Haevin Renée Goudie

It should go without saying that since this is a birth story there will be talk about fluids, blood, vagina's, and probably way more detail then anyone besides me really cares about. :)

Haevin Renée Goudie was born on January 25th 2015 right around 5:15 PM.

It really started around 10:00 pm on the 24th... I started to have some decent contractions. Nothing too crazy and not that close together, but stronger then any I had thus far. Then come around 4:00 in the morning the contractions were getting stronger and closer together, to the point that I couldn't sleep anymore. I started to keep track of the contractions on my phone as I sat in bed reading.

Things started to pick up around 7:00 or so in the morning. Stronger contractions. Closer together. And a whole lot of mucus plug (yum) coming out. We all got ready for the day, readied bags (just in case) and cleaned up a bit around the house.  Then we settled down and relaxed for a bit while I continued to keep track of the contractions. By 8:30 I was pretty sure that today was the day we'd be going into the hospital. We waited a bit longer until I was averaging about 5 minutes apart for about an hour and a half and was just about to tell Braedon that we should go in when things seemed to slow down. I waited a bit longer and while I was still having contractions they didn't seem as strong. I've been blessed with a fairly high pain tolerance so I didn't know if I was passing off some contractions as nothing, or if they were really nothing. Since my water broke so early with Rose I never had to deal with the "timing the contractions" thing so I wasn't really sure if I was doing things right.

We ended up deciding to go in anyways as a precaution because I'd rather be sent away then go in too late and not be able to get me some drugs.

We got in around 10:15, handed Rosealynn off to Grandma Lori and went up. They checked my progression and informed me that I was in fact having contractions (which if you had asked me right then I would have completely said that I hadn't had a single one since I got there... So it was a nice assurance to know I wasn't completely crazy for coming in). I was now dilated to a 4 but still only at 70% effaced so they wanted me to take a walk for an hour, come back, and see where I was at after the walk.

The day was so nice we decided to do our walking outside around the hospital. I looked pretty awesome in all my hospital-gown glory (and looked even better with Braedons jacket on top of that). We walked for about 30 minutes... and it felt like forever. Turns out walking around a hospital parking lot for 30 minutes is boring. Hence why I Crossfit for exercise... I'm in too preoccupied with trying to breath to be bored. ;)

After the 30 minutes of walking I finally succumbed to Braedon's advice of "do something MORE then just walk!" (he had been semi-jokingly telling me to do burpees or airsquats or sprints for the past 30 minutes) and decided I'd do some step-up's on the nice concrete base of a light post. I did 10 starting on one foot, walked to the next post, and then started my next set on the other foot. I got 2 steps into that second set and felt a very familiar gush. And since I was in my awesome hospital-gown glory and going completely commando at the time... this familiar gush ended up all down my legs. We might of high-fived at this point. Step-up's for the win!

So we went back inside pretty sure that all the fluid down my legs was amniotic fluid... but figured if by some weirdness it wasn't I'd still want to get cleaned up before walking for another 30 minutes. We got back to labor and deliver and they checked the fluid and ding ding ding, we have a winner - my water had indeed broken. Plus I had gotten up to a 5 and 80% effaced with all my efforts. We were officially staying at the hospital!

So I got all cleaned up and settled into our room around 12:00 pm. I got hooked up to all the appropriate IV's and it was now time to wait around a bit to see if I'd continue to progress on my own or not... plus I needed to also wait for the antibiotic for the GBS to get into my system as well. As we were waiting my parents came and visited and brought Braedon some lunch. I might has snuck a bite of his burger and 3 fries... Shhhhh.

Around 2:30 I got a bit bored, so we took another little walk around the hospital grounds. It was so beautiful outside and so nice to be able to get out in the fresh air! We came back in and I got checked again... I was close to a 6 but just barely. So they decided to go a head and give me the lowest does of pitocin to help me along my way. I also decided to go ahead and get the epidural at this point just to be prepared if the pitocin picked things up pretty quickly (which spoiler - it did).

The epidural went great... the anethesiologist was awesome and I hardly felt anything. Though I still squeezed (squoze?) Braedon's hand a bit more then I probably needed too cause needles just make my anxious.

So now around 4:15 I'm set with the epidural doing it's thing, legs getting nice and tingly, and the pitocin working it's wonders as well. Once the epidural had fully kicked in around 4:40 and it was time for my pee bag to be placed (labor is so glamorous) they checked me again and I was to an 8 by this point. We were coming down the home stretch.

My amazing nurse (seriously she was so awesome all day) asked me if I was okay trying a different position to get me progressed the rest of the way. I'm always up for new positions (wink wink) so I said sure! They had me lay on my side with my one leg elevated in one of the sexy stirrups (imagine a dog peeing on a fire hydrant). Well in about 10 minutes I felt some awesome pressure that could be nothing else by my babies head wanting to come out. They quickly moved my leg back down, checked to make sure that there was in fact a baby right there and told me to keep my legs together as they called the doctor.

The doctor arrived, everyone geared up and set up - and by everyone - I mean the whole nursing staff as I am the ONLY person in labor and delivery for the day. I seriously felt so blessed to have such amazing people working with me, it was pretty nice being the only one there!  Everyone was so kind, low key, professional, funny, super sweet, and super helpful. I felt spoiled.

Anywho. Once everyone was ready and a contraction hit it was go time. I did a nice long push through the contraction... and then rested as it faded away. The doctor then said that Haevin's heart beat dropped pretty quick for some reason so we needed to get her out as quickly as possible. This got me a bit scared so I was determined to get her out on the next push. So when the next contraction was close everyone one said to push and I gave it all I had. Luckily all I had was enough because next thing I knew our little girl was out and crying the most adorable cry! Basically the labor went really well - I can't complain about two pushes and done, eh?

Haevin came out tiny, healthy, beautiful and with some pretty dark (if a little bit sparse) hair. To me she looks very similar to how Rose looked when she was first born. We will see if that continues to be the case in the next coming days.

My doctor stitched me up (I had only one grade 2 tear is all - not too bad!) and I got to snuggle my beautiful girl.

I still am in shock at the fact that this is my SECOND child. Everything went so smoothly and very similar to how Rosealynn's birth went that I almost keep thinking I'm just reliving her birth story.

I feel blessed that everything went as it did. I couldn't ask for a better experience (as far as pushing a human out your hoo-ha goes). The staff was amazing, Haevin is perfect and I'm feeling pretty good all things considered.

For now we are just relaxing at the hospital - still being pampered by the whole nursing staff as I am still the only one in the maternity ward - just resting up before it's time to go home.

We are so happy and so in love with the new addition to our family. :)

The first time in my arms. So wonderful.

Seeing her sister for the first time.

Kisses.

Rose gave Haevin an Eskimo kiss. :)

Proud daddy. :)

Rose was fascinated when we actually unwrapped Haevin (when she was under the warmer) and couldn't stop looking at her or holding her hand. :)

Sisters :)

My two beautiful girls. :)

Holding hands. :)

Next morning snuggles. Those cheeks!

Another visit to see her baby sister.