It was such a beautiful birth and we’re so lucky to have her in our family! Contractions started Friday night, February 18. I didn’t have any Braxton Hicks contractions this time around, so these were the first. We went to the Monster Truck Show at the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake, and while we were driving to the event is when they began. They were every ten minutes that night, and kept going all day Saturday the 19.
We stayed home all day Saturday, just getting things done. I even taught a flute lesson! Dave put the car seat and our bags in the car, did some housework and took care of the kids while I rested and worked through the contractions. I planned on going natural with this birth. Once afternoon hit, contractions got closer together, I started feeling the chills, and by 6:30 p.m., I felt it was time to call up the family to have them come get the kids, having them about every five minutes. Julie got here and picked up the kids about 7:30, and we left our house at 7:40. It took only five minutes to drive to the hospital. The contractions were getting pretty intense, and I was just ready to go have this baby. The rain was turning over to snow and was pouring down while we were driving, and as we got to Ogden Regional. Dave dropped me off, and hurried to park. I walked inside to wait and walked around a bit, trying to manage the contractions. Then we took the elevator upstairs to admitting. I sat down on one of the couches and was breathing while Dave was getting the paper work stuff going. It seemed like that took forever. While Dave was still there, one of the nurses came to get me to check and make sure I could be admitted. I walked back with her, talking to her. I guess she said it was really quiet all day, until about the last half an hour, and there were seven women that came in ready to give birth. Between the full moon, and the pressure from the storm, many babies decided to make their entrance into the world that night. We went to the pre-admitting room and I changed into a hospital gown, did a urine sample, got the heart monitors put in place, and then she called in another nurse to check me. The nurse came in, checked me and with a surprised voice said “She’s complete!” I was pretty surprised too, I thought I’d be about a five or six, but I was dilated to a 10 already! Things got a little frantic, my phone rang, and one of the nurses got it for me. It was Dave, I told him where we were, as he had been looking for me for a while. The nurse said she’d go get him, but since things got so crazy, she forgot. Then they phoned other nurses, called Dr. Rosemary Lesser, Dave came in and they asked him to grab my clothes, they got a wheelchair, put me in and ran me down to Room 511. As we were approaching the room, we could see many nurses make their way into or already in getting all of the necessary equipment and machines ready. I got on the bed and worked through some more contractions, I was shaking like crazy! I felt so cold and had the chills all night, but it was getting worse. I had lots of encouragement and support; Dave holding my hand and stroking my head, a nurse pushing down on my knees, and lots of encouraging words. I wanted to push so bad, but they told me to work through a few more so the doctor could be there. I felt so happy that it was getting close, but the contractions were so intense and I was just done. I talked with Dave and the nurses and even laughed a bit, which the nurses commented that they don’t hear that much when someone is going natural. The nurses were asking Dave a few questions all during this, that are usually asked at the front desk. A few minutes later, Dr. Lesser came in. She didn’t have time to change into her scrubs, but put an overcoat and mask on. She checked things out, and then broke my water. Once that happened, she told me I was good to push. I pushed a couple of times, screaming as I was pushing (which was a surprise to me, I never scream, and tried to be calm, but I couldn’t help it), but I felt like she wasn’t there yet. On my third or fourth push, I could feel her head making its way out, and then the wonderful feeling of her whole body making it out. I felt so relieved and glad she made it! It was 8:26 p.m. I was on the bed, but elevated, and almost in a squatting sitting position. She cried, was very purple, and I held her little tiny hand and stroked her as Dr. Lesser showed her to me for the first time. She was so sweet! A few of the nurses said she looked just like me. Dave and I thought she looked like Emma and Cal. We knew right after she was born we’d call her Lucy. She had no merconium, unlike our other two. Daddy cut the chord, then she went to get cleaned up a bit. While she was doing that, Dr. Lesser delivered the placenta and had show and tell with Dave (I didn’t watch that part) and then she stitched me up a bit. I ripped about one centimeter, getting the stitches in was uncomfortable, but nothing I couldn’t handle. We watched the baby be cleaned, get her vitals done and height and weight taken. She weighed in 5 lbs. 12 oz. and was 18 oz. So she was just tiny! Our smallest baby so far. Emma was 7 lbs., Cal 6 lbs., and now Lucy even smaller. Dr. Lesser and some of the nurses commented on how calm it was in the room, though it was such a fast thing. Everything went so well, I am so grateful! Then they brought Lucy to us, and I held her for the first time. She was just precious! What a miracle life is. Then Dave held her, he called her “Little Button”, which is pretty much what she was, being as little as she was. Soon after, I breast fed her. She took a little while to latch on, but she got it down. Dave made calls to the family to let everyone know she was born. Then we spent some alone time with her. Everyone was way excited! Emma, Cal, Grandma & Grandpa Ryerse, Julie and Randy came up that first night. Emma loves Lucy so much! She couldn’t get enough of holding her, and especially loved her tiny fingers and toes. Emma asked if I had a big band-aid on my stomach, that made me laugh. Cal was pretty sleepy and woke up for a few minutes to see “Baby”, then fell back asleep. My parents weren’t coming up; my mom had a bad cold and there was a car accident outside of their house and they were worried about getting to the hospital. That night, they kept checking me and the baby. I don’t think we got much sleep. But she roomed in with us all night, and things went really well. Our other kids always had low temperatures and they kept them by heaters, but she was just fine and warm the whole time.
It was like a blizzard the night she was born! By Sunday morning we had 7 new inches of snow. Sunday, was a pretty busy day. The Pediatrician came in bright and early to check her and said she looked great. Dr. Lesser came back to check on me. We had her newborn pictures taken. The Audiologist came to do testing on her. Nurses kept coming in and out all day. We had lots of paper work to do, as we didn’t have much time to do it the night before. Keith and Lois (my great aunt and uncle) came in as the first visitors that day. They live right across the street, and just loved her like the rest of us. Then we had some time to ourselves, we watched a little TV and talked. We wanted to go home that night, but the doctor said where she was so little they wanted to keep her over one more night. Then we had more visitors. Hlee Yang, our neighbor and friend came to see her. Then Jerry, Stacy, Tayla and Kaison came. Those kids were all over the place. Stacy loved holding the baby, and is way excited to have her boy in less than a month. It will be fun to have them so close together. Then Jeff & Shirley came, Aunt Christie, Brian, and then Adam, Amy & Kolby, and Emma. The rest of my family was sick, so they didn’t come. It was fun to have my brother Adam in town, it just so happened his brother-in-law was getting married that same weekend here, and he was able to be here with us. It was fun to visit with everyone, we related the story of Lucy’s birth several times. I was so tired by then though, since we didn’t get much sleep the night before. We stayed one more night at the hospital, they wanted to keep her for another night, since she was so little. But she had no problems at all; she is perfectly healthy, which we’re grateful for! We left Monday morning and got back to real life again.
I am so glad I decided to go natural and stuck with it, though it was tempting to want to get an epidural at times. I did love the epidural when I had that, it was so nice, but I felt so much more involved and alert in this birth. I felt it went well. The nurses said usually women who go natural scream a lot more than I did and aren’t as happy. I felt so much better after the delivery, too. I had tons of energy, could get up by myself, didn’t have as much pain, the recovery was so much better this time. I was up and at it and ready to care for my family again! Thanks to all of those who encouraged me and made suggestions on natural birth. It was such a good experience.
We’re happy you’re here, little Lucy!
Just a few minutes before she arrived...
Here she is, Dr. Lesser cleaning her off.
She came out very purple, but had a great head shape!
Daddy cutting the chord.
A proud papa!
So glad you're here!
Getting her checked out and cleaned up.
Official weight: 5 lbs., 12 oz. Height: 18 inches.
Cute little button!
Getting to know you!
The latest addition to our family.
The siblings meet Lucy! Dave helps Cal hold her.
Emma loved her and was so excited!
Fresh from a bath.
Cute little lady Lucy!
Sleeping, sleeping in the hat my mom crocheted for her.
Emma just can't get enough of her little sister!
Lucy's ready to go home!
Off into the world!
This year to celebrate as a family, we had a “Lucky in Love” Chinese themed party. 
