Emery's Birth Story...

My due date was Thursday, April 4th.

By coincidence, Daniel had Monday, April 1st off from work, so we decided that for Family Home Evening (and as sort of our last outing as a family of four) we could walk the Temple Grounds and visit the Visitors Center with the boys! And since we had the time, we left around 4pm for the Temple.

We had a great time, there was almost no one else there and it was so beautiful with all the flowers in bloom and everything so green!

We had a nice surprise when we reached the reflection pool and found two ducks swimming in it!

After walking through the visitors center and the grounds, we decided to go out to dinner to Carrabba's!

The evening was so perfect. We had a super yummy dinner. Aiden LOVES Carrabba's seasoned oil  and bread!

Right before we left, I started feeling cramping. I had been experiencing cramping off and on the whole week before, so it wasn't really anything new.

As I stood up to leave, though, my skirt felt wet!

It was weird though, it only felt a little wet.... I turned to Dan and told him and immediately he asked if it was my water. But I wasn't sure. I started questioning myself and felt really embarrassed- shouldn't a woman be able to know the difference between her water breaking and just bladder control?

Then Dan asked if maybe I had just peed. I told him I didn't think I had. I didn't feel like I needed to... I was so mad at myself, for not knowing!

Anyway, as we were driving home, I decided to call my Dr anyway.

He said, just to be sure I should get checked out at the hospital. I was hesitant, I didn't to be the lady who went to be checked out only to be told she just peed herself!

So we got home around 7:30 (the boys bedtime is 8pm) So I decided to just help Daniel lay the boys down, and call our friends the Thorups to come stay with them, and then go get checked out.

In that half hour, though, my cramping became stronger...

Daniel and our friend Dan Thorup gave me a blessing before we left.

We arrived at Banner Gateway at 8:30 and I was still only at 3 cm dilated. Bummer. And because there really hadn't been anymore "leaking" the nurse (and I ) were convinced it wasn't my water, but she tested anyway...

I was getting so annoyed at myself and just wanted to leave.

She came back 10 minutes later, but told us my water did break! That they were moving me to Labor and Delivery and getting the Pitocin IV started! What?!

So, of course I called and told my sister!

We were so shocked and so excited. How crazy that my water broke at Carrabba's?! I was more relieved that I hadn't peed myself! It was the perfect ending to a perfect day! We started the IV and the waiting game began....

Then at around 6am- nothing really progressed, so we felt it was safe for Dan to run home to wake the boys, get them ready for the day, and bring them to Grammy and Cindy's to visit and wait till she was born.

Of course, as soon as he leaves things moved fast!

My contractions took off and became very frequent, I had dilated further (wish I could remember 6? 7?) and Emery had changed position...

The labor nurse came in to ask about an Epidural and noticed the monitors weren't picking up on Emery. She kept moving them to find her heartbeat, but when she found it it was up by my ribcage! They immediately wheeled in a sonogram machine to see where and if, she had moved. Sure enough, Emery had moved and was now breech!

The nurse's tone changed as she started explaining the possibility of needing a C-Section...

I was nervous, and I think the nurse could tell. She was being so sweet and said lets just look at t your baby. We played around with the ultrasound for a long time. Looking at her face, her feet, her spine.... It did help. I felt better and it was fun to watch Emery be so active!

Then the nurse wanted a second opinion and asked another nurse to come in.

When she did, we discovered that Emery had moved again! She was no longer breech!

The nurses were amazed and decided my water needed to be officially broke so Emery could stay in position and drop.

My Dr came in, broke my water and that's when the contractions took off! super fast! The nurses and I began to worry that She would come before Daniel could get back, so we stopped the Pitocin.

Then the anestegeologist came in and began to, or I should say "attempted" to give me an epidural. And attempted again.... and attempted again... and attempted again... and on the fifth try Daniel walked in, I was covered in sweat and trying to continue to stay still and crouched over.
 (On a lighter and TMI note, the whole time he's digging in my spine, my water continued to break (?) Amniotic fluid just continued gushing over the side of the bed, it was hilarious how much water I had been carrying!!)
Anyway, the guy(s) and intern who had started, his replacement, and finally a much more experienced guy continued the mission.... Meanwhile Dan turns super pale, and leaves the room for a few minutes.
It took 6 attempts.
And it was super strong on my lower left side, mild on my lower right.... and barely numbed my abdomen. Still felt the contractions. Not a happy camper.
Anyway, long story short. Dan was back but because we had stopped the Pitocen I wasn't progressing anymore.
Started it back up, and waited. Contractions came- felt every single one of them- and then around 1:30pm ( yes, 17 hours of labor!) I felt her crowning.
Just my luck, my Dr was still 30 mins away!
I was ready to push. I needed to push!
My nurse called around literally asking if there were any doctors available to catch a baby.
There were none.
I really needed to push. It was the most frustrating thing to resist the urge to push!!
Finally my Dr came in, around 1:50pm.
My legs were put up in the stirrups, towels and everything put into place, and I mentioned for him to let me know when I could FINALLY push....
But to my surprise, He told me NOT to push! What? Not you too!
He said, "Don't push, she's coming.."
I started laughing, it didn't make sense! When I laughed, she came out.
That was it. Not a few pushes. Not a "One Push Wonder..."
I never pushed. I laughed, once.
And that was it. She was finally here! Born at 2:04pm.



She looks JUST like Aiden did...

Loved when my boys came!

My favorite picture of Logan with Emery. So many caption possibilites!

Our beautiful daughter
Emery Joleen Phillips