It's a Girl!

Clara Sage Williamson

So, at 40 weeks + 3 days I was ready.

Sage, however, was not! When I heard her weight, 7 lbs, I knew why she wasn't ready and felt bad for grumping around about the baby not coming!
It might have been coincidence. Or maybe Sage just really wanted to meet her Grandpa Max. But on Thursday, when my parents were going to be stopping in for a day before going to my aunt's wedding, things got started-and finished!

About 4:00 in the afternoon I started having irregular contractions. I crossed my fingers that they were more than Braxton-Hicks contractions. We had some things to do to get ready for my parents visit and I was going to run to Walmart. Chris came home to help and I went off to do some walking and pick up a few essentials.

The contractions were still coming after that trip so I kept steaming ahead and swept and vacuumed and cleaned a bathroom. By the time they got here about 6:00 the contractions were much more regular and more painful. I started to let myself hope that it might actually happen that night!

And really, coincidence or providence, Mom and Dad were visiting when I had Noah 6 weeks early too. Other grandbabies have also enjoyed the unplanned for presence of Grandma and Grandpa when they were born. They are like a lucky charm or something! (Maybe I should rent them out to pregnant ladies who are ready to deliver!)

Chris took care of the boys and grilled dinner while Grandpa timed my contractions as I worked on the salad and fruit in the kitchen. Soon he was able to start telling me when I would be having another. It was back labor and as the pain got worse it was harder and harder to relax through the contractions.

By the time dinner started (incidentally we were supposed to be celebrating my birthday!) I was pretty sure that we would be leaving soon. In fact, I called the doctor and told her that I was going to come in.

I have to shake my head at health professionals who refuse to think that I have any reason to understand what is going on with my own body. I mean, really, I have had two kids before and might have a slightly better idea of how things would progress!

The doctor asked the usual questions about how close together and how long they were lasting. She wasn't terribly impressed. She also asked about dilation and effacement the last time I had been checked. Again, not impressed. Finally, she said that I didn't sound to bad off and to wait till I was really uncomfortable before coming in. I verbally agreed and hung up to say that we were going in right then anyway.

When we arrived at the hospital they took me to the pre-admittance room to check me before they would admit me. I was a little annoyed because I knew that this was really labor and that given my history I would progress quickly and I wanted an epidural. I did not want to be told later that I was too far along for it. Back labor gets the better of any thoughts I might have about doing things without medication. I can keep things relaxed in the beginning but I my abilities are quickly outpaced by the pain and its location.

The nurse checked me and I was at 5 centimeters. She called right over to tell them I was going to be staying. We got settled and I did get my epidural. None to soon, for me, really. By then I was about a 6 and moving along. The doctor came in and broke my water and said I was about an 8. Within about 1/2 an hour I told the nurse it was time to push. She wanted to check me and quickly agreed after the first trial push that it was time to call in the doctor.

With one push the baby was out-easy, peasy. And it was a GIRL!

I don't think I really knew what to think.

Maybe that my dream was real. Or, we don't have to pay for circumcision. I don't know. It was a little surreal to me at that point. One thing I did note, though, was that we had her before midnight. It was sweet serendipity.
The boys and Grandma and Grandpa came over the next morning. We had a little birthday celebration with cupcakes from my aborted birthday dinner and presents. They brought a present for Sage and she got each of her big brothers a gift as well.

They loved their gifts but still declined to do any actual holding.

They finally agreed to pictures.
And daddy, well, he is a proud papa.

And a trooper. He spent the night at the hospital and then went home early to take care of the boys. (We were very grateful for grandma and grandpa being able to stay with the boys that night.)

And a saint. He was, and remains, the "go-to" person for just about anything and everything. Me. The boys. Church callings. Work. We couldn't make any of it work without our daddy.
And Grandma. She has been here all week and I love her for it. She has been my sounding board as we deal with the whole 'insufficient milk production' issue, my companion in the middle of the night, babysitter so I can nap, cook, cleaning lady, etc. Priceless!

We have been taking an embarrassingly small number of pictures (grandpa escaped without a single picture! Shame on me!) since I knew that my sister was coming for the weekend and bringing her camera. We had a photo shoot this morning and got some adorable shots so stay posted for more sweetness to come!