The next day, Tuesday, I just knew it was time to go to the hospital. I was very nervous because I was induced with Gabbi and didn't know what to expect or even what contractions actually feel like. After a disappointing and emotional trip to the hospital we drove back home to continue this "early labor" phase for another 36 hours or so.
Blake and I went to bed Wednesday night still very anxious and a little frustrated about the unknown. I woke up at 3:30am on Thursday, June 12th with a stomach ache. A laid in bed, wide awake, and 4am I was having very strong contractions every 3 minutes. I immediately felt crazy for thinking I was in active labor Tuesday.. silly me! I was prepared and planned to labor at home as long as possible, I was NOT going to be sent home again! I woke Blake up at 4:22 and told him what was going on. He asked, "does it hurt?" Hah, does it hurt?! About that time I had another contraction and he swiftly jumped in the shower and got ready to take me in. We called my mom to come stay with Gabbi who was happily sleeping in her bed.
By 5:30am we were checked in to the hospital, 8 centimeters, and waiting on an epidural. This happened so fast! Gosh, I just can't put into words the feeling of those contractions. Thankfully, the anesthesiologist came in to give me spinal anesthesia around 6:15am (much quicker to work than the epidural, most commonly used for c-section births). What a wonderful man he was! I immediately needed to push and was so happy to see that my doctor had walked in during the spinal, he made it in time! And finally during the 3rd push, at 6:28am, just as the medicine began to work Mister Knox Remington joined us.
Blake and I cried as they laid him on my chest and we couldn't believe how much he looked like Gabbi. Just beautiful. They took him over to clean him up, measure and weigh, and by the time I got to hold him again he had already changed. He was beginning to look just like his handsome daddy, and I couldn't have been happier.
The grandparents came in to meet the new addition. No one else made it in time, it was very early and an extremely quick process compared to last time. By 8am Blake and I were enjoying our sweet baby and breakfast from Denny's and by 9am we were settled in our recovery room. After Gabbi's afternoon nap Thursday she came to meet her new brother. Just 9 days shy of a year old, she was the cutest little big sister I've ever seen!
In just 24 hours we were headed home with our new roommate for the next 18 years. This experience was dramatically different from our first born. I am so thankful for my doctor, the sweet nurse that comforted me with her resume when we didn't think my doctor would make it in time, my amazing husband that reminded me to breathe when I was about to pass out, and our supportive families for encouraging me those last few days and loving on Gabbi while we were away.
I have to share a quick story of how God works and how good He is. About a year ago I wrote a post about my grandfathers passing. I was unable to go to the funeral as I was 38 weeks pregnant with Gabbi. I have missed him desperately since. Around the time Knox was conceived (before I knew I was pregnant) I had a dream of my sweet grandfather giving me a hug and a kiss and waving goodbye to me and two small children. I woke up angry at God for giving me that little glimpse of him in my dream and missing him even more. A few weeks later, I was begging for more dreams just to see him again. And a few weeks after that, I found out we were expecting - just maybe expecting that second child in my dream. When we went to the doctor and got a due date of June 15th, I immediately told my family that this baby would be born on June 12th, the day my grandfather went to be with the Lord. You see, my grandfather has a sense of humor similar to God's! And he would have wanted nothing more than to turn that sad day into a day of celebration. So thank you Dad Sales, for being in cahoots with God. I couldn't be happier to have woken up that morning, going into labor, and knowing that you were standing next to God, watching over us.
