So you might have noticed that we have a brand new baby girl, but I don't have many pictures posted. Believe me I'd love to show her off, but I seem to have misplaced our camera. As soon as I locate it (hopefully today) I will be more than happy to plaster my blog with her beautiful face, fingers, toes, eyelashes, chubby cheeks...etc. In the mean time I thought I'd post her birth story, mostly for my own memories, since it seems my brain cells are deteriorating and I'm losing things and forgetting things all over the place. I don't want to forget Kayla's story.
We have been traveling around our province again this summer, hawking ice cream at fairs and rodeos. We scandalized our friends and family by deciding to continue our travels even as my due date approached. Since the pregancy was going well, and there were no complications and since there was a chance we could be over due we decided to keep on living like normal (whatever normal is). So off to the fair far from home we went. We were blessed that the fair far from home was actually not very far from Mike's parents home, so when they offered to take Dade & Matia for a couple of weeks we said "yes! God bless you!". Not that I didn't want the kids around, it's just that I was worried about being alone in the delivery room if I happened to go into labour, since Mike would have to stay with the kids.
After Mom & Dad picked up the kids our baby moon began. Mike treated me to a long over due pedicure, well he paid for one, since he wasn't going to touch my gnarly feet with a ten foot pole! Ahhhh it was so nice after not being able to bend down and touch my toes for a good 3 months! The pedicure took place on the last day of the fair far from home, so we packed up that night and drove to another fair, not so far from home, but still too far to get home in case I went into labour. The next day we set up our concession, and I made some calls and found some staff. This summer the Lord has sent us amazing, wonderful staff. All just in the nick of time, and all very nice capable people. I know they were sent by God because scooping ice cream at a fair isn't exactly the most glamourous or thrilling job, but the people he sent thought it was fun (at least that's what they said).
On Tuesday morning at 4:07am contractions woke me up. I timed 3 sets of contractions and they were 8 minutes apart, and then quickly progressed to 5 minutes apart, then 3 minutes apart. I packed my bag and woke up Mike, and then of course started second guessing myself, as the contractions seemed to lessen in intensity once I was up and walking around. Mike was sure, though, and ordered me into the car. He couldn't understand why I was putzing around, putting unnecessary stuff into my bag. "Get in the car woman!" he ordered after I paused for another contraction, and wondered out loud if it was just false labour. Hee hee, good thing I listened to my husband.
We arrived at the hospital at 5 am, with no prenatal papers, an out of province health care card and contractions coming one on top of another. The admission staff were over joyed, I'm sure. Still they were nice to me and got me to a labour and delivery room ASAP. The porter predicted we would be having a girl, judging from the way my big belly looked. Lucky guess I suppose, or is there really a way to tell?
Once we were tucked in to the delivery bed things really started to move along, which may have been distressing for the nurses who were already in the process of delivering another baby on the ward and dealing with other patients too. In a small town hospital the nurses have to divide an conquer, and though I know they were under staffed and over busy, they were still amazing and available for my every need. Wonderful people those nurses! I think they had super powers. At any rate my nurse was prepared when Kayla decided to make her way into the world at 7:04am, 3 hours after I woke up. The doctor was also ready and waiting and calmly cut the cord from around her precious little neck. I didn't even know there was any cause for alarm until it was all taken care of and Kayla was blinking with a slight look of surprise in my arms. It must be weird being born, not an easy trip I'm sure. Kayla was indeed shocked by her suroundings. The nurses called it cold shock, which means Kayla's little body couldn't keep her temperature up after going from the nice warm environment of my womb to the chilly air conditioned hospital. She had to spend the first 2 hours of her life in an incubator, but after that she was good to go. She was treated to an ounce of formula to ward off the cold shock, so she was full and sleepy for the first day of her life. Therefore we spent the first night of her life awake mostly. Ah hospitals, they really give you incentive to get well and go home. Just when you think you get to sleep for a while they come in and wake you up to give you your sleeping pill! Well I didn't really need a sleeping pill, but they did have to check me and Kayla a couple of times in the night so that they could check off their to do list. That was all fine and dandy, but it was in between the times that I was up with Kayla trying to nurse her, never at the same time of course. That's ok, though I was so happy with my labour and delivery that the nurses could have pinched me awake every hour on the hour and I still would have loved them.
Now Gladys, on the other hand, I did not love so much. Who is Gladys, you ask? She was the lady down the hall who had a hysterectomy, and enjoyed going over and over the details of her experience with her room mate. I guess when her room mate was sleeping she had no one to talk to, so she called up a buddy at around 5am. Now that is a good friend, some one who will talk to you about surgery and hospital food at 5am! Lucky for Gladys, not so lucky for me!!!! I did agree with Gladys on one point; the coffee was cold and they didn't provide enough cream and sugar. I have to say, my hospital stay was rather good if these are the only complaints that I can come up with. We even had visitors! We were far from home yet, Mike's Aunt & Uncle drove an hour to come hold Kayla and make my day. Also, my friend's mom (who lives in the town we were in) dropped in to pass on prayers and good wishes. What a nice surprise; since I couldn't have my mom there that day, it was a treat to have my friend's mom come to admire my new daughter.
To top it off Mike's best friend's parents were passing through and stopped with a beautiful bouquet for us. How cool is that? The Lord knows me well, and knew I'd need a few visitors and he sent them. What a God of details he is. He knows me so well and blesses me immeasurably.
Kayla and I went home the next day at 11. We were comfy and cozy in our camper. We slept when were were tired and got a very nice feeding schedule started. Kayla has been very compliant and seems to like sticking to the schedule. Mommy wakes her up and feeds her, Daddy keeps her awake as long as he can (which is not very long at this stage) then we tuck her in and let her sleep until the next cycle. At night we just let her sleep till she tells us she's hungry, and so far she only needs to eat once at night, then goes right back to sleep until morning.
On her 4th day we packed up the concession and camper and drove to my home town to see Grandma & Grandpa and Aunties and Uncles and friends on my side. It was about a 6 hour drive, but was really 8 hours with the stops for the feeding schedule. Kayla never complained and just snoozed away the day. I thought I might be in for it at night, but she slept well and ate like usual.
Having just one baby to care for right now seems like a honey moon. Mike and I are enjoying being able to lavish undivided attention on our 3rd child. It won't always be like this. I look forward to having our family all together again. I can't wait to hear what Dade and Matia have to say about their little sister. Matia has promised to give Kayla her cherished elephant, the one she has clung to since she was old enough to cling, the one she sleeps with and sucks her thumb with. It will be interesting to see if she is able to make the transfer easily. We will keep it as a crib decoration though, because neither of us want Kayla to become as attached to it as Matia did. Hopefully we can avoid the thumb sucking this time, and we think it is better if our kids aren't so attached to one object that they have trouble settling without it. We'll see how it goes.
For now we are still enjoying the one on one time with Kayla. The other carnys are smitten with her, and the biggest, most tattooed and scariest looking dudes just melt when they see her, and are so pleased that I am doing well. They are like mother hens clucking to me that I need to take it easy and rest and enjoy this time because it passes so quickly. It is a joy to show off God's blessing to us and to tell others of his perfect timing and provisions.
Kayla is only 1 week old right now, yet her story is unique and unfolding as I type. I appreciate prayers from friends and family as we seek to raise her up in the way she should go, and strive to guide our little family with wisdom, knowledge and understanding that only comes from the one true God, the giver of every good thing.
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