Happy Birthday, Ruth Viola!

Dear Ruthie,

You are here. Outside of mommy's tummy. In our big, bright, noisy world. You are here, in the flesh, with a head full of dark hair, with strong lungs and a strong heart. You are here. You are here, safe in my arms, being cuddled constantly, with kisses all over your sweet head.

And here's how you got here:
Yesterday, at 2:00am, I started feeling contractions (guess that whole fresh pineapple worked after all!!). I was able to sleep for a couple more hours, but at about 4:00am, I couldn't sleep any more. I got up, came into the kitchen, and worked on thank you cards. As contractions hit (all centered in my back), I would stand up, bend over, and pray and praise the Lord that your time was coming without having to endure our scheduled induction! Your daddy got up mid-morning and helped me through some more contractions...

... then by 1:00pm, my contractions were strong and about 3 or 4 minutes apart. So we headed to the hospital, anticipating that you could be here soon! Memaw, Papa, and Ms. Linda met us there. When they checked me out, I was fully effaced, but only dilated to 2.5 cm, not far enough along to be admitted. They admitted my contractions were strong, though, so my body was making progress! And they said they'd for sure see us later that night! The nurses gave us three options: walk around the hospital for a couple hours and then be checked again, walk around town / stores, or go home. We decided to go home. I had a couple more contractions (strong ones!) before we left the hospital that made me stop, breathe, and force your daddy to rub my back. And then we headed home!

At home, I sat on the couch while your daddy applied counter-pressure to my back. I took a hot bath. I took a hot shower and let the water just run on me. We tried to watch "Cutthroat Kitchen" but I couldn't concentrate and we had to keep pausing it for contractions... which again, kept getting stronger and stronger. Every time a contraction came, your daddy or I would pray out loud for strength and endurance. I had also written out scripture on some index cards and your daddy would read those to me to help give me strength and something on which I could concentrate. They were a big help. I kept thinking about what Janelle told me - allow labor and delivery to be a time of worship: The Lord is with me and He alone knows what I am going through; trust Him in it and worship Him in it. So that's what we did. I tried to eat some crackers and drink some water, but every time I did, I threw them up again.

Finally, at 8:00pm, I told your daddy that we had to go back to the hospital. My contractions were closer and even stronger than before. We loaded up the car, told Memaw and Papa we were heading to the hospital, and took off. We arrived at about 8:30 and they hooked me up to the monitors in triage again to see how things were going.

Yvette was our triage nurse and she was so nice, Ruthie! At one point, a contraction came and as I struggled to breathe through it on my back, Yvette said, "You are stronger than this contraction!" I looked at her and said, "I am not, but my God is!" She laughed a little and said, "Through Him, you are stronger!"

They asked me about my pain management - if I wanted an epidural or anything - and I told them I wanted to deliver as naturally as possible, with no medicine.

They tried to take some blood for tests, but I was so dehydrated from throwing up earlier in the day that they could hardly find my veins. Yvette inserted an IV into the back of my hand and they began pumping me full of fluids.

Then, out of no where, your heart rate dropped to about 60 BPM (from 130-140). Alarms started sounding and we were suddenly surrounded by sweet, caring nurses. They rolled me onto my side, gave me oxygen, and we prayed that your heart rate would come back up. By the grace of God, it did, Ruth. I was so worried for you and in that moment, I thought, "Just give me a C-Section so that she can be here and be safe!" So much for "natural" childbirth. I think the Lord used that to help us continue to trust Him.

They checked me again - I was at 4cm and ready to be admitted. By about 9:00pm, I was in a room and your daddy and I were laboring away. He was the best support I could have asked for - constantly in prayer for me and you, rubbing my back, supporting me as I swayed through contractions.

Within just a few minutes (no joke!), I was dilated to 6cm and the doctor (Dr. Downing from Generations Medical) came in - they had decided to break my water. So at about 9:30pm, I laid back on the bed, they grabbed the crochet-hook type thing, and broke my water. And out with the gush of amniotic fluid came a gush of meconium. You had passed stool in my fluid, putting you at risk for meconium in your lungs and stomach. And because of that, we had to be continually hooked up to the monitors in our room. And it meant the pediatrician had to be in the room when you were delivered to check you out right away. Praise the Lord, the pediatrician from Ptarmigan (Dr. Hess) was there on call.

We labored through some more contractions - without your daddy, I don't think I could have endured. I never really screamed or yelled, but I certainly moaned loudly towards the end! And I'm so thankful that I told them up front that I wanted to do it naturally because they never asked me again how I was doing or if I needed any medicine. Had they asked, I may have taken them up on it!

At about 11:40pm, the urge to pass stool came on hard and strong. Mandy, our awesome RN, had me lay down on the bed to check my progress. I was at 8cm. At about 11:50pm, I told her, "No, I really have to poop!" She checked me again - 9cm.

At that point, the nurses started getting ready. Dr. Downing came in and "suited up." Dr. Hess came in (and sat in a chair reading a magazine and looking at my chart). Yvette got to be your nurse, Ruthie, and Mandy was there for me.

At about 12:15am, I told them, "I have to push!" and crawled into the bed. Mandy held on my legs and your daddy held the other. As the doctor helped massage and stretch me some more, I started to push. Yvette told me, "Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in - PUSH! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10! Good! Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in - PUSH! 1, 2, 3..." until I did three pushes per contraction. Then I rested until the next one hit.

I asked the nurses, "How many more pushes?" And they said they didn't know. I asked, "Less than 100?" And they laughed and said yes. I was glad about that!

Finally, your daddy could see you coming! And girly, you had a full head of dark hear leading the way! The doctor started joking about braiding your hair while we were waiting for you to be born. I asked your daddy, "Is she really there? Can you see her?! Does she have hair?!" and he answered the affirmative for all those questions. You were there, Ruthie, fixing to come out.

When your head started to crown, Dr. Downing asked me if I wanted to feel your head - I reached my hand down and felt you - a little hard, a little slimy, and a little bumpy. I didn't know it at the time, but your daddy said I was the first person to feel you - and I'm so glad. You had been inside me for so long, wiggling away, but I had never felt you on the outside.

Then Ruthie, after only 30 minutes of pushing and breathing, at 12:45am, your head popped out, followed quickly by your shoulders and perfect little body. You gave a quick cry as your daddy cut the umbilical cord and you were taken by Dr. Hess and Yvette to be cleaned up. 

The Lord is so good - we learned from Memaw and Papa afterward that right when you were born - at 12:45am - it started snowing outside. Our little Alaskan snow baby.

Dr. Hess and Yvette had to syringe some fluid out of your mouth and rubbed you clean of the meconium. Your 1-minutes APGAR was an 8 / 10 and your 5-minute APGAR was 9 / 10. You were perfect.

I had you on my chest by 12:50am. Oh Ruthie - seeing you was perfect. Your daddy and I were in awe. Here was this little person, whom I had housed on the inside for over 41 weeks, finally here on my chest. Your ears, your nose, your fingers, your hair.... they were all fearfully and wonderfully made by our God and I praised Him for you!

First picture, all snuggled on mommy.

Our first family photo at the hospital. <3

As I held you and marveled at you, I quickly passed the placenta, and they stitched me up where I had torn.

The doctors all started to leave, but I called out to Dr. Hess, "Thank you, Dr. Hess, for being here!" and he looked back, a little surprised. Mandy said, "She said that without any pain medicine, so you know she meant it!" and he chuckled a little and said, "You're welcome." I thanked Dr. Downing, too, and she left for another delivery. Mandy went to the lobby to tell Memaw and Papa you were here. And Yvette told me that I did a great job.

In fact, several times, the nurses said that I was doing really well for being a first time mom! They said my body progressed quickly (much faster than the 1 cm per hour that is "textbook"), that I handled the pain really well, and that everything was perfect. I told them, "It is only by the grace of God!" and I really believe that. If your daddy and I had not intentionally prayed and worshiped throughout the whole thing, we could not have done it. No way. But by allowing the labor and delivery to really be a time of worship, of communing with our heavenly Father as we prepared to become your earthly mother and father, it turned into a truly beautiful and special time.

I nursed and Memaw and Papa came into the room shortly after that. They weighed you - 7 pounds, 7 ounces - and measured you - 20.5 inches long. And oh my girl, you were perfect: the perfect size (especially for being 10 days late!) and perfectly healthy.

Getting weighed. Such a big girl!

Your daddy even checked the placenta... and there was nary a cyst to be found! Even Mandy looked at it and she could't see anything, either! The Lord fully and completely healed me, without us even knowing, and the cyst was completely gone. He is so good.

Mandy gave you your eye ointment and then left us to bond with you. And we just kept staring at you. By this point, it didn't matter that I had been up for 24 hours (and your daddy for nearly that long). All that mattered is you were there with us, safe and sound, and we were oh-so-happy.

Memaw and Papa left around 3:00am, your daddy flipped the couch into a bed, and Mandy told me I could take a shower (since I didn't have any interventions - woohoo!). I showered and crawled back into my (now clean) bed. And then I just held you on my chest for hours as we slept on and off.

Kisses from Memaw

Papa saying goodnight.

Ruth, we are so glad you are here. We praise the Lord that we did not have to be induced, that you came on His timing, and that you were born strong and healthy. We praise the Lord for healing my placenta without us even knowing. I praise the Lord for granting me the strength and endurance to persevere through 23 hours of pure and intense back labor, for His word that sustains us, and for your daddy who had sore arms and hands for a couple days from pressing on my back.

We praise the Lord for you, baby girl. And we can't wait to see how He uses you in this life. We pray for you daily, that you will know Him and follow Him.

All the love we could ever muster,
Mama