Emma's Birth Story

It's been just about five days since I gave birth to sweet baby Emma.  We are still in the adjustment phase of having two girls so close in age, but we are taking it one day at a time.  God is faithful in giving me the strength and energy I need when I need it.  I know I couldn't do this without his grace.  I am also very thankful and blessed that Mike is able to take so much time off from work to be home with us. 

I have this rare moment of quiet and calm right now.  It's like Lily transformed into a big girl overnight, literally.  Anyway... Mike just put her down for her nap, and I just fed Emma.  I'm hoping she will drift off to sleep soon herself.  I sent Mike off to go surfing for a bit, hoping he can have a few moments to himself to relax and reflect on life.  Staying home is a big adjustment for him too!  And taking care of Lily 24/7 is no easy task!  Things are semi-tidy and I have the Yule Log on with Christmas music playing in the background. There's also the scent of pine Glade air freshener floating in the air.  Like I said, this is a rare moment!!  As I did with Lily's birth, I wanted to record the day's events since they are still fresh in my mind.  

So far, she is a doll and such a beautiful blessing!  She graced us with her presence on December 22, 2015 at 7:43pm.  She was 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and 20.5 inches long.  She came out in record time with a whirlwind of a story for me to tell!  I can't tell you how happy I am that she shares her birthday with my grandma.  What a special thing!

Lily with her Gigi and Pepa.  Hopefully Emma gets to meet them soon :)

I was scheduled for my 39 week appointment in Mililani at 10:45am on Tuesday morning, the 22nd.  Mike planned to leave work at 9am.  Then, he would come home and drive Lily and I to the appointment.  Meanwhile, there was a MOMS Club event at Makakilo Park that morning.  Since it's just a two minute drive down to the park, I decided to take Lily to play with her friends and get some energy out before our appointment.  Before we went to the park, I called to wish Mema (my maternal grandmother) a happy 82nd birthday.  We talked about all kinds of things and I told her it would have been nice if Emma was born on her birthday, but I didn't think that was going to happen.  At that point, I knew I was still sitting at 3cm, but didn't really feel any tightness or any contractions.  I had been at 3cm for two weeks and felt the same, so I had no idea if she'd come before or after Christmas.  Part of me hoped she'd come afterward so she wouldn't have to share in all the hustle and bustle of the week before Christmas for all her birthdays to come.  The other part of me thought it would be awesome if she shared a birthday with her great grandma, Caryann.  Dec. 22nd and Dec. 28th were the only dates I had in my head for some reason, even though her expected due date was Dec. 30th.  

Mike came home, and we left for Mililani around 10am.  I hadn't decided whether I wanted the Dr. to strip my membranes.  It was something we had discussed at a previous appointment, but I hadn't made the decision yet.  I decided to wait and see if there was any change from 3cm and go from there. With Lily, I had the Dr. strip my membranes at 39 weeks exactly.  She was born 5 days later.  

We arrived at the clinic and saw Dr. Kawelo.  She said I had definitely progressed from the previous week and was now about 4cm dilated.  Because there was a change, I had her go ahead and strip the membranes.  It's really not as crazy as it sounds.  She basically explained that it's loosening things up down there by slightly separating the water bag from the uterine wall.  It was only slightly uncomfortable and just took a few seconds.  

We left the clinic and went to lunch at The SHACK in Mililani.  We filled up on some good burgers and fries!  Pretty much immediately after lunch I started feeling tight.  I wasn't sure if it was just because I was checked or if labor was imminent.  I had a feeling it wouldn't be long though.  A day or two, max.  I was pretty confident I wouldn't make it to my 40 week appointment, but beyond that I wasn't sure when it would be.

After lunch, we headed home so Lily could take her nap.  Then we thought we'd head to Target to pick up a prescription and maybe Home Depot to browse.  We got to Target and it was of course a mad house three days before Christmas!   I started feeling contractions in line at the pharmacy and told Mike we should just head home and start making hospital preparations. At that point, they were still about 6-8 minutes apart, so I thought I had plenty of time.  We rushed home, finished packing our bags, tidied the house, made arrangements for Lily, and were ready to head out the door by 5pm.   
My friend, Jenna (who is also pregnant and due in about 6 weeks), came over to feed, bathe and put Lily to bed.  Jenna's son, Jonah, is one just about 6 weeks older than Lily and one of her best buds!  Later that evening our family friends, the Stewarts, came over with their three boys to stay the night and next couple days at our house watching Lily. We are so thankful for friends like these and so many others who were willing to help out!

Took this picture on the way to the hospital.
It was a good day to have a baby!

Of course, as expected on Oahu, there was some traffic getting to the hospital.  It was raining, so obviously there were a few accidents on H-1.  Finally, we arrived at Kapiolani around 6:15pm.  Mike dropped me off at the entrance while he parked the car.  I was having contractions about every 3 minutes by then, and could tell they were getting stronger.  I was hoping I could get admitted and get that epidural, but feared the whole process would be too slow.  

I waddled up to the third floor and checked myself in.  Finally we got to triage where they checked me and monitored baby.  Mike acted as my contraction announcer by reading the graph as it printed out.  He'd inform me how strong the contraction was, as if I didn't already know, haha.  It actually kept my mind off the pain a bit.  In triage, they were coming steadily at 2-3 minutes apart anywhere from 50% to 60% on the scale.  When they finally checked my cervix, I was still only at 4-5cm dilated, but the nurse accidentally broke my water bag.  That was about 6:30pm.  

They didn't have the sense of urgency I was feeling at that point!  I was ready to get into labor and delivery and get that epidural!  Unfortunately, they still had blood labs to take, papers to sign, IVs to put in, a million questions to ask, etc.  Also, because I tested positive for Group B Strep, I needed at least one dose of penicillin before the epidural to insure the infection wasn't passed to baby in the birth canal.  They say they'd like you to have at least two doses at least 2 hours prior to delivery.  Well, that didn't happen.  

As they transported me to labor and delivery, the contractions got more and more intense.  Meanwhile it was 7pm and time for the nurses' shift change.  The current nurse updated the new nurse that I was 5 cm dilated.  She started asking me all the same questions again.  I think they thought they had plenty of time.  Not me.  I knew Emma was coming!  I asked again about the epidural, and finally the anesthesiologist came in to administer.  They asked Mike to leave.  At this point, the contractions were up to 95% and I was trying and praying my hardest to hold still while a giant needle was inserted into my back.  The anesthesiologist was awesome.  He did his thing and when he was finished he said (and I quote): "You should start to feel some relief within 15 minutes."  Right as those words graced his lips, I had the most gnarly contraction yet and felt the urge to push.  I kept telling the nurse I needed to push and she responded... "no not yet, just take long deep breaths."

At that moment Mike was finally allowed back in the room and in my 30 seconds of relief, I told him she was coming (even if the nurse didn't believe me).  A random doctor finally showed up along with a resident and small team of people.  I told them I needed to push.  They finally checked me and confirmed I was fully dilated.  She was born about 10 minutes later.  I could feel a tingling sensation in my legs, but still all the pain.  I think the epidural may have kicked in slightly just in time for me to get stitched up.  Right after she came out, Aunty Tammie arrived.  None of us expected labor to be so fast.  

They placed her directly on my chest, and that moment was entirely surreal.  I couldn't believe we were actually parents of TWO children.  I was still in a ton of pain, but also felt so much relief.  Emma was here!  My beautiful baby girl!  The most shocking feature was her full head of dark brown hair.  My very own mini-me... What a miracle.  I am still in awe of the entire process and how God created Emma in my womb and wove together this beautiful little blessing.  

I know these next few months and even years will be trying, but I am in utter amazement of God's goodness and grace.  Lily's first few months of life we needed all the GRACE we could get.  She was such a challenging infant.  Hopefully with Emma, she'll bring us so much JOY, that the joy will overshadow the trials.  Here's to 2016 and all of the adventures this new year will bring.  Finally, some pictures to enjoy:

Sweet Emma Joy, wide awake.

Mommy in love.

Daddy in love.

First cameo.

The newest addition to the Wolfepack!

Just a little bigger (and longer) than Lily.

First family photo at the hospital.

Our little Christmas bundle!

Emma Joy coming home on Christmas Eve.

The sweet handmade shirt from Colleen!

Some sisterly lovin.

Lily's Birth Story

It has been just a little over one week since I gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl imaginable.  Lily Grace Wolfe was born on June 2, 2014 at 7:44pm.  She weighed 6lbs, 12oz, and was 19.25 inches long.  I wanted to record her birth story for future reference just in case I forget any details later.

Her arrival could not have been more perfect!  Her expected due date was June 4, 2014.  The last day of school for me was May 30th. I was able to finish my final grades, attend the 6th grade field trip, and hand out my awards for the English department!  We enjoyed the following weekend and she was born on Monday!

We arrived home around 6:30pm Sunday night from the Garrett's in Makaha and decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood.  I was hoping to walk for a long time thinking it might bring on labor.  About 15 minutes in, my belly was feeling really tight and we had to stop so I could take some deep breaths.  I didn't think I was in labor yet, but I knew it was close.  I didn't sleep very well that night.  I was having mild contractions, but they still felt like Braxton Hicks, not the real deal.  I tossed and turned all night, then finally got up around 1:45am to shower.  I was pretty sure we'd be going to the hospital before morning came.  Mike woke up after I got out of the shower, but wanted to sleep for a little longer since I wasn't panicky.  I went downstairs and started timing the contractions and tried to eat some oatmeal.  We tidied up the house and Mike did the dishes.  As we did so, I had the realization that this might be the last time we'd be in the house without a child.  It was a weird feeling.  By 3:30am we were on our way to the hospital.  I was glad we didn't have to worry about traffic.  At this point, I was only mildly uncomfortable.

We arrived at Kapiolani around 4:00am, and I checked myself in while Mike parked the car.  I had to wait about 10 minutes to be seen, but they took me right into Triage and hooked me up to a fetal monitor as well as a belt to monitor the contractions.  After they checked my cervix and found I was 4cm dilated, they admitted me and gave me a room.

I called Aunty Tammie, and she came down to the hospital to be with me and Mike.  It was so nice having her there since Lily came a few days early and my mom hadn't arrived yet.  The contractions stayed mild to moderate for a few hours.  I was able to do several laps around the 3rd floor and intermittent fetal monitoring every so often.  They checked me again at about 9:00am, and I had already progressed to 6cm.  I was feeling confident that I'd have a baby by lunch time.  The contractions were getting stronger, but still not regular enough to get excited about.  The plan was to check me again in 4 hours.  I was able to eat one last meal and power walk the halls again.  I tried to walk faster this time to see if I could get things moving, but ended up having to stop every few minutes to breathe through contractions.  They were definitely getting more intense.

Four hours finally came and went.  The morning was pretty boring and uneventful.  Mike, Aunty Tammie and I just shared stories, talked about random things and watch Family Feud on TV.  I was wishing we would have brought a deck of cards or dice.  When they checked me this time, I was sure I had progressed.  I had done at least ten laps of the 3rd floor, some squats and movement on the birthing ball.  The contractions were getting very painful and I really had to focus on each one to get through them, but it was still manageable.

Unfortunately, the resident who checked me said I was only 5 and a half cm.  What?!  How could I have digressed?  Her fingers must have been smaller, haha. At that point, they decided to put me on a low dose of Pitocin.  I was hesitant to accept because of the negative things I had heard about the drug, but it seemed to work well for me.  It definitely made my contractions stronger, longer, and more consistent.  Because of the IV, I wasn't able to walk the halls any more.  About an hour into the Pitocin drip, the contractions were starting to get pretty gnarly.  They were coming just about every 2-3 minutes and lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute.  I didn't have much recovery time in between to rest, and I just wanted to know how far along I was.  I asked them to check me again around 3pm so I could see if I had progressed.  If I was at at least 8cm, the plan was to ride it out without an epidural.  If I hadn't progressed, I was going to get the epidural because I knew I couldn't handle the pain for another 4 hours with contractions being so regular.

They came to check me around 3:00pm and I was at 7cm.  I knew it could still be another 3 hours before I hit 10cm, and my water bag was still in tact.  I couldn't handle the pain any longer, and I knew I still had a long road ahead with laboring and pushing, so I asked for the epidural.

The anesthesiologist came in and I could tell he was in a rush.  I didn't like the feeling of knowing that he had other patients to get to.  Although he was in a rush, he was still calm and reassuring.  One of the nurses stayed with me while he administered the epidural, but they asked Mike and Aunty Tam to leave for a few minutes.  I was nervous about having contractions during the time he was sticking the needle in, but it all worked out.  I never saw the needle--good thing!  I guess he had a hard time finding my "space" as he kept calling it.  He said I had small "spaces" between the vertebrae, so that was reassuring.  Once the epi was in and my legs went numb I started feeling good!  Mitchell came and brought Starbucks for Mike and Aunty Tammie, then Lilia and Angelica came to see how I was progressing.  They all hung out for a few hours while we waited for Lily to make her appearance.

My doctor was on vacation, but she was staying on island at a resort.  She told me ahead of time that she was planning to come in for my delivery, but probably wouldn't be around much before hand to check in on me.  So I was already mentally prepared for that.  Apparently she had a scheduled C-section at 7:30pm, so her plan was to come in and check on me around 7:00pm to see my status.  We were just waiting and waiting.  Kind of boring if you ask me.  I just wanted to know the plan.  Finally, at around 6:45, several nurses/residents rushed it and said, "Ok, time to break the water bag."  That was Mitchell's cue to leave, but I let everyone else stay in the room.  So after, it was time to PUSH!  Thankfully, I could still feel the contractions when they came (just not the pain).  How awesome is that?!  I knew when to push and when to rest.  Three pushes each contraction.  Four on longer ones.  Oxygen and deep breaths in between.  Mike and Aunty Tammie were each holding a leg.  Doctor came in around 7:05 and stayed with me until I delivered.  Being a doctor must be so weird.  I only had to push for about 40 minutes, maybe 10 rounds of contractions or so... and there she was.

The moment she came out was absolutely surreal.  I could barely believe it was happening.  In the end, I'm very thankful I got the epidural because I was able to enjoy the last few hours of labor--even the pushing part.  They wiped her down with some towels and laid her right on my chest while I got stitched up.  She was perfect; truly a gift from God.  Mike and I were in tears and utterly elated.  She laid there on my chest for a good 30 minutes skin to skin and just stared up at me, wide-eyed, beautiful.  I am still in awe of the miracle of life.  I can't help but think of my favorite scripture, Psalm 139:13-14.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful and I know that full well."

I know the rest of Lily's life will be a journey, but I am glad it has commenced successfully.  Mike and I could not be happier.  Here are some pictures to enjoy.

Before Lily, after the epidural.

Overjoyed.

Staring at mommy.

Wide awake.

Healthy girl.

Lamb from Grammarene.

Headed home.

First car seat ride.

Nap time with mom.

Play time with Daddy.  "Do you have milk?"

Sleeping beauty.

Rascal girl.

Grandma Jan.

Stretch it out.

So sweet.

Sweet pea!