I had no idea that I would go into labor that Saturday. September 12th was a beautiful day. I had dropped off Emma Kate and her friend Ariana at Marlee’s birthday party, stopped by Target on my way home, and then was rushing to head back out the door for pick-up. We had plans to go to Wilkes to visit that day, and I was rushing to get stuff packed for our day trip. And then… unexpectedly, I started losing blood. Sweet Jack brought me the phone and said, “Mommy, you better call Dr. Peacock.” He was worried… so was I. Dr. Peacock said to immediately leave for the hospital… do not pass Go, do not collect $200, do not pack your hospital bags. So, after a little deliberation (can’t I just pack one small bag?), I headed out the door to drive myself to the hospital. Chris went to pick up the girls and then made arrangements to have Miss Whitney take Emma Kate and Jack to her house. Kathy (Ariana’s mom) and Malinda both offered words of encouragement on my drive to the hospital. Mom actually made it to the hospital before Chris, who was scrambling to get the kids ready and to pack our hospital bags. Labor lesson #1: always have your bags packed in advance. Upon arriving at the hospital, I was connected to monitors and was told that my vitals were fine and that baby was doing great. Dr. Peacock came to check on me later that evening, and after convincing him to do an ultrasound, he said baby looked perfect and he didn’t think there was anything to be concerned about. So, I spent an uneventful, sleepless night in the hospital. Labor lesson #2: hospital beds are NOT comfortable. Sunday morning I was disappointed to realize that my contractions were still irregular and pretty far apart (translation- it seemed I wasn’t making any progress). I remained connected to monitors and an IV and became more impatient by the minute. Dr. Peacock finally came strolling in about 4:00 that afternoon. We were fully prepared for him to tell me that I would be going home and put on bed rest for the next week or two. He did a quick exam and then informed me that I was 6 cm and in active labor. I looked at him in disbelief. This was active labor? Labor lesson #3: irregular, unnoticed contractions can make cervical change. At this point, I was given a portable monitor and told to move around to encourage baby to become engaged. Somehow, after walking and bouncing on a birthing ball, I was still making progress (and still not feeling the contractions). At 8 cm, Dr. Peacock broke my water, and I stayed in bed to wait out the next 2 cm. Up until 10 cm, labor was a breeze- I virtually felt no labor pains and was just eager to meet my new little guy. And then… at 10 cm… the pain increased significantly. It was 8:oo pm and I was surrounded by family- Chris, Mom, Dad, Malinda, Josh, and Jocie were all there (Grammy was at our house taking care of Emma Kate and Jack). Pretty suddenly, I realized that there was intense pressure and I began to rethink my choice to have a natural birthing experience. Labor lesson #4: epidurals are a good thing. After summoning Dr. Peacock (who suddenly appeared with an entourage of helpers), we were ready to push. After choosing to go sans epidural, I asked Dr. Peacock about other pain relief options- he simply smiled and said I needed to do the work. The next 45 minutes were excruciating.
At 9:11 pm on Sunday, September 13, Liam Christopher was born! He was absolutely perfect, and right from the beginning, it was obvious he was ours. He looked, at birth, just like big brother Jack. And, he reminded me of Emma Kate as well. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 20 inches long. His Apgar scores were 8 and 9. From the beginning, he has been an easy baby… sleeping and nursing like a champ, with a sweet, satisfied disposition. Labor lesson #5: newborns are little miracles.
Emma Kate and Jack stayed home from school the following day to meet their new baby brother. They both immediately fell in love with little Liam- holding and loving on him. Baby Liam’s other hospital visitors included Mawmaw, Pawpaw, Aunt Malinda, Uncle Josh, Cousin Jocie, Grammy, Miss Joanna, Miss Whitney, Miss Shannon, Mr. Ned and Jane.
Thank you to all our family and friends who have shared in Liam Christopher’s birth. From delicious vegan vittles to sweet new baby outfits, baby supplies, and loaned baby gear- we appreciate all of your thoughtfulness. We have been blessed with lots of visitors upon arriving home, and we look forward to sharing our new arrival with all of you soon 
More pictures from Liam’s birthday…
Posted on September 22nd, 2009 by tonya
Filed under: Liam Christopher | 7 Comments »
