After quite an uneventful January, we finished the month with one crazy week! It was so nice to have a few weeks of calm after a busy holiday season. The most exciting part of each week was going to the doctor only to hear that I'd have to be coming back the following week. Our little boy was snug, content, and not ready be here! The due date came and went, and we just kept waiting. My goal this time was to have a natural birth, so I really wanted to avoid being induced. Our doctor was great about honoring that request and was willing to let nature take it's course.
And this is how it went....
Saturday, January 21: Everyone in the Sturm home had been hit with a nasty cold. The kids were miserable, the parents could barely work up the energy to care for the kids, and we spent the entire day resting.
Sunday, January 22: Everyone was still feeling pretty miserable. The fact that the baby was almost a week late at this point was a blessing, because there was no way we'd be able to take on another needy kid! We spent the day resting and hoping to wake up feeling much better in the morning.
Monday, January 23: After a long night of restless sleep due to an incredibly stuffy nose, I woke up around 4:45 feeling like today might be the day. I started having contractions, but decided to try to go back to bed. After about 15 minutes of sitting there, I decided I'd get up and take a shower. I figured the contractions might slow down and I'd have a bit more time to do some loads of laundry, straighten up the house, and finish those other last minute nesting tasks. I gently tapped Tyler on the shoulder and told him he might want to get up and make sure he took care of work emails and scheduling issues, because it was looking like we'd end the day at the hospital. He, who typically takes forever to get out of bed, quickly jumped up and followed me around asking everything he could about how the contractions felt, how often they were coming, how far apart they were, and so on. I, being much more relaxed about the situation, told him to just worry about his work stuff and I'd be fine. Thankfully, he was persistent, and after timing contractions for a bit, we realized we better get Grandma here to watch the kids. By 6:15, my water had broken, Grandma was on her way, and we were throwing together last minute items to head to the hospital. The drive was quick and easy and we were at the hospital by 6:45. When we walked in, the nurse that greeted us asked a few questions...and after realizing that my contractions were less than 5 minutes apart, my water had broken, and this was our 3rd child, she immediately got me into a room and started the check-in process. The nurse checked me about a half hour into getting there and I was already 5cm. By 8:00, the contractions were coming closer together and much stronger. By 9:00 I was 8cm and by 9:30 I was demanding that the doctor get to the room! At 9:35, our little boy entered the world and we were greeted by the loudest, healthiest cries we've heard from any of our babies. Joel Patrick weighed in at 7 pounds 15 ounces and he was 21 inches long. He was incredibly alert, began nursing like a champ, and spent the rest of the day being snuggled and loved on. I felt better than I'd felt after either of the previous labors and was so thankful that I could deliver him without any meds.
Tuesday, January 24: We spent the entire day resting at the hospital with a few visitors here and there. It was so nice to bond with Joel and know that our other two babies were being spoiled rotten at Grandpa and Grandma's house.
Wednesday, January 25: We headed home around noon and spent the rest of the day getting used to being a family of five. Since that day, we have truly enjoyed our time at home and are REALLY thankful that Tyler has 2 weeks of paternity leave with his new job. The transition has gone smoothly and we're getting somewhat of a routine down. We're just hoping that Joel continues to be such an easy, content baby and his siblings continue to be the wonderful kids they are!
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