Kollyns' Birth Story

A FEW THOUGHTS ON BEING A MOMMY...

I really do not know where to begin with this post.  I am so overwhelmed with joy and happiness and love that I don't even know that it's possible to put what I've experienced into words.  Words seem so inadequate when trying to describe the love you have for your child or how truly amazing it is to experience these feelings that you have for this little being that has completely stolen every part of your heart from the moment your eyes met her face.  As I stare at her now while she's smiling off somewhere in dreamland I start crying.  Not because I'm sad or overwhelmed with all that comes along with being a new mommy...but because I can't get over the miracle of it all.  Her perfect little face and hands and feet...and all of her little expressions are a perfect reflection of what an amazing God we serve.  I feel so undeserving of this gift, but so incredibly thankful that I've been given the chance to experience the love a mother has for her child.  I wouldn't trade this first week with her for anything, and I would go through every bit of pregnancy/waiting/labor & delivery over and over again even if I knew at the end of the journey I would only get 1 week with her.  But my prayer is that Devin and I get a long, happy life of watching her grow into the woman God created her to one day be.  After only a week, I simply cannot imagine my life without her...and I almost can't remember what it was like before she arrived...because it seems like I wasn't even truly living until I saw her perfect face.

THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO, AND THE BIRTH OF OUR PRECIOUS KOLLYNS

Sunday, February 20th was like any other day for us.  We went to church, came home and took a nap, went to the grocery store, and then we went to the gym that evening for a quick workout to start the new week off right.  (Proud to say I worked out until the day before I delivered...and it does have its benefits, you will find out why later in the post).  I  was so excited because tomorrow morning I would safely reach the 37 week mark in my pregnancy (which is considered full term)!  I was content with Kollyns coming at any point after that day because there was a great chance that she would be a perfectly healthy little one!  Dev and I crawled into bed early Sunday night because the weeks seemed to be getting longer as our due date approached and we wanted to rest up for a long week ahead.  At 5 am I woke up and I thought that maybe my water had broken but I wasn't sure because it didn't gush or pop like everyone said it probably would.  I shook Dev and told him that I thought it might be happening, but go back to sleep because I'm probably just going crazy and it's nothing at all.  So I called my Nanny Patsy (who is also my boss :)) and I told her I thought I might be going into labor, just a heads up in case I couldn't make it into work.  I told her not to tell anyone because it might be a false alarm, and I jumped in the shower.  I just couldn't roll up in the hospital with nasty hair and no shower on the day I finally might meet my princess. :) After I got out of the shower water was still trickling down my leg and I was starting to feel some cramping in my back...so I was like ooookay, I'm texting Megan.  Megan is one of my best friends who conveniently happens to be a labor & delivery nurse.  The poor thing had just come off of a 12 hour shift the day before and here I was blowing up her phone because I 'might' be in labor.  (I'm still sorry about that Megan...and I love you for putting up with me, haha)  After about 45 minutes of texting her what was going on with me, she convinced me to call the hospital and give them a heads up that I was coming in to get checked out.  I called the hospital, put my makeup on, fixed my hair, got dressed, and woke up Devin.  By the time we got in the car, my contractions were 5 minutes apart and they were not pleasant at all.  I called my family and told them that I thought today might be the day so they could head on up to the hospital.  Of course they were doing road work on the way to the hospital and Devin was flying over speed bumps and potholes like there was no tomorrow.  I was fussing at him because it hurt so bad to hit a pothole in the middle of a contraction and his response was 'babe, I thought this is what you were supposed to do when you're trying to go into labor.' Um helloooo Devin, I'm already in labor sweetheart.  :) So between the potholes and speed bumps I get a text from Megan telling me that Allison Hunter was working and she would call her and tell her I was on my way.  From the beginning I had wanted either Allison or Megan to be my nurse (Megan being my good friend, and Allison is one of our driver's wives and we all love her for her uncanny ability to make light of any situation  and tell it like it is.) I had already discussed with Allison that my birth plan was one word- EPIDURAL, so I think she had that in the works before I even got in the hospital bed good.  When I got to the L&D floor, my angel Allison buzzed me in and took me to my room! By the time I got settled in good it was about 7:00 am and I was already dilated to a 5.  The contractions were getting pretty intense while they were getting my IV set up and I had developed a fever so they were trying to get that under control.  Before I knew it the anesthesiologist was wheeling in to give me my epidural.  The epidural was wonderful, and I wouldn't advise anyone to try having a baby without one (based on the screams I was hearing in the room next door).  I was actually laughing during labor because they were moving my legs all around and I couldn't feel a thing.  It was like I saw my legs moving but didn't feel them and it was the weirdest feeling so that cracked me up.  So while I was waiting to fully dilate and push all of the family came in and I was just laid up in the bed talking to them.  It was wonderful.  The doctor came back in and I was at like a 7, and then an hour later I was at a 9...and then before I knew it, it was a little before 12 and Allison was telling me to push some because the baby's head was way low and she was ready to meet mommy and daddy.  Devin, Mom, Betty, Cristy, & Shana were all in the room when I started pushing.  Apparently I'm a good pusher because it didn't take long for them to scream out that Kollyns had dark hair and they could see her head.  Mind you, I didn't feel any of this...not even pressure to push.  It was amazing how I actually enjoyed pushing her out.  Seriously people...EPIDURAL.  A few pushes later the doctor came in and Cristy and Shana cleared out because there can only be 3 people in there for delivery.  At 12:08 pm on February 21st my beautiful girl was born and the whole room was crying.  She was just perfect and she was everything I had dreamed she would be.  I was so in love with her and so was Devin...it was an incredible experience. I was only technically in labor for a little over 6 hours and I didn't feel pain but for about 1 1/2 hours out of the 6 and I didn't feel the delivery part at all.  Let me just put it this way...I would have 10 babies if I knew they would all be as easy as Kollyns, and that the hospital staff would be the exact same.  The DR that was on call that day was wonderful and Charlotte was working (she helped deliver me when I was born)- she was great, and there are no words to describe how fabulous of a nurse Allison is.  So to say the least, our Kollyns picked the perfect day and the perfect way to enter the world. 

IF YOU'RE SICK OF HEARING HOW WONDERFUL EVERYTHING HAS WORKED OUT..STOP READING HERE BECAUSE IT GETS EVEN BETTER....HAHA

Since we have gotten settled at home and began our lives with Kollyns at the center..life has only gotten sweeter.  She is the absolute best baby so far.  She is eating on schedule and she rarely cries.  She lets out the occasional squeak when she is hungry in the night to wake mommy and daddy up.  I know anyday now this could change and she could turn into a little squealer...but  I wouldn't mind one bit.  She is ours, and we are responsible for her from here on out no matter what that entails.  Devin is also a wonderful daddy...he is already so protective and he is up for anything when it comes to taking care of his girl. They even have daddy/daughter time every night and she lays on his chest and looks around and he loves on her for hours.  It's the sweetest thing.  We are going to do the best we can as parents to raise her right, take care of her, and love her to no end.  I am thankful for every single second I get to look into those pretty eyes, or watch her smile, or when she grabs my finger, or when I hear her let a little cry..and I even get excited over poopy diapers (I knowwww, I'm sick with it).  Being a parent is the greatest gift and we are going to embrace it and enjoy it every single step of the way.  I thank God for our precious daughter every second of everyday...and she is our constant reminder that 'every good and perfect gift is from above.'

Showered with Love...

We have been so busy lately between wonderful baby showers and preparing for Kollyns’ big debut that I’ve completely forgotten to blog.  So much has happened since my last post…and we are now only 3 ½ weeks from our due date!  Time flies when you’re running around trying to get things done…er, waddling around is more like it!  The last weekend in January, Nanny Patsy and Cristy threw us a fabulous shower and we stocked up on goodies for Kollyns.  I absolutely loved going home and putting her stuff away and getting psyched about the fact that she will be here so soon.  Her room started really coming together as I was filling it up with all of her things.  The following weekend I had a shower at my mom’s house given to us by some lovely ladies.  It was so great to see everyone and we are so grateful from the bottom of our hearts for how generous everyone has been.  We have everything we need to welcome our sweet baby into this big world now and I’m so thankful that we are able to provide her with everything she needs!  I came home from the shower, piled up everything on her bedroom floor and just stared at it wondering where in the world I would put it all.  Thankfully her room is full of nifty little storage spaces.  And after about 7 hours of digging through her wonderful gifts and putting away…her room was finally in order and we were ready to roll.  Daddy Dev got an energy spurt too and decided to put all of her strollers and bouncers and swings together as well…so that made us very happy girls! We went in to the doctor the Tuesday after our shower for an ultrasound to determine baby’s size.  He was a little bit worried because my belly was measuring small for the week I was in (which was 35 at the time).  We did the ultrasound and she weighed in at about 6 lbs and she is in the 67^th percentile…which is great.  He came to the conclusion that my body type hides baby well (which is great news for me) and we have absolutely nothing to worry about.  After the ultrasound he did a check and I was already 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced at 35 weeks.  I was a little shocked because I haven’t felt any contractions at all…and my body is just working away getting ready for little miss Kollyns.  We have officially started our weekly appointments (a sure sign that she is almost here, yay!!!), and on Tuesday I went back again for a 36 week checkup.  I had been feeling a little bit of pressure and some tightening around my tummy, so he decided to check me again.  As of yesterday I was 4 cm dilated and 75% effaced.  Her head is down low and she is in position to make her way into mommy’s arms and out of mommy’s belly!  He said she could really come at anytime now, and he doesn’t think I will make it to my due date because I am steadily progressing.  We will see.  I would like for her to stay in for a couple more weeks so I know she is good and ready, and Monday I will be at 37 weeks (which is no longer considered premature).  The Dr. is not worried about her if she comes at any time because she is at a healthy weight and he thinks she will be just fine.  So whether she makes me wait the full 26 days until her due date, or decides to come a little early …I will be completely fine with it!  I don’t feel like she will be here anytime soon though because she certainly seems to be having fun in my belly, but what do I know?  I guess only time will tell.  We are so excited and full of joy, but for now all we can do is pray and wait…and that’s exactly what we are doing. 

7 weeks from Kollyns' due date!!!

Pre-pregnancy I was one of the girls that actually felt bad for pregnant people.  I would see a pregnant woman and think ‘poor thing, she has to walk around with that big belly all the time…I know it has to be so uncomfortable and awkward’… Before I got pregnant I’m even guilty of fearing pregnancy and how it would change my body and my mental state…I assumed I would become an insecure crazy girl, when actually it had the opposite effect on me (now I realize how selfish those thoughts are, and I’m ashamed that they even crossed my mind).  So I thought pregnancy would turn me into a whiner.  I figured I would be one that would constantly complain and make Devin wait on me hand & foot.  Ha.  Lucky for him, I’ve had the easiest pregnancy ever with no complications so far (thank the Lord) and I haven’t been able to pester him one bit.  Pregnancy has surprised me in so many ways.  I didn’t realize how truly beautiful and wonderful it is until I experienced it for myself.  I’ve developed a newfound respect for my body and what it is capable of.  I look at myself in a completely different light...and I feel so blessed that God has allowed me to carry this child and bond with her over the past 8 months.  When I read Psalm 139:13-14 ‘For You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my Mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made’…it really reveals how much of a gift it is to have this perfect little girl being created inside of me, and I am so thankful.  We have passed the 33 week mark and we’re sliding into 34 with under 7 weeks to go.  It finally feels like we’re getting somewhere…yet time is slowing down for some reason!  Probably because I’m getting so anxious to hold her, and love on her, and take care of her and kiss her sweet face.  Not that the belly isn’t a constant reminder of my little bringer of joy that’s soon to come…but she never lets me forget she’s in there.  She rolls, kicks, and hiccups to no end.  Every evening when I get home from the gym I sit back on the sofa and roll up my shirt because I know she’s getting ready to show mommy and daddy that she can get a good workout in too each day!  It is so amazing to watch her movements because they seem so strong and forceful!  Which I LOVE!  They are actually starting to hurt at times…but as long as she’s enjoying herself in my tummy I’m a happy mommy.  But as much as I’ve loved being pregnant and experiencing this amazing journey, I’m sure it doesn't compare to the day we get to FINALLY meet our sweet girl!  

    

Patiently waiting...

Well we have made it into our third trimester with only 2 ½ months or 10 3/4 weeks or 75 days (obviously, the countdown is ON) to go! Everything is going by so quickly and we had a wonderful Christmas with our families!  Kollyns racked up on baby room furniture/décor.  Her room went from being a ‘blah’ guest room filled with junk to a beautiful little girl’s room with a crib, a changing table, a dresser, a glider, and a black crystal chandelier!  And she’s already a little fashionista with the Coach Diaper Bag that Papa Todd and Nanny Cristy gave her for Christmas!  The daddy-to-be worked extra hard this past weekend and got it done while Kollyns and Mommy supervised, and mommy did some serious closet cleaning.  I think I’m a premature ‘nester’ because I’ve become obsessive about getting everything ready for her even though we have a ways to go.   I’ve cleaned out closets that haven’t been touched since we moved in our house 2 years ago!  Yikes, that was a job.  This weekend I’m determined to clean every window in the house!   And just last night I had an energy spurt and had to rip down all of my indoor Christmas decorations because that’s just one step closer to her being here!  I sound like a crazed mommy-to-be, but really it’s better than sitting around getting nothing accomplished and eating everything in sight.  Ha.  So since Devin has done his part in putting up all of the furniture it’s time for me to get stepping on buying curtain rods, hanging her pretty little curtains, finding a pretty matching rug, and accenting her beautiful room!  SO EXCITING!  The belly has pretty much popped out of nowhere.  It went from being a cute little bump to a very obvious preggers belly (which I’m excited about, she’s a growing girl!!!).  I’m still doing strength training 3 days a week with cardio every other day.  It’s getting more and more difficult to do certain exercises, but I’m totally motivated with all of this renewed energy that has appeared! My weight gain is right on track at 14 lbs, and I’m gaining a steady 1 lb a week which will put me at the ideal 25lbs gained when I reach full term…and I’ve started going to the doctor every 2 weeks instead of 4 which is a sign we are closing in on the big day!  I still fit in my regular jeans with a hair band, but GapMaternity jeans feel fabulous on the days I wear those.  I don’t really even like the Gap, but their maternity clothes are AMAZING! My old tanks still fit but maternity tanks are just so much more comfortable because they fit tight and cute on the belly without looking awkward.  Kollyns is moving like crazy in my belly, especially at night.  We lay in the bed and watch my stomach shift as she moves all over!  It’s SO crazy to think that our sweet little baby is in there.  We are SO excited and we’re enjoying our time together before she gets here!  And I’m loving every second of having her in my belly and bonding with her!  Patience, patience…she will be here before we know it!  We love our precious girl more than she will ever understand! Pictures of the Nursery to come…

25 Weeks!

Wow...we've reached the 25 week mark with only 15 to go.  I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy is going by.  And despite the fact that during the holidays I was fighting off an ear infection, a sinus infection, a ridiculously annoying cough and pink eye (because thankfully, my body is protecting Kollyns...and leaving nothing for me to fight with)-we had a beautiful Thanksgiving with our families...and I've never been more thankful for or more aware of the blessings in our life.  This miracle of life inside of me has opened my eyes to many things and I am now so much more appreciative of the little things I've always taken for granted.  So now we're looking forward to and preparing for Christmas. It's so fun to imagine next year at this time and how different our lives will be.  It's such a sweet thing to think about! Below is my little 25 week survey so I can remember this stage!  We are 3 short weeks away from the third trimester! :)

How far along? 25 Weeks
Total weight gain: 7 lbs
Maternity clothes? Still fitting in most of my old clothes.  I've only bought 2 maternity tanks to wear under open sweaters in case the belly makes a sudden pop and I can't fit into my old tanks.  So far I'm still in my normal sized jeans using the hair band trick.
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: Sleep is good.  She has started waking me up at 4:30am with little kicking spells.  I love it.
Best moment this week: Noticing a pattern with her movements. 
Movement: She moves constantly...especially after I finish eating.  I think she loves food as much as I do! :)
Food cravings: Thankfully, none.
Gender: GIRL!
Labor Signs: definitely not!
Belly Button in or out: IN
Wedding rings on or off? On
What I miss: SPIKE energy drinks before workouts...
What I am looking forward to: Reaching the third trimester so we can start counting down!
Weekly Wisdom: I'm loving and appreciating every little movement or kick I can feel and still enjoying all the quality time I have with my amazing husband before her arrival.
Milestones: Movement Patterns...and the baby bed has arrived! YAY!

What the baby looks like this week...

Picture from BabyCenter

behind the name & the nursery...

The Name…


We had no clue how difficult it would be for us to pick our baby’s name. We had a boy name, but not a girl name. All of the girl names that we have had picked out since we got married… have been used by close friends of ours within the last 5 years (unbeknownst to them, of course). So we finally settled on Kollyns River Almond, which I absolutely love because of its uniqueness and timelessness. We saw the name Collins in the movie The Blindside and I thought it was beautiful, but I was worried people would call her Collin (boy name). So we decided to change the spelling to make it feminine and shift the gender-neutral name to a girly name. Kollyns was Devin’s pick, and I can’t wait to tell her that her daddy named her! I picked the middle name River, because I have wanted to name my little girl or boy River for forever. Of course, someone beat me to it, so I settled on the middle. It’s so significant too because of how much Devin and I love the river and how it played such a huge part in his life growing up. So yeah, her name is Kollyns River! And we love it! I think she loves it too, because when I talk to her and call her by name, it’s like she’s dancing around in there…which is so sweet.

The Nursery…

So this was an easy decision. I was browsing through baby bedding and saw an adorable collection by Glenna Jean. It’s called the ‘Kirby Collection’ and it’s made up of hot pink, lime, yellow, black and grayish/silver. The walls in the baby room are already a gray color so I was ELATED to figure out that we didn’t need to paint, and I’m sure Devin is pretty happy about that too! So below are some pictures of the prospective room design (minus some of the extra floral details). I like bold and modern, so I’m going to stick with the bedding only having the floral and everything else will be accented with bold pieces. I’m in love with the shimmery silver drapes and the chandelier!

A few of my favorite things...

                               Love these drapes!!!                     

The Glenna Jean Kirby Collection

 Girly Pink Rug is a must! :)

 Her Sheets...

 Matching Musical Mobile

Sweet Baby Chandelier...

sweet baby girl...

First of all I'm sorry this post is so long, but I have so much to say!  And I can’t even begin to describe how our morning went without first reflecting on how great our God is.  I have been full of wonder throughout this whole journey, and at the same time full of worry.  I worry so much for the baby that is inside of me right now, that I’m protecting.  I can’t imagine the worries that come along with motherhood, once this sweet innocent life enters this sometimes not so beautiful world.  Every morning and night, and a lot of times throughout the day I will cover my belly with my hands and pray and plead with God to bless us with a healthy child that will one day live his/her life in light of eternity.  I pray that our sweet little one will live according to God’s will and will keep in mind that this life isn’t about us at all, it’s about bringing glory to our ever-faithful, true, and merciful Heavenly Father.  I constantly have to remind myself of this because it’s something so easily forgotten in this ‘me, me, me’ world, and I must always remember to remind my baby from where our blessings flow.  With that said, this ultrasound made it all so incredibly real to both me and Devin.   Our baby looked like a baby, FINALLY!!! We saw it dancing and kicking and moving those little arms.  And then we got a glimpse of the face.  She zoomed in on the nose and it looked IDENTICAL to Devin’s.  After she checked out everything to make sure the baby was healthy and growing nicely, she called in my Dad, Mom, and Terry.  We waited until they were in there to find out the gender and she said IT’S A GIRL!  Mom and I both started crying…it was the sweetest thing!  Devin’s face lit up so bright because he’s wanted a girl all along.  I was absolutely shocked (a happy shock, of course) because I just KNEW it was a boy.  I had convinced myself that I was having a boy…I thought I had some seriously good intuition, but obviously I was far off.  Ha.  And it was very clearly a little girl!  I can’t believe now I can say I’m having a daughter!  It’s the best feeling in the world!  We can’t wait to spoil her and dress her up and put little bows in her hair. After we got over the initial excitement of knowing what we were having she started pulling up 4D images of our baby girl’s face.  Oh my WORD does our child look like her daddy.  She has Devin’s face completely!  I never knew that you could distinguish features this early…but clearly daddy’s little girl is daddy’s spitting image.  I couldn’t be more thrilled with that because obviously I love the way Devin looks, so she will be one pretty little doll baby.   Now as we wait for our little princess to arrive we have to start acting instead of just dreaming.  Here comes the name game, and nursery decorating, and buying little baby things.  Here comes the FUN PART!  Well, fun for me.  Devin doesn’t exactly enjoy shopping…so hopefully one day my little girl will be mommy’s shopping partner.  But we still get to dream together…that’s the beauty of all of this.  And it’s a great time passer when all we can do is wait for her arrival.  We are still holding on to hope and faith in the dream that we will be blessed with a long happy life with our baby so we can teach her and so she can teach us.  I want us to become childlike with her,  I can’t wait to watch her experience the beauties of this world for the first time and get a glimpse of this life through her sweet, innocent, perfect eyes.