Hey there! I've missed blogging. I always think of things to write in the wee morning hours but never get around to writing these things down. So finally after four weeks do you want to hear the labor story?
Well as some of you might remember our due date came and went. Six days to be exact. And that's because we decided to go with an induction on May 10th. I've heard some crazy induction stories, most of which didn't end that well so I was a little nervous about it. Thankfully in our situation everything went super smooth.
We arrived at the hospital at 5 am which wasn't really that early to me since I had been tossing and turning the whole night before in anticipation. We did all the preliminary stuff and then started the pitocin around 7:30 am. My friend, nurse and amazing midwife Michelle Overby was working that day and switched with another nurse so she could help deliver Brielle. I was so excited to have her there because she helped deliver our first child Isaac. She is so calming and amazing.
After an hour or so I was having contractions according to the monitor but I couldn't really feel them at that point. Blake and I decided to put in Julie and Julia on his computer to help pass some of the time. I love that movie! We got about half way through before the contractions started to pick up.
Our midwife Lisa came in at 11 and checked me and I was only 3 cm dilated. (I was already 2cm when I went in that morning) I was pretty discouraged at that point. Mostly because I felt like I wasn't progressing quickly and I was nervous it was going to end up being a long process like it was with Isaac. My labor and delivery with Isaac was around the 36 hour mark. Not one of my most delightful experiences.
Lisa and Michelle
Anyhow, shortly after my water broke on its own and then things really got intense. I mean intense. I remember thinking distinctly to myself "this is probably gonna need to be our last child. I don't think I can do this again". I'm sure I thought that with Isaac and just don't remember . :)
Just before 1 I looked at Michelle and told her I couldn't do it anymore. I didn't know how far I was dilated but I couldn't stand the pain anymore. I just wanted the epidural and I asked her to order it. I also asked to be checked even though we weren't going to do it again for another hour or so. At that point my legs were shaking and I thought I was going to die. :)
Shortly, after that Lisa came in and she told me I was 8 cm! I couldn't believe in two hours I had progressed that fast. I was a little shocked and immediately requested the epidural once more! Much to my dismay, I was informed it was "too late". At that point I may or may not have blurted out some minor four letter words that would not be appropriate in this post.;)
It wasn't long after that I started pushing at 1:30. Brielle was born 1o min later at 1:40. That's a vast improvement from 2 hours with Isaac! Shoooweee!
Brielle Colette Dameron 7 lbs 2 oz, 19 inches
Brielle means "strength in God" and Colette means "victory"
I just couldn't believe after it was all over how well it had gone. Many of you are familiar with what we have walked through as a family over the past year and a half. I am so thankful to Jesus for how he worked everything out. For months after our miscarriage I just kept thinking about fear and fear of death. I felt like that was the moment it all came to the surface and that it was a very negative thing. Now in hind sight a year and half later I see that moment as the beginning of my freedom from fear. That experience has made me look at issues I had stuffed down for years and maybe most of my life thus far. In the process God has truly worked everything together for good. A part of me will always wonder what that child would have been like but the other part of me is at peace with the way our family is growing now.
In the weeks leading up to Brielle's delivery I kept coming across passages about Gods faithfulness and His kindness. I really do feel like He has redeemed whats been lost. He is faithful. He is good.
