Pieces of your Story- Aniston Lynn

July 31, 2014 came and went with no baby. How could I possibly go over my due date with baby number three? I had planned on having you all natural so the thought of induction scared me silly. So we continued our normal daily activities, and added in a few more strenuous ones to try and evict you. We went on long fast walks, played multiple games of frisbee golf, we even ventured to mommy's family reunion where I stayed on the bouncy boat all day long. Still nothing. You were comfy just where you were and nothing I did was going to change that. So the doctor decided that instead of waiting any longer it was time to get you out. (Your brother Cohen was 10 days over due and we were not going to do that again)

We chose Monday, August 4 to be your induction day. Daddy was nervous because he was head coach of Cohen's football team and had his first practice that night all the way in Danville. He begged me to pick another day, but this was the day my doctor was on call, and this was the day that just felt right. I joking assured him that I would have you out by noon, giving him plenty of time to spend with you before he had to leave for practice. (Yes you can tease him about this your whole life!) So early monday morning at 7 a.m. we showed up at the hospital.

By 7:30 they had me all hooked up and had the pitocin flowing....yikes! It was written in my birth plan NO MEDS but I hadn't planned on pitocin. I remember saying do you have to keep turning that up? Every half hour the nurse came in and inevitably worsened my pain. Around 9 it was time to break my water. Whew, that's always a funny feeling, and a feeling of wow this is real. In no time at all I will be holding my baby. Now we just wait on the contractions to roll in hard and strong. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was plaing on the t.v., Your dad, mamaw, papaw, and grandma Becky were in the room with me trying to take my mind off the pain.

Mommy's friend Abbey who is a doula was trying to be there for your birth. She had coached me many times on delivery day and given me some different position ideas to lessen the pain. Unfortunately she was in Chicago that day training and couldn't actually be at the hospital. She was sending me texts the whole way through to try and get me to relax. As we were approaching 10:30 I was starting to question my "no meds" decision.

With all that was going on, the thing that irritated me the most was the heart rate monitor that they screwed into the top of your head. I know that sounded awful to me too, but the nurse said it was the best way to monitor your heart and for me to still be able to move around. I just kept feeling like if I moved too much I could rip it out of your precious little head so all of my movements were slow and calculated.  Actually I was afraid to make many moves because each contraction was getting worse and worse. I had thought about getting in the water, but at this point I decided to just stick it out on the bed. I really couldn't see how I was going to walk from the bed to the tub. The thought of a contraction mid transition kept me right where I was.

11:00 a.m. the top part of the bed was raised almost 90 degrees. I was on my knees biting the sheets. Every time a contraction came, which was about every 2-3 minutes daddy would push on my hips to try and relieve some of the pressure. The comical part of it all is that the Fresh Prince was still in the back ground and I could hear that someone was having a baby on the show. Man the movies make it out to be so different. I was now in survival mode, or as the nurse calls it I had transitioned. She was feeding me ice chips and softly whispering to me how good I was doing. She was an angel. I had such an awesome nurse. She coached me through the whole natural birth and I'm so grateful for her!

I can't do it, I feel like I'm being suffocated, like someone is ripping out my insides, I can't do this. Daddy was scared. Everyone in the room was praying. Why did I put myself through a no medicine birth again? I wanted the room to be calm. They told me I could scream through the pain, but what good would that do? It would just suck the little energy I had left out of me. So I was silent. With each contraction I would beg to push. I know the nurse was nervous to check my progress, afraid that I was still a ways away from what I was begging for. But a mother knows. I needed to push. I need to know there was an end to all this pain. Angie reluctantly checked me and what do you know, call in the doctor it's time to push!!

Meanwhile Mommy's friend Ashley was on her way to photograph you. I could not of prepared myself for the kind of pain I was in during the last hour of contractions. Ashley was coming from an hour away, and I figured I could just hold out till she got there. Um no! I love capturing the perfect photos almost more than anyone, but at this point even if someone was dangling a million dollars in front of me I couldn't of stopped what was inevitably happening. So there was Ashley in the waiting room, saying she was my cousin trying to get back to me in time with no such luck. I was in the zone. My brain literally zeroed in and I felt almost blind. I couldn't turn side to side. I couldn't focus on anything but the doctor's voice. When the next contraction came I pushed real hard, oh yep the ring of fire is a real thing, and out you came. That was it, one push. Well you would think I should know how to push by now right?! Thank God for that, because by this point I couldn't of done the whole push for and hour thing. Mamaw shouted out, "honey look it's 11:59". I did it, I had you before noon just like I had promised daddy. Your real birth time was 11:58. We did it!

They handed you to me, you were so beautiful, so different than I pictured, but so dainty and precious. You had a full head of dark hair. None of my babies had hair before. You had perfect little lips and pretty nail beds. You sort of looked like daddy. Which was weird for me to see my little girl look like the boy I love. The nurses finally let Ashley back, and she got to capture some of our first moments together. How was I so blessed to have a healthy baby girl? What a miracle you are. God created you and knit you in my womb, and now I was holding you.

7lbs 4 oz 20 inches long. Born 4 days late, on a monday, before noon. Just little details that make up your special day. Your grandma's got to be there to see you just as you were born. Your mommy did it without medicine and was now able to walk around and enjoy you just like if we were at home. Seriously, about 10 minutes after you were born I unwound my hair from the messy top knot it was in and it was like nothing had happened. Now all that was left was to start enjoying baby snuggles. I looked over and the nurse was giving you your first bath. She had you propped up with your chin in her hand. You looked like a little puppy. She began to brush your hair gently and you stopped crying and almost fell asleep. She was humming and brushing and then tied the perfect pink ribbon in your long dark hair. I had a girl. I HAD A GIRL! As I watched you get that first pink ribbon tied in your hair my mind was fluttering with thoughts of doing your hair for the next 15+ years. How doing your hair would be our time. Our time to talk, our time to fight, our time to be creative. My heart can't even fathom the love that I have for you already. Then the nurse brought you over and I watched your daddy, who wore a pink shirt that day just for you, hold a little bundle with a pink ribbon and I lost it. Our lives are forever changed and our journey of parenting will never be the same. Now there is just one thing left to do......

Meet the brothers!