Introducing Faith Estell

I have not been able to write for a while. To be honest, our lives have been somewhat overwhelming. I need to record all about Faith's arrival to our family though before I begin to forget.

Sunday July 21
Chris took the kids to church because I was not feeling well that morning...and I did not want to answer the daunting, but sure to be asked, questions of why I was still pregnant. That afternoon, I started to feel some contractions and got excited. I started timing them and they seemed to be coming pretty regularly. When Chris got home from church, they got to be about 5 minutes apart and so we left for the hospital. WELL, on the way to the hospital, they totally slowed down until the contractions went away almost all together! We walked around a little bit before going into the hospital and then decided to just head back home and not even check in. We were both so disappointed.

Taken just before we left on our false alarm.

Monday July 22
I went to the doctor for my weekly check and the nurse mentioned that I was 38 weeks. "38 Weeks?" I said, "I was due last week!" She seemed surprised and checked with the doctor. When the doctor came in she informed me that apparently my due date had been changed. I had received no note of this. According to my ultra sound, which was done after 20 weeks, my due date was August 1. The last I heard, the doctor said they were keeping the due date of the 17th because that was what matched my last period and the ultra sound was done pretty late....But I guess one of the doctors in the practice decided to change it to match my ultra sound. I asked the doctor about being induced and she said the problem was that the hospitals policy on induction by choice was that you must be at least 39 weeks along. I could not be induced until July 25th according to the due date on the doctor's records. Meanwhile, my mom and dad were preparing for the Stake Pioneer Trek which would take place the 25th through the 27th. And my grandmother, Helen Anderson, was fading quickly and my mom was trying to make preparations for attending her funeral. I mentioned these things to the doctor, she checked me and found that I was showing signs that labor could be soon. She decided that she would speak with her colleagues and call me the next day with their decision of which due date they will keep on record. If it really was supposed to be the 17th, they wouldn't want me to go much longer without being induced, but if it was the 1st, they didn't want to induce me too early....

Tuesday July 23
I never received a phone call, but I had no anxiety whatsoever. I really felt that our little baby was getting ready, and she would be here on her own soon. I played with my kids and had a beautiful, calming, reassuring day. I was blessed with a peace and confidence that I was ready for the challenge of raising three children, that Heavenly Father would strengthen me and I could do it. I felt some contractions throughout the day, but I tried not to get too excited and kept my focus on Miles and Lydia. We played and cleaned and played some more. I started to feel an inner confirmation I was going to be in labor shortly, but I kept it to myself and enjoyed breathing through the contractions I was beginning to feel. I refused to track the times of them yet (not until I could sit down and really focus on them, not until after Lydia and Miles were in bed) and I refrained from mentioning anything about them to Chris when he got home from work because I knew that as soon as I did, he would want to leave for the hospital right away. We got the kids in bed and went downstairs to watch The Hulk which was on TV, called my parents to have them bring us home some Buster Bars, and I started timing my contractions, with little doubt that I would find them coming regularly and that they would increase in strength. Sure enough! I started timing them at 9:00 p.m. and by 10:30, they were about 5 minutes apart and were definitely getting stronger! I finally told Chris and, as I had anticipated, he went straight upstairs and grabbed our bags.We arrived at the hospital at about 11:00 p.m., they checked me and I hooked me up to monitors, but did not actually admit me because I wasn't dilated far enough yet.

The real thing! Baby #3 is on her way.

Wednesday July 24
They finally "admitted" us at about 2:00 a.m. They started my first round of antibiotics and Chris and I walked the halls together until my contractions really started to take some concentration on my part. We went back the room and Chris and I began to prepare for a long couple of hours. Our little girl had a plan of her own and she did not want to follow my schedule, or the doctor's schedule, she wanted to be sure and come on her OWN time (exactly a week after my thought due date, and week before the doctor's thought due date). It was a beautiful, and intense, feeling to experience my body going through the delivery of a new life all completely on its own. Chris and I were both exhausted having had no sleep. We were both falling asleep in between contractions. Just before 5:00 a.m. I was beginning to feel the baby moving down. The nurse came in and checked me and said I was not ready and that I would have to refrain from any type of pushing. This frustrated me so badly. I couldn't help what my body was doing at this point and it was telling me to start bearing down. The doctor came in and said the same thing! "No!" I screamed in my head, this was torture, how could I hold back? I guess maybe I just needed to maintain composure and control and try to breathe through the contractions better. The doctor asked if I felt an "uncontrollable, overwhelming urge to push yet" I didn't really answer her, I thought I was feeling that already, but maybe I just needed to calm down. Then the next contraction came, before Dr. Neil had left the room, and I just remember saying (possibly shouting), "I can't, I can't, I can't! I HAVE to push! She's coming! She's Coming!" I heard Dr. Neil say, "like that..." and she put her gloves back and on and returned to my aid.
My sweet little Faith girl was laid on my tummy within minutes and I felt much more a part of the actual welcoming of the baby than I got to with either Lydia or Miles. I got to see her and touch her when she first came out and Chris got to cut the umbilical cord. I got to hold her for several minutes before they took her to do her weight check and all that.
They then wrapped her up and placed her in my arms again and she was just so perfectly content. Her eyes were wide open and she gazed up into my eyes. We had our own silent conversation and I instantly fell in love with this little girl straight from heaven. It was a unique and very special experience. I felt her saying, "I have chosen you to be my mother." "Thank you for bringing me here safely." and "I LOVE you." I felt the maturity of her spirit and I was humbled and yet so filled with pride at the same time. Chris and I were certain that she should be called Faith.

I was actually kind of sad at this moment as Chris cut the source of nutrition and life that connected Faith and I.

What s big girl. :)

After Faith's bath and my shower. Enjoying the first few hours with her.

Daddy soaking up his baby girl.

 Just a few hours old with Mommy and Daddy.

Faith meets Lydia and Lydia meets Faith.

Meeting Miles.

Miles missed me!

What great sisters already.

Faith and Grandma Stoker

With Grandpa Stoker

Our happy little family.