Jensen Emmett

I've been meaning to do this for a week and I know I need to do it before I forget but hello, I have 5 kids now!! I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that one.  Seth and I have been married for less than 10 years and we just outnumbered ourselves by more than 2 to 1!  I sometimes think, what are we even thinking?  And I'm quite sure there are more than a few people/acquaintances/friends who are thinking the same thing.  In the middle of the madness I have to just remind myself that this is our life, it is who we are, insanity and all, we chose it and I would say that 90% of the time we love it.  And loving your life that much ain't too shabby.

Number five came into this world way differently than the other four.  I have never really, fully gone into labor completely on my own.  My contractions never really do anything on their own and they don't end up getting me to full on labor on my own.  I've had pitocin with all the others. This time was so different.

Here's the timeline:

7:30 pm - Out running errands with Luana (our exchange student) who was leaving to go back home the next morning.  I told her that despite all her prayers there was virtually no way she would meet Jensen before she left, I take longer than 12 hours to have a baby and nothing had even started yet.

9:00 pm - Put the kids to bed.  And finally sat down to relax.  Had a few contractions and decided to sit there a while longer in hopes that they would do something.  I had a dr's appt the next day and we were hoping he would tell us I was far enough along to go ahead and schedule something.

9:30 pm - Get up and walk around.  Usually walking around makes my contractions stop.  Contractions are really intense and only like 3-5 minutes apart.  I told Seth that some of them I couldn't tell when one stopped and the next one started.  Let me just explain, I have never experienced this before.  I know crazy, it's number 5, how do I not know that I am in active labor?  Good question.

9:35 pm - I call my sister (pregnant with #7) to ask how long the contractions should be consistent like that before I go to the hospital.  (in the past they've always stopped after 20 minutes or so)  She didn't answer.  I call her home phone.  No answer.  (come to find out her husband woke her up and told her she should check her phone because it might be me calling)  She called me back and said "get to the hospital."

9:45 pm - Seth's mom was out of town.  We had no plan.  No bag packed.  No one to stay with our kids.  I call my friend Laura and tell her I "might" need her.

10:00 pm - Laura shows up.  I'm still packing a bag in between really super-crazy-intense contractions. I wake up McKay to tell her we're leaving for the hospital and we'll call her when/if Jensen shows up.  (I was still somehow not sure I was actually in labor!)

10:05 pm - I'm standing by the front door waiting on Seth, Laura is like "where the heck is Seth?" - he was cleaning Luc's room because he felt bad that it was messy for Laura.  She goes and tells him to take me to the hospital already.  We leave.  I can barely get in the car the pain is so intense.  I have never felt anything like that.  (I've always had an epidural by 5-6 cm at the most)

10:06 pm - Seth tries to turn around and go back to the house because he forgot his inhaler and his laptop. (how nerdy is that?)  I (so out of character) tell him absolutely not, we do NOT have time.  This urgency, shocked even me.  I almost told him sorry and that he could go back if he wanted to.

10:07 - 10:25 pm - The drive to the hospital was crazy.  I was trying to remind myself how to breath.  I took a birthing class before McKay but it was all pretty much a blur.  The contractions were now no more than a minute apart and I felt like I was dying.  Seth called the hospital to tell them we were on our way.  He was driving 60 in a 40-45 mph zone.

10:25 pm - we get to the hospital and I can't even get out of the car, let alone walk.  Seth ran in to get a wheelchair.  He rolls me in and I am groaning, moaning and very nearly screaming.  I was so embarrassed. I kept apologizing to people.  We get up to the Labor and Delivery reception desk and they start asking us questions like "who is your pediatrician?" Seth was like, what the heck, seriously, my wife is ready to give birth in this wheelchair and you are asking who our pediatrician is.  They finally buzz us back, the triage nurse comes out and asks questions, I yell, "I am going to have this baby right now!"  The nurse, wisely decides to skip the triage room and take me right to delivery.  We get in the room, I stand up, the nurse says "has your water broken?" - "nope, oh wait, yep, now it has" - She pulls off my pants and I, yelling again, say "I AM PUSHING, I CAN'T STOP PUSHING!" -

10:30 pm - she gently pushes me on to the bed and with in about 30 seconds he's out.  That's it.

Good thing we didn't go back for Seth's inhaler!  Just sayin'.

Did you catch that?  Wimpy ol' me had a baby al' natural!!!  Crazy!  AND, we don't have a bill from an anesthesiologist!  Cool little bonus.

Jensen Emmett Avey

7 lbs 13 oz - 20 in

Look who got to meet Emmett!  

McKay originally wanted to come to the birth, it didn't work out but she was there just 30 minutes after.  Not bad.

This beautiful picture is courtesy of Rachael Ann Lewis... A good friend and an amazing photographer.  www.rachaelannelewisphotography.com 

The kids are SO good with him!  They just love having a baby in the house.

He's an Angel Baby!

I have a super hero for a husband. Sundays from 11-2 are currently my sanity hours!  Oh and to make things in our lives even more "interesting", Seth was called to be YM President 4 days after Jensen was born.

He sleeps A LOT!!  I'm not complaining.

Kimball will do anything I ask as long as her "reward" is holding Jensen.