July 27th, 4 days before my due date, I woke up to my first contraction at 1:30AM. It was uncomfortable, but nothing I hadn't felt before with my lovely "that time of the month" cramping. At first I was second guessing it. "Was this really a labor contraction?" "Will it happen again?" I tried to go back to sleep and about 6 minutes later I had another…and then another, and so on. They were lasting in between 30 seconds to a minute, but nothing regular. This went on until about 7 in the morning, the contractions would not let me sleep! Once Chase woke up I told him what was going on but not to be alarmed because it didn't exactly mean baby girl was going to come that day or even the next unfortunately.
I dozed off finally and managed to sleep for couple hours. When I woke up my contractions were gone. At least for the most part. I was so bummed and mad at myself for sleeping. I still felt them though, just not as intense or frequent. Instead of 5-9 minutes apart they were 15-20. Upset, I still had high hopes that she would make an appearance soon, so I got up and ready and finished packing and sat on my plyo ball and started bouncing!
I bounced and bounced and stood up and jumped around too. Chase went to go work out while I stayed home being active and busy. I cleaned the house, got ahold of friends to help take care of Nelly when the time came, and of course I called my Mom who lived 3 hours away in Idaho. I told her the deal, that I didn't know if baby girl would actually come or not that day, but to be ready! My Mom decided she would get ready and drive down as soon as she could. Which was a very good thing…
The hours past, and I was just trying to keep busy. My contractions starting becoming a little more frequent again which made me happy. My mom finally got to our house around 3PM, and by then I was getting more and more uncomfortable. Around 4PM, I remembered I hadn't paid our utilities bill yet (still not on automatic pay). Luckily, our town hall was a mile walk round trip, so I thought I'd walk to go pay it to keep up the contractions. On the walk there, Chase had downloaded an app for me that times contractions, and since they were becoming more intense and frequent I thought I'd start using it. They starting becoming 5 minutes apart consistently during the walk there, which was a good sign! I was told once they stay 4-5 minutes apart and are consistent like that for an hour or two, you were good to go to the hospital and hopefully not get sent home! After I had paid the bill and we started our walk back, intensity started to pick up. Since they were consistent it was just a matter of time!
Once we got back which was around 5PM, Chase had to go and help clean our church building, something that I decided I wasn't going to do! Since our church building was so close I thought it would be okay for him to go and do that. I really didn't think I would possibly be ready to go to the hospital. So he left and my mom and I were just sitting on the couch waiting for time to pass by. Not even 5 minutes went by when Chase had left and all of a sudden during an intense contraction my water broke! I was so shocked. Chase and I had learned in a prenatal class that only one in ten women's water break outside of the hospital. I knew it wasn't pee or anything because it continued to trickle down my leg. Soooo that meant baby time!! My mom called Chase right away, and while we were waiting for him my mom helped gather my things. Once my water broke my contractions were NO JOKE. Definitely painful to the point that I didn't want to move or talk. Luckily Chase got back in a flash and we took off for the hospital.
Any movement or bump hurt like none other. I basically had to hold myself off the seat all the way there. Finally, when what felt like a century, we were there. I had a really hard time getting out of the truck, and even walking through the hospital. I literally cried tears of relief, and it made me wonder what everyone watching was thinking. When we finally got up to labor and delivery around 5:30 PM, they checked me in (luckily I had already pre-registered) and got me into a room. I had more papers to sign and questions to answer, which was really hard to do when your body is cramping like none other! I was just getting really impatient for my epidural. The nurse checked my cervix after i had gotten undressed and into a gown, and I was dilated to a 3 and a half. Still waiting for my epidural, the nurse had to help me breathe. Something I guess you forget about when you're in a lot of pain. Once I started to actually breathe through the contractions, it made it a little more bearable. We were probably there at the hospital an hour all together when the anesthesiologist finally got to me! He gave me that lovely epidural, and I waited for it to kick in. Well, let's just say it never fully kicked in. Luckily it took the edge off, but I guess my body was dilating so fast that the epidural couldn't keep up with it. I got it in around 6:30, and by 7:30 I was already dilated to a 7. By 8:00ish she checked me again just for kicks and giggles, and I was complete! A 10! When she told me I was shocked. It meant I had to start pushing, and it also meant I was close to meeting my little darling!
Chase and I and my Mom were expecting an average labor, which we learned for first time moms was 18+ hours. But my body had different plans, because it was time to start pushing! Chase and my mom each grabbed a leg, waited for a contraction, and I started to push. Pushing was not what I had expected. It was't as difficult as I thought, and it wasn't painful. We literally were cracking jokes in between contractions (that of which I was still somewhat feeling). However I'm sure it was all thanks to my epidural. Around 8:45 Ellie was ready to come out. My doctor however, wasn't there, and still wasn't until 30 minutes later! I was laying on the bed exposed with my baby in the birth canal for 30 minute until he finally decided to show up. Once he finally got to me everything was cake from there. Ellie came out in two more pushes…and then I was a mother.
The whole experience was wonderful. We had a healthy 6.6 pound baby girl, and we were so in love. Chase was amazing. My love for him is so much stronger than before. He stuck by my side all the way through, and when I saw him hold our daughter for the first time and I saw the two of them together, I felt so beyond blessed and lucky. Elliana made us parents that day, and for that I could not thank my Father in Heaven enough for.
I love you so dearly my sweet Ellie Mae.
We also can't forget our wonderful friends and family who were and still are so selfless in their service to us! We've felt so taken care of and thought of when it comes to the endless meals and desserts and visits. We are blessed! And so so grateful.
-xoxo Jessie, Chase, and Elliana
Once we got back which was around 5PM, Chase had to go and help clean our church building, something that I decided I wasn't going to do! Since our church building was so close I thought it would be okay for him to go and do that. I really didn't think I would possibly be ready to go to the hospital. So he left and my mom and I were just sitting on the couch waiting for time to pass by. Not even 5 minutes went by when Chase had left and all of a sudden during an intense contraction my water broke! I was so shocked. Chase and I had learned in a prenatal class that only one in ten women's water break outside of the hospital. I knew it wasn't pee or anything because it continued to trickle down my leg. Soooo that meant baby time!! My mom called Chase right away, and while we were waiting for him my mom helped gather my things. Once my water broke my contractions were NO JOKE. Definitely painful to the point that I didn't want to move or talk. Luckily Chase got back in a flash and we took off for the hospital.
Any movement or bump hurt like none other. I basically had to hold myself off the seat all the way there. Finally, when what felt like a century, we were there. I had a really hard time getting out of the truck, and even walking through the hospital. I literally cried tears of relief, and it made me wonder what everyone watching was thinking. When we finally got up to labor and delivery around 5:30 PM, they checked me in (luckily I had already pre-registered) and got me into a room. I had more papers to sign and questions to answer, which was really hard to do when your body is cramping like none other! I was just getting really impatient for my epidural. The nurse checked my cervix after i had gotten undressed and into a gown, and I was dilated to a 3 and a half. Still waiting for my epidural, the nurse had to help me breathe. Something I guess you forget about when you're in a lot of pain. Once I started to actually breathe through the contractions, it made it a little more bearable. We were probably there at the hospital an hour all together when the anesthesiologist finally got to me! He gave me that lovely epidural, and I waited for it to kick in. Well, let's just say it never fully kicked in. Luckily it took the edge off, but I guess my body was dilating so fast that the epidural couldn't keep up with it. I got it in around 6:30, and by 7:30 I was already dilated to a 7. By 8:00ish she checked me again just for kicks and giggles, and I was complete! A 10! When she told me I was shocked. It meant I had to start pushing, and it also meant I was close to meeting my little darling!
Chase and I and my Mom were expecting an average labor, which we learned for first time moms was 18+ hours. But my body had different plans, because it was time to start pushing! Chase and my mom each grabbed a leg, waited for a contraction, and I started to push. Pushing was not what I had expected. It was't as difficult as I thought, and it wasn't painful. We literally were cracking jokes in between contractions (that of which I was still somewhat feeling). However I'm sure it was all thanks to my epidural. Around 8:45 Ellie was ready to come out. My doctor however, wasn't there, and still wasn't until 30 minutes later! I was laying on the bed exposed with my baby in the birth canal for 30 minute until he finally decided to show up. Once he finally got to me everything was cake from there. Ellie came out in two more pushes…and then I was a mother.
The whole experience was wonderful. We had a healthy 6.6 pound baby girl, and we were so in love. Chase was amazing. My love for him is so much stronger than before. He stuck by my side all the way through, and when I saw him hold our daughter for the first time and I saw the two of them together, I felt so beyond blessed and lucky. Elliana made us parents that day, and for that I could not thank my Father in Heaven enough for.
I love you so dearly my sweet Ellie Mae.
We also can't forget our wonderful friends and family who were and still are so selfless in their service to us! We've felt so taken care of and thought of when it comes to the endless meals and desserts and visits. We are blessed! And so so grateful.
-xoxo Jessie, Chase, and Elliana
