I can't believe we are a family of five! It sounds so weird even saying that. I honestly can't believe that I've birthed three little babes into this world! I never realized that once we became a family of five that our booth status at restaurants would be gone. It's no longer "do you want a booth or a table?" it's, "does this table work for you?" No, no, no! It doesn't! I will squeeze my family of five into that booth because I need to trap my kids in from running around!
We live in a town of 4200, so our restaurant choices are limited, but apparently that didn’t stop us from eating out three times in the past week. Can someone tell me how I tell people I’m a stay-at-home mom when we still find a way to eat out all the time? Or is it just an expectation set for stay-at-home moms that we should cook delicious meals every night for supper? I’ve made nice meals before and no one eats it. I find myself forcing my kids to eat it. “Don't you know how much time I spent on that?!” But apparently when we go out to eat and they don’t eat their $5 meal off the kids menu it’s no big deal to me. Shouldn’t I care about the $5?!
If you’re not into birth stories you can stop here. :) I will leave out all the gross parts or even PG-13 details..and yes, there’s so much gross when having a baby, just ask Derek. When I was pregnant with Ryne someone told Derek that he wouldn’t need to record the birth because it would be an image that would never leave his mind. He said that’s been true for all three kids now. Hahahaha!
I knew I was going to have Rhett on August 22nd a few weeks prior to him being born that day. I had a scheduled induction just like I had with Ryne and Reed. I was 39 weeks pregnant this time with no health concerns so that was great! I had tried eating some spicy Mexican food with one of my friends the week before to put me into labor. I swear I ended up having more contractions but it never put me into labor which was super disappointing! When the 22nd came along, the boys stayed at my mom's house and Derek and I were at the hospital by 6 am. Not long after we got there, another lady was giving birth so we only saw our nurse once. Nothing makes you seem more selfish than being upset that your induction is delayed because someone else is giving birth!
It was over an hour before a nurse could get me all hooked up to start the induction. I'm not sure if my anxiety was worse because I knew what to expect or if it was worse because I'm older and not as naive. There was something nice about that first baby and having zero clue what was going on! The nurse did a great job putting in my IV, which is saying a lot because I hate needles. I think I hate them more now because it was soon after she had put the IV in that my body started going numb and I felt like I was going to pass out. I started not feeling well and my blood pressure dropped to 58/30. Pretty soon there were multiple nurses in my room, I had an oxygen mask on etc. I tried not passing out because I didn’t want them to think I was a baby! I know they tell you not to eat before, but honestly I think I wouldn’t have felt so crappy if I wasn’t so hungry! I mean, doesn’t every mom deserve a McDonald’s breakfast sandwich and a large Dr Pepper before she gives birth? I feel like this is energy food here! Even Derek told me later that my face was so white and that it was a little scary! Somehow this made me feel better..like I needed his affirmation to tell me it was scary to make it scary..not the fact that I couldn’t feel my whole body! I was so bummed that it had happened because they couldn't start my pitocin until I had a "healthy" sheet showing his little heartbeat. Once they could finally start it (around 9:30 am by this point) I knew it wouldn't be long until the little guy would be here since Ryne & Reed both were short labors. It wasn’t much later when the doctor came in and broke my water and that I received an epidural..OH YEAH! (Props to all you mamas who birthed without an epidural because it is still the worst pain I’ve ever felt even WITH an epidural..totally worth it, but..ouch!)
We live in a town of 4200, so our restaurant choices are limited, but apparently that didn’t stop us from eating out three times in the past week. Can someone tell me how I tell people I’m a stay-at-home mom when we still find a way to eat out all the time? Or is it just an expectation set for stay-at-home moms that we should cook delicious meals every night for supper? I’ve made nice meals before and no one eats it. I find myself forcing my kids to eat it. “Don't you know how much time I spent on that?!” But apparently when we go out to eat and they don’t eat their $5 meal off the kids menu it’s no big deal to me. Shouldn’t I care about the $5?!
If you’re not into birth stories you can stop here. :) I will leave out all the gross parts or even PG-13 details..and yes, there’s so much gross when having a baby, just ask Derek. When I was pregnant with Ryne someone told Derek that he wouldn’t need to record the birth because it would be an image that would never leave his mind. He said that’s been true for all three kids now. Hahahaha!
I knew I was going to have Rhett on August 22nd a few weeks prior to him being born that day. I had a scheduled induction just like I had with Ryne and Reed. I was 39 weeks pregnant this time with no health concerns so that was great! I had tried eating some spicy Mexican food with one of my friends the week before to put me into labor. I swear I ended up having more contractions but it never put me into labor which was super disappointing! When the 22nd came along, the boys stayed at my mom's house and Derek and I were at the hospital by 6 am. Not long after we got there, another lady was giving birth so we only saw our nurse once. Nothing makes you seem more selfish than being upset that your induction is delayed because someone else is giving birth!
It was over an hour before a nurse could get me all hooked up to start the induction. I'm not sure if my anxiety was worse because I knew what to expect or if it was worse because I'm older and not as naive. There was something nice about that first baby and having zero clue what was going on! The nurse did a great job putting in my IV, which is saying a lot because I hate needles. I think I hate them more now because it was soon after she had put the IV in that my body started going numb and I felt like I was going to pass out. I started not feeling well and my blood pressure dropped to 58/30. Pretty soon there were multiple nurses in my room, I had an oxygen mask on etc. I tried not passing out because I didn’t want them to think I was a baby! I know they tell you not to eat before, but honestly I think I wouldn’t have felt so crappy if I wasn’t so hungry! I mean, doesn’t every mom deserve a McDonald’s breakfast sandwich and a large Dr Pepper before she gives birth? I feel like this is energy food here! Even Derek told me later that my face was so white and that it was a little scary! Somehow this made me feel better..like I needed his affirmation to tell me it was scary to make it scary..not the fact that I couldn’t feel my whole body! I was so bummed that it had happened because they couldn't start my pitocin until I had a "healthy" sheet showing his little heartbeat. Once they could finally start it (around 9:30 am by this point) I knew it wouldn't be long until the little guy would be here since Ryne & Reed both were short labors. It wasn’t much later when the doctor came in and broke my water and that I received an epidural..OH YEAH! (Props to all you mamas who birthed without an epidural because it is still the worst pain I’ve ever felt even WITH an epidural..totally worth it, but..ouch!)
This might be the most important part you read. Derek went and got food from the cafeteria AND ate it in front of me. I tell you what, I had no idea I could be even more hormonal, crazy pregnant lady, but having my husband eat food in front of me when I hadn't eat since the night before ended up with him getting THE GLARE. The I want to kill you but I love you and I'm about ready to give birth to your child GLARE. He had gotten his food around 12:30 and when I had the nurses check me at 12:45, I was only dilated 4-5 cm. It was only ten minutes later that I told Derek that I was feeling pain now with my contractions and I felt like he was going to come out. Literally ten minutes was all it took for me to go from 5 cm to 10 cm! EEK! If I'm being honest, I really wasn't "EEK" when they told me. I started crying because I was scared. You literally spend nine months waiting for this sweet little baby to be born and now all of a sudden I wanted him to stay in! The words, "I don't want him to come out yet!" came out of my mouth.
The nurses had me do a practice push at 1:02 pm and he started coming out! They were both saying "stop pushing, stop pushing!" Since the doctor wasn't in the room yet, they didn't want me to push him out. He had a meeting at 1 pm that he had to come up to the OB floor from. Once he arrived he got dressed, handed me a towel and said "you're going to push out his head and shoulders..when I tell you to grab him you grab him and pull him out". (Derek thought this was so weird. I have tried convincing him that it wasn't but to no avail! This was a Kourtney Kardashian style birth and he was not even impressed. So disappointing!)
The nurses had me do a practice push at 1:02 pm and he started coming out! They were both saying "stop pushing, stop pushing!" Since the doctor wasn't in the room yet, they didn't want me to push him out. He had a meeting at 1 pm that he had to come up to the OB floor from. Once he arrived he got dressed, handed me a towel and said "you're going to push out his head and shoulders..when I tell you to grab him you grab him and pull him out". (Derek thought this was so weird. I have tried convincing him that it wasn't but to no avail! This was a Kourtney Kardashian style birth and he was not even impressed. So disappointing!)
Once he told me to push, I pushed as hard as I could and out came baby Rhett! I pulled him out and held him and sobbed. Seriously, if this is an option for anyone I highly suggest it. I think out of all three of my boys, this was the most emotional. There's something about being able to be the first person to touch him, hold him, see him that made the whole experience wonderful. (Derek will still say it's weird. Men!) Also, one push! Yeah baby!
Rhett James Philips. Born 8/22/17 at 1:06 pm weighing 8 lbs 3 oz and 21 inches long. A perfect little baby boy who has completed our family of five. Rhett: because we liked it! James: after my dad who passed away when I was 15, who I miss every day, and who would have been the best papi.
The birth. A miracle and truly a gift. I do not take for granted the life I have been given. I am grateful and all my praise is to Him.
xoxo
J
