Easton William Palmer

In my head the whole time I've been pregnant I just felt like this baby was going to come early.  After Brett came 4 weeks early I was so sure something was going to go wrong and send me into labor. So about mid July I started to think that this kid could go any time. This stupid thought drove me crazy. I hurt all the time and Easton would kick so and move so hard I was really uncomfortable. I went into the dr at 36 weeks and was about 2 1/2 cm- went in at 37 weeks and was 3 1/2 cm. It was at that appointment that my dr told me he was going out of town at the end of the next week so he was planning on trying to get my labor going before he left so he could deliver the baby.  I woke up in August 11th knowing that the baby could come that day but didn't want to get too excited.  I had been thinking that a lot the last few weeks.  But to be on the safe side I spent the morning with the boys running to the store to get food, trying to keep my kitchen clean up and doing my hair.  Yes I admit it.  I didn't want to have pictures of me with the baby looking like I normally do so I got ready. I'm vain like that i guess.  =)  I did feel like crap that whole day though so I had a really hard time getting a lot done. 

I went into the dr at 2:45 and they hooked me up to a fetal monitor.  I laid back in this chair listening to his heart beat and seeing I wasn't really having many contractions.  I sent a text to Bryan saying I was so sad to think I may be going home and not having the baby.  I went in to be checked by my dr and he was asked me "have you been having contractions lately?" I told him really bad but they come and go.  And he said "well I'm sending you upstairs you are 5 cm dilated and that is considered labor. I felt pretty good leaving the office I have to say.  I started texting Bryan.  His last text to me said baby? and I said baby! Baby! it's go time! And he didn't see if for ever! I went upstairs and they set me up in a room.  I got all hooked up and starting feeling contractions around 4:30.  

I tested for strep B positive which really means I just have to be on a antibiotic for 4 hours before I deliver and since this was baby #5 for me they waited to break my water.  I told Bryan to wait to come up until then.  I just laid there and tried to relax.  I can't even tell you how relieved I was that no medical emergency sent me into labor and I finally knew what it was like to go into labor on my own.  Bryan got there and here came my dr like 15 mins later- just after 6 pm.  I was now 6cm so he broke my water.  I got my epidural soon after that.  And it hurt, a lot.  But oh is that thing worth it!! 

I had had like 5 different nurses coming in and out to help me and one of them was the nurse that had helped deliver Tyson and Brett and she is my favorite. Her name is Jolene and she grew up down the street from my aunt Martha and her brother was friends with Bryan growing up. I just love her but she was helping someone else.  Just before my dr came in she came in and said good news I already helped deliver the baby so I'm your nurse now! Seriously this day just couldn't get any better . 

Before pic at my dr's office- 38 weeks and 1 day pregnant.

After my epidural I kept getting super dizzy.  All the sudden I would turn super pale and have to close my eyes and relax because I felt like I was going to pass out.  Lucky for me Jolene could come check on me every 15-20 mins to help me. If I sat up a little more I wouldn't get as sick but it was back and forth with that for like a hour.  Jolene started getting things ready for Easton's arrival when she checked me at 7:30 and I was 7cm.  Around 8:20-8:30 about she checked me again and I was complete! They called Dr. Horsley up and started getting the nurses going.  They had around 8 mom's in labor and delivery that day and three of us were delivering all at the same time so nurses to help with the babies were in short supply.  Because Easton was doing so awesome they had a respiratory nurse come and help him. As soon as my dr got there I started pushing.  Bryan always starts chatting with the nurses and my dr when I'm pushing.  In between contractions everyone is just standing there so why not. We found out that my dr was leaving at the end of the week to Ohio to go visit his parents in Kirtland where his parents were serving a mission- and that is where Bryan went on his mission.  That was good to keep Bryan not freaking out about the baby coming.  He always gets super nervous.  

One of the best things about this delivery was that my epidural worked but I could still move a little bit.  I could feel lots of pressure but it wasn't painful either.  I had never felt my baby moving down as I pushed him out and that was a really really cool feeling.  I turned to Bryan when Easton was crowning and told him I could feel him about to come out.  Not sure how to explain how it felt but it helped me push him.  

After about 10 mins of pushing Easton William Palmer was born at 8:49 PM weighing 7 lb 8 oz and was 20 ins long.  I was scared he was going to be 8lb+ so I was way happy that he was a little smaller.  After Bryan cut his cord they handed him to me and Bryan and I rubbed him down to clean him off.  He had the sweetest cry and the cutest little face.  Seriously love at first sight.  

Easton and Dr Horsley- he has delivered all 5 of our boys. 

Easton was so awake! He has the sweetest eyes.  I loved our first snuggles.  The hospital likes to leave the baby with the mom as much as possible.  Bryan gets nervous how much they don't check on the baby.  I got to hold him for a long time and when they needed to check on me I finally let Bryan hold him.  Bryan acts like he hates the newborn stage but he really loves to hold our babies.  Not really other peoples babies but ours he really loves to snuggle.

I know I said he was 7lb 8 oz and he was.  The scale was still reading when Bryan was taking pictures.

He doesn't have much hair but has more in the back.  

Easton loves to put his hands all over his face so it's hard to get a picture with his hands down while he is awake.

This is Jolene- she seriously is my favorite nurse.  Not sure how we always get so lucky to have her.

Bryan knew a CNA from working at Wendy's years ago and when she saw our name on a list of people coming up she put us down for the "suite" which really is just the room at the end of the all to recover in.  It really was huge through with big windows.  I loved it.

By this time it was almost midnight and Bryan decided to head home grab a few things and head to his mom's where my boys were all sleeping.  Between nurses coming in to check on me and them taking care of my baby we were busy for the next couple of hours.  They took his footprints, bathed him and for the first time took him out of my room to give him a longer check up.

Easton's first bath. 

I got like 3 hours a sleep that whole night and even when I slept I was half awake.  It was awful.  Between my room being super hot and needing help to get up and go to the bathroom I felt like a zombie.  I was happy when it was morning honestly.  One of the very best things about having a brand new baby is watching my boys meet their brother.  Bryan brought them up the next morning and they were all so excited to see him.

Seriously look how many boys I have?!? 

My big family! Look how happy Stock is! 

I had all these plans of taking tons of photos of him at the hospital but between my after pains (which were HORRIBLE I was in so much pain!! Brought tears to my eyes!) and how tired I was I didn't get all the photos I wanted.  Sorry Easton! 

My room had a big window that Bryan would sit up in.  

I had Easton on a Tuesday night and we went home Thursday morning.  We laugh about how the nurses must have loved me because they would come in and ask if I needed anything and we really never did.  It's been a few years but I still remember how to take care of newborns.

It honestly feels like Easton has always been in our family. I have enjoyed him so much.  My other boys are older and not needed as much of my time so I can snuggle him more.  He seriously is the sweetest little guy you would ever meet. I'm way less stressed with him then I was with any of my other boys just because I've done this so much now.  I keep thinking about how I was trying to decided last summer if we should have another baby and not I can't imagine our lives without my sweet little guy.  I feel so blessed to be his mom.

As horrible it is to have a baby (I mean really I can name 10 different things before and after that are painful and not fun to go through) the experience is so amazing.  The whole thing really.  I look forward to it so much.  I am lucky enough to have been able to have 5 babies that all came so healthy.  And to finally have a normal delivery was so amazing!