happy birthday!

Happy birthday to the sweetest little boy I know!  Micah has been such a blessing from the day he was born but especially in the last few months.  I love my handsome boy.  

And I thought I'd include Micah's birth story just for fun.  It is sooo different from Evie's birth story, that is for sure!

(copied and pasted from the one I posted on facebook a few days after Micah was born)

It all started on Sat. night 12/18.  Josh and I had been watching a movie and the entire time I kept feeling sort of strong menstrual cramps.  They didn't go away so once the movie was over I told Josh that I think we should start timing them.  That was about 8:15.  Things progressed through the night and I tried to labor at home as long as possible.  Of course I couldn't sleep on account of the gut-wrenching pain, so by the time we called the midwife at about 4:30 am I was already pretty exhausted.  On the phone we told her that my contractions were about 2-3 min. apart. etc., etc., and she listened to me have one over the phone.  She said because I talked through the beginning of that contraction (I was really just trying to be polite and act like it wasn't happening) that I should stay home for another hour or so and then call back.  At about 6:00 I basically called her and said we were coming in.  I was in pretty intense pain and did not want to be at home anymore.  

When we got to the hospital I was checked and unfortunately only had dilated to about 3 cm.  Tara, the midwife told me that I could either go back home, start pitocin/epidural, or walk around for a while and see if it helped.  We decided on the third option.  So for another hour I tried to walk around and squatted during contractions to try and dilate a little more. Tara checked me after an hour and I was still only about 3 cm.  Since I had already been laboring for so long and was getting tired, she suggested giving me a dose of nubain and benedryl to rest me for a while and see if I could dilate any further.  We decided on that option.

I suppose if you are hard core you could technically disqualify me from the drug-free category of labor.  However, the benedryl was only to put me to sleep for a while and the nubain basically took away 0% of the pain (the intent was to "take the edge off" ha!) Anyhow, they started the IV and I immediately fell asleep.  It was the weirdest sleep I have ever had, no joke.  I would sleep in between contractions, which were about 2-4 min. apart, and then wake up writhing in pain.  It was like the worst nightmare ever.  I think this lasted about 2 or 3 hours.  Tara checked me and at that point I had dilated to 6 cm.  She was encouraged by this and decided we should move me back to the midwifery center, she would break my water, and then we would go from there.  

Back in the midwifery center Tara broke my water.  Unfortunately there was meconium in the fluid, which meant the baby had been in distress at some point and they needed to put me on continuous fetal monitoring, which also meant moving me back out of the midwifery center and back into the labor and delivery room.  Tara still let me use the hot tub for a while and it really helped.  I was in the jacuzzi tub for about an hour and I pretty much dilated from 7-9 cm.  They got me out of the tub and wheeled my back to labor and delivery to start the fetal monitoring.  And for the record, traveling in a wheelchair for any distance while you are having contractions is pretty awful.  

Back on the L and D floor, it didn't take long before I was able to push.  Every twenty minutes or so Tara would make me switch pushing positions to try and get the baby down and out.  I am so thankful for her guidance and wisdom and also the wonderful support of my husband during this time.  If I didn't have them encouraging me and "updating" me every step of the way I might have lost it!  

After two hours of pushing, Micah came at 4:25 pm.  Since there was the issue of meconium he had to be suctioned out by the pediatrician right away.  After that they put him on my chest and I got to look at him for the first time.  He was a sweet, healthy, beautiful baby boy.  

sweet baby Micah
7 lbs. 1 oz. 19.5 in

I was bleeding pretty badly after delivery and they were slightly concerned that my uterus wasn't clotting properly.  It became pretty apparat after a while that I was suffering from a postpartum hemorrhage because my uterus was so tired and had been laboring for so many hours.  They tried to get me up to the restroom and I almost passed out.  Immediately they put me on oxygen and started another IV with fluids and pitocin to try and get my uterus to shrink down faster.  They were thinking I needed to possibly have a blood transfusion in the morning but praise the Lord my blood counts were high enough that I didn't have to.  We did have to stay an extra day in the hospital, but it was fine.  

He was so worth all the work.  Mommy loves you forever Micah. <3