Introducing Ryan, Isaac, & Kahleb *And Angel R, of course*

I figured Id share the birth stories, in short story form of course, of our angels.

Starting with the Oldest.

Ryan Redmond, born March 18, 2004, after a relatively easy pregnancy, and no major complications.

Ryan was due on March 14, so we scheduled to induce him on the 18th. We arrived at the hospital in the wee hours in the morning. It sure felt that way to me anyway. After we arrived I was changed into a gown, hooked up to monitors, the whole nine yards. They started an antibiotic since I had test positive for Group Beta Strep. Upon arriving, I was already having mild contractions. They started the pitocin (about 7am), going into the delivery room, I had said I wanted to go au natural, due to my nature of being terrified of needles, and the thought of one going into my back was crazy. I did plan to get IV meds, of course I wanted some shortly after the pitocin started but they declined, so I said alright give me the epidural. Speaking of being scared of needles, lets not forget this part. While starting the IV, I had told the nurses I was terrified of needles going in me, and the first nurse came in, and she stuck the needle in and was piddiling around. After what seemed like her trying for ever she pulled the needle out, and I went into a major panic attack. My blood pressure bottomed out, I started feeling super faint, and Ryans heart beat dropped into the low 50s. Next thing I know the nurses were throwing my bed back, putting an oxygen mask on me, and shoving a needle in my other arm. Then all was good.

Nothing really more was exciting while laboring. My epidural was a dream, I barely felt any pain of getting it, it worked immediatly and extra good. I was in heaven.

About 11am, the nurse comes in the check me and states Im 9+, and she started prepping for delivery. A couple pushes later, out came Ryan, at 11:45 am on March 18, 2004. Weighing in at 6lbs 12 oz 19 1/2 inches long, head full of hair. Apgar Scores 9/9. We went home 2 days later.












Our 2nd Son, Isaac Thomas was born April 29, 2006, after a nice easy pregnancy. He was due May 8, 2006

When I was pregnant with him I should have known he would have been my babe that causes me heartache. ;).

When I was a little over 37wks, I started having contractions, and they didnt stop for 36 hours. They werent just mild either, they were the type that puts me in a bed. I went to the L&D twice, and both times were sent home, after no progress, by the end I was 3cm.

At the next appointment, 38wks, we scheduled to induce at 39wks, on May 1. Well if just seen his birthdate you know we (he) didnt make it. At approx. 1:30ish AM on April 29, I woke up to use the bathroom like a big pregnant women does every single night. And after using the bathroom, I stepped out and was pulling my pants up, when my water went gushing. Now, while Im still half asleep, I take my pants and undies off and sit on the toilet to make sure Im not dreaming or peeing myself (although I just went), I sat and it was still dripping. So I grab a towel, and run upstairs and flip on the light and say its time its time, lets go, and Tommy jumps up like I just said the house is on fire (yes Im still laughing about it, hehe). And I call my mom (whom thank God had Ryan) and let her know my water broke and I was heading there.

We get to the hospital, and the normal stuff happens, IVs, start the process for my epidural. So my epidural gets there, and its in (it hurt more than Ryans, just so you know).. Tommy comes back in, and we start to relax, maybe try to catch some zzzs (since mind you, its really early).. and I start feeling funny, like I feel the contractions sort of, and just like I needed to be checked. I hit my button on my epidural and call the nurse. She comes on in and says Op we are ready to have a baby, they call the doctor, and they start prepping the room. Now Isaac decided to come on a rainy day, and the doctor took quite a while. I could have technically started pushing at about 520 ish AM, but we were waiting for the doc. Although the nurse did have me to a "practice push" and she quickly said okay okay okay stop. LOL And so here I am, waiting to push, and Tommy is cracking jokes, and Im laughing, and/or coughing (since at the time I had bronchitis) and everytime he comes down more and more. The nurse said stop coughing, laughing, moving everything, LOL. Need-less-to-say, by the time the doctor got there he was half out. Thank God I had an epidural and I didnt feel any of that. :)

Anyway at 5:51 am on April 29, 2006, We welcomed Isaac Thomas, weighing in at exactly 7lbs, and 19 1/2 inches. Apgars 9/9.










And on we go....

Although this isnt a child that is here and child that we never got to see, or even a child we didnt even get to know his/her gender. S/he is still our child that is in heaven.

Quick Story. We were due Feb. 15, 2008. On August 13, 2007 we found out via Ultrasound that the baby had passed away. I was supposed to be a little over 13 wks. We had a d&c, August 16. S/he will be missed greatly.

His/Her Ultrasound on July 5, 2007, at 8wks, and in fact measuring a day ahead and had an awesome heartbeat.




On we go. Our final baby. (or so we hope)

Kahleb Michael came July 16, 2008.

Kahleb was due on August 13, 2008.

For a little over a week I had been having contractions. Some really hard, and some not. But nothing that was of worry. Tuesday the 8th, at l&d I was closed (cervix wise, I was there for something else). Monday evening (july 14) I did have some hard contractions, but they stopped through the night. Tuesday was an okay day. I had contractions through out the day. We had burritos for dinner. While he re-did the seal kit in the tractor. I cleaned out my car. Nothing really out of the ordinary happened. I went to bed around 10 feeling like I had been, a couple contractions here and there. I woke up to having a really hard contraction a couple minutes before 3 am. So I figure, I would get up and go to the bathroom and hopefully releive lower pressure. After that I went and laid back down. I had like 2 more contractions and then Tommys alarm went off to get up for work. I laid and tried to get comfortable. I switched positions, after about 3 more strong contractions I got up. I tried going pee again, then I asked Tommy if I could join him in the shower. He of course said yes. So I hopped in and stole the shower for the contractions in my back. The shower helped ease the pain a little bit. I stayed in moving around. I went ahead and washed up. In between contractions I leaned up on the wall and breathed through them. I got out and walked around the house panting and trying to get dressed. Tommy was about to head out the door for work, so we discussed wondering if this was the real thing and if we needed to head to the hospital or not. We went ahead and decided to go in just to make sure. So he changed his clothes (he was in his uniform), and we got dressed. We got both children up and finished dressing them. The contractions were coming any where from 2-4 minutes apart, lasting 30-45 sec. They went from my back to my lower stomach, and while standing the top of my stomach WASNT hard. We had to stop and get gas on the way. The car ride was longer than normal, due to the heavy fog. The hospital is roughly 30 miles from our home. When we arrived at the hospital, I signed the registration papers, and then went to l&d. When we got up there, they put us in the room, and 2 nurses came in to start hooking up monitors and check me. They asked a lot of questions and checked me. I was a 4 cm, 90% effaced, and when she was done, I had started to bleed. Afterwards they said they'd check back in an hour to two, and go from there. The one nurse kept asking the normal registration questions, I let her know that im a rather fast laborer. She started to set the warmer up and said the way it looks, we were gonna have a baby. She left and came back with the other nurse. The other nurse was asking if I was told previously to tell nurses in the future about my fast births. I told her "no", but I knew it was important. She checked me and I was already a 5. It was 530amish. Tommy called my mom to come and get the boys. After that things started to move very quickly! Nurses from everywhere came in and was prepping the room. Its amazing how they flock knowing I go fast. They came in to get my I.V. started and draw blood. The first nurse, poked me twice and blew my vain both times. Even after I told her and the other nurse, that Im not fond of getting IVS and I might have a panic attack. And both times she acted like it was my fault. Both times she started she asked me to ball up my fist and I did and held it and then she was like relax, like I was suppose to know when to. Oh well, another nurse came in and got one started in the other arm. Yippee, one step closer to my epidural! because the way they were thinking/talking I might not get the epidural in time. Which had me a little nervous. I beared through the pain and kept breathing. My mom got there like 6amish or so. At about 6:20am, Tommy, the boys, and my mom went to the cafeteria to eat and grab my bags out of the car. After they all left, the nurse came in with the anthesioligist, and they started asking me a million more questions and then started prepping to get the epidural in. By 6:50am the epidural was in and started working. Though it wasnt that easy. The lady took 2 attempts to get it in. The first one hurt like a mo-fo. But after she got it in and it started to work, it was all good. They had called my doctor to let her know and she said she was on her way to make her rounds, so she would check me and break my water when she got there. Everybody came back to the room. Where Tommy and Isaac feel asleep on the rocking chair. Ryan sat on the bed with me and watched cartoons and my mom and I chatted. I itched like crazy, due to the epidural. Around 740, I started to feel funny in my lower region. So I called the nurse just to be safe. She checked me and said that I was a 9, and when the dr. got here she would break my water. 5 min late, she came back with the doctor, and they broke my water, then the doctor had the nurse start prepping and said we could start pushing him down. To call when he was close to crowning. My mom left and sat in the waiting room with the boys. Needless to say less than 15 pushes later he was fully out. Took less than 15 minutes. And even though I had an epidural I still felt him crowning and him coming out. And the doctor stretching me over his head!! OUCH!! (thats what you natural mommas feel, I couldnt imagine the full effect). No tears, not cuts, and no stitches. :D

Kahleb Michael entered at exactly 800am. As soon as he was out he started screaming right away. He got an apgar of 8/9. He was a bit blue/purple when he was first born. Not a big deal.

He weighed 5lbs 12.5 oz; 19 inches long. Head was 13inches, and chest was 12.

After we both got all cleaned up, I held him and we tried nursing. He latched for a couple minutes. Every body help him and we all bonded. Being 4 wks early, they had to check his sugar level a couple times through out the first 24 hours. It did go low, but we got it back up, without supplementing. The other concern was maintaining his temp. It was a little low, but we just kept him super bundled. By 24 hours everything pretty much kept stabalized. The last concern was his lack of wanting to eat. He would rather sleep than eat. He latches and nurses great, when he wants to. Hes getting better and starting to nurse longer and getting more frequent. He has barely cried, only time was when we got him cold and it was a whimper.

Its amazing to know all that happened, and its crazy to think that its been almost 5 years since having Ryan, and that Kahleb is nearly 6 months old. Makes me quite sad actually!