c-sections, went far better than the first!
Love and hugs
Congrats Erynn! Nathan is sooooo adorable!!!
Congrats! I love hearing birth stories! It was so cool reading your story. Keep up the nursing! It is so good for him! I don't know if you are going to put him on a schedule but schedules are wonderful. Baby wise is a great book. It really helped my son and I. If you have any question, need any advice please let me know. So fun! Enjoy motherhood. People told me that it goes fast, I didn't believe them and now Brandon is a year! Enjoy every second. So happy for you three!
Congradulations! He is such an adorable baby! I love the name too!
Erynn – Nathan is BEAUTIFUL! God bless him. God bless your whole family. God is SO good!!!
I love the pictures of how Nathan is looking at Jon and your Mom. Too sweet for words.
I know what you mean about falling in love with your husband all over again. The birth of our firstborn did crazy things to our relationship! I loved my husband so much for the way he hurt for me.