Not in a Million Years...Our Birth Story

Not in a million years. That is what I would have said if someone asked me if I ever would have all my kids in the delivery room. I always have thought it was kind of weird to have kids watch their mom give birth, it would be especially weird to have my boys in there.  This thought changed a little when Davin was born.  Lexi really wanted to come to the birth so we invited her to come.  I was in Labor in the middle of the night with Davin and Ashton and Presley got scared at the house so they came too.  So for Davin all three girls were there.    

All through out this Pregnancy I would joke with Sterling and say,"If dad is out of town will you come with me to the hospital?" I really didn't want him to, I just thought it was funny to watch his reaction.  He can't handle things like that and faints when he gets an IV every time.  His response, "No, I will drive you to the hospital, drop you off at the door (sometimes he would say push you out of the car) and say good luck."  I laughed every time and would tell him, "No you would not, you are too nice to do that, and you love me."  His response, a determined "Yes I would, there is no way I would go in there."  I then would ask Lexi, "Will you go with me to the hospital."  "No way that was so gross last time.  The placenta is so gross I don't want to see that again," she would say.  Next up, Ashton.  She always said "Sure, I will come with you."  So then I asked, well will you hold my leg, because dad always holds my leg."  I don't know why I find it funny to watch my kids reactions to this, I know what their response will be.  "I will not hold your leg mom! I will stand at your head,  someone else can hold your leg."  Dagen always said no way, and Presley, she said no until a couple days before I had the baby then she started asking if she could come.  Never did I really think that Garron would be gone, I always just asked so I could watch their reactions. 

​Garron had a job about 90 minutes away, which isn't bad at all, unless there is snow.  Wednesday he tells me he is going to go up to Duck Creek.  He will leave Thursday morning and come back Saturday night.  I told Garron that it was going to start snowing on Thursday and he will get snowed in.  If I go into labor he won't be able to make it back.  I kind of had a feeling that I was going to have the baby.  

​I have never had one two weeks early, 9 days was the earliest.  I asked him not to go. Now I know throughout my marriage I am rarely right so I can see why he thought he didn't really need to listen to me. (Bahahahahahahahaha!!!!) I called up my sister in Arizona and I said "Tara, Garron is going up to Duck Creek, he is going to get snowed in and I really think I will have this baby, will you come up here to be with me."  She declined, I understood, it was not a for sure thing and growing up with me I was never right about anything so why should she think this time I was.  (Bahahahahahaha!!!!) I am always right!!! Okay not always.  

Thursday night I had this urge to clean and do laundry ( I wish I could bottle that, I never have that urge) and I told the kiddos, you know they say right before a woman goes into labor they have this energy and clean, maybe I will go into labor tonight.  I wasn't serious, but there was that thought in the back of my head.  Around midnight I went to bed, and I felt like I was having contractions quite a bit.  I honestly never know if I am in labor or not.  It is a guessing game.  Ashton leaves early in the morning for Drill Team practice so at 5 AM I thought well I better go to the hospital and figure out if this is labor or not before Ashton leaves so she can take me. I jokingly went to Sterling (thinking he would tell me to go ask Ashton) and said "I think I am in labor, but not sure.  Can you take me to the hospital?"  He looked at me and said, "Are you serious." I told him I was.  He went and got the keys, grabbed his computer and said "Alright let's go."  All the way there I am thinking okay he is going to pull up to the doors, tell me to get out and say good luck and then drive off.  I was a little in shock when he parked and then walked in with me.  He then came in the room with me, sat at my head and did his work.  When the nurse came in and said she was going to check me I told Sterling he could go out.  The nurse said that she would be able to keep it really modest and he wouldn't see anything. Sterling said he was fine and would just stay there.  I just have to say I was a little shocked, but also I knew it.  I knew he was all talk when he told me he would just drop me off at the doors. Oh how grateful I am to such a wonderful son, and that he was there. Probably about five minutes in, as I was strapped to the monitors the baby's heart rate started to drop. So many things were going through my head, and I was really really scared.  I told Sterling that I was frightened and asked him not to leave me.   Because of the heart rate, the nurse told me that I was staying and would be having the baby today.  I called Garron to tell him and guess what?  He was snowed in!!  There was so much snow on the roads he couldn't get out.  People have asked me if I was upset or sad.  To be honest, I thought it was really funny,  So my sweet friend Jamie came down to the hospital to be with me too.  Sterling took off for 15 minutes to get breakfast and he picked a good time.  I am a wimp, I always say that I am going to do a natural child birth, but when it comes down to it, I can't.  So Jamie was my rock while I got my epidural.  

You would think that with my 7th birth it would go fast.  I am glad that I don't. Little Miss Ashton was effected with Strep B (which is very dangerous, and she could have died)  So I need to make sure I get two doses of antibiotics four hours apart with all my babies.  If I went fast there is no way that would happen.  As the time passes, I get a phone call.  Lexi says she wants to come down.  What???? "Really, I thought you said it was gross and you didn't want to see it?" I ask.  She explains that she has changed her mind, it's not gross.  "Alright sweetheart, have Ashton drive you down." The girls were watching Davin at home, so all three of them came down. 

​ It just so happens that a couple days before I contacted a lady who wanted to build her portfolio for births, she agreed to take pictures.  (another something I have never done...highly recommend it). When I called her that morning to tell her I was in labor she said "Okay.  I have another photography appointment this morning, I can get there around 2."  Since Garron wasn't going to be there for the birth, I really really wanted the pictures.  Around 12 the Doctor wanted to break my water and put me on Pitocin.  I told them that when my water breaks I go really fast.  I really wanted the photographer to be there and asked if we could put it off for an hour and 1/2.  They agreed...yeah.    

Around 1:30 they broke my water and put me on Pitocin.  Dagen and Presley get out of school at 2:30, so at 2:15 Ashton and Davin ran to pick them up. She is the one child of mine that had always wanted to be there.  The next thing I know Dagen, Presley, Davin and Ashton walk into the room.   I laughed when I saw them. I didn't know that was the plan to bring them to the hospital.  I asked Ashton about it and she said she didn't want to miss the birth and didn't think she had enough time to drop them at the house and get back. There you have it.  Do to the circumstances all 6 of my kids were in the room.  When Dagen walked in, I knew that it wasn't really where he wanted to be. I looked at him and told him Buddy you can just sit over there and stare out the window or play on Sterling's phone. He was fine with those options. And guess who strolled in 20 minutes before the baby was born.  Garron!!! The roads got plowed around 1:00.  He said he has never shoveled a driveway faster in his life.  Hmmmm...has he ever shoveled a driveway?  We don't really do that in Mesa, Arizona or St George.  Well maybe one time in St George.   He said when he walked in and he saw all the kids he thought he missed the birth because I wouldn't have all the kids there for that. 

The doctor kept things so very modest, a sheet draped over my knees and legs.  As you know we didn't know what we were having.  Right before the baby was born, Sterling was trying to get someone to bet with him.  He said $500 the baby was a girl.  I wish I would have bet him!  It was the sweetest experience having my whole family in the room to welcome the new little one.  When the Dr. held the baby up and announced "You have a sweet little boy"  The room went up in cheers.  I loved it. 

Davin was the cutest when he got to meet his little brother.  He said "This is my friend." And later when Ashton was taking him home, they were walking to the car and he looked at her and said "Isn't my friend so cute."  

We sometimes don't know why things are happening and we may not like it, but when we see the end results it's beautiful.  If Garron hadn't gone to Duck Creek, Sterling wouldn't have taken me to the hospital.  If the photographer was available sooner I would have had my water broken sooner, which means the baby would have been born sooner. Presley and Dagen wouldn't have been there and neither would Garron.  This moment is one of my most favorite experiences. To have my family, my Eternal Family all there welcoming another sweet spirit into our clan, to hear the shouts of joy and laughter when finding out we have another son and brother, to feel the love and excitement, all these things come together to form a memory I will cherish forever.  I would never had planned to have my whole brood in the delivery room, but if you asked me if I would change it, I would say "Not in a Million Years."