Karis's Birth Story: Part 1, Before the Hospital

Tomorrow the official baby of our family turns one week old.  I honestly cannot believe she has been here that long, while at the same time can't imagine life without this precious soul.  I wanted to try and write this down now while I still have most of the details in line.

So I figured just like with all my other pregnancies I wouldn't actually make it to my due date.  In fact I had said from the beginning that if I made it to August I would be surprised.  And just like the last 2 pregnancies by the tail end I was feeling very uncomfortable.  At about 33 or so weeks I get to where I can barely walk at the end of the day due to immense pelvic pressure.  Also with her I think she was sitting funny because my hips would randomly go numb, sometimes almost making me buckle.  I will say that I was not nearly as uncomfortable as I was at the end of Halle Kate's pregnancy, for which I was grateful.

My original obgyn left in the middle of my pregnancy so I was left to find someone new.  Luckily a new obgyn was new to the area and taking patients.  He also happens to have a kiddo in the same class as Reid so I already was acquainted with his family.  Knowing my history of having babies early he moved all of my appointments up a few weeks and went ahead at 35 weeks and did my group b strep test and checked me.  I was at a 2, which isn't completely unusual.  I was thankful to know where I was starting from just in case I did go into labor before my next appointment.  Later that week I saw my doctor at a school work day and he told me at my next appointment he was surprised to see me there lol! Anyway that week goes on as normal, with me contracting off and on, especially at night.

We get to 36 weeks and I go in for my next appointment.  They weren't going to check me, but I requested it because of how much pressure I was feeling that day as well as all the contractions I had been having.  I told him I didn't think I would make it to the next week's appointment so I wanted to know what I was if I were to go to the hospital.  I was more than a 2 but less than a 3 and more effaced, so some progress but not much.  This was on a Thursday, and I went back home and did our normal routine, cleaning up the house as much as I could, making dinner, etc.  I knew there were other things I probably should be trying to complete, but between contractions off and on and all my other normal duties I was barely making it.

The next morning dawns and contractions are off and on which really makes me a little angry since they had been more consistent earlier in the week and weeks before hand. However my back is aching from the night before so I get up and go straight to the bath.  Bless Mark, he got all the kids up, fed, changed, and out the door by 9, oh AND made me breakfast and brought it to me in the tub! He is awesome! So I do that, get out for a bit and then go lay down and take a small nap, before 11 which is not my "normal".  I wake up, still pregnant and I am miserable and know it, but there is no other option than to just keep doing our "normal" thing.  Mark brings the kiddos home, we fix lunch and then he leaves to go and work on our rental property.  I get all kids in bed then start walking the halls to see if that would help make contractions more consistent.  They are consistent when I am up and moving but die down when I am laying down for the most part.  AKA I am not in labor, which is frustrating.  I also go and take another short nap again because I am just literally exhausted beyond belief.  I wake up from that and keep cleaning and walking the hallways until nap time is up.  I don't even remember what happened from nap time to bed time other than it was an everyone fend for themselves for supper.  Mark went and got all the kids a lunchable (which they LOVED) me a salad and him something from the store because I could literally do nothing.  We then passed the time sitting on the couch watching the kids play in the sprinkler on the trampoline.  Then it was bath and bed after which I decided to go to bed.  I was still so tired, but not contracting the way I wanted to be so instead of being up and frustrated I just went to sleep.

Around 11 or so contractions woke me up and I could tell I just didn't feel "right".  I got up and went to tell Mark (who was up doing a song for my mom) that I felt strange and I was getting in the shower.  I got in and began timing and moaning through some more intense contractions.  Mark came to check on me before he went to bed at like 12 and I was doing about the same.  I finally got out and laid back down to see if I could get some more sleep.  I fell asleep up around 3 when I woke up to contractions and feeling "off" again.  So it was back in the shower for a bit to labor.  It was then I started putting mile markers out for myself.  I just needed to make it until morning light and then I could wake up Mark.  I desperately didn't want to wake everyone up in the dead of night.  I get out, get back in the bed and sleep fitfully until around 5:45 when I wake up to contractions again and I start timing them.  They are consistent and 3-5 mins apart.  Finally Mark's alarm goes off at 6:30, he rolls over and I ask where he was planning on going.  He says "to work out" and I was like "um no you're not, I am pretty sure I am in labor."  so we time contractions and talk about what needs to happen with kids and around the house before we leave.  Around 7:30 we call and alert mom to the situation and she and dad head our way from Harleton.  They get to our house and then we are able to finally leave for the hospital.

Follow along for the rest of the story  in Part 2. . .