Her Birth Story

Welcome to the world, Sweet Child of Mine!!

Elizabeth Faith

7lbs 5 ozs ~ 20 inches

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 ~ 12:46 AM

"Every good and perfect gift is from above..." James 1:17

This slideshow is amazing!!! Caroline is amazing!!
website: www.carolinejphotography.com
email: caroline4kids@yahoo.com
She captured every single moment in a total of 565 images. We've condensed the story into this slideshow of 184 images. I encourage you to read the birth story and then watch the slideshow. Absolutely Amazing!! To God Be The Glory!!!




It all began a week and a day ago on Monday, September 13th. I'm always amazed at how good God is to me. On Monday, I woke up determined to make something happen. I took the reigns. Took control. But, threw up a prayer here and there that I would get my way. I was really tired of waiting and really hoping to go in on my own. It's so hard to get up everyday and go about business as usual when you keep thinking that at any minute something could happen or start happening to send you into labor. So on Monday I decided to do something about it. Looking back I regret my attitude, my pride, my desire to control things, etc. However in spite of all of that, God still gave me the desire of my heart. Still. He did it. He allowed it. Him.

I began the day walking in hopes of bringing on serious contractions. It happened. The contractions began. So I came in and began to pack and prepare. The contractions continued. Grew more intense. Grew closer together. Whoo Hoo!!! I was on my way. I did have a moments when I realized that I was really trying too hard to manipulate the situation, and I had to ask myself was it all real or was it in my head. At that point, I sat down for a while to get a grip on the situation and sure enough the contractions continued. So, we finished a few things around the house, packed up the kids, dropped them off to sweet friends, and headed to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at around 3:30 PM. Still questioning the day, I went in asking my nurse, "is this the real thing." Then a contraction hit, I doubled over and she laughed and said, "Uh, yes this is the real thing." My first nurse was Monica. I loved her to pieces and hated when she went off duty at 7:00 PM. By around 4:00 PM I was in a room, hooked up to the monitors, and was checked for the first time. At that time, I was dilated 4 cm, about 70% effaced, and my contractions varied between about 2-6 minutes apart. Monica assured me there was no going home now. I was there to have a baby!!! The contractions continued to intensify over the next couple hours. They also continued to be between 1-5 minutes apart. Then while they remained consistent in how far apart they were, they seemed to decrease in intensity. That seems to always happen to me. My nurse said it's pretty common for that to happen after someone begins to received fluids. So at that point we began pitocin. I have had pitocin with every delivery so that wasn't a big deal to me. Pitocin helps bring on contractions. So soon after beginning the pitocin, the contractions cranked back up again in intensity and in consistency. At that point, they began coming every 1-2 minutes. Also in an effort to speed things along, my doctor decided to break my water. We all felt like things would move quickly after my water was broke, and it was recommended that if I wanted an epidural I should get it before they broke my water. So at around 7:30 PM I got the epidural and around 8:15 PM Dr. C broke my water. To this point, progress was occurring it was just happening very slowly. My new nurse, Amy had replaced Monica at 7 PM. Monica assured me that I was in good hands, and she was right. Amy was also great! At around 8:30 PM, Amy suggested that the baby might be slightly off center. She suggested laying on my side to help baby get into better position. At around 9:30 PM I was still only about 5-6 cm dilated and 70-80% effaced but at least baby Elizabeth was further down now. Still, I was feeling a tinsy bit frustrated with my progress. Amy was checking me about every 2 hours, so the next time I was checked was around 11:30 PM. Finally, better progress. I was about 7.5 cm dilated. Hooray!!! Amy decided to roll me over to the other side for a while. Almost immediately the contractions intensified. Then based on the monitors and my contractions Amy came back in at 11:55 PM and asked me if I was noticing any pressure. I had began to notice a little bit of pressure. Amy could tell that things were getting close just by watching the monitors. So, cool!! So she checked me again, and I was at 9 cm and 90%!!! Ten minutes later, I told her I was feeling a lot more pressure and I thought I might be ready! She checked me at 12:04 AM and said I was at 10 cm and 100% effaced, ready to push!!! And boy could I feel it!! I was practically begging to push baby out, but no! What, no?!! Yes, no!!! Dr. C was down the road at the other hospital in the middle of delivering another mom!!!! I was in misery waiting on him. I began to ask for my epidural to be cranked up. The pain and pressure was so intense! My nurse Amy also thought I should get some additional medication to help me resist the urge to push. Very quickly the anesthesiologist came in. As he was pushing a needle into my IV line I heard him say, "this ought to do it. It's 4 times the strength of what she had." What????!!!!! I didn't ask for that much!!! Within a few minutes I felt nothing!! I was very fearful that I would have trouble pushing. I mean really I went from thinking I was about to die with pain to laughing as we waited for Dr. C to arrive. Crazy, stuff! Finally, Dr. C arrives and I began to push at 12:36 AM on Tuesday, September 14th. With just a few pushes that I'm not sure how I managed since I felt absolutely nothing, no pain, no pressure, no knowledge of a contraction, Elizabeth Faith was born at 12:46 AM!!! Hallelujah!!!

I love so much that Caroline captured every detail. I love looking at my face when I first got see, touch, feel, hold, Elizabeth for the first time. There's nothing that compares!! I love that that through pictures I can forever relive that moment over and over again. So, awesome!!!

I love that the Lord loves me and is so good to me!! I am in awe of how much He has blessed me. I can hardly believe that He has chosen to give me this life I have. To be a wife to Wesley, a mother of 8 children, 5 of which He has entrusted to me here on this Earth! As I look back other the prayers I posted in the days leading up to Elizabeth's birth, I can see His hand on every one!!! A hymn comes to my mind..."I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned, unclean. How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be, How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Savior's love for me!"

A few days ago, I shared with Wesley my regret over my attitude on Monday morning. Wesley quoted from memory this verse:

"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps."

That was freeing to me. We can make our plans all day long, but God is always ultimately in control. I don't really know why I've made so much out of it in the first place, but God has used it to convict and mold me. It has reminded me of how good He is and how undeserving I am. All I can say is, "The Lord is good!! He is good!!"