The Birthing of Sophia

Finally, I'm doing it!  I'm writing about my labor!  This took a while, so here we go...

As with most of my labors, it was a long one.  Dinner time the night of Oct 30th I started having good back labor, it kept me up most the night.  They were so irregular though that I convinced myself they were just 'practice contractions', as I have had so many of those also.  I dressed Maya up in her pink dinosaur costume and took her to story time at the library the next morning.  Sometimes I would be feeling okay, but every 10-15 min or so, BAM!  Back labor.  I remember sitting in the chair at the library and thinking that I had no business being there.  Driving home from the library, I actually had to pull over once because my driving had slowed to a crawl due to so much pain from back labor.  I tried my hardest to take a nap that afternoon, but the pain just wouldn't let up, nor would it progress.  As you can imagine, after already being in labor and hurting so frequently for 12+ hours, I was EXHAUSTED.

 The kids came home and it would be trick or treating time in a few hours so we were getting things ready while i continued in pain.  Feeling to tired, irritable, emotional to make dinner we went and picked up Little Caesars.  Driving was once again, very difficult.  While in line to get the pizza i just prayed and prayed that I wouldn't have a contraction in there, because I wasn't sure if i could act natural.  I decided that I would go trick or treating anyway, it's not like I would get any rest staying at home.  So we went trick or treating with a family who we always go with, and coincidentally, we have shared our last 2 pregnancies together.  She trick or treated with her 2 month old, and stayed behind with me while I labored at the end of every driveway in my neighborhood.  The men took the kids to the doors while I hurt, and she understood.  We got home about 8, the kids were in bed by 8:30 or so.  The contractions were still just not picking up.  I told John "I'm going to bed, this is stupid".  And then i'd have a contraction and say, "there's no chance that I can go to sleep".  I did the whole I'm going to bed, I'm not going to bed thing for about an hour.  I was completely convinced that I wasn't in labor.  Then John started timing them, and it wasn't looking very promising.  I was just so exhausted.  We were going on about 17 hours of this.  I had been trying to stay in 'gravity friendly' positions to help labor long enough, I just wanted my bed.

 I asked John to come lay in bed with me.  Not long after I layed down, I started shaking really bad.  John asked me if I was cold, of course the answer was ,"no".  I was starting to get worried, having heard that you shake during transition.  John looked it up and told me that it just meant I was in 'active labor'.  ABOUT. FRIGGIN. TIME.  at about 10 it was getting pretty bad, John finally said 'it's time".  I rolled over to get up, stood up, and my water broke.  The funny thing with this is that my entire pregnancy, I told myself that my water will break at home with this one, because it goes fast after your water breaks, and i didn't want to get an epidural, so it needed to go fast.  Anyway, we get to the hospital and the nurse is just terrible, horrible.  She could NOT get my IV in, she could NOT Draw blood.  They had me laying there poking me, monitoring me and answering questions for an hour.  It was horrible.  To make it worse, EVERY SINGLE TIME I had a contraction, she would find a reason to touch me.  From adjusting my hand so the iv would work better (yes DURING A CONTRACTION), to 'fixing' my hospital gown, she would touch me.  But John and I made such a good team.  We hardly talked at all.  I would wiggle my finger at him when a contraction came, and he would hold my hand, when it was over he would let go.  He did everything so perfect.  We were so in sync, it was just awesome.  When we got to the hospital, I was a 6!  yea!  After being at the hospital for about 15 min I told John, "never mind, I want an epidural".  Then by some miracle, I found strength and told him, never mind, don't tell them.  Although while I was in labor, I believe I had to reject an epidural 3 times, and that really made me angry.  Way to sabotage nurses!  Anyway, this story is a jumbled mess, sorry!!

 After being 'monitored' for an hour, I said, "I can't do this anymore", and took myself off of the machines and sat up.  The (stupid) nurse got me a ball to sit on.  Once I sat up, I went into transition pretty fast because holy crap.  The pain was so intense and I was trying so hard to find the ability to relax, but it was just barely there.  During this time, I thought of my sweet friend, Rachel A LOT.  Knowing that she's done it, and Abby has done it, and Qait has done it, my sister had done it so I could to. This might sound cheesy, but I just felt the strength of these women helping me out.  I am not going to lie though, I definately had an "oh crap it's sooooo to late to get an epidural moment". John came and sat behind me and pushed on my back, trying to help with the back pain (why must I always have back labor?). 

After a little while, my body just took over, and it was almost shocking.  This was my first labor without an epidural, so I have never experienced the whole, "my body is taking over and I'm pushing thing".  While sitting on the ball, my whole body would push for a second, it would push on it's own so hard, that a grunt would come out of me.  John was telling me, "try not to push".  And I was like, "you are an idiot, I am not even pushing, it's my body" (just in my mind though).  So the nurse called the dr to come in asap and told me, "let's get you back in bed because you can't have that baby if you are sitting on it".  And for the sake of being completely honest, my mind replied back, "no shit sherlock".  (come on, swearing is SO allowed when you are in labor!)  So I'm in bed, my body is pushing, and everything is just so intense and i want it over.  I ask John if he can see anything, but of course he can't.  Little did I know that if he was able to 'see' something, I would be able to FEEL something.  So after just a few minutes, Sophia starts crowning, this was the moment I'd heard about, and the moment I'd feared.  When she starts crowning and I start pushing I just kept yelling, "it hurts! it hurts!".  It's a little embarrassing after the fact that I did that, but let's face it, it HURT.  Luckily, she was out pretty fast. And that moment when you finally get to meet that little baby who you waited for SO long for, and who made your life SO miserable is the best moment-ever.  EVER.  Memories of that moment are what make you think, "maybe i COULD have another baby".    As I lay there holding her, and looking at her I told her, "thanks for coming out".  The dr and nurse thought that was pretty funny, but seriously Sophia, at a week late, THANK YOU for coming out.  Sophia Hazel Davies was born Nov 1st at 11:45ish pm.  And she is GREAT.

It's a Girl!

Daughter #4 is on her way!  We can't believe it's another girl, but it is.  Due Oct 26th.  If I had any good ultrasound pics, I'd post them, but we didn't even get a good profile pic.  The ultrasound tech seemed to be in a hurry.  :(

For Rae- 5 memories aka stories from my past for Jenny!

Rachel has requested FIVE memories, and Jenny has requested to hear some stories about my past, so I get to kill two birds with one stone!

1.  When I was like 12, we were at a family reunion for my mom's side of the family.  Her brother is a cowboy.  A handlebar mustache, boots and spurs, beer drinking cowboy.  One day, he took me and 2 of my cousins out for a horse ride.  On the ride, he 'sensed trouble' and rode up ahead.  He found a big ol' rattle snake, so he did what any normal person would do.  He killed it with rocks, and took it home, skinned it and cooked it for everyone.  It was tasty.

2. How John and I met is the best memory of all!  I was busing tables at a restaurant called El Charro, and he came in with some of his friends to eat.  He had just returned to EAC, and his friend, Justin wanted to help him find a girl.  Justin was always asking him questions about what he liked.  When they came into El Charro, and John saw me he told Justin, "THAT is my type" or "someone like her".  I can't quite remember the wording. 

We met the beginning of January, and my sister and brother in law were over for new years.  They were talking about who would be a good catch for me.  They said, 'I wonder what John Davies is doing, he'd be a good catch for you". (they went to EAC with him before his mission)  So when I saw him at EL Charro, I thought he was SO CUTE and I wondered if THAT was John Davies, because I kind of remember seeing him in his college days with my sister.  When I saw him I remember thinking, "Maybe I WILL marry John Davies". 

So we met and I think we were able to stay 'just friends' for about a week.  And then we were boyfriend and girlfriend.  And he made a bet with his friend, Justin, that we wouldn't kiss until Valentines Day, which was a little over a month away.  I think we probably lasted without kissing for two days.  But John REALLY didn't want to lose the bet or he'd have to make breakfast for Justin for a week or a month or something.  So we secretly made out for about a month, and Justin had no clue.  We didn't tell Justin about our secret making out until we'd been married for like 5 years.  I think he was mad!

3. Living in Southern Arizona, we didn't get much rain.  But I remember the summer before my Junior year in HS, I had the BEST group of friends ever.  And one summer evening it rained a lot.  And when  it was done raining, I went out with all of my friends and we walked the streets for hours.  It was a big deal because it was cool enough to be outside in Thatcher in the summer. And when it rains in the desert, the smell it creates is just fabulous.  I think that is one of my favorite high school memories!

4. I remember when John and I were newlyweds, he had a stash of fireworks.  And sometimes we'd invite my little brother over and we'd go to various places and set them off and hope not to get caught.  And one time, when John and I were bored, we got this one firework that we had no idea what it did.  And we went in the backyard of where we were living to light it.  As soon as we lit it, it went straight up in the air making really loud noises.  We didn't even see what the firework did, because as soon as it shot up, we took of and ran inside. John was grabbing all the fireworks and hiding them in case the cops came.  It was funny.

5. Growing up, behind us there was a large desert area that my Dad would take us to.  Sometimes we'd shoot guns, climb the mesa's or just go on walks.  One time when it was just me and him just going on a walk, he found a dead snake.  I am scared of snakes.  He picked it up and said,  "Camilla, look!  A snake."  And I FREAKED out.  I took of running back to the house.  It was probably about half a mile or so back to our house and I was probably about 9 or so.  He said that I took of running on my tiptoes.  I didn't stop until I got home.  I remember seeing the snake and then bursting into the kitchen door with my mom having a very worried look on her face, but I do not remember the run home.  Like I said, I do not like snakes.

Maya's favorite song

So, I realized I left Maya out of the storytelling yesterday.  So here's a funny story about her. 

When she was a baby, Maya would always cry in the car, as most, if not all little babies like to do. When she was like 2 weeks old, no lie, we realized that their was a certain song that would ALWAYS make her stop crying.  The song:  Mr. Roboto by Stix.  She'd be crying and crying and as soon as we'd turn on Mr. Roboto, she'd instantly stop.  It was magical, and it was fabulous.  About a week after this discovery was made, it was no longer magical and fabulous.  It was more like, "I swear if I have to listen to that bloody Mr. Roboto song one more time..."  But it worked, and it always worked.   A time finally came when she stopped crying in the car so much and Mr. Roboto was no longer necessary.   It was a blessed time.  After a little break from Mr. Roboto, w were able to listen to it again, just for fun.  But then something happened and Maya learned how to talk.  And lately when she's sad in the car she yells at me, "boto! boto! boto! boto!  mom! mom!  boto! mom!  BOTO!".  So as you can guess, I put on the bloody boto song.  Listening to Mr. Roboto is better than listening to a nagging 1 year old.  It's still her favorite, and I'm still sick of it.  What a weird song for a little newborn-18 month old little girl to like. 

Conversations You Never Thought You'd Have...

This evening, as I was making dinner, Lily came in and said, "Mom, Izzy pooped in the driveway".  She already pees everywhere (outside), so unfortunately, I instantly believed her.  I went outside and there it was.  Izzy had, indeed, pooped in the driveway.  (for those of you who don't know, Izzy is 4, and should know better)  Thankfully, it wasn't in the MIDDLE of the driveway.  She had enough sense to go poop in front of the little bush at the end of our driveway.  Let me just tell you though, it was a turd of incredible size for such a young, dainty little girl.  If I was her, and had that thing knocking on my bowels, I just might drop whatever I was doing and poo right there in the middle of everything as well.  But not really, cause that's gross.

(ps: I made her pick it up with a tissue, and throw it in the dumpster)


Tonight was Lily's open house for school.  She went outside with a few friends and played on the playground while we listened to the teachers presentation.  It got dark while they were outside.  On the way home, she told me that she was a little scared.  But she feels safe with boys.  Then she said that she feels safe with boys she has crushes on, because they are like her Knights to protect her.  NO LIE, she really said that.  Tonight, she happened to be with TWO boys that she had crushes on, so I'm sure that she felt extra safe.  Good job Patrick and Will, for being Liliy's Knights of the evening. 

I think I have my hands full!

Back to School!

It's back to school time here!  I really shouldn't use an exclamation mark in that phrase.  Back to school means I'll probably be blogging more as John does homework, which is good for YOU, the reader.  That is, assuming anyone cares, and I still have readers. wah wah. 

I am low on blogging ideas though.  So here's what we'll do.  YOU tell ME what you want me to blog about, ask me any question about anything, and I SWEAR that I will answer the questions in order of how they are asked.  That might make this blog a little funner....right?  woo hoo!  And since you know I'll answer ANYTHING, try to not get me in trouble around here, and don't ask me anything TO naughty or controversial. lol.  Let's do it!  It'll be fun!

Controversy

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."
~ C.S. Lewis

I have been thinking about blogging about something for a while now, but have not.  It made me wonder what people would think of me.  I have thought about my audience, and how none of them would agree with me, and some might even like me less, but I have decided after reading that quote today, that I am going to blog about it.  Because it is after all, only my opinion.

I don't care if gay people get married.  (gasp!  shock!)  I just don't.  As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I fully realize that I am supposed to be against this, but I am not.  One of the big reasons that I have been taught to oppose this, is because it 'ruins the sanctity of marriage' or something like that.  But if you think about it, there are husbands beating, and even raping there wives all over the world RIGHT NOW.  I think that defies the sanctity of marriage even more than two same sexed people in a loving, respectful relationship.  And I don't care what OTHER marriages are doing.  All I care about is MY marriage.  MY marriage is sacred and MY marriage is eternal.  MY marriage is just what I want it to be.  Other marriages do not bring my marriage down.  

I could get into this issue SO MUCH more to share my opinion more deeply and get into detail about everything, but no matter what I say, people will try to debate me, and I'm not opening a debate.  I've been there, and done that and my beliefs haven't changed.  So this is my opinion that I am sharing.  Everyone has different beliefs, we should all have the right to be happy, despite our beliefs.