Exactly 20 months from our daughter’s birth, our son was born. I was not as sick during this pregnancy as I was with our daughter. But, my feet swelled a lot this time around and I gained more weight with him. Both of our babies were born on the same day just different months. Both were born on a Sunday and my water broke for each.
I know I carried this baby 10 months! I remember doing a couple home pregnancy tests and both positive. I made an appointment with the Doctor and he did his exam and confirmed the baby was due about February 4th. We scheduled the next month checkup and he said, “What made me tell you the baby would be due in February?” We went back over the tests and he shook his head telling me it wasn’t developed that far along and wanted to do an ultrasound.
That kind of scared us a bit. We did the ultrasound and he came in and said that by the ultrasound, it should be due around March the 2nd. I was like, “No, that can’t be right! All the tests showed February!” We all shook our heads!
March 2nd came and went and still no baby. Finally on the 17th he made his way into this world! Many say that the second child’s birth is a lot quicker than the first but I should have known this one was a boy! Our daughter was born in about 7 & 1/2 hours and this little guy took almost 11! I carried our daughter a full 9 months and this little dude took almost 10 & 1/2!
Right after he was born, he was whisked away over to the side where it took a good while to get him breathing. Looking back at the pictures my husband took of his birth and at that table showed the purple little lifeless little boy; more grayish than purple I guess.
I recall asking many times in what seemed like an eternity if he was ok but no answer just business and a look of concern and almost tears in my husband’s eyes. And finally I heard his cry. I went from worry, panic, to a big sigh of relief and my emotions were spent!
I thanked the Lord for that baby! It did take them a bit to get him going and we were concerned for him, but God had him too! From then on out, we were challenged like we would never had imagined! Our two babies were just the opposite!
When we brought him home from the hospital, there was a snow storm predicted. We drove home as it was beginning and had maybe an inch or so on the ground. I was thankful we made it home safely.
It snowed hard and was a bit windy. In just a few hours, the snow was getting deep and so beautiful. Then we lost electricity. Mom and baby were getting adjusted to each other and he was not very happy, our daughter was so excited for the new baby, and dad was scrambling to get the wood stove insert fired up. It was a tad chaotic.
Right after he was born and while still in the hospital, my body did some kind of fluidal switch that caused my blood pressure to sky rocket to 186 over 100 something. They were able to get it down before sending me home with meds but I could feel some symptoms edging up as the day progressed.
Poor hubby was running around trying to keep things from freezing up as soon as he got the fire going and warmed up for us. His emotions were as troubled as the rest of us. But he never once complained. That managerial mind of his kicked into gear and he had things figured out in no time.
Both of our families lived fairly close and over in their area they had electric. We thought if we could make it over to one of them, we would be better off. We made it almost 2 miles and even down and up a major hill area to come around a 90 degree curve and have to stop. There were two 4-wheel drive trucks stuck; one on each side of the road. So back home we went and only by God’s will and grace did we make it back up the hill we previously went down! I am not too sure how high my blood pressure got, but we were breathing relief when we walked through our door to our home.
As most with babies know, sometimes they mess their clothes and everything they wear when they fill their britches. That baby boy had his first bath in a 12 quart stainless steel bowl I used for canning right there in front of our buckstove. There is about a 5 or so inch ledge to the top of the buckstove insert and we were able to warm water for his bath and cook our dinner.
We all slept in the living room near the buckstove that night and by the next afternoon and about 18 inches of snow, my hubby cleared our road and driveway so we could get out to the main road, which usually the neighbors would clean until the county trucks could get to it. We live in a very large county and they have to cover a lot of ground so you learn to depend on your neighbors a lot!
We still had no electricity and my sister was able to get our daughter and take her to my mom’s and my husband took me and the baby to his moms. The last thing I wanted was to be separated from my family right after having our baby, but I was so thankful for our parents for opening their homes for us. I am sure for those couple of days with my in-laws was not easy for them with a new baby crying all the time. And that, he did!
My hubby stayed at our home keeping the pipes from freezing and watching the generator we borrowed. I was so glad when our electric was back on and we were all able to be back together as a family. God’s blessings and challenges further pushing us to understand it is all in His control.