So Knox will be 3 months old in about a week and I'm just now getting around to writing his birth story...at least I have 3 cute excuses : ) I had the privilege of having my wonderful friend and photographer, Mandy, take pictures during labor and delivery. I'm so thankful she was willing to capture these priceless images for us.
Before we get to the big day, just a little history of the week leading up to Mr. Knox's birth.
On Thursday, April 18th, I had my weekly appointment with the midwife and had been having some contractions so I kind of expected to be dilated a little more than 1cm (which is what I was the week before) but was shocked when she told me I was dilated to 4cm's!! I was absolutely positive leaving my appointment with the midwife & being 4cm's that he was coming soon, like in the next 24-48 hours. Boy, was I WRONG! I was so ready & had my hopes up all weekend but my little man just wasn't ready to come. That Saturday I walked like 5 miles hoping it would get things going but to no avail. Sunday, I was an emotional basket case (poor Ryan) and by Tuesday (my actual due date) I had come to the conclusion that I was going to be pregnant FOREVER! Ryan normally travels quite a bit for work but worked from home all week just waiting on Knox. I was nervous about me going into labor & him being out of town. Needless to say, it was a LONG week.
Finally, Thursday, April 25th rolled around and I had my 40 week checkup. (Mind you, an appointment I didn't think I was going to have to keep because I really thought that he was going to come by then.) Ryan went with me and while I was really disappointed to find out I hadn't changed much, still dilated 4 cm's and about 60% effaced, I was thankful Knox's heartbeat was still good and strong and everything with him was fine. I had already decided to be induced at 41 weeks, if need be, which would have been the following Tuesday so the end was in sight, although I really didn't want to wait that long. I agreed to let the midwife strip my membranes in hopes that would jump start labor and she also told me I was a great candidate for a cocktail known to get contractions started within 2 hrs of taking it. She gave me the recipe and warned us to have our bags packed and to be ready to head to the hospital if I decided to try it because it had never failed any of her patients! On the way home from my appointment, Ryan and I discussed whether or not I should try the cocktail and we both decided to wait to see if anything happened that night and try to get some rest.
Friday, April 26th, I woke up still pregnant and was DONE! I told Ryan that I was headed to Walmart to pick up the things for the cocktail and Knox was getting his eviction notice! The cocktail called for 1 glass of champagne (or anything fizzy) mixed with 4 tbsp of almond butter and 4 tbsp of castor oil. I passed on the champagne since I don't drink and opted for a strawberry limeade from Sonic. That didn't sound too appetizing mixed with almond butter so I mixed the almond butter and castor oil, took it by the spoonful, and chased it down with my limeade. I managed to get it all down and only gagged a few times. I was also a little worried about the side effects of the castor oil so I only took 3 tbsp each of the almond butter and castor oil and, honestly, I don't know if I could have done another tbsp! I laid down with Khloe for a nap in hopes of getting a little rest in case it did work. An hour rolled around--no contractions. Two hours passed by and still no contractions. I began thinking that I would be the one patient who the cocktail wouldn't work for! About 2:30, I got up from resting and almost immediately after getting up I noticed a few contractions within a decent amount of time of each other. They kept coming so I decided I probably needed to start timing them. I told Ryan I was starting to have contractions but was trying not to get my hopes up but after about 30-40 minutes of timing contractions and them being 5-6 minutes apart, I realized I was finally in labor and we probably needed to start getting ready to go to the hospital. The cocktail had worked!! We had a about a 45 minute drive to Vanderbilt in Nashville so I didn't want to waste time. Around 3:30 my friend Rhonda called to check on us and offered to come by to stay with the girls. By the time they got to the house a little before 4pm the contractions were coming about 3-4 minutes apart and were getting much more intense; I was having to stop and breath through them. In between trying to finish packing, multiple potty breaks (the castor oil had set in), and telling the girls good bye I kept telling Ryan, "We really need to go." I was getting more and more uncomfortable and just prayed Ryan wouldn't be delivering our baby on the side of the interstate!
We made it to the hospital about 5pm and Ryan said he was never so relieved than when we pulled in the parking garage because he knew he wasn't going to have to deliver a baby by himself!! Between the parking garage and making it to triage we had to stop a few times for contractions but we finally made it. I had to sign a few forms before they could admit me. I made it about halfway through them but Ryan had to finish them because I could not concentrate! About 5:15pm, after getting my lovely gown on in between increasingly intense contractions, the midwife checked me and I was dilated 6 cm's so on to labor and delivery I went. It was officially baby time!!
While the nurses were getting me all set up, checking my blood pressure, Knox's heartbeat, & asking a million questions, Mandy showed up and started snapping away with her camera!
About 6:20pm I asked to be checked again because I could feel Knox moving down and was becoming VERY uncomfortable so my nurse tracked down my midwife and 10 minutes later...
...after watching me through a contraction she informed me I wasn't quite ready yet. She told us she would be back in a few minutes and would check me then. I must say I was a bit perturbed at the time but she knew what she was doing.
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| Anxious Gram |
I was 9.5cm when the midwife checked me about 6:50pm and was really having to fight the urge to push so she said I could bear down if I needed to. To say I was ecstatic it was pushing time would have been an understatement. Thankfully I only had to push about 3 times before it was all over & totally worth it!
He's HERE!
Knox Benton Blount - April 26th 2013 - 8lbs 15oz - 21.5 inches - 6:56 pm
Ryan didn't want to cut the umbilical cord for the girls & didn't care to with Knox either so we gave Gram the honors. As you can see, she was thrilled!!
Daddy getting his bracelet!
Even though Knox was just 1oz short of being a 9 pound baby he was still my smallest!
Proud Daddy finally got his BOY!
Pop meeting Knox for the first time!
Introducing Knox to good ole' technology just a little while after he was born to Face Time with his sisters! Khloe was more interested in trying to figure out what in the world I was wearing than in asking about her new little brother!
Proud Gram
I couldn't ask for a better husband, friend, birthing coach, or father than this guy right here! Extremely blessed to call him mine & share this crazy, wonderful life with!
Our 3rd little, perfect blessing!
Knox's birth was by far the fastest & easiest labor and delivery I experienced. From just 4.5 hours from the beginning of contractions to the time he was born and only 2 hours at the hospital, it couldn't have been more perfect! I feel so very blessed to have had 3 very normal, by-the-book labor & deliveries and thankful that I was able to have them all naturally. After I had Knox, I was amazed once again at just how awesome our Creator is and that He could create such a perfect little being inside of me. James 1:17, "Every good gift and perfect gift is from above." Bringing life into this world is truly a miracle & I couldn't be more grateful to God for another beautiful, healthy baby! We are blessed beyond measure!
