So happy to finally have Enzo’s birth story documented!

On Monday, August 18th, I woke up, got ready for the day and ran some errands. When I came home for a quick lunch break I was so happy to see my sister-in-law Michelle had arrived safely to Cardston. We had a quick visit and then I was straight off to work at the box office. There I worked my shift from 12:00-8:00 p.m. Funny enough, I had several people tell me that it looked like labor was approaching. The kind people tried to pass off this “look of labour” as a glow, but by the end of the day I was pretty exhausted and I know I looked it. When I got home Tim wanted to go on a double date to lethbridge with Landon and Michelle. I was pretty tired by that point but decided I would push through it because who knew how many dates we had left before the baby came which is why I also decided to start reading the Harry and megan, news, royals blog posts.

We met Landon and Michelle at Moxies. I ordered honey garlic wings and they were delicious! For desert we went to a frozen yogurt bar just down the road. I’m kind of a frozen yogurt fanatic. After we had our yogurt we visited outside and our date started to wind down. It was then that I felt a trickle of warmth down my leg. My immediate thought was “I’m pretty sure I have more bladder control than that… That could have been my water breaking…” Just in case it was, I told everyone that I needed to go the washroom and our date wrapped up. As Tim and I entered our car I was overcome with a million different emotions and burst out crying as I told him “I think my water broke!” Tim was so sweet and reassuring and asked me what I wanted to do, so for some reason I told him I wanted to go get gas and then go to the hospital. (I’m a strange person a lot of times.) It was around 10:00 when we got to the gas station. By that point the trickle had turned into a waterfall so onto the hospital we went.

When we arrived I started to feel some mild contractions for the very first time, the nurse then checked me and I was 4 cm dilated. Not to long after that they admitted me to labour and delivery, and things started to get painful. I told them right then and there that I was hoping to get an epidural. Unfortunately the anesthesiologist was in surgery so I had to wait it out for a while. I got checked again and I was dilated to a 6, the nurse figured I was dilating about a centimeter per hour. My contractions were getting quite unbearable and I just kept praying that I’d be able to get the epidural. I’m not sure what time it was, but my mom showed up for moral support. Her and Tim were so sweet giving me words of encouragement. I was feeling so exhausted. My contractions were so close together that I wasn’t catching any break to let my body rest. The nurse asked if I wanted morphine; she said that it wouldn’t take away the pain of the contraction but that it would make the in-betweens a lot more comfortable. Without hesitation I opted for the morphine, and it really did help me relax! After each contraction I would pass out asleep from exhaustion. Then a minute or two later I’d wake right back to the lovely squeeze of a contraction. The pain was seriously incredible. The best way I could cope with it was to count through it and clench the rails of the hospital bed. I couldn’t stop my body from shaking. Tim and my mom tried to comfort me by taking my hand, but I couldn’t stand to be touched. I kept apologizing as I would snatch my hand away and say it hurt to bad to hold hands. Eventually the pain would come to a stop and I’d be right back asleep.

At around 2:00 a.m the nurse checked me and I was at an 8. I was so nervous I wouldn’t get the epidural. Much to my happiness the anesthesiologist walked in shortly after that. ( Shout hurray and hallelujah! ) I got the epi and started to fall asleep. I was so grateful, I just kept saying thank you. Tim says I sounded super loopy but I was genuinely so happy. At 4:00 I woke up, was fully dilated and the nurse said I could start pushing. I was so excited that my labour was coming to an end (or so I thought). I’d always thought that the pushing phase of labour lasted an hour at the most. Well mine lasted a full two and a half hours… I also was very naive to the energy involved in pushing. You literally push with every fiber of your being. I did that for how long again? Oh ya , two and a half hours! It’s like bench pressing your maximum weight for eternity.  Now because I wasn’t expecting to push for as long as I did, after every contraction I’d ask Tim and the nurse: “Has anything changed? Can you see anything?” And every time they would just smile and say, ” You are doing so good!” About two hours and fifteen minutes into pushing, Enzo finally started to crown. His head was half way out and the nurse told me to stop pushing. (Say what?)  So I did what I do when I need too cope with pain and started counting. I counted all the way up to one hundred when I felt my body completely take over. Enzo was ready to come out and nothing was stopping him. I quickly told the nurse ” I’m not pushing I promise! I’m having a contraction!” The doctor who was on call that night still hadn’t arrived and I could hear the nurse calling him to come fast. The doctor then walked in with the biggest grin on his face and caught the baby just in time. That moment was so relieving. My body just released and I started crying. Tim cut the cord and they put our sweet babe right on my chest. Enzo’s eyes were wide open and I was in complete shock. I just kept staring at him and holding him close to me. The whole experience was so surreal. With the fatigue and the drugs and the bright lights I felt like I was in a movie. I barely noticed the doctor stitch up my second degree tear as I was so in awe of our beautiful baby boy. Tim was the proudest husband and father in that moment. He described it as falling in love in an instant.

Today is exactly one month since that special day and little Enzo gave us his first genuine smile. What a charmer. We are enjoying being his parents more than we could have every imagined. I am so in love with my precious family.

A huge thank you to all of our friends and family for the incredible support in welcoming baby Enzo and another HUGE thank you to Photography by Kels for capturing these priceless photographs of our special day!