A Baby Story: Evan's Arrival

It seems that from day one Evan has decided to march to the beat of his own drum.  I had three of the "easiest" pregnancies with my first three babies, but from the start things were a bit different with Evan.  I had low progesterone in the first trimester (which I did experience with Stella), at 20 weeks we found out about his cleft and my shortened cervical length, and then beginning around 24 weeks I was under care for preterm labor which means I had weekly ultrasounds up until I was 35 weeks pregnant.  I failed my glucose test, then had to take the three-hour.  I tested positive for a fetal fibronectin test at 24 weeks which means that it was likely I would go into labor within two weeks (YIKES!).  But, then all of that ended up being for nothing because the Lord sustained Evan in my womb far beyond what we all anticipated.

I started to dilate around 34 weeks.  I was 1 cm, then 3-4 cm.  Then I jumped to 5 cm, and the nurse practitioner that I saw almost weekly thought I wouldn't make it but a few more days.  So, I walked around for a week thinking that if I sneezed too hard I would pop out a baby, but alas nothing happened.  I made it to 36 weeks.  At my 37 week appointment, I was still at 5 cm but they weren't ready to admit me because my contractions weren't consistent.  I decided then to stop walking around in that anxious state of anticipation, and I just enjoyed my last days of pregnancy.  Those were my last days with just three children.  Last days with Stella as my "baby."  Last days of "sleep" (although we all know that late pregnancy doesn't equal good rest).  All this time I was having lots of contractions, some very intense, some nights thinking "This is it."  However, my contractions would slow down, we would make it through another night, and I was still pregnant.

My biggest "fear" with this delivery was that things would be chaotic.  Let's face it, there's a lot to consider before I can just be admitted to the hospital.  I have to make sure the kiddos are being cared for, whether that means someone comes to the house in the middle of the night or we have help getting them to and from school, etc.  Also, when I went into labor spontaneously with Stella, I had extreme back labor that was very painful.  I was not a very nice person, and rumor has it that I can turn into a little bit of a "potty mouth" when the going gets rough.  How would all of that play out, say, in the middle of the afternoon.  There were many what ifs and what would wes.  My prayer was that it would all come together peacefully (and I really prayed hard that I would make it to the hospital in time to get my epidural).  Selfish, I know.

On Tuesday, October 15, we spent out last day and night as a family of five.  We had co-op at church, lunch at home, dinner as a family.  Jonathan and Liam went and bought a new television for our living room because our old one (which we'd had for many, many moons) took no shorter than 15 minutes to turn on.  It was time, people.  While the boys were out, we girls painted our nails because it is a necessity to have pretty toes whilst pushing out a baby, right? It was a sweet time with my two little ladies.  We tucked the kids into bed, and I prayed that I would make it through the night and to my doctor's appointment the next morning.  I had been having contractions off and on for several days, but again, no consistency, no strengthening.

On Wednesday, October 16, I brought Liam to school and dropped Stella and Nora (on Fall Break) off to Granna and Geegaw's house.  The plan was that if my appointment showed no progression then I would come get Stella and then pick up the other two once they got out of school.  If my appointment, however, led me to get admited to the hospital, then the girls would already be with them and they could get Liam at dismissal.  I checked into the appointment and was quickly ushered in to leave a sample and get weighed.  As I was coming out of the restroom, I was greeted by my favorite nurse practitioner, Krista, and her nurse.  I saw Krista at most of my appointments since I was going weekly, and we have gotten to know each other very well.  Love her!  She told me how shocked she was that I was there, still pregnant.  My response was, "I know!"  She gave me a squeeze and told me to tell her what the word was after seeing Dr. Yang.

A few minutes later I found myself in the room and Dr. Yang came in, asked how I was feeling whether or not I was ready.  She quickly checked me and said that I had progressed to a 6 or 7 cm. 
"Let's have a baby," she said.  Okay!  She didn't even want me to go home, but wanted me to head straight to the hospital (just down the street).  Thankfully, I had my suitcase packed just in case.  A few minutes later I called Jonathan to tell him it was baby day!  He was so excited, and we quickly hung up so he could get out of the office, swing by the house for a few last minute things for himself, and meet me up there.  I then called Paul and Joyce to tell them the news, and then I called my momma.  About 20 minutes after my appointment time, I was parking my van in the hospital parking lot and pulling my suitcase and my pregnant self up the hill to the hospital entrance.  It was quite funny and seemed ordinary, but it was Evan's birthday.

I checked in and was escorted to my room where I changed and got hooked up on monitors.  Several nurses came in to get my medical history and important information, and I was started on an IV and some fluids.  Jonathan arrived around 11:00 am, and I had left most of our things in the van, so he headed to get himself some lunch and come back with what we needed.  By the time he got back, the anesthesiologist was there to give me my epidural (around noon).  A bit later they nurse checked me and I was at 8 cm.  She called Dr. Yang who came in just a few minutes later and broke my water.  She said I hadn't really progressed past 8 so I asked if I could sit up to see if changing my position and putting pressure on my cervix caused me to dilate.  At 1:20, the nurse came in to ask if I felt pressure or if I needed to push.  I didn't think I did, so she said to call her if anything changed, but that if not, she would be back at 2:00 to check on me. 

At 1:35, Jonathan called his parents who had just picked up Liam from school.  We were so excited to hear his reaction about having his baby brother being born that day, so we wanted to hear his response over the phone.  While Jonathan talked to his folks, I began to feel some changes and lots of pressure.  I could still feel my contractions (although mostly pain-free), so as soon as Jonathan hung up the phone I told him we needed to call the nurse.  That was at 1:42.  The nurse quickly came in and checked me, and I was complete.  "Let me get the doctor," she said.  A whirlwind unfolded as everyone came in and got in position.  I was ready to push and could feel everything I needed to know what was happening.  It was a wonderful epidural and delivery...pain free, but I was still in control of my body.  About three rounds of pushing (counting to ten), and our boy was here!

Evan came out screaming and as mad as a hornet!  Dr. Yang asked if I wanted to hold him, and I so did!  She dropped that messy, bloody, screaming baby boy in my arms and it was love!  I just love that moment and would do it over and over again.  We snuggled for a bit, but his body temperature was dropping and they needed to check him out, so they took him across the room to warm him and weigh him.  Evan was 7 lbs, 2 oz. and measured 19.5 inches in length.  He was just a few ounces bigger than his two sisters (who weighed 6.14 and 6.15).  Liam was my biggest baby at 7.15.  As I mentioned in my earlier post, it quickly became apparent that his lip was the only thing involved in his cleft, so once he got warm, I tried nursing him.  That first time it didn't go so well, but about an hour or so later we tried again and he did great. 

Later that afternoon, the kids came by to meet their baby brother.  They all instantly adored him!  I tried to immediately address Evan's cleft so that the kids wouldn't be upset or confused or anything, but even though I pointed it out, they hardly seemed to notice or care.  All they saw was their baby brother that they loved.  We had several friends visit us throughout our hospital stay, and my recovery was pretty "easy." 

All in all, Jonathan and I both think that Evan's delivery was probably the best one.  It was smooth, fairly quick, and I was so comfortable with the epidural and pushing and knowing what my body was supposed to do.  The Lord truly answered my prayers and calmed all fears.  There was no chaos.  Evan and I were both healthy, and all of our needs were provided for! 

I'm weird, I know, but I love the actual part of having the baby.  Now, I don't know how much I'd love it minus my epidural, but childbirth truly is such a miracle.  Even now, four weeks later, I cannot get over the fact that Evan was INSIDE me!  Our God is amazing.  Conception and pregnancy and delivery and raising babies.....it's beyond my comprehension.  It definitely causes me to stand in awe of my Creator!

.God Is Gracious.

Two weeks ago, we were so blessed to welcome our newest bundle into the world.  That's right, our fourth child, our second son--Evan James Bradshaw-- was born on Wednesday, October 16, 2013.   And we could not be more in love with this little boy.

I have so much to say about my pregnancy, my delivery, and how wonderful life with Evan has been these past two weeks, but before I get to those things, I want to tell you all something that we have not been extremely verbal about until now.  Many of you may have noticed in a few of the pictures that we have posted on Facebook or Instagram that Evan has a cleft lip.  We found out about Evan's lip during my 20 week anatomy scan back in June.  Being our fourth baby, I didn't really expect the appointment to go any differently than my previous three, so Jonathan stayed home with the other kiddos while I went to have my ultrasound.  After about an hour of checking on our little man, the ultrasound tech finally got around to scanning Evan's brain and face.  He was very low in my pelvis during the ultrasound, so she was having trouble getting good pictures of his brain, but finally got to see all that she needed.  Finally, she got to his sweet face and profile but said she was having trouble getting the shots she needed because his umbilical cord was right in front of his face.  Within a minute or so, my eyes seemed to focus in on Evan and I saw it.  I said, "Is that a cleft lip?"  "It is," she said with a sympathetic, kind tone.

A few minutes later she came back with my OB to confirm the diagnosis.  The rest of the appointment is kind of a blur, but I remember that I held it together pretty well and just kept trying to remind myself that the baby was healthy.  All things considered, a cleft lip is not life-threatening and is usually fixable.  Through teary eyes, I said this to my OB.  She nodded in agreement, then looked at me and said, "That's true. But, it's your baby. You always want everything to be perfect for your baby."  I called Jonathan from the operatory and told him the news.  His response was so strong and encouraging and full of faith.

We made it through that first weekend (I found out on a Friday morning).  Our emotions ran the gamut as we learned more about the condition, we learned how much we actually DID NOT and COULD NOT know about the extent of the cleft, and we told our family and closest friends.  Honestly, we cried a lot that weekend.  We took turns being the weak one and the strong one.  We talked to the kiddos about the baby's "Boo Boo."  But most importantly, we named our baby during those days.  Up until that time, we had trouble deciding on a name, but after his diagnosis, I told Jonathan that he needed a name.  I needed to be able to call him by his name, to pray for him by name.  Evan was one of the names on our list and it was the only name on that list that had the perfect meaning:  God is gracious.  Evan James, God IS Gracious.  He graciously gave you to us.  He graciously made you in my womb.  He graciously brought you into our family.  And He graciously cares for you and takes care of you and loves you.

After those first few days, I came to the conclusion that I could not live in the sadness that I had over the weekend.  I did not want to continue on through the next four months of pregnancy with a sense of fear, anxiety, sadness, or any other emotion that would rob me, rob our family from the joy of this upcoming new life.   We were having a BABY.  A son!  We had so much to rejoice over and be thankful for and we had so much to celebrate.

It's true, we knew very little about the future.  Even with several ultrasounds, we were not able to tell if Evan's cleft was just his lip or if it extended into his palate.  We would not know until delivery.  In August, we met with the Cleft Team at Knoxville's Children's Hospital to consult with them about Evan's case and to learn about what the future held.  We instantly fell in love with the nurse practitioner who coached us on the worst-case scenarios, what to expect, how to feed and how not to feed.  She reassured me over and over that there was nothing I did or did not do to cause this to happen.  She told us how much we would love Evan's smile with his cleft lip and how we would cry when time for surgery because that particular smile would never be again.  She gave us bottles and special nipples and taught us how to feed him if his palate was involved.  We talked about the possibilities or impossibilities of breastfeeding a baby with cleft palate.  She gave us her personal cell phone number and made us promise her we would call her from the delivery room and said to call her any time of day if we have questions or difficult feedings or anything.  She spoke with such confidence of our surgeon's abilities and put so many fears at ease.  We met the surgeon, Dr. R, and learned about the schedule of surgeries depending on the severity of Evan's case.

Here is what we did know:  Evan has a unilateral (one side) cleft lip.  It is on his left side, and from the ultrasound pictures, we were almost certain it was "complete" which means it extends up into his nostril.  When Dr. R looked at Evan's pictures, he seemed pretty confident that his palate WAS involved.  We could be looking at up to three surgeries within the first few years (one at 2 months, one at 6-7 months, and one later down the road).  We walked out of there with lots of information and a feeling of blessing and confidence in the care we would be receiving.

The remainder of my pregnancy was filled with craziness: I failed my glucose test, was on watch for preterm labor, placed on restrictions, etc.  I basically lived at my OB's office.  It seems like every time I walked in there something else came up.  The biggest concern was that I was showing signs of preterm labor beginning around 24 weeks.  I had weekly ultrasounds and biophysical profiles of Evan to make sure he was growing well and that my body was behaving itself.  We had goals of making it to 30 weeks, then 32 weeks, then 34, then 36 weeks.  Then, around that time I started dilating and the doctor was certain I would have Evan any day.

HA!  My prayers from the first sign of preterm labor was that Evan would stay in my belly as long as possible so that he could be as big and healthy as could be.  I knew he would likely have a very rough road ahead of him, so we didn't need to add difficulty breathing or low weight to be additional trouble.  At 38 weeks, 5 days, Evan finally decided it was time to come out.  The Lord graciously, faithfully kept him growing in my belly for longer than anyone expected.

Evan was born on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 1:54 pm.  He came out big and healthy and screaming like a hornet.  I saw him and was instantly in love with him.  He weighed 7 lbs., 2 oz. and measured 19.5 inches long.  Jonathan immediately turned into the dentist that he is and began to scope out the extent of the cleft.  We could immediately see his lip, but after quick inspection we discovered that his palate was complete.  There was no cleft.  Also, usually when there is a cleft lip, the gum line is also involved with a cleft but Evan's was complete.  His lip, while cleft, was NOT complete like we suspected.  It does not extend up into his nostril, but stops a few millimeters below his nose.  We were told that if his palate was involved there was no way I could nurse him.  If it was just his lip, it would be questionable because many times suction is not possible.  Jonathan called Judy (our lovely nurse practitioner) and filled her in on what we knew and she told us to go ahead and try nursing.  I had nursed the other three, so she told me to treat Evan just like I would my other babies.  We will see how things go.

Our days at the hospital flew by, and Evan was a rock star!  He began eating like a champ and had minimal weight loss in the hospital.  Everyone was so kind and encouraging and seemed to be as smitten with him as we were.  We came home that Friday, and the past two weeks have been a blur.  Mostly, I am soaking up time with my little man, trying to cherish every little sound, every little first.  In these two weeks, Evan has grown to 7 lbs, 13 oz. (he gained nearly a pound since his first pediatric appointment last week).  We have scheduled surgery for mid-December, which Dr. R believes will likely be the only surgery Evan will require. 

Whew, I know that is a lot of information to catch up on, but more than anything, I want to communicate that Evan is an answer to prayer and is a testimony to the kindness and greatness and graciousness of God.  We have had so many friends and family praying for us and praying for this baby, and the Lord has blessed us.  Even if Evan's condition had been the worst-case scenario, I believe that God is faithful and kind and great.  I know had it been worse, that He would have given us the strength and might to care for Evan and our other three children.  He would have carried us through those difficulties, and He will carry us through the rough days ahead.

I feel like there is so much that the Lord has taught me, has taught us through these past several months.  He has taught me about fighting anxiety, trusting in him, letting go of things that I cannot control, praying for and fighting for peace, receiving help and care that previously in my pride and self-sufficiency I may not have received.  He has brought Jonathan and I closer together.  He has allowed sweet conversations between us and our children.  And I know that what the Lord has started He will complete.  There are still lessons to be learned here.  Lessons for us, lessons for our children, lessons for Evan.   But so far, the most resounding lesson we've seen is that God is gracious to His children and to those who cry out to him for help and mercy. 

Here are some pictures of our sweet boy.  I cannot tell you how much we love him.  I adore his precious face, his sweet mouth, his cleft lip.  It is who he is and we adore him.  We prayed for this baby, and the Lord gave him to us.  We are so thankful for him!  I cannot wait for you to meet him.

Slugs and Snails and Puppy-Dogs Tails

 

Do you see that sweet baby profile there?

Well, that would be our sweet baby BOY!

That's right, folks, the Bradshaw family is adding another baby boy to our family in late October.  We had our gender ultrasound a few weeks ago and found out that we will be leveling the playing field.  Three females and three males in our family.  Two girls and two boys.  Although we would have been thrilled with another baby girl (I had the PERFECT baby girl name that I really wanted to use), we are genuinely so excited to welcome our new son in the Fall.  Liam gets to have a brother, and it will be so much fun to have another little man to snuggle with.

I am currently 20 weeks pregnant, so we are halfway there, if not more.  I go for the big anatomy scan ultrasound next Friday where we will make sure that everything looks great developmentally.  But, at our gender ultrasound, baby boy looked great.  

We do not have a name picked out for this little man, although the children have lots of suggestions.  We really are having a hard time narrowing it down and coming to an agreement on something we love.  It seems to get harder with each pregnancy, which is normal I guess.  But as soon as we know the name, we will be so glad to share!  Until then, I am just enjoying having a bit more energy and feeling baby kicks a little more each day.  I just love being pregnant and want to soak it up while it lasts.  I'll keep you posted on our newest miracle!

Crazy May

May is BY FAR the busiest month of life we've had around here in a while.  It's was all fun and exciting stuff, but EVERYTHING happens in May!  Did anyone else feel this way?

We had Liam's 4th birthday and birthday party, Mother's Day, Nora's ballet recital, Liam's last week of preschool for this school year, and Nora's last days and her Kindergarten Graduation.  Two days later we left town to head down to New Orleans (WOOHOO!) for a visit with my family and some friends.  Add in here and there graduation rehearsals, doctors appointments, friends with babies being born, occasional sickness, playdates with friends, Care Group, and visiting with family.....and we were some BUSY PEOPLE!

(Have I taken pictures of nearly HALF of this stuff????  NO!)

As I think about our month and all that this past (school) year has entailed, I cannot help but be thankful for so much.  This has been a wonderful experience:  our co-op, homeschooling, preschool for Liam, lots of individual time with Stella.  Our children have changed so much since August, and I am so thankful for the tools the Lord has used in our lives to being bring these changes about.

Let me update more about a few recent things and goings-on of the family:

I am currently 19 weeks pregnant with baby #4!  This pregnancy is going by so incredibly fast, but we are really anticipating the arrival of our little one.  The pregnancy has been really smooth, and I just this past week began to definitively feel the baby move (which is by FAR my most favorite part of pregnancy).  In fact, Jonathan was able to feel a few kicks for the first time.  What a miracle life is!


Stella B just turned 2 on Sunday! I am kind of in denial about this, and I will insist on snuggling her and cuddling her and rocking her and treating her like a 12 month old instead of a two-year-old for a little while longer.  Stella is definitely starting to come into her own opinion, as most little two-year-olds do, but she is still the sweetest and cuddliest and funniest little booger we know.

Liam turned four in May (as I mentioned above) and had a fabulous birthday and party.  We celebrated with a few friends at a bounce house with some Transformer cupcakes and a few gifts.  He is SUPER into Rescue Bots these days so with the help of my parents, we were able to get him his favorite six Transformers: Blades, Boulder, Heatwave, Chase, Bumblebee, and Optimus Prime.  He is one proud boy!  (By the way, he often calls them "France-chormers" instead of "Transformers" which is the cutest thing ever.  I will not ever correct him and most often I say it incorrectly because I so love how he says it).  He finished up preschool a few weeks ago, and so far it doesn't seem that he is one bit upset to leave behind his friends and teachers.  He does occasionally talk about Pre-K next year, but I think he is just ready to play and enjoy the summer.

Nora, on the other hand, is super sad that school is ending.  She absolutely LOVES school and her friends and teachers.  It's been hard for the her the past few weeks because she realizes that she is not going back to Cedar Springs next year and won't be going on with her group of friends.  I hate this for her, but we are also super-pumped about Paideia and all that the Lord has in plan for her (and our family as a whole) next year.  We will still have lots of opportunities to see and hang out with her friends from CSWS, but I definitely understand her sadness. We have been so blessed by Nora's two teachers this year who have invested so deeply into her!

Last month was also Nora's ballet recital and she was a beauty!  I took lots of pictures and Jonathan recorded it, so I need to try to upload those soon.  All I'll say is that while she looked so beautiful and graceful, Nora has not quite FULLY grasped the concept of gracefulness.  She was so passionate about her dance, but it wasn't what I'd say graceful, slow, smooth, dainty.  If she had a turn, she would whirl and whip around with all of her might, and she'd do it very quickly.  It was so precious watching her because she was having so much fun and enjoyed every minute of being on stage.  It was so fun to watch her!

Jonathan and I celebrate our anniversary on the 22nd....9 years!  (Confession:  I just typed eight.  Eight years.  Then I had to stop and do the math).  It's been NINE YEARS!  Cuh-razy that we are almost to ten years of marriage. Our anniversary fell in the midst of Graduation, so we didn't really get to celebrate as it occurred, but we definitely made up for it by going out to dinner at Commander's Palace in New Orleans during our trip there last week.  I'll update more on that delicious meal another time.

Well, truth be told, I started this post in late May but never got it posted because my computer is soooooo uncooperative when it comes to uploading pics lately.  I decided to just edit the post as in the past since it is now JUNE, and forget the pics.  I'll try again another day!  Till then.

.Growing.

You may have wondered why I (once again) have disappeared off the face of the blogging planet?! I've been a little busy growing a baby the past few months.....

That's right!  The Bradshaws are pregnant with baby number four! 
After much prayer and discussion, Jonathan and I felt that our family was not quite complete with three kiddos.  And the Lord has once again blessed us with a new little baby in my belly.  We are really excited. 

I am due October 25th, which makes me almost 13 weeks pregnant at this point.  We found out in mid-February that we were expecting, and we were able to successfully keep it a secret from the kids until I went for my first ultrasound and doctor appointment in March.  Here is a video of us telling them that night:



I was seriously shocked by the reactions of Nora and Liam over the past several weeks.  This is the first time that the kids (any of them) have been old enough to really understand and care about the fact that we have a baby on the way and that there is actually a baby in my tummy.  Nora is so concerned with me all the time and constantly asks how I am feeling and how the baby is doing.  Liam just likes to blow strawberries on my belly.

As my stomach gets bigger-- and believe me, #4 pokes out a lot quicker and a lot more than the other three did--they are constantly drawn to my stomach to hug me, rub my baby bump, and kiss my belly.  It's so sweet to see how they care already for their new baby brother or sister.

I went to the doctor yesterday for another ultrasound and was able to hear baby's heartbeat for the first time.  It was 157 bpm, which seems a bit slower to me, so if the old wives' tales are true, maybe we're having a boy!?  Either way, we will be thrilled.  Next month, I go back for a gender ultrasound so we will know for sure then.  Other than getting to see my little one for several minutes on the ultrasound and taking home several new and more detailed pictures, my appointment was pretty simple.  I have been on Prometrium up until this point because of low progesterone levels, but my uterus has completely taken over providing all of the progesterone the baby will need so I can stop taking that supplement.  I am thankful for a healthy baby and pregnancy so far. 

Although anything can happen and the Lord can move on our hearts at any time to think differently, we are thinking that this will most likely be our "caboose."  I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE being pregnant, so I have been particularly trying to savor each and every second of being pregnant this go 'round.  I want to remember it and cherish it and recognize what a miracle the gift of life is.  I am so thankful for another opportunity to bring a baby, a life, a person, a soul, a creation of my King into this world. 

We are already praying for you, little one.  You are already adored and loved and wanted and cherished.  As our Maker knits you and crochets you in my womb, we anticipate your arrival and look forward to seeing what you will bring into this loud and crazy and fun family.  I love you.

Till next time.

A Baby Story.

Well, if you can't already tell by the amount of blogging I have been accomplishing today, I am finally finding myself with a little bit of time on my hands.  Jonathan is on a week's vacation this week, but since we just HAD A BABY, we are staying in town for our very first "Stay-cation 2011."  Today, my mom and Jonathan took the two "big" kids to Splash Country for a day of fun in the sun, so Stella and I are chilling at home, taking a day to relax.

The past eleven days have been very busy, but very wonderful.  I thought I would document Stella's birth story.  It's a bit long, so hold on tight.  So, here goes nothing:

On Wednesday, June 1, I had a doctor's appointment scheduled in the middle of the afternoon.  I honestly was surprised that I made it to that appointment because at my previous appointment, my doctor said I was extremely ready to go into labor.  At my appointment, I found out that my doctor was leaving to go out of town that Friday (just two days later), and she would be gone on vacation for over a week.  BUT, she was on call that night! It was looking like she wouldn't be delivering Stella unless Stella came really soon.  Everything at the appointment went smoothly, and I was basically in and out of there in about 15 minutes.  Dr. Y checked my cervix and I hadn't progressed very much at all.  I was a "stretchy" 4 cm dilated, meaning she could stretch me to a 5, but I wasn't fully 5 cm.  She told me to walk, walk, walk.  So, since the kids were napping at Jonathan's parents, my mom and I decided to take this baby to the mall where we walked around for about 1.5 hours.  After the appointment, I remember feeling a lot of pressure and very uncomfortable, but I was hoping that the exam had perhaps gotten things "started." 

After the mall, we went to pick up the kids and then met up with Jonathan for a dinner out at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  I started having some strong contractions during dinner, and I had to pee like crazy for several hours.  I was so paranoid that my water was going to break in public!  After dinner, we came home, put on our walking shoes, and then we walked through our neighborhood for about an hour.  Instead of the trek up and down the hills of our neighborhood making me have more contractions, I remember that by this point, I was beginning to feel normal again.  The contractions had stopped, the pressure didn't seem as strong.  So, we came in, put the kids to bed, and relaxed for a while on the couch and watched some TV with my mom. 

I got a shower before bed and blew my hair dry, and then went straight to bed around midnight.  I am not sure how much sleep I got.  Liam was having a rough night and woke up a few times crying in his sleep.  The first time Jonathan got up with him.  I remember having two strong contractions around that time, but then nothing progressed.  I drifted off to sleep only to have Liam wake up again a few minutes later.  I got up this time to take care of Liam, and as I walked across the house, I remember that I noticed that my boobs were suddenly very sore.  It registered to me that this was different, and I thought, well maybe something will happen.  I went back to bed for a while and then started having some more contractions.

At 2:15 am I started timing them.  I had had quite a few, and I knew they were coming pretty consistently.  They were about 5-8 minutes apart and were continuously strong.  I changed positions, got up to pee, sat up, laid down, etc.  They still came.  I thought to myself that I would wake Jonathan when I had been having the contractions for about an hour.  At 3:00 am, I went to reach for Jonathan to wake him amidst having a very strong contraction, but I couldn't even reach for him.  It stopped me still.  I froze and breathed my way through it, but apparently my heavy breathing woke Jonathan up.  He said, "What's going on!?"  I told him I had been having contractions for nearly an hour.  He quickly got up and started getting ready to go. 

The next few minutes brought a lot of change.  I called the Dr. and the answering service told me she would call me right back.  Within mere minutes, I could not talk or walk through my contractions.  They kept coming very fast and were getting much more intense.  Jonathan kept asking me questions, but I couldn't think about anything but getting to the hospital.  It was a funny and chaotic time.  We woke up my mom and decided that we needed to go quickly to the hospital.  We told her we would call Jonathan's parents on the way to the hospital, they would come to the house to relieve her and stay with the sleeping kiddos, then my mom could come and meet us for the delivery.  The doctor hadn't called back, but there was no doubt that I was in labor, and all I could think of was that I wanted an epidural and I didn't want to have the baby in the car. 

Jonathan cruised at the speed limit for the first few minutes, and then I realized he was taking his merry old time and told him to hurry up.  My back pain was insanely painful.  When we pulled up to the ER at 3:30 am, I opened the door to get out but then couldn't move.  I just stood there looking at Jonathan and said, "I can't move.  I can't move."  He told me to get back in the car so we could park and then he'd help me in, and I was thinking, "Oh no, I can't wait that long."  So I sucked it up and made myself walk.  I was instantly put in a chair and they wheeled me up to Labor & Delivery.  They brought me to triage to check me to make sure I was in labor, and I was quick to tell them that I had been at 4 cm just earlier that afternoon and that I would like an epidural.

The contractions were really rough.  Wow.  I had major back labor, and man do I have such respect for those mommas who have natural deliveries.  The triage nurse checked me and I was at 6 cm.  They admitted me to a room, and when I asked about the epidural, they told me that there was only one anesthesiologist on call and that he had been called in to participate in an open heart surgery.  They had no idea how long it would take him to get there.  For about 45 minutes I labored, and I remember just after a contraction telling Jonathan, "I don't think I can do this."  No sooner did the words come out of my mouth did the anesthesiologist walk in the room.  He told me he'd have me comfortable in 10 minutes, but he managed to get it finished in 9 minutes.  I was so happy to see him!  At 4:20ish, the nurse checked me again and I was at 8 cm.  Any longer and I probably wouldn't have been able to get the epidural.  I am so thankful!!!

For the next hour or so, I just relaxed in the hospital bed.  I was really tired from having slept just minutes, but we were so excited about having our baby girl.  My mom, Jonathan and I sat in the room just chatting, and we even listened to a Piper sermon while waiting.  Before I knew it, a nurse checked me and I was completely dilated but my water hadn't broken.  They called Dr. Y in to break my water and to confirm that I was ready to go.  "Let's start pushing," she said.  The nurses got the room ready while the doctor went to check on another patient, and before I knew it she was back to deliver Stella.  I pushed about 3 times and she was here!  It was an amazing delivery, the best yet!  My epidural was great....not too strong.  I could feel my contractions and the urgency to push, but there was no pain.  Also, I did not have an episiotomy this time!  I still tore a bit, but no actual cutting.  Much better for recovery!

Stella came out screaming like a mad hornet!  She was pink and mad and just a little peanut.  She weighed 6 lbs., 15 oz. and measured 19.25 inches long.  Her APGAR scores were very high, and she was just perfect.  I got to hold her immediately after pushing her out, which I LOVE!  They took her away to clean her and get her temperature up, and when they brought her back I nursed her.  Then they took her away again to get checked by the pediatrician, so Jonathan still wasn't able to hold her.  It was killing him!

In the meantime, my epidural wore off and I was able to get up and get a shower.  This was just amazing!  For my previous two deliveries, I was induced and was on Pitocin and the epidural.  I was on those for like 8 hours, so it took much longer for everything to wear off.  This time, I was up and in the shower in no time, and when the kids came to meet their baby sister, I was no longer attached to an IV or any medication.  I was up and walking around and in my pajamas.  This was helpful in not upsetting the kids, particularly Nora who is always concerned about me when I am at the doctor.  I am so thankful for the way everything happened.  It was a great day and a wonderful birthing experience, even with a few hours of intense laboring at home and in the hospital.  Dr. Y even got to delivery me! 

Here are some pictures of our Stella Marie's birthday:

Stella still in.

My reenactment of labor minus the epidural

Mad.  And Yucky.

Much better.

Meeting each other for the first time.  Love at first sight.

Daddy finally gets to hold his girl.

Meeting Big Sister and Big Brother for the first time.

He loves her!

Geegaw and Liam checking her out.

Stella and Aunt Mamy

Nora was very cautious at first and didn't hold her for a long time.  Just checked everything out.

Granna and the new girl.

She FINALLY held her and was instantly a little momma.

Bradshaw Family of Five.

Stella Marie Bradshaw

Our two girls.

My mom was there for the entire delivery, and I just loved having her there!  Unfortunately, she was holding Stella while I was in the shower, so I didn't get any pictures of the two of them together, but I have more from the following days which I will post at a later time.  We are so blessed to have my mom here with us for so long to take care of us and spend such quality time with us.

I will write later about how things are with three kiddos! But now, I am off to feed a hungry baby girl.

Bradshaw: Party of Five

She's here!

Stella Marie Bradshaw

Born June 2, 2011 at 7:40 am

6 lbs., 15 oz.  19 1/4 inches

All I can say is that I am overwhelmed with love for this little girl.  She is just so precious to us already, and we can't wait to let everyone meet her.  We had a crazy yet GREAT delivery!  I'll tell the whole story at another time, but I have had the best delivery so far and the easiest recovery so far.

God is very kind.  Being a momma to three is such a blessing, and I am trying to love on all three of them as much as possible.  Our family and friends have been so supportive and encouraging and loving to us the past few days! We couldn't do this without them, and without the grace of God every single minute.

So, here we are:  The Bradshaw Family up-to-date!

Babymoon.

Last weekend (not Memorial Day, but the one prior to that), Jonathan surprised me with an anniversary/babymoon getway to Chattanooga.  Just the two of us.  On May 22nd, we celebrated 7 amazing years of marriage, and he arranged with his parents that we would have a two night rendezvous just a bit south of Knoxville without the kiddos.  Just us.

It was wonderful!  I have driven through Chatty several times going in and out of town.  However, I've only visited there one other time during a Woman's conference put on by our church. After Jonathan and I's trip last weekend, I have a new love for Chattanooga.  We had such a great time just walking around, and there is really so much to do.  There are also TONS of things for kids to do, and we often found ourselves saying, "Oh, the kids would love to do that!"  I can't wait to take them there once we get settled down with life after Stella.  Plus, the best part is that it's only 1.5 hours away.

We left K-town after Jonathan got home from work Thursday evening.  We took our time driving down, got checked in, and then watched a movie until WAY too late! But, we got to sleep in the next morning, and we just barely made it to breakfast in the hotel lobby!  After breakfast, we just started walking.  The weather was amazing while we were there and was just perfect for being outside!  AAHH!!

Stella Marie @ 36 weeks

The Pedestrian Bridge from a distance.

About to cross the Pedestrian Bridge

Once we walked across the bridge, we took our time exploring several shops and even got to enjoy a snow cone!  (Not quite as divine as a snowball down in New Orleans, but it was delicious!  I wish we had a snow cone place in Knoxville).  For lunch, we were still full from breakfast and our snow cone, but knew we needed to eat something.  We didn't want to go too big because we had dinner plans, so we stopped for slice of pizza.  I enjoyed my favorite: pepperoni and green olives!

Preggo Woman's pleasure!  Plus, JB got his favorite too: mushrooms!

For dinner on Friday night, we went to an Italian restaurant some friends recommended!  It was really good, and then we walked down to the waterfront and treated ourselves to some delicious ice cream.  Pizza.  More Italian food.  Ice cream.  Being with  my best friend.  It was such a wonderful day! Oh, and I forgot to mention that we even squeezed in a viewing of the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. 

On our way out of town Saturday morning, we stopped for breakfast at this joint.  Aretha Frankensteins was recommended to us by some friends for some amazing breakfast, so we found it and enjoyed some delicious eggs and bacon and biscuits as big as the state of TN.  So much fun.  Of course, we were more than ready to see our two precious kiddos, so we left town and headed straight to the grandparents' house to fetch them!

We had a fabulous getaway.  I am so thankful for a husband that plans little times like these.  I am even more grateful to my in-laws who always so graciously and abundantly care for our children so that we can have moments like these.  We have had seven wonderful and blessed years of marriage!  I look forward to all that the Lord has in store for us in the coming years.