Maela's birth story: part 2

[Part 1 can be read here]


By 9:31 am we were admitted, blood was drawn, monitors were hooked up I was ready! My contractions were getting more painful! And was ready for an epidural. I had always tried to handle the pain and try for an unmedicated delivery, but this time I new my body just couldn't do it especially if she was a big baby like her brothers. After the epidural was placed my legs were instantly numb, I couldn't feel anything waist down. The lights were dimmed and I tried to nap Logan was catching up on a tv show. I reached 6 cm at 1:48. Labor was progressing slowly so petocin was added to the IV at 2:15. Labor progressed painlessly, so far everything was easier this time around. 3:59 my water was broken and I reached 8 cm. At 4:30 pm I was checked again, I had reached 10 cm, fully effaced and head was making its way down. My doctor was called.
Carts were rolled in nurses were dressed and prepping everything for delivery. My legs were in the stirrups and the nurse mentioned you could see her hair. I snuck a peak and was shocked I could see her while she was still inside of me. Logan wanted to help out in everyday possible, he had talked to the nurses and my doctor about helping in the delivery. He wanted to help catch her, so my doctor said once the head was delivered he could delivery everything else. Our baby girl was pretty much pushing her was out a nurse held her head in place until the doctor came in to be sure she didn't arrive on her own. Within minutes the doctor arrived and dressed quickly and with one push At 5:35 pm weighing 6 pounds 11 ounces 19 inches long with a head circumference of 13 1/4 inches Meala Kathleen joined our family! She was placed on my chest and I was instantly in love with my sweet little girl, she was so small, adorable and finally all mine. I snuggled her while Logan cut the cord. I have wanted a little girl since I was little, I could not believe it had happened, the tears started rolling, she was here, she was safe, and adorable!




While Logan and I welcomed our new baby, my placenta did not want to detach, after an hour it was still attached. So it had to be manually removed, luckily I had a wonderful epidural, thank goodness for Anesthesiologist they are complete heroes! Later we found out my placenta had attached to my uterus from a hemorrhage I had early on.



We snuggled our sweet Maela for the next few hours, she was a big fan of nursing and latched perfectly! She was so quiet and loved to lay right on mama. Logan's sister, her kids  and his mom were able to visit before we were moved to our postpartum room I was still very numb so when I was ready to be moved I had to be rolled on a bed, Logan followed close behind.
It was about 9 pm and we were both hungry! I was able to get a sandwich and chips, Logan ran out to grab some dinner. Our first night was pretty easy, she slept and nursed. The only down fall was all the routine middle of the night vital checks. But we survived.

The next morning James and Boston came to visit! Boston was a little scared, all the wires and cords seemed to scare him and so he kept his distance. James asked to hold his sister and kept mentioning how cute she was. We snagged our first family photo and they were off to play. We later had plenty of visitors! Since I had to have a catheter because of the epidural, and I also had balloon like ball filled with water placed in my uterus to help slow the bleeding so I could not get out of bed or really move much.



We decided I would stay two nights in the hospital so I could get as much rest and not have to worry about anything at home. James and Boss were switched between family, I'm so grateful for such wonderful Sister in laws who offered to help! On Friday morning I was ready to go home, ready to see my boys, ready to be disconnected from all the cords and wires, ready to take a shower! I had the balloon removed and then the catheter and finally after two days could stand! It felt weird at first but then I was back to normal. I hopped in the shower, changed clothes, fixed my hair! Once clean and ready I snagged some newborn photos of Maela so we could announce her birth.




We were finally discharged around noon, the Boys were already home waiting for us. When we walked in Boston said he wanted to hold her and would not leave her side. He had to make sure she had two hands and feet, two eyes, two ears, a mouth and a nose. He loved her and had to make it known. James was also by her side, he wanted to help hold her talk to her. I am so lucky to have such wonderful boys. Once home everything felt complete, our family was perfect and complete! We were all happy to be with each other finally!

Maela's birth story: part 1

The first sign that Maela was showing signs that delivery was close happened while we were visiting Logan's Parents on the Fourth of July. I had some spotting, Boston was born the morning after I started spotting. So I knew something was happening, we left Mom and Dads that day knowing we would soon have a family of five. When we got home that night I started on laundry and cleaning, I needed to know that at least the main chores were done.
I had been having Braxton hicks contractions for a week now so I just monitored the time and strength of each contraction. The day seemed to fly by but I did manage to clean the boys room, the kitchen, living room, and our bedroom. I was pretty proud! After dinner I noticed that the contractions were growing closer together but still very inconsistent, so I was off to bed. With my previous pregnancies I would always start labor around one or two in the morning. I woke around four and was in pain, they were about 4 mins apart. I managed to labor for another hour and they remained two mins apart. I started packing an overnight bag for the boys, they would be staying with family while we were in the hospital. I also packed my bag, with all that I needed, and what Logan might need and clothes for our new baby girl!
I woke Logan at 5:40 and told him it was time, he needed to get ready. He jumped up and was ready in no time. I braided my hair and got dressed. Woke the boys and changed them so they would be ready for the day. Logan called my sister in law and she was on her way to pick up the boys. Once she arrived we hugged and kissed each one of the boys, then we were off. We arrived at the hospital at 6:54 am and walked up to labor and delivery breathing through contractions. Apparently it was a busy the night before and we were lucky to snag a bed in triage. After some monitoring and a pelvic exam I was only at 4 cm, and the contractions slowed down so we were sent to walk for an hour.
We walked up and down the hall, my contractions had started to make a regular schedule. There would be one at each end of the hall and two in between. I would stop at each designated area and start swaying preparing for each one. The pain was increasing and after an hour I was ready! We were ready to be checked. I had reached 5 cm and could be admitted!



Read Part 2 here.

no more mama milk

It’s official I have finally weaned Boston. It has been a long 19 months and am so grateful for the blessing of nursing a little one, but we decided that since we was only nursing in the morning he didn’t need to do it anymore. I love the bond between mom and baby that nursing can encourage. I have always enjoyed holding my babies so close and snuggling them while they eat. James was also nursed until 19 months, which was mostly due to the fact that we moved a few times when I thought we would try, but I am thankful we waited. Since Boston was nursing in the morning and sometimes in the middle of the day for a small snack, weaning was fairly easy, my milk production had been slowly decreasing, and so I didn’t have to worry about being full of milk. Only now 6 days since nursing has stopped am I starting to fill it. I know the urge to feed him will soon pass and I will only have memories of nursing, but I will enjoy what I do have two healthy boys that I credit to Nursing for an extended period time. They are both a handful sometimes but blessings nonetheless. They still love to snuggle with mom and dad and really anyone that will let them, so I will enjoy in while it lasts.

Boston's Birth Story: Part 2

We reached the Labor and Delivery room! I was shaking from all the adrenaline, I was shocked at how fast this whole process was going. As I sat on the bed while being connected to the new monitors the contractions continued getting stronger and stronger. I had to have Logan rub my lower back every time a contraction hit. Once we were settled in the delivery room I asked Logan for a Priesthood Blessing of comfort and a safe delivery, once the blessing was done I was calm and only felt pain from my contractions. After about 20 mins of crying my way through the most painful contractions ever I asked for an epidural.  I really wanted to do this birth all natural, but apparently my body and mind are not strong enough to make it through labor without medication. After telling the nurse I wanted the epidural it was minutes until the anesthesiologist arrived. As he place the epidural in my back I had two of the strongest contractions ever! So he stopped and waited and then like magic, it was placed and I felt cool liquid in my back and was soon numb from the waist down! I was given a button so i could press it anytime and as many times as I needed for the pain. I don't remember a button with James, so this was wonderful! I believe I only pressed it a few times towards the end when the contractions where the strongest. It was amazing I felt no pain just a bit of pressure.
My nurse came to check on me around 6:50 am to see how I was doing. While checking me she looked up at me and smiled, I had reached 10 centimeters and was fully effaced. She told me it was time and she was going to call the doctor. When she returned she came in with a full staff of delivery nurses, I counted at least 10 different people. Next my doctor showed up and asked if I was ready. Within minutes they were all set up, my water was broken and I was told to push. My legs were lifted into the stirrups (the medicine was working because i could not feel my legs at all). Logan stood right next to me and I grasped my thighs. I took a deep breath, gave one big push and out popped a little head took a deep breath and pushed once more and at 7:05 am Boston Blake was born weighing 8 pounds exactly and 21 inches long. My doctor laid him on my chest and the tears started running. After 9 months of waiting I was finally meeting my little boy, he was exactly how I pictured him. He was perfect and healthy and all mine. Logan and I gave him so many kisses within those first few snuggles. After little B's body was more adjusted to the outside world the nurses took him to clean him up, weigh, measure and take some other stats. Logan stood near by as he watched our new little boy. I watched from the bed, my epidural was removed after I was stitched up, I had a little tearing during delivery that needed 2 stitches. I still could not lift my legs, so there was no way i could even move. We called our families to let them know the good news. Logan's dad answered when he called their house, at first he asked why he was calling so early, but after Logan told him he congratulated us and told us, mom would be on her way once David was at school. While he called his parents I called my mom and told her, I was so sad that she was unable to be there, I would have loved for her to come, but because of work and the distance she was not. I had to hold it together all the emotions while talking to her, I did not want her to think that it was her fault for not being there. She was so happy for us, I told her how fast everything went and how healthy are new little guy was. Next Logan called his twin brother who lives just down the street from us, at first he thought we were just playing a joke and did not believe him, but after telling him we were really in the hospital and we wanted him to pick up James for us. He believed Logan.
Since I was still very numb, I had to have a catheter placed before I could be moved to a recovery room. Once done, I was moved into a wheelchair with Boston in my arms and Logan close behind. Before we even got to our new room Reagan had arrived, Karen grabbed James's carseat and was off to pick him up, she stopped by our house and picked up some clothes, since he would be staying the night with grandma and would be home the next morning. Once I was settled in my recovery room, Reagan and Noah were allowed in. A few moments later James and Karen arrived. James was so nervous at first he didn't want to come near me. I think all the machines and cords scared him. I handed Boston off to Logan and tried to hold James but he refused and just stood near my bed or in the rocking chair in the room. We talked with Reagan and Karen for a little while then they were off to give us some time as a new family of four. James refused to be near this new baby I don't think he really know what to think of the new baby. We tried to explain that mommy had a baby in her belly and that it was going to come out soon and he was a big brother. But I don't think he really understood that that baby would live with us forever. Mom and Dad Bliss showed up a bit later and welcomed their sixteenth grand baby into the family! They were asking the usual questions about the birth and baby then were also off after awhile, with Mr. James in tow. I gave him a big kiss and hug and said we would see him tomorrow. He was pretty happy, he doesn't normally stay overnight with grandma and grandpa, so as mommies do I was a bit worries that he might kept them up all night. But to my surprise grandma said he did wonderful! He was asleep early and woke up on time. Talk about a happy mommy! The second night in the hospital was uneventful. We slept snuggled with baby Boston and enjoyed the sweet moments we had with our newborn.
The next day James was brough back into town and we now had two wonderful healthy boys together! Since the hospital required us to stay 36 hours we waited and kept asking to leave. I felt wonderful and wasn't in any pain, was tired of sitting in a hospital bed and most of all ready to start our new life as a family of four! Seven o'clock rolled around and we were given the okay by my OB and by Boston's pediatrician we were packed and out the door! We grabbed some dinner on the way home. I can't believe I am now a mom of two sweet boys! I cannot wait for our new adventure!

Boston's Birth Story: Part 1

Boston is now 3 months old and if i don't record this now I will most likely forget everything that happened that day!

On Tuesday September 10, I had been cleaning the house all day. I had reached 9 days before my due date, James was 9 days early so I knew that Boston would be on his way soon. I had my routine weekly appointment with my OB and everything was looking pretty normal  I was 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced. My doctor was guessing the little guy was about 7.5 pounds. I got dressed and scheduled my next appointment. The rest of the day I was slaving away trying to clean everything and wash all the laundry and iron all of the Mr. shirts so I would not have to worry about it after we came home from the hospital. After we all had dinner, I told Logan that we needed to run to the store I needed to pick up diapers and a few other things. In the back of my mind I had thought that Little B was waiting until mommy was ready for him and he would wait until she had purchased diapers (I had made cloth diapers and kept going back and forth on buying small little newborn diapers or just going straight to the cloth diapers.) and chores done. So off to Walmart we were, we picked up some newborn diapers, some items for homemade laundry soap and some other random things probably snacks. (I was always craving snack foods)
When we got home Logan got James ready for bed and put him down for the evening. I started on my homemade laundry soap. I love how well homemade soap works, and I knew I would not have anytime after baby was born to make some so I had to get it made, the clock was ticking. After mixing all my ingredients I poured soap into leftover spaghetti sauce jars and the majority of it in a larger glass container, then it was placed in the laundry room. I washed my hands off and changed my clothes and was off to bed at 11:30.
I had been having inconsistent contractions all day, nothing to severe or strong just enough to notice and tingle a bit. I laid in bed on my left side, then my right and back to the left I kept rolling to my sides every time I had a contraction, they were getting closer and closer and they were getting more painful. Finally at 12:30 a.m. I could not lay in bed I was afraid of waking Logan with all my tossing and turning. If this was a false labor I was not going to keep him up when he had to work the next day. So I walked out the the living room and laid on the couch trying to sleep, I knew if this was the start of labor I wanted to rest as much as possible. But that only lasted about an hour, I turned on the TV and watched a movie on Netflix. I started walking back and forth in my little living room and drinking water like I was dying of thirst. During each contraction I would get on my hands and knees and rock  back and forth. In between I was sitting on James's big ball (i knew i should have grabbed an exercise ball weeks ago!) So I bounced and rocked, my contractions were about 3 to 5 minutes apart. I had been going to the bathroom all night (with the amounts of water I was drinking I was not surprised) at 2:30 a.m. I went to the bathroom and found that I had bloody mucus! This was it I was in REAL LABOR! I had done it on my own, with James I was induced after having false labor twice! I got cleaned up and went to wake Logan up. I was so happy, excited, nervous, and shaking (mostly due to nerves but also contractions were getting really strong)
As Logan got dressed, I made sure everything was packed: clothes for both of us, camera, chargers for everything that needed to be charged, baby's first outfit and personal items for both of us. I also grabbed the iPad just incase we were there for a long time. Luckily we had talked to some friends that live in our building the day before and they volunteered to watch James if we went into labor in the middle of the night. So Logan gave them a ring and told them what was happening. I packed up some clothes for James, his cup and snacks were thrown in. I knew that family would be able to pick him up in the morning so I wasn't worried too much. We bundled him up and went and knock on the door of our neighbors and they had already made a bed for James! What wonderful friends we have! I laid him down and gave him a hug and kiss knowing the next time I saw him, he would be a big brother. We thanked and thanked our friends again and out the door we were.
Finally at 3:30 we were on the way to the hospital I had two contractions on the way that were really strong! We parked and walked to the ER doors. (since it was so late/too early the main doors were not open so we had to walk from the ER to Labor and Delivery) We walked in and the lady at the desk smiled at us and asked if we were looking for labor and delivery. She told us were to walk and asked if I needed a wheelchair. I thanked her and told her no. I wanted to walk! I know how walking helps labor and I wanted this baby to get as much progress as possible, no false labor for this mama. I may have made the biggest mistake by refusing the wheelchair, that was the most painful walk! We had to walk slow and stop every few minuets so I could sway back and forth through each contraction.
Finally we made it to the L&D check in desk! I told the nurse I was ready and I had been having contractions. She checked me in while Logan went to get a visitors pass. We were all set up in the triage. I changed into a  hospital gown and was checked to see how dilated I was. She checked and  I was 5 cm and 90% effaced. I was going to be admitted! I peed in a cup, had some blood tests, an IV put in and a bloody arm (apparently my arm likes to bleed... a lot!), they checked my records and asked all the personal questions. At 4:01 I texted my mom to tell her i was being admited. While I was being moved from triage to Labor and Delivery my Doctor walked by and saw us (he was on call that night, how lucky am I?) I had a super strong contraction on the way over and had to stop walking (I again asked if I could walk instead of the wheel chair, I don't know what I was thinking) The nurse complimented how good I was breathing and handling the pain. I was so proud that I was doing everything right this time around.

James' Baby Blessing, the Grandparents and Father's Day

The past couple if weeks have been super busy and full of family! Baby James had his blessing on the 12th, it was a wonderful day! Mama and Papa Bliss (Logan's parents) and Uncle Dave (Logan's youngest brother) drove from Missouri to witness the blessing. Uncle Kevin (one of Logan's older brothers), his wife Natalie and their wonderful girls also drove from Missouri. And of course Jared (Logan's oldest brother), his wife Katie and their kids drove up from Cottonwood to be part Of the special day! My mom also come to town tojointhe fun! I was so excited we could see so much family, I truly love all of Logan's family.

We were able to spend the week with the family, it was a ton of fun, especially since it's been awhile since our last visit to Missouri. I am so grateful I married into a wonderful family, who support Logan and I.

LOGAN'S FIRST FATHER'S DAY!
Sunday was Logan's first Father's Day, and it was a joy to spend it with him. He is a wonderful father to James, I know that it is not always easy for him but I do know he is trying his hardest. I am so happy that Logan and I have James, I don't know what we would do without him.

Baby Boy Bliss

James Calvin Bliss


Baby James and I met on May 6th at 4:48 pm, he weighed 8 lbs and 4 oz and was 21 inches long. We had a tough journey after two hours of pushing, an epidoral, and a very long morning of contractions. I was so excited to finally meet him, Logan and I are so happy to have such a wonderful little boy. He truly is a blessing.


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