Jude

He is nearing 6 months old so I guess I'm way overdue to share his story.

Maybe it took me so long to write 

about his coming because it was fast, simple, 

and to the point;

I had a baby.

Jude Theodore Nelson

August 25 2013

9:23 am

8 lbs 11 oz

21.5 in

His name took us the longest to commit to; the longest to tweak and fully develop.  

Jude: the praised one

Theodore: God's gift

He is certainly a praised gift from God! And our prayer is that he will continue to be praised, for God's glory, as the gift he is. We pray he will come to the know the Lord at a tender age and that we will raise him and train him to do God's work.  What an exciting thing to await all God has planned for our children! 

Theodore is a family name. He is named after my grandfather, who's name is actually "Teddy".  The 'ooh so cute' nickname was chosen as his given name after his uncle, whom he was named after, said that he didn't like Theodore and wanted his nephew to have "Teddy" for a name instead.  We are reclaiming the full name of Theodore and are loving its strong sound, meaning, and historic feel. 

Now onto the exciting stuff!  Well, in Jude's case, not nearly as "exciting" as the others' entries but exciting for his Mama! Ha!

Ninja Mama

When we moved, I was huge.  I was very pregnant.  The thought of unpacking and getting baby gear out was daunting, at best.  Didn't I just pack all this up?!  And didn't I just unpack this a year ago?!  And didn't I just pack all this up a year ago?!  Matt had a few weeks remaining in Texas and that meant the first weeks in our empty home relied fully on me.  A pathetic, overgrown woman who was lacking in patience.  Not exactly the best combination.  My amazing mom flew in to come to my rescue!  She stayed until Matt returned and helped me unpack the most necessary things.  It was a wonderful blessing having her here.  For one, it had been nearly a year and a half since the boys had seen her (Novella & I had flown to PA for baby Vera's arrival!). And for two, I was able to visit and enjoy some time WITH my mom.  Something every girl needs.  We may have been scrubbing cupboards and washing floors but we were doing it together.  Never has there been a truer saying as this, "many hands make light work".  That daunting task kinda diminished and I felt content to scrub along side my mom.  *Side Note: Ladies, we need each other!  Go help a lady out. And allow yourself to BE HELPED. The blessing is ALWAYS two fold.  And God ordained it that way.  

Anyway, house sorta got "set up", Matt returned, mom left, we ripped out carpet, painted walls and installed some hardwood floors, Matt's new job began, and baby was due in a week. 

Phew.

Baby came.  On due date.  The end.

Ok.  I guess I can expound a bit…

Jude was born on a Sunday.  The Monday before that I was having some pretty productive contractions.  I usually have strong Braxton Hicks early on so this is always a tad harry.  But they were consistent and progressing and starting to hurt.  Matt had left that morning for field work and would be out of town for the week (of course).  I had been up most the night trying to not keep tract of them and yet trying to keep track of them.  This only makes sense if you have labored!  It was only an hour or so after Matt left that I decided it would be wise to let my sister in law know that she may be needed.  She dropped everything, loaded her three kiddos up and made the three hour truck form Missouri to our home.  She was packed to stay the week. Yippee!!  And a mighty sigh of relief.  Matt had been deployed for both Abram and Novella so giving birth without him wasn't so much the dilemma as was "what do I do with the kids?!".  Having only lived in Oklahoma for a few weeks meant new job, new place, no connections, ect.  I have fabulous neighbors that offered to help but let's be honest, I really didn't know them (I will have you all on stand by next time - wink, wink).  The week with Brittany and the kids was just what I needed, a blessing in disguise.  The kids played, I relaxed and chatted the evening away (extrovert here!) and enjoyed serving my guests as best I could.  We went to the aquarium, the splash park, and hung out here at the house.  Time passed and believe it or not I had things in better order after having a week of visitors than I did before they arrived!  Saturday morning came and Brittany & the kids headed home, Matt returned home and my parents arrived that evening around 7:30.  I had time that afternoon to strip and wash bedding, clean bathrooms and regroup for my second round of company. 

We welcomed my parents.  The kids filled every square inch of the home with noise and then they retired to to bed and Matt and I stayed up with my parents until about 1 am visiting and chatting and sipping hot beverages.  My idea of a perfect evening.  After hitting the hay, I tossed and turned and just couldn't get comfy (who can at 9 months??!).  I decided a hot bath would help.  I took a leisure bath and headed to bed again around 3:30 or so.  I had felt some familiar contractions but nothing that warranted any reason to pay attention.  At 5:30 I awoke to some noticeable contractions.  By 6:30 I had to get up.  I decided to putter in the bathroom and get dressed, fix my hair, throw on some make-up, even attempt to do my nails.  These things are top priority when labor is in sight!  I still wasn't too sure if this was really "it" but was having fun pampering myself as I sorta kept track of "the tightening".   Matt went downstairs around 7:30 to find my mom donning the kitchen with a big breakfast in the makes.  Matt mentioned my contractions and some food was brought up to me.  I couldn't eat.  But I took a few bites and sat on the edge of the bed with my polish and clippers.  My toes needed attention.  And I would get them painted.  I would!  My mom came up to check on me and offered to paint my toes.  Toes were painted in-between some good contractions.  It was at that moment I decided we would be going to he hospital that day (I have had so long labors so it really was questionable up to this point).  Minutes later I decided we would be going in that morning.  And then one more contraction led me to the conclusion that we should get in the car right then.

Matt loaded our bags and were off by 8:40 am.

I had this terrible fear overcome me.  What if this would be like Samuel?  What if I show up and contractions stop.  And then what?  I'd been here before.  It was three full days later that Samuel FINALLY came.  We played this horrible game for three long days.  As much I love games, I was in no mood to play.  I said to Matt, "Yup.  Just as I suspected. I  haven't had a contraction since we got in the car.  Great.  I am such an idiot.  I must be the only woman on the face of the planet who can't tell when she is in labor.  You'd think this was my first rodeo."  And on and on until I had one.  One really big "grab-the-handle-bar-and-yell-to-get-to-the-hospital-NOW" kinda one.  I was thrilled.

We arrived on the labor and delivery floor a little before 9:00.  I think we may have been the only ones there.  As in, no patients and no staff.  We sorta walked around trying to find a nurse so we could check in.  We found one.  And she lead us to another nurse that we waited for in the hall.  Five minutes is a long time when you are fighting contractions standing in the hall.  We got to our room and the nurse asked me to change and lay on the bed.  If you know me, you know I laughed and completely ignored her.  Actually, I didn't ignore her.  I told her I would not be getting on that bed.  Period.  And for the record, I brought my own gown (thank you very much, huff).  No one asked me a thing about my contractions or how I was feeling or how long I had been laboring.  Notta.  I asked for a birthing ball and handed the nurse my birthing plan.  She glanced at it and told me the doc on duty was not at all "natural" and would be insistent on checking me on the bed and having me deliver in the standard "form" (torture, if you ask me).  I was born strong willed and though it gets me in trouble it sure comes to my aid every now and again.  In times like this I barely bat a eye, I knew I would not be doing either of those things. 

Scroll up to the top and take a glance at Jude's birth time. 

Yes, that's right.  I am trying get checked in and get a stinking birthing ball and get on with this whole laboring thing but these quacks just must follow all this nonsense protocol when this mama has been trying to tell them I AM IN LABOR, LETS GO ALREADY! No I don't care about a wrist band!  I know my name.

In any event, despite me dropping major clues, like "Hold on.  I can't give you my zip code right now I am working through a contraction", they continued on with their paperwork and who knows what 'cause they were only in the room for snippets of time.  I decided I'd just go sit on the toilet while I waited for that ball.  I sat and thought of a million reasons to scream at the healthcare system, labor and delivery specifically, but I decided I'd better take heed to my constant reminders to my children and be thankful. 

I left the bathroom and my ball awaited me!  I got situated for what I anticipated to be hours.  Heat on my back.  Tennis balls for pressure.  Here we go!

Nope.  One contraction on that ball had me off it just as fast as I got on it.  I told Matt I feel like pushing.  He said, "Well don't!  There isn't even a nurse in here!".  

Like I cared.

And it was then that my cave-woman instincts kicked in and I crawled on the bed and gripped the back while I was on my knees.  I delivered Novella like this and I'd do it again, alone if I had to!  Matt did his best to talk with me and keep me relaxed while we delivered this baby together.  Just us.  It was sorta nice, actually.  He isn't the squirmy type and he is brutally truthful so I knew he'd let me know what I needed to hear and we'd do this.  

I think I had Jude's head out when the nurse walked in.

"Oh! We're having a baby?!!"

Yup.  I tried telling you.  I came here for one reason, and that was to have a baby.  Are you going to ditch the paperwork and actually tend to me now?!

She hollered for the desk nurse to come help her.  I heard her tell Matt there was no way the doctor could get there in time, he was with another patient.  I really don't remember there being another sound until Matt said, "Rochelle, you need to push." 

Well, Ok.  I had been waiting for someone to let me know if I was good to go or not.  I was sorta "hanging there" waiting for some direction.  The ring of fire everyone talks about?  There was fire, folks! 

And then he was born.

Our gift

I turned myself around and laid there totally amazed it was over.  

The major downfall to have a nurse deliver, well sorta, is that she wanted to bring him directly to the table to examine him.  I didn't even get a chance to argue this one since she had him there before I was turned around.  They only kept him there for a couple of minutes and then brought him to me for my FAVORITE time.  I gazed in wonder at him.  Breathed him in.  Nursed him.  And just held him tight.

Yawns are my favorite!

They called my midwife who was at home.  She graciously hopped in her car and sped to the hospital.  I was very thankful that she was able to be there in time to deliver the placenta and clean me up.  I never even saw that doctor.  God orchestrated that for me and I knew it. 

The only odd thing that happened was I suddenly became very nauseous and light headed.  I thought for sure I was going to vomit but never did.  And the feeling never returned.  There are lots of "first times" when you have babies, for those wondering.

I never had that silly wrist band.  I never had to be prepped for an IV.  I never had those obnoxious cords or monitors or even that awful gown.  I simply had a baby.  

He is the center of attention with all the children. 

The rest when on as usual.  We were home the next morning.  Matt actually went back to work on Monday (after we returned from the hospital) and we had my parents full two week visit to enjoy with Jude.  That is God's timing. 

It is the most miraculous, beautifully painful, out of body experience.  Every time.  It is all too familiar yet strangely new.  Every time.  Ever child, a gift.  A precious, God breathed gift.  And we accept His gift with open arms.

All of us

Jude now!