Margaret's Story

(Note: This is a long story! But I promise there will be plenty of photos to go with it!)

Where should I begin? On August 31, 2010 I found out at  routine check-up that I was pregnant with my second child. On September 2nd I was told by my midwife that I was just barely pregnant. An on September 16th we found out that just barely was correct as we were only 5 weeks and 3 days along! It was then that I thought this would be along pregnancy. I mean 5 weeks!! That's just barely after ovulation! But here I am nearly 2 weeks after the birth of our little girl trying to find the words to tell her little story. So this pregnancy was anything but slow.

But lets press onto the good stuff. At my 34 week appointment I found out that like my previous pregnancy I was already dilating and effacing. I also found out that my midwife was leaving on vacation in a couple weeks. So she moved my two week appointment to the following week to check things out. She then told us there was a good chance that she wouldn't be at the birth! Well that's unexpected! But who knows. So we decided to wait till next week. So the next week rolled around an it was decided. She gave us about 2 weeks to get ready and gave us our 3 signs of when to go to the hospital. And as a side note she said this one would be quick, maybe 5 minutes of pushing! Like I've mentioned before, she amazing and I do take her words as pearls of truths.

(My midwife  Hsiu-Li with Margaret, she delivered West)

Well to make this next long story short, 2 weeks came and went. As did the month of April. We walked well over 25 miles in those two weeks and I ate as much spicy food as I would find. But it wasn't meant to be. Everything we hoped for, an April birth, was now gone. So who cared when she came now. Let's just hope she comes out!

Happy it's over!

 

Me with the awesome CNM Gina, my CNM  Hsiu-Li and my sweetheart of a nurse Sandy

On May 5th at 6am I woke up to use the little Lady's room. After those "happenings" I went to tell Derek " I think my water broke". Not a real "break" but the small little ones that leave you guessing. Either way Derek hoped out of bed and called in work that he was skipping. I'm not sure how we "knew" but we just had a feeling that it was happening. So I went and got myself dolled up. I mean if this was my one chance to look good while giving birth, why not! That's when they started, my contractions. From 6:15-7am I had irregular little uncomfortable contraction. Then from 7am-8am I had regular, you have to start pausing contractions. Then at 8am they started to get a bit more erratic, but still growing with intensity. Hoping my Mom was almost there, since we called at 6am, we were shocked to hear she hadn't left yet. So plan B, Corene!! Within 15 minutes she was at the house and I was now in a state of discomfort. By 8:30 we were en route to the hospital and it was a good thing too.

No words

 She hated being cleaned up

 I really love this photo, not sure why

Once we arrived at the hospital the contractions were painful enough that there was no way I was walking into the hospital. So Derek, not so calmly, ran inside and got a wheelchair. Now that I think about it, it was kind of like a movie! We made it to triage, where we were left for about an hour, and then found out I was at a 5+ and good to get admitted. Not that the fact that I was in terrible pain on the bed was an indicator of labor! So around 10:15 we were finally in our delivery room. Can I just say now, for the record, how unbelievably painful this labor was! Um, yes my lovely daughter, you put me in a world of hurt. But then something miraculous happened. At about 10:35 I said "I think I have to push" and in a whirlwind of events I was then on the bed, with a now "broken" water and at station1. Which is code for I've already completely dilated and the baby is already starting to cruise on out! What's left, oh yes, at 10:49am on May 5th I gave birth to a 8lb. 9oz. , 21.5inch and completely healthy baby girl!

 I have to hand it to Hsiu-Li. It was quick, just over 2 hours of labor and less than 10 minutes of pushing! In fact it was so quick that even though she was back from vacation, Hsiu-Li missed the delivery by 2 minutes!

Meeting Baby Sister for the first time. He was absolutely in love with her!  

 

 Looks like she's already got these two guys wrapped around her finger!

Now this is were I'm supposed to get all sentimental. And I actually did, but somehow that paragraph miraculously disappeared in the posting process. So I'll take another stab at it. For some reason, little known to me, this delivery was profoundly different. Part of me thinks it's the fact that I was in so much pain that I couldn't wait to push to end my suffering. But whatever it was it really hit me. Seeing this little girl as we grabbed her and brought her to me chest was overwhelming. All I could muster was "My baby girl" in one of those trembling voices. I felt as if I had been waiting forever for her to arrive. I just hope the feeling was mutual, that somewhere deep down she was just as overjoyed to finally be with us. Are family now has changed because of her, forever in fact, in a very literal sense. I just hope that I can be the Mother she deserves and that I will always love her for the Daughter of our Heavenly Father that I know her to be. I'm so grateful for this time, for this chance, that she now become our Daughter. I love you very much Margaret. There is that trembling scratchy voice thing I mentioned. Just don't ever let me forget!