Today is Silas' First Birthday! Wow! Time sped up this year. Since I haven't really posted about him I figure I will give a bit of his birth story and such. That's always a popular read, right?
One year ago our sweet Silas was born! But his story starts much earlier than that...
Three months after we were blessed with our second son Gregory, I was pregnant again! I know most of you think we are nuts but this isn't a post about the number of children we have or the frequency in which we have them or if we will have any more but a post about the actual child so we won't get into those other "hot" topics. (just yet)
Anyway, pregnant again, and truly not terrified! We were excited and ready to welcome another blessing! My midwife joked that I would be her first client with "irish twins"! Gregory was such an easy baby so it made the first trimester a little easier. I did suffer through awful nausea but made it past 12 ish weeks and was feeling the glorious rush of second trimester energy!
Then, at 15 weeks along, after an attempt to hear the heart beat with my midwife and her doppler and a rush to the emergency room for an ultrasound, we found out that our baby had died.
We were crushed. It was hard. Such a sad time and yet God gave us the strength to rejoice in His will and the hope for our future. We missed our baby but trusted God and remembered the truth we read in scripture that "God causes ALL things to work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose". As we still grieve the loss of that baby we can see clearly now God's perfect plan. Although I would not choose to lose one or the other, with the loss of that precious soul, we gained another that we would have never known. That was August.
After the pain of loss during the summer months the new season brought with it the joy of new life!
By the end of October we were pregnant again and once again thrilled that we had been blessed with another precious little one! I was due in early July with our sweet baby Silas! It was a very exhausting first trimester. The boys have all taken so much energy out of me those first months of pregnancy. The girls always make me sick.=)
Fast forward to June where I was contracting constantly and dilated to 3cm four weeks before my due date. We were all convinced He would come very early! We were also slightly concerned he would come very fast as Gregory was born in just under two hours!
June came and went. No new baby. The first week of July passed and still no baby. Not worried though because I wasn't due until July 11th, just surprised. Then Sunday evening around 10:30 my water broke. Sort of. We weren't sure, I know this is something I should have been sure of having as many children as I do but we weren't. =) Contractions were happening so we called the mid wife assuming it would be quick and he would be born before the clock struck mid night. We also called all the invited birth guests and doula like sisters ( actual sisters and christian sisters) who would be there for the big event. =) Yes, another weird one for most of you, that there were lots of ladies invited to his birth. A brief explanation and then maybe a post in the future. =)
One year ago our sweet Silas was born! But his story starts much earlier than that...
Three months after we were blessed with our second son Gregory, I was pregnant again! I know most of you think we are nuts but this isn't a post about the number of children we have or the frequency in which we have them or if we will have any more but a post about the actual child so we won't get into those other "hot" topics. (just yet)
Anyway, pregnant again, and truly not terrified! We were excited and ready to welcome another blessing! My midwife joked that I would be her first client with "irish twins"! Gregory was such an easy baby so it made the first trimester a little easier. I did suffer through awful nausea but made it past 12 ish weeks and was feeling the glorious rush of second trimester energy!
Then, at 15 weeks along, after an attempt to hear the heart beat with my midwife and her doppler and a rush to the emergency room for an ultrasound, we found out that our baby had died.
We were crushed. It was hard. Such a sad time and yet God gave us the strength to rejoice in His will and the hope for our future. We missed our baby but trusted God and remembered the truth we read in scripture that "God causes ALL things to work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose". As we still grieve the loss of that baby we can see clearly now God's perfect plan. Although I would not choose to lose one or the other, with the loss of that precious soul, we gained another that we would have never known. That was August.
After the pain of loss during the summer months the new season brought with it the joy of new life!
By the end of October we were pregnant again and once again thrilled that we had been blessed with another precious little one! I was due in early July with our sweet baby Silas! It was a very exhausting first trimester. The boys have all taken so much energy out of me those first months of pregnancy. The girls always make me sick.=)
Fast forward to June where I was contracting constantly and dilated to 3cm four weeks before my due date. We were all convinced He would come very early! We were also slightly concerned he would come very fast as Gregory was born in just under two hours!
June came and went. No new baby. The first week of July passed and still no baby. Not worried though because I wasn't due until July 11th, just surprised. Then Sunday evening around 10:30 my water broke. Sort of. We weren't sure, I know this is something I should have been sure of having as many children as I do but we weren't. =) Contractions were happening so we called the mid wife assuming it would be quick and he would be born before the clock struck mid night. We also called all the invited birth guests and doula like sisters ( actual sisters and christian sisters) who would be there for the big event. =) Yes, another weird one for most of you, that there were lots of ladies invited to his birth. A brief explanation and then maybe a post in the future. =)
The reason for my birth party was simple. I was horribly confused and very scared during my pregnancy , labor and birth of Sydney. All was well and there were no complications but in my mind I desperately wanted to know what in the world was going to happen to me during labor. I wanted to deliver naturally with her but I had never seen it done nor did I have anyone who could give me the information I was longing for. I wanted to see a woman in labor go through the whole process naturally. But, I didn't so I ended up laboring, then getting an epidural at transition with my first three kiddos! All have beautiful birth stories, all were well, but I knew I was missing out on something. Just a note for fellow mamas who have opted for the epidural. I want to make sure that it doesn't seem like I think you shouldn't have one. =) I just really wanted to experience all of my birth and knew after I had Jaclynn that I would need to have my other babies at home to get what I thought was right for me. It is a personal choice. =) My pregnancy with Silas found me with lots of friends hoping to birth naturally and a few dear friends who I am sure were curious about homebirth so the birth party was born. =)
Now, back to the potential broken water. After the mid wife arrived and I was contracting, but not progressing at lightening speed like we all thought I might, she began to wonder if my water really did break. After a simple test it was confirmed that it had but was just a "trickle".
By this time it was somewhere around 3 am so we all, ( yes the majority of the friends and family too) went back to bed. We woke up in the morning to dull contractions that could be made stronger with regular walks around the block. I had a one minute long contraction every three minutes on the dot endlessly on my walks. No pain just consistent but still not progressing into anything. So as the day went on we decided to try some other methods of labor induction. We made chiropractor appointments for the next day and called a very dear and wonderful friend who is a massage therapist to come over and try to massage me into the second phase of labor. All the while, my friends and family happily hung around the house encouraging me, serving me and my husband and kids, and google searching every method of labor induction they could find! It was fun!
The next morning we woke up with one goal in mind, get labor going! I had a foot massage and my toenails painted and all sorts of extra special care. It was the perfect picture of support for a laboring woman. I was so incredibly blessed by that time. We had wonderful family friends take Calvin, Jaclynn and Gregory for the day because we knew it was going to be our baby's birthday! Sydney was able to stay and be there for the birth and I am so happy she was!
Around noon I had my final pressure point massage to try to kickstart labor. I fell asleep almost immediately on the table! At 2 pm I woke up with a contraction. They kept coming so I opened my door and told everyone that I was pretty sure it was finally happening! Yay!
I labored for a few hours with everyone walking around and talking. Then as things got more intense I headed into my bathroom to relax and focus more. Right when transition kicked in I was able to get into the shower then switch to the tub. I switched back and forth one more time then ended up where he was born just before 9pm.
It was a wonderful experience! So humbling and amazing! We had no idea that it would be such a long early labor. But, God did. And He had prepared such a perfect plan for our baby's arrival. I am so thankful!
It is crazy to think about that day exactly one year ago. It goes by so quickly. There is nothing anyone can do about that. I am just thankful. Thankful for another year with another one of my precious blessings! Thank you Lord!
So the first day of my littlest man being a one year old has ended well. All are asleep now after endless rounds of "Happy Birthday to you", lots of snuggling the birthday boy and his first piece of cake!
And, as if he knew today was the perfect day to stand up and walk, he did. =) He had been trying for a few weeks now to take a step or two and then would lunge out straight in front of himself. But today he can officially be called a walker! He really amazed us all. Now he just stands up and walks like he'd been doing it all along!
Happy Birthday Silas! What a gift you are! You are always smiling and clapping and happy to be doing whatever everyone else is doing! My prayer for you is that you would grow to be wise and bold like your daddy. And to always seek first how God would have you live this one life here on earth that is but a vapor. I love you baby boy! Love, Mama
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| Sydney is helping the midwife get him ready to be weighed |
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| Big sister holding Silas just minutes old =) |
Oh they are so cute!
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| Such a sweet birthday boy! |
1 comment:
I hope Silas had a wonderful birthday!! Give him a big kiss for me.
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