Lynse Leanne

I had a baby.  Yep, it’s true.  On August 24th, 2011 at 3:02 in the morning Print Reid Stevens decided he would emerge and join us making us a family of 3…4 if you count Jett. Here is our family picture.  This post will sort of be the birth story minus some boring details.

I was induced on Monday, August 22nd at 7AM.  The entire month prior I had been having non painful and obviously non effective contractions.  I didn’t want to be induced because of the higher risks that come with starting a process that should happen naturally with chemicals that augment what the body was designed to do.  I was scared of the impending risk of C-section that comes along with inductions…and hospital births these days.  But my induction seemed to go really well.  So that was a positive.

Anyways, I was induced on a Monday morning and continued to have non painful contractions throughout the day and that evening I went off Pitocin so I could eat, cause you can’t eat on Pitocin and so I could sleep comfortably. When on Pitocin your contractions and the baby’s heart rate have to be constantly monitored and let me tell you, that is not fun at all.  Rough, scratchy bands pulled tightly around my already contracting tummy with hard plastic monitors…just what I envisioned…not.  Pitocin was started back Tuesday morning at 5am.  It was Tuesday that the contractions started to work and progress was made.  Labour was happening, I was contracting.  I have to say there is no way I could have continued to labour unmedicated without the support of Chad and my doula.  Was seriously the best decision I made.

Most of everything that day is a blur.  I remember things that happened, but I don’t know a time line.  I don’t know when they broke my water other than it was when I was “9cms” and then things went fast.  I only know I pushed for something like 4.5 hours because the doctor commented and then offered vacuum extraction to help the process go faster.  That ended up being the best decision for us because I was so exhausted from labour and pushing with only 2 slices of toast to eat.

At 3:02am my world changed completely.  I fell in love like I never knew.  The second Print was placed on my chest, slimy and all I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.  I didn’t care what the Dr. was having to do or really what he had to say.  I don’t remember anything but holding him so tightly.  It was a relationship that had just begun, yet had been growing for 10 months.  Learning when he liked to be active and when he would be sleeping.  To finally see and meet and hold the little one that would keep me awake from 3am-5am daily.  Looking into his eyes and knowing he was mine.  That moment I will remember forever.

People always say “a baby changes everything’ and I feel like they say it in such a way to be sarcastic to say that your life will be terrible now that you have something to care about and you would need to tend to.  But it is true, a baby does change everything.  But my love for him is something I can’t explain.  And it grows each day with his sweet smile when he wrinkles his nose and bashfully looks away.  Each time I look into his eyes like I did the first time I feel like the grinch and my heart grows.

a baby.  my baby.  Print Reid Stevens.

4th of July weekend I was sobered by some advice I recieved while walking from our local (small town) parade back to our home.

It was hot, I was sweaty, I was uncomfortable.  I don’t like the looks I get since I look like I should be having a baby sooner than I am.  Some people smile, others just have a slight pitty twinge in their eyes.  It freaks me out….maybe I care too much.  Whatever.
We were walking home and a lady sitting there with a new baby and a 3 year old.  She asked when I was due and I said “August 13th…about 6 weeks…though I wish it was now.”  She smiled and asked if it was our first, we responded with yes, we are excited.  She paused for a second and said something that I hadn’t thought about…and Chad hadn’t thought about.

These is our last month (maybe less).  Never again will it just be us.  Never again will we leave the house at 11:23 because we really want pancakes.  Never again will we get that care-free life that we have enjoyed.  It sunk in that life is about to change for the better.  We are so excited to welcome Print, don’t get me wrong, but I realized I was wishing away these last 4 weeks of just us and the care-free life we get to have.

Yes, I am uncomfortable and I can’t walk nearly as fast as normal. I have to pee a million times a day and have a baby kicking my bladder or ribs…sometimes both.  I am tired all the time, but it is the last month of Chad and Lynse.

And because of the discomfort, bathroom changes and so forth I was wishing this time away.  I was wishing it away because I am excited to meet our little man, but I don’t want to wish away this time with Chad.

So we committed to savor each moment before Print joins our family.  Each time we watch a late movie, go to bed late or go out to eat we are going to be fully there because things are going to change….for the better.  And instead of wishing it away we are going to live in the now.

Have you ever spent time wishing things away? I am guilty of it all the time.

Many of you know that Chad and I are pregnant…well, I am, he is lovingly gaining sympathy weight.  We are due August 13th with a baby boy.  We have finally chosen a name for our little man.

We narrowed it down to 2 middle names so we let our dog choose. The first name was the same, but we equally liked the 2 middle name options….so we let the other family member choose….Jett the dog.

The first name is a family name on Chad’s side.  We really really liked it because it gave us the “family name” as well as a unique name.

So there you have it….the little one has a name.

Did you or will you go traditional or unique when it comes to names?