Surreal...

You would think after having 4 children that I would know what it was like to "go into labor". Well, I didn't...on Tuesday, April 5th I labored most of the day and didn't know it. I was having contractions, some uncomfortable, but didn't notice a pattern...okay, so I didn't time them, but they didn't seem regular. It wasn't until the afternoon that they started getting painful and I began to think that maybe I was in labor. I admit, I was too nervous to tell anyone (silly, I know) and so I just kept quiet. I then decided to figure out how to time contractions so that I could see if they were regular. I text my husband and asked him...after ten minutes of keeping track I realized they were 3 minutes apart. This made me panic. After my text, Josh decided he had better come home...thankfully! I told my mom my predicament, called my wonderful doctor, packed the rest of my things, and then paced my house...I think I made my children nervous...as I certainly was. The drive to Meridian was pretty painful and nerve-racking, but thankfully there was no traffic. I just continually sang praise songs in my head to keep my mind off of my fears...and God really came through for me!
He has given me the best doctor in the world! She called the hospital and really prepared the way for me. When I arrived I was able to skip triage and head straight to my room. Within 30 minutes I was hooked up to all their machines AND had my epidural. Within 90 minutes, my doctor broke my water and Garrett entered the world after a few effortless pushes. It was the best delivery ever! Praise God!
After the delivery, we had a few unexpected turns, but God really gave Josh and I the peace we needed to take things in stride. Poor little Garrett had a few things working against him. I had tested positive for Group b strep but only was able to take the antibiotics for about half the time needed to protect baby. I also had a lot of meconium in my bag of water. Both of these things could cause infection for babies. The nurses also noticed that he was breathing very fast, which could be a sign your body is trying to fight something. He spent the first night with us, but the next day the doctor did a few more tests and decided he needed to be admitted into the NICU and needed to receive antibiotics as a precaution for possible infection. At this point we were told 2 days, but it later was changed to 5 days. The first night he was put on an IV and was given fluids. After that I was able to nurse him. I was discharged after two days and we moved to the guest quarters by the NICU.
God really blessed Josh and I during this time. Since my mom was here to help me, she stayed with our other children during this time. It really was a blessing to not have to worry about them, even though we both missed them a lot. We were also given a lot of time to just be together. We talked, played games, watched movies, and talked some more. Life often gets so busy, that these rare times become like jewels. Josh and I learned a lot through all of this. God really showed us a lot about ourselves and brought us closer to Him. It really was a blessed time...despite the circumstances. Garrett was awesome the whole time. He never seemed bothered by all the poking and prodding. He is an easy-going baby that likes to sleep! Our family is very blessed to have him.

In the NICU

Picnic in our room

Welcome Home!

Can we hold him?






Not the baby anymore!