Jack's Arrival

So, here it finally is! The story of how our little man entered the world!

Let me start with a quick overview of the pregnancy. Technically, Jack is a deployment baby, meaning he was conceived soon after daddy came home from his deployment. Cute, right? From the get go we had no clue when his due date was. According to my Natural Family Planning Charting, he would be due around April 26th. My general doctor first said his due date looked more like April 20th. Then the first appointment at the OB said April 24th. Then the first ultrasound said May 2nd. Then we moved and they did an ultrasound and said May 6th. We had to get another ultrasound and that one revealed May 8th! So they weren't sure if he was small for his size, the due date was off, or what, but they said they would go with the May 2nd due date, since that was in the middle and what the first ultrasound revealed. They did want to keep an eye on him because although he was growing it was at a slower than normal rate. DUHN DUHN DUHN. haha.
With the pregnancy I also had a hard time gaining weight. I didn't gain any weight until about 6 months. I ended up gaining only 20 pounds the whole pregnancy (not that you could tell that now). So, with the pregnancy I ALSO had a ton of pain in my hips and quiet a bit of Braxton Hicks. I mean we were moving during the main part of the pregnancy, but it was bad. I also had a lot of... *cover your eyes if your squeamish*...... need for panty liners (if you know what I mean, if not, I mean they yucky word... discharge. I HATE that word).

So, now on to the actual story. March 26th 2013. The day started like any other. Will went to Nursery (British Preschool). Sophie and I hung out at home. Around nap time I started to have even more than normal need for panty liners. I had to change my clothes even! I did the normal day, pick up Will, snacks, and play with the kids. I started to get really peeved at this down there business. Corey came home and told me to lay down. Then around 8pm I went to the restroom and thought, maybe this isn't normal, maybe my water broke. Corey I think my water broke. Still sitting on the toilet, still leaking water for 5 minutes. Yep Corey this has to be my water broken, this is not pee or *the other stuff*. I called the L&D and they said to come in to get checked. My great neighbor came to watch the big kids, even though they were sleeping.
Off to the Hospital we went. As soon as the doctor looked she was pretty sure it was my water. She ran the test anyway and yep it was my water. 5 1/2 weeks early!!! I seriously JUST got the nursery a little uncluttered. I JUST opened up the boxes with Will's old clothes. My mind was swirling. I was a little nervous, but I was never worried. I knew God had it under control even if it wasn't what we were expecting. Being from America I thought that you HAD to have your baby within 24 hours from your water breaking, but I wasn't having any contractions. The filled me with fluids, antibiotics, and anti-contraction drugs (even though I wasn't having any). Then they informed me that they don't deliver babies before 35 weeks gestation (that would be in 2 days) so I had to be transferred to a British Hospital. They were really acting like the Baby and I were in a ton of danger and it was starting to freak me out.
A bumpy ambulance ride without my Corey (he had to pick up some stuff from the house) and I was at the British Hospital. It was old and seemed a little dirty. Sadly Corey couldn't stay with me, but it was best, I wanted him at home with the kids. I sent out a FB message asking my closest girlfriends to please be in prayer for me and little man. I cannot begin to tell you how much that helped me. Knowing I had some awesome prayer warriors on my side. Those women are the biggest blessings! The nurses there were so nice and calming. Whereas the American Hospital's doctors were alarmist and freaking me out, the British nurses were calm and observant. They explained things calmly and without their opinion, just facts. In America it is standard to have the baby within 24 hours to prevent infection. In England, it is standard to wait, be vigilantly looking for signs of infection or low amniotic fluid (which apparently your body continually makes) in the hospital for 2 days. If the doctor sees all things are going fine they release you to go home, with a prescription for antibiotics and you return 1-2 times a week until you are 37 weeks, at which time they will induce you. So, I stayed in the British Hospital for 2 days being observed. Luckily, because I came from another hospital, I had to be segregated so I had a private room. Normally there are up to 6 women in one room until actual delivery of the baby. Their food was so good, btw. On the 28th I was released, but the American Hospital told me I had to return to them. Because I was now 35 weeks they planned on inducing me. They waited until 3am on the 29th to start, so that I'd most likely deliver during the day shift (with the most help in case Jack needed to be transferred to a NICU).
Being induced is no joke! The monitor wasn't picking up most of my contractions so they kept increasing the Pitocin and they finally realized I was having one contraction on top of the other. At 230pm I told them to bring on the epidural! By 315 I just finished getting the catheter in and I felt a TON of pressure. The nurse skeptically checked me & sure enough he was making a break for it. They set up everything quickly and had a lot of stuff set up just in case. Three pushes later the cutest, smallest lil guy ever was here! Born at 3:55pm on the 29th of March 2013. Weighing 5lbs 6oz.
They, obviously, had to check him first, but he was completely healthy. Everyone was happily surprised. With the help of the wonderful nurses he latched on within the first 15 minutes of life! The nurses were awesome! I'm not going to lie, I can barely remember anything about the doctors, but I still remember the sweet nurses. I was in the hospital for about 2 more days. I think technically we got to leave early, but at that point Corey had been taking care of Will and Sophie, running the house, and trying to visit me as much as possible for a week! He was spent (and had a totally new level of appreciation for me, as did the kids).
It was such a hectic time, but it was beautiful. There is something magical about spending those hospital hours with your new baby. As a first time mom I was scared and nervous and exhausted. The second time I was still a little nervous, but not scared and better at coping with exhaustion. This third time it was still tiring, but it was cake. My body was more sore (Pitocin? aging?), but it wasn't too bad.
This little guy has been such a blessing and we are all in love with him. His giggley, talkative, happy self.
Picture Time

Getting ready to be induced

First photo ever of Mr. Jack Warren Shipe

Daddy cutting the umbilical cord.

He was SOOO teeny! 5lbs 6oz

Apgar tests

Newborn Photo session

His Lovey Monkey

Jeremiah 29:11, my life verse