Lydia Jane

Our lives were pretty much changed forever in the best way possible on November 5th, 2013 when Lydia Jane joined our family. She is perfect in every way, and we couldn't be happier about having her be a part of our lives now. Here's the story of how it all happened.

At our house about 4 hours before she was born

I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday morning, the 5th, and my doctor's office is in Salt Lake. Normally, Dave wouldn't have been able to make it to the appointment because the office is so far away, but he had a meeting in Salt Lake that morning and since my appointment was early enough, he was able to come. We also had to get new tires for our car from a guy we know in Sandy, so I had my mom come with me to the appointment so that we could drive together to drop off my car and run some errands while we waited for the new tires to be put on. So Dave and my mom came to my appointment with me. At the appointment, I was dilated to a 4 and 90% effaced (2 weeks earlier I was at a 3 and 80% effaced without feeling a thing). I had had no false contractions or any pre-labor symptoms that I knew of. So this was good news for me! 

I wanted to go completely natural for my delivery, so it was really important to me that my doctor was actually there for the delivery. I had been asking him at about every appointment for the last two months to make sure he was actually going to be around (he was probably so annoyed! haha!), and he had always said yes. So at this appointment I asked again, and he said that he actually might not be here that weekend because his dad had been in an accident back east and he might not make it. He would be around until Friday, but couldn't be sure about the weekend. This made me a little nervous in case my baby came past my due date, which was Friday the 8th. We talked about a few options, but I definitely didn't want to be induced. We finally came to an option that sounded okay to me, which was to strip my membranes - sounds sick, I know. :) But apparently stripping your membranes will bring on labor ONLY IF your body is ready for it - it brings on your body's natural labor process if it's ready to begin. If it works, you can expect labor to begin within 24 to 48 hours after, but it doesn't always work. After weighing the options, we decided to go ahead and try it because if it didn't work, I could go into the office and try stripping again before the weekend, and if it did work, then I would go into labor while my doctor was still around. It was really painful, but worth it to me to make sure that my doctor would be there.

After the appointment, I dropped Dave off at his meeting in Taylorsville and my mom and I headed to the tire shop to get some new tires. I really didn't think that anything was going to happen as a result of stripping - I had a feeling that I was going to have to go in to the office and try it again in a few days. I was wrong though. After dropping off the car, we headed to a quilt shop to look at some fabric. As we were browsing in there, I felt my first contraction. It didn't really feel like what I thought it would feel like, but they were regular and always the same pain. I started timing them, and they were still pretty far apart, like 8-10 minutes, so we kept on browsing. I decided after a while that maybe I should go wait in the car for my mom to finish, just to conserve my energy. I waited in the car while she finished shopping. Then, we went to lunch at Souper Salad in Sandy since I was sure they wouldn't let me eat at the hospital. By this time, my contractions were getting a little more intense and a little closer together, about 7-8 minutes apart, and I knew that I was going to have a baby that day. I didn't want to call Dave yet though, because I knew he would instantly freak out and not know what to do. Haha. So mom and I calmly ate our lunch and talked about how exciting it was that she was going to have another grandbaby that day. 

After lunch, my contractions were more intense and even closer together, so I didn't think it was safe for me to drive our car back from the tire shop. We decided that we would go pick up Dave in Taylorsville, head back to Sandy to pick up the car, and then Dave and I would drive home and my mom would head home to her house. So, we had to call Dave at this point. He was at lunch with his co-workers, and saw me calling and instantly his heart started racing. I said, "Can we come and pick you up so that you can drive the car back home? Because I am kinda in labor." I'll always remember his response. He said, "In labor?? How do you know?" Haha. But he of course said yes, so we went to pick him up. After we picked him up, we drove back to Sandy to get the car, said good-bye to my Mom and headed home. 

My contractions were getting more intense and even closer together by this time. They were still totally manageable and I could talk through them, but I was trying to practice calm breathing techniques, so as soon as a contraction would come I'd just close my eyes and relax until it had passed. I did this for the entire car ride home and I think it really helped me to be able to get relaxed quickly when tougher contractions started just because I had practiced through so many of the easier contractions.

We were going to deliver at LDS Hospital in downtown Salt Lake since that is where my doctor delivered. It was so ironic because we were already downtown, but had to go all the way home to get our hospital bag and the car seat, and then come all the way back to Salt Lake. As we were passing the hospital, my contractions were 5 minutes apart, and Dave kept asking me if we needed to just go straight to the hospital. For some reason, I just wasn't worried about it and knew we'd be fine to go home first. I kept relaxing through the contractions, and Dave kept driving and timing them for me. He was so cute - he was totally anxious and nervous and I could tell, but he was trying so hard to keep it cool and to not look like he was nervous at all.

We came home and got our bag and the carseat, and quickly snapped the picture of me in the nursery, and then I knew we needed to head to the hospital because my contractions were getting more intense and it was harder for me to talk through them. So we got right back in the car, and headed back to Salt Lake. It was really exciting, just thinking about how we were driving to the hospital. It felt so real, and I was getting so excited to meet our little girl. When we got to the hospital, I walked myself in, but had to stop often because my contractions were about 2 minutes apart and lasted much longer now. I just took it slowly, and kept calm and relaxed through all these contractions. 

We checked in to the hospital at 4:15. When the nurses checked me, I was only dilated to a 5, but my contractions were so on top of each other that they let me stay. The contractions were getting pretty intense now, and I had to really work to stay focused and relaxed during them now. We turned on some soft piano music and turned the lights down low, and just quietly breathed through contractions for about an hour and a half. After this, one of the nurses suggested that I try the bathtub, because it helped to relax muscles and speed up dilation. So - I labored in the tub for about a half hour while Dave poured hot water on my stomach. The tub felt great and the hot water was a great natural painkiller. 

I started feeling the urge to push in the tub, so we called the nurses and they came to check me. By this time I was about a 7, and didn't feel like moving back into the tub. So I stayed on the bed, and after about 30 more minutes of intense contractions, I felt the urge to push again. The nurses came back in to check on me and I heard them say, "Umm..she has no cervix left. We need to call the doctor." I knew things were getting close if they were going to call the doctor and I had no cervix, so even though the pain was getting pretty intense, I felt relieved thinking that it was getting close. I moved through those last few centimeters really quickly, and 8 minutes later the doctor arrived. I remember hearing his voice (my doctor has this really deep, unmistakable voice), and I instantly grew calmer and more relaxed knowing that he was there and would help me through it. He checked on the baby and realized that she was posterior and needed to be turned. He reached his hand up and turned her, and that was the only time I screamed at the doctor. Haha! I had no inhibitions, and was just yelling at him to stop. I am not a yeller at all, and Dave said it was so weird to hear me be so loud. Through most of the really intense contractions I would just moan, but I was definitely yelling when he had to turn the baby. Thankfully, she turned pretty quickly and after that, we were ready to push. My water still hadn't broken yet, which was a really great thing for me because contractions are way more difficult to get through if your water has already broken. My water broke pretty much right after she turned, and then we started pushing.

The pushing part was the most difficult thing I've ever done in my entire life. It was definitely do-able, but it was really tough. Thankfully, it only lasted about 30 minutes. I had the greatest nurse helping me, and Dave was right there next to me the whole time. There was only one time during the whole part of labor that I turned to Dave and said, "Can I really do this?" He of course reassured me, and from then on I just kept thinking that the sooner this pain gets more intense, the sooner it will be over and I can finally meet her! I kept my eyes closed almost the entire time, but the one time I did open my eyes I saw Dave's face right away and I remember feeling so much love for him - I told him that I loved him and I was so glad he was here. Then I looked at my doctor and he just smiled and winked at me. That wink was super reassuring, and I just knew that it was going to be okay. Just a few minutes later, I remember the nurse saying, "Oh my gosh, look at all that hair!" and I thought, "Hair?? You can see hair?? That means it's close!!! I can do this!" She came just a few minutes later at 7:51 (3 hours and 36 minutes after we checked in), and I will always remember seeing her for the first time. It was one of the greatest moments of my whole life so far. I saw her little crying face, and it just melted my heart. She still makes that same crying face when she cries now, and even though I hate to see her cry, it brings back the memory of when I first saw her and it reminds me of such a happy time. I was so overcome with joy and happiness that I can't even describe it - only moms know that feeling. It was truly amazing. Dave cut the cord, and then they gave her to me to hold for the first time. That was such a special time. Me holding her, and Dave hugging both of us - our first family hug, and I remember thinking that this is what really matters and what life is all about. This is what makes us truly happy and I was so grateful that everything went well and she arrived safely. She weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz. and was 20 inches long and really did have SO much hair. My doctor delivered me, so has been delivering babies for at least 24 years, and said that he's never seen a baby with so much hair. She was absolutely beautiful and I was so glad to finally meet her and have her be a part of our family.

Holding her for the first time, right after she was born. I love this moment.

I love that little face so much.

After she was born, I felt an immediate pain relief - it was crazy. It didn't hurt anymore, I could breathe again, no more pressure on my bladder, no more pushing against my lungs, no more stretching my skin so tight I thought it would rip - nothing! It was all gone and I seriously felt great. I was totally alert and awake and ready to enjoy our new little baby.

After we had some time to enjoy our new family, we headed over to postpartum care, and then our families came to meet the little lady.

I was really grateful for the snacks that were ready for me in the room - I was pretty hungry, and those Oreos sounded so good!

I knew right away that being a mom was going to be awesome.

After everyone left, I fell asleep right away, but Dave stayed awake for awhile just holding Lydia. He was just staring down at this face...

feeling like the luckiest guy in the world. He said that it's one of his favorite memories of all time, just sitting there in the quiet of the hospital in the middle of the night, holding his brand new daughter. Unfortunately, it didn't last too long because his hunger won out. There was a turkey sandwich that they had brought me, but I was too tired to eat, and Dave was starving. He tried to sneak over to get the sandwich, but it woke her up and she didn't go back to sleep for him after that. :) 

The rest of the time in the hospital and at home has been a blast. She is such a wonderful baby - she hardly ever cries, she only wakes up one time in the night, and is just so cute I can hardly stand it. Sometimes I just look at her and cry because she is so perfect and I love her so much. I know that she was meant to be a part of our family, and I'm so glad that she is finally here! 

Dave giving her the first bath in the hospital

These toes - can you even handle it!?

Snuggling with Dad

Her hair was seriously the talk of the maternity ward. Dave heard nurses saying, "Have you seen the hair in room 415??" She was pretty popular. :)

This is how we spent the 2nd night in the hospital. She just sat and snuggled with me all night long without making a single peep. That night is one I will always remember as one of my very happiest.

She was, and still is, so snuggly!!

We called her Salt Lake City's newest punk rocker.

I loved my labor. It was difficult, yes, but it was wonderful at the same time. Natural childbirth is totally do-able, and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise! I couldn't have done it without Dave's support, though. He was right there with me the whole time helping me and encouraging me. He was my rock, and always will be.

Dave's sister Lauren came up a few days after she was born to take some newborn pictures of her. She did a fantastic job, and we're so glad that she was able to help us out.

I feel especially blessed this Thanksgiving time - I have a wonderful marriage to an even more wonderful man who is so supportive and helpful. He is my best friend and we are sealed together forever. I have a beautiful baby girl who is absolutely perfect. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I have a testimony that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and love me. What more can you ask for?? What more even matters??