Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Annelise's Name
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Annelise's Birth Story
*Disclaimer: This is a birth story. If reading details of birth is not for you, then I would encourage you to skip this post.
Although Annelise is my third child, the anticipation of her birth was no less exciting than my other two. In fact, I felt like I was giving birth for the very first time again. I had decided that this time around I wanted an all-natural birth, meaning no drugs and no augmentation as long as it was medically safe for the health of me and the baby. For Parker, I wanted to try a natural birth, but I hadn't prepared for a natural birth. When the doctor offered induction at 40 weeks, I took the opportunity. If I had known what I know now, I would have declined and waited for him to come on his own. With the combination of my lack of preparation and what felt like a never ending contraction due to the Pitocin, I asked for pain medication when I was 8 cm dilated. With Ellis, I was induced because we lived far away from the hospital and I had a quick labor with Parker so they wanted to make sure I made it to the hospital in time. Going in I knew I wanted an epidural although I had a pretty quick delivery and still felt some pain because I didn't have enough time for the epidural to make the pain completely gone.
This time around I wanted an all natural birth. I had read stories of women giving birth without the use of drugs for pain management, so I knew it could be done. This time around I knew that I needed to prepare. Thankfully, I have a friend here at NOBTS that is also a doula that lent me some books to help Paul and me prepare. The closer I came to my due date the more confident I came in my ability to birth the way God intended. He had designed the female body to birth children, and I knew that I could do it. I wanted to have the experience of overcoming the difficulties and pain of labor. I wanted to find new confidence in myself and my inner strength.
At my 38 week check up, I was a good 3.5 to 4 cm dilated. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a while and they were getting stronger. The next day, Saturday, February 1, I started loosing my mucus plug. I know that loosing your mucus plug could still mean a couple weeks before labor to start, but I knew that for me it meant I was going to be having this baby soon. I frantically started cleaning my house, doing those last minute preparations, and shaving my legs. I started having strong contractions with the pain mostly in my back around 5 pm. They were 15-20 minutes apart. I took Parker and Ellis for a little walk for them to play at the playground in front of the apartment building that we used to live in on campus. By the time we got back home, I was tired and contracting so we went through the Taco Bell drive thru and picked up supper. Since the pain was mostly in my back, I spent some time leaning over a birth ball which made the pain easier. Paul was supposed to get off of work at 7, so I called him right at 7 to make sure he came straight home. I was ready for him to be home to help get the kids in bed. At that time my contractions were coming every 10-12 minutes. Once he was home, I spent some time walking up and down the stairs of our apartment building and around outside. I went to bed around 11 with my contractions around 10 minutes apart. I woke up around 1 AM and decided to take a shower. It ended up being a quick shower because my contractions were coming so close together. I knew we needed to get to the hospital. I told Paul to get up and get dressed. My contractions were coming around 3 minutes apart. I am so thankful that our neighbor came over while Parker and Ellis slept. We left for the hospital by 1:30 am. I was so glad that it was night and there was no traffic, but the stop lights....ohhh the stop lights. We made it to the hospital and I slowly but as quickly as I could made my way to labor and delivery. When I made it to the nurses desk, I got down on my hands and knees. I stayed that way and answered the questions they asked. I got into the wheelchair and signed the consent form at 2:12 am. I was so glad I had made it to the hospital. I felt like I had been holding my body back squeezing my legs together to make sure we made it there. I quickly ripped of my clothes, barely put on the lovely hospital gown, and crawled into the hospital bed. I was in the "I really don't care what's going on around me" stage of labor. I don't really know who was in the room. I just laid on my side and moaned through the contractions while Paul rubbed my back. I was 9 cm when they checked me. Everyone knew it wouldn't be long. Because I tested positive for Group B Strep, they quickly got a round of antibiotics in me. My membranes were still intact, and I was feeling so much pressure. Finally, they ruptured with a gush and that helped relieve a lot of the pressure. It wasn't many contractions after that and I felt the urge to push. No one told me when to push or how long to push. I didn't even make a conscience effort to push. My body just took over and did what it needed to do. With the first urge to push, out came the head, and the rest of her body came out with the next push. She was born at 2:47 am exactly 35 minutes after I had signed the consent papers. The whole experience was amazing, and I don't think the pain was that bad. Of course, the best part is the pain brings such a beautiful miracle. We spent some quality time snuggled together for awhile after. Then Paul went with her to the nursery while she got weighed and measured. She weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 18 1/4 inches long. We opted not to have the hospital to give her a bath, and shortly, she was back with me.
I am so in love with this precious little girl. Parker and Ellis are excited to have a little sister. Paul jokes that he has to get another gun now that he has a second daughter. It's so exciting that we are now a family of five.
Although Annelise is my third child, the anticipation of her birth was no less exciting than my other two. In fact, I felt like I was giving birth for the very first time again. I had decided that this time around I wanted an all-natural birth, meaning no drugs and no augmentation as long as it was medically safe for the health of me and the baby. For Parker, I wanted to try a natural birth, but I hadn't prepared for a natural birth. When the doctor offered induction at 40 weeks, I took the opportunity. If I had known what I know now, I would have declined and waited for him to come on his own. With the combination of my lack of preparation and what felt like a never ending contraction due to the Pitocin, I asked for pain medication when I was 8 cm dilated. With Ellis, I was induced because we lived far away from the hospital and I had a quick labor with Parker so they wanted to make sure I made it to the hospital in time. Going in I knew I wanted an epidural although I had a pretty quick delivery and still felt some pain because I didn't have enough time for the epidural to make the pain completely gone.
This time around I wanted an all natural birth. I had read stories of women giving birth without the use of drugs for pain management, so I knew it could be done. This time around I knew that I needed to prepare. Thankfully, I have a friend here at NOBTS that is also a doula that lent me some books to help Paul and me prepare. The closer I came to my due date the more confident I came in my ability to birth the way God intended. He had designed the female body to birth children, and I knew that I could do it. I wanted to have the experience of overcoming the difficulties and pain of labor. I wanted to find new confidence in myself and my inner strength.
At my 38 week check up, I was a good 3.5 to 4 cm dilated. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for a while and they were getting stronger. The next day, Saturday, February 1, I started loosing my mucus plug. I know that loosing your mucus plug could still mean a couple weeks before labor to start, but I knew that for me it meant I was going to be having this baby soon. I frantically started cleaning my house, doing those last minute preparations, and shaving my legs. I started having strong contractions with the pain mostly in my back around 5 pm. They were 15-20 minutes apart. I took Parker and Ellis for a little walk for them to play at the playground in front of the apartment building that we used to live in on campus. By the time we got back home, I was tired and contracting so we went through the Taco Bell drive thru and picked up supper. Since the pain was mostly in my back, I spent some time leaning over a birth ball which made the pain easier. Paul was supposed to get off of work at 7, so I called him right at 7 to make sure he came straight home. I was ready for him to be home to help get the kids in bed. At that time my contractions were coming every 10-12 minutes. Once he was home, I spent some time walking up and down the stairs of our apartment building and around outside. I went to bed around 11 with my contractions around 10 minutes apart. I woke up around 1 AM and decided to take a shower. It ended up being a quick shower because my contractions were coming so close together. I knew we needed to get to the hospital. I told Paul to get up and get dressed. My contractions were coming around 3 minutes apart. I am so thankful that our neighbor came over while Parker and Ellis slept. We left for the hospital by 1:30 am. I was so glad that it was night and there was no traffic, but the stop lights....ohhh the stop lights. We made it to the hospital and I slowly but as quickly as I could made my way to labor and delivery. When I made it to the nurses desk, I got down on my hands and knees. I stayed that way and answered the questions they asked. I got into the wheelchair and signed the consent form at 2:12 am. I was so glad I had made it to the hospital. I felt like I had been holding my body back squeezing my legs together to make sure we made it there. I quickly ripped of my clothes, barely put on the lovely hospital gown, and crawled into the hospital bed. I was in the "I really don't care what's going on around me" stage of labor. I don't really know who was in the room. I just laid on my side and moaned through the contractions while Paul rubbed my back. I was 9 cm when they checked me. Everyone knew it wouldn't be long. Because I tested positive for Group B Strep, they quickly got a round of antibiotics in me. My membranes were still intact, and I was feeling so much pressure. Finally, they ruptured with a gush and that helped relieve a lot of the pressure. It wasn't many contractions after that and I felt the urge to push. No one told me when to push or how long to push. I didn't even make a conscience effort to push. My body just took over and did what it needed to do. With the first urge to push, out came the head, and the rest of her body came out with the next push. She was born at 2:47 am exactly 35 minutes after I had signed the consent papers. The whole experience was amazing, and I don't think the pain was that bad. Of course, the best part is the pain brings such a beautiful miracle. We spent some quality time snuggled together for awhile after. Then Paul went with her to the nursery while she got weighed and measured. She weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 18 1/4 inches long. We opted not to have the hospital to give her a bath, and shortly, she was back with me.
I am so in love with this precious little girl. Parker and Ellis are excited to have a little sister. Paul jokes that he has to get another gun now that he has a second daughter. It's so exciting that we are now a family of five.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Welcome to the world my darling!
We are so excited to announce the birth of our third child, Annelise Mobley Camp! She was born Sunday, February 2, 2014 at 2:47 AM weighing 7 lbs 5 oz and measuring 18 1/4 inches long.
I'm overwhelmed with this beautiful gift from God. As I stare at this beautiful creation, my heart is just filled with love. It's a reminder of God's overwhelming, infinite love for us. After having my first child, it was hard to imagine how I could love another child so deeply that I would be willingly to sacrifice myself for his behalf, but yet as I hold my third child, that love is just as deep for her as my other two children and my love for my other children has never diminished. In fact, it continues to grow and deepen as I watch them grow. Our love is expansive.
Our precious Annelise is a gift from God, and He has entrusted us with great responsibility of nurturing her body, mind, and spirit. We have been called to point this precious soul to Christ. I pray that we, sinful but grace covered, parents can do just that.
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