Luke's Birth

With our brand new baby, Luke Fielding LeBaron

December 21st, 10:30 pm (2 hours old)

**It's taken me almost 2 weeks to gather up my thoughts (and the time) to write this entry. Nothing fancy or dramatic about Luke's birthday but I want to remember it forever all the same. The births of all my babies have been smooth and swift and rather amazing to me—I know I am a lucky mama.

My 4 darlings, December 22nd, 2011

Wednesday December 21st started out calm enough—the kids were on their first day of holiday break and we enjoyed a lazy morning hanging out in our PJs. Once it was time to clean up breakfast and get everyone dressed for the day, the contractions began to hit pretty regularly. But then again, they had been doing that for about 10 days whenever I was active so I didn't think too much about it. Until they just kept coming, but still weren't quite close enough to signal impending labor. So I kept moving—I wanted to have a baby before the holiday weekend!

After talking to Joseph (and making him come home from work around noon) and wondering and worrying I finally called my OB (as he had told me to do at my appointment 2 days earlier if I thought things may be happening). He said to head on over to the hospital and reassured me that if my contractions were only 10 minutes apart they would still admit me.

From there on out everything happened so smoothly. My parents met us at the hospital right around 2:30 pm and gathered up our kids and their overnight bags. Then Joseph and I walked into the L&D wing and within 15 minutes we knew we were having a baby that day. It was so exciting—I was so ready to have baby Luke (I truly need to gear myself up mentally when I arrive at the hospital. Did you know birthing children is actually really hard work and quite painful—for like days and days after too? Hence--mental prep needed.) The nurses met us as we walked in as they were ready and waiting for us—my dr. had called and told them to be expecting us. When they hooked me up to the monitors my contractions were close enough, even if not exactly regular, and I was dilated to a 5 so everything pointed to being ready to deliver. By 3:30 I had my epidural in, Dr. Watts broke my water shortly thereafter, and then the contractions really kicked in. I could definitely feel a lot of tightening and most certainly the pressure building with each one but thank goodness for that epidural.

After laying on my left side for a while Luke quickly came down right into birthing position. This was round 7 pm and by then I was completely dilated and feeling really ready to push BUT my doctor had to be called in and was about 30 mins away AND Luke was in brow presentation meaning that his forehead was wanting to come out first instead of the tip top of his head. Good thing the nurses assured me that since he was my 4th baby they'd have plenty of room to shift him around before birth and he'd come out perfectly (lucky me?)

And so, when Dr. Watts arrived right around 8, he checked me, jumped into some scrubs, rearranged Luke somehow, and we had a new baby in exactly 3 pushes (weighing in at 8 lbs and 8 ounces and measuring 20.5 inches in length) Before I knew it Luke was resting on my chest all fresh and new and perfect. It was certainly my smoothest and quickest labor—and has subsequently been a fairly quick recovery so that has been especially nice when I have 3 other kiddos to look after. I am actually dying to get back on my bike for a good long ride—seems to prove that things are feeling back to normal in my lady parts...

 

Some of Luke's hospital visitors:

 Grandma Bobbi 

Aunt Cecily 

(who rescued my hospital bag from my house for me before coming to see us—classic that we brought everything else with us like cameras and computers and even Joseph's early Christmas gift—the iPad— but forgot my clothes and essentials...oops!) 

Grandpa Sherm—(fighting a cold)

 Aunt Luci

Nanny, Grandpa Neil, Aunt Mary, Aunt Maggie and Uncle Seth also came to see us but I didn't have my camera when they came. If anyone has pics, send them my way!

And of course Luke's most adoring fans:

loving big brother

smitten big sis

curious (but tender) big sis

Luke at exactly 1 day old

I feel totally blessed and eternally grateful for Luke's healthy and seamless arrival. I do have an amazing OB who is a very skilled doctor and really good guy who has now delivered 3 of my 4 children. He is also my parents' next door neighbor and in the bishopric in their ward. I also love having babies at St. Marks because my dad has worked there for years and years now and everyone seems to know him. Every anesthesiologist knows all about my family and siblings after working in the operating room with my dad. I think I may get really well taken care of because of my dad but I will take it! And I just love the nurses in the maternity wing—they are the best and make my life so easy while I am there.

 

All ready to come home to the chaos that life is!

Welcome to the world and to our family baby Luke. 

We are so happy you are here and are ours forever.