Sunday, February 5, 2012

And Joel Makes 6!

January 20th.  4am.  Josh and I are up and at 'em.  The house is quiet, save the excitement and anticipation spilling from our pores as we think about our big day ahead.  Thoughts run rampant as bags are checked, lists for the babysitter double-checked, book bags for the girls put into the van, odds and ends tied up, one final look around the house, and it's time to go.  The start of Josh's truck says so.  I'm of course 5 minutes behind schedule.  I'm a Mom.  I have a lot of stuff rolling around in my brain.  A lot of people to look after.  :)  Josh meets me at the door, grabs my bag, puts it in the truck and hurries back for me.  The slam of the truck door and tires crunching through the gravel as they make their way down our drive signal something's different this morning at the Trask house.

We arrive at the hospital at 5:15am, quickly check in with the ER receiving desk, strap on my admitting bracelet, sign a few forms, I grab Josh's hands and we're off.  Floor 2.  Ding.  The labor and delivery ward is expecting us.  A nice nurse greets us, takes my paperwork and before I know it I'm in a hospital bed having an IV put in.  An IV means this is for real this time.

The IV nearly makes me lose it.  What would otherwise be no big deal nearly made me pass out.  Mostly because the nurse inserting it was having a hard time, grimacing as she tried to get it right, and after a failed attempt, I had to put her in time-out.  She switched hands and I threw a penalty flag.  I asked her to wait a couple minutes because I could feel blurriness coming on and the room beginning to move.  After some water, a few deep breaths, (and silent prayers for her success), I was ready to begin again.  Round 2 = success.  The room was back to normal and I was ready to go.

I was monitored for nearly 45 minutes and then it was pitocin time.  I was induced for the fourth time.  Why?  Several reasons.  Joel was measuring big.  I was in and out of the hospital so many times, with contractions that never fully stopped, that the doctor felt sorry for me.  I was 4cm and almost entirely effaced.  I was tired.  I was 39 weeks.  I said, yes.  Josh said, yes.  I talked it over with Joel, (for real), and he said, yes.  So, that's why.  You raised your eyebrows at that last part, didn't you?  That's okay. 

I texted some friends to ask for prayer.  And then got out my ipad for some Sudoku, which I've become pretty good at. 

At about 6:30am pitocin began.  The doctor broke my water at some point thereafter.  My friend Nicole arrived at about 7am.  She, Josh and I talked about all sorts of things until things got rough, and then it got quiet.  Josh and Nicole were great.  Josh knows this labor thing very well by now, and also knows well when my contractions go from tolerable, to uh-oh, so he's a big help to me.  Nicole was really sweet and I was happy to have her there.

I had two intrathecals (shots that relieve pain, and last for about 1 1/2 hours before wearing off), and then I had Joel at 11:41am.  About 5 hours of labor.  Pitocin makes your contractions go from a level 1 discomfort to a whoa! level of discomfort fairly rapidly, especially if the amount of pitocin administered is done at a fast pace, which was the case for me.  I was used to it.

Side note:  The anesthesiologist might very well be the sweetest little old man in town.  He should be retired, but he loves what he does and doesn't want to quit.  He's apparently climbed every tall mountain in the world and is an avid snow skier.  He was definitely a bright spot in my morning...especially after he gave me that shot.  :)

Joel was born with no complications.  I think I only pushed for 10 minutes at most.  He was bigger than I expected, weighing in at a whopping 8lbs. 11oz.

I think he surprised all of us.  I’ve never had a baby bigger than 7lbs. 12oz.  He came out with a perfectly round head, and once he was cleaned, a perfectly smooth complexion.  

I thought I might’ve had an all natural birth this time around, meaning no intervention by the hospital in the form of medicine, but that wasn’t the case, and I’m okay with it.  I’m not particularly extreme either way about medicine and labor and delivery.  I think I'm more in the, "I trust the Lord, and I know He'll protect us no matter what," camp.  That's just me.  To each their own. 

As you can imagine, our hearts are full and our family is complete.  We are thrilled to add our son, Joel David, to our house full of girls.  This will be an adventure for sure.  And we plan to savor every second, or at least try to!


Saturday, February 4, 2012

We have been InVaDed!

A quiet Saturday morning finds me nursing my sweet boy in the stillness of our house. There are a few birds outside my window, which I'm so thankful for. We've had a more than mild winter here so there hasn't been a day that I've not found birds of all kinds singing, jumping, hopping and sputtering outside my window. Flying too, of course. That is, after they inspect the wooded forest outside. I love their sweet sounds.

I can hear Claire Lauren in the living room talking quietly to her Daddy who has just returned from a 4-6am shift of 24hr worship up the hill. It's raining. The sprinkling sound is the perfect compliment to the sounds of the morning. It's so peaceful.

And then it happens. The invasion.

Noelle is awake. I spot her moving on the video monitor next to me. I alert Daddy, and he comes to get her. A quick sippy cup of almond milk for her and then it begins. The parade of children down the hall. I know where they're going. A few seconds later, and they've arrived. The invasion has begun. They've come to see "buddy," and to see what they can get into. Actually I take that back. I don't think they truly know why they've come until they get here. They are adventurers, explorers, treasure hunters, thrill seekers. They're spur-of-the-moment gals. We say, good morning, and then it hits. The chaos of 4 kids.

Claire jumps onto the bed, walks around like a dog sniffing out its prey and almost instantly finds what shes after. The remote. Without asking, she takes the liberty of tuning our tv to Phineas and Ferb, and then proceeds to arrange the pillows on our bed to precisely fit her snuggle bill. And then she settles in for some good quality Saturday morning laughs. Daddy's side of the bed has been occupied.

Avery jumps on to what we refer to as, "the ugly chair," does a few little fairy-tale-Avery-spins and small jumps, and finally plops down. She starts drawing a family portrait of us on her new dry ease board that she got as a prize from school yesterday. She begins narrating what she's drawing, why she's drawing it, and why she's chosen the look of each person in her portrait. She's invested in this picture.

Noelle is busy trying to climb onto my nightstand to talk on her "phone" (the baby monitor) for which I am adamantly reprimanding her for, and simultaneously asking for kisses from, since she's so close to me. She obeys after a few threats, finally gives me a kiss, and then shifts her focus to something else of interest...my fig newton stash. There are only 3 left. I offer her one to eat. She takes it, but doesn't eat it. She'd rather put it, and the other two, everywhere except her mouth. (She managed to shove a couple into her Daddy's mouth, who by the way, is now trying to rest on my side of the bed.)

And then there's Joel. Still nursing. Unaffected by the tornado that just blew in. I notice his long eye lashes and the way his expression changes as he eats, and I'm overwhelmed. I'm in awe. I look around, marveling at my life. It's wild. It's raucous. It's loud. And I realize for the hundred-millionth time that I wouldn't have it any other way.

I love the quiet still sounds and rustlings of the house, and I appreciate those moments so much. They are quite necessary. And there are no doubt times when I'm irritated by the circus coming to town that so easily (and efficiently) banishes the quiet, and steals my wonderings and day dreams. But once it's here it only takes but a second for me to look around at the miracles bouncing off the walls to realize that the circus life is the only life for me. My wonderings and day dreams aren't stolen. I take that back. They're only put on hold for a bit while I choose to realize that my best work, my most magnificent day dreams are spilling over with life right in front of me. I find myself in a time-outside-of-time moment and I'm almost certain it's only but a dream. And then someone breaks something, and it's business as usual. :)

We are thetrask6, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Happy Saturday morning!