God's Plan. My Story.

Today, Saturday March 21st, was my "official" due date. My sweet little angel came 5 days early on Monday March 16th. I was definitely not expecting her to come early, but think the timing could not have been in any better. Since I have been home and having visitors, I have had a lot of questions. I thought, today seems like a great day to recap everything that happened on that wonderful, long Monday. I will do it FAQ style and even incorporate some pictures (in no particular order)!

(disclaimer: I will not be graphic, but I will be open about my story and all that comes with labor and delivery. This might be a long post.)

This was God's plan. It is now my story:

1. How did you know it was time to go to the hospital?
I have a story that goes along with this question. All day on Sunday, Colby kept on telling me that he didn't think that he was going to be able to sleep because he is nervous about my water breaking in the middle of the night and not feeling like he was awake and ready and alert to take care of everything.

I went to bed around 10:00ish on Sunday night. Colby stayed awake taking care of things around the house, reading, playing video games etc. At 1:00AM I rolled over and saw that Colby had still not come to bed. I had no idea what he was doing or why he was still awake. Literally, within seconds, our bedroom door opens and it's Colby. At the exact same time as the door opens, my water breaks. It was obvious and there was no way to mistake it for anything else.

I tell Colby my water breaks, and in his mind he thinks once your water breaks, you have 15 minutes until the baby comes out. (ha! I wish!) So he starts running around the house, no, more like sprinting around the house putting everything in the car and finalizing things. While he is sprinting around the house, I am in the bathroom washing my face, putting on mascara, etc. This is how our conversation went:

Colby: "are you seriously putting on make-up when your water just broke? Don't we need to run to the hospital and have this baby?"

Amanda: "Do you know how many pictures will be taken during this time? And we have a good 15 hours or so until we have this baby."

Needless to say, I was in no hurry and Colby was sweet as can be packing everything in the car. At about 1:20AM we get in the car and head over to the hospital.

Here I am as I just entered the hospital. (yes I am kind of disappointed that I went to bed with wet hair and didn't fix it. LOL. just sayin')2. Did you get an epidural?
Look at this picture and you answer that question:

What woman smiles the entire labor and delivery without an epidural? Amen? Yes, I did get an epidural. This was a huge concern for me. I was scared, nervous, not wanting to look at the size of the needle many moms told me all about. I think it was the first time during labor and delivery that I shed a fear tears simply out of fear of getting it. Colby came and prayed over me before I got it and it was NOT A BIG DEAL. I am pretty sure the IV of fluid may have hurt more. not kidding. The epidural was nothing. It was the BEST thing that was ever invented. I will have it at all of my kids.

I was admitted to my hospital room at 1:30AM. I got the epidural at 10:00AM. (8.5 hours without an epidural). Honestly, my contractions were not that bad for those 8.5 hours without an epidural. They started me on pitocin around 7:00AM. There were a few contractions that took my breath away, but nothing that brought me to tears.

3. Were you seriously updating your facebook while you were in labor?
haha, YES! I was feeling GREAT! I was just on my i-phone, which was so handy and so easy. I was in the hospital for 18 hours and pretty bored, so updating facebook gave me something to do. Plus, it was so much easier than trying to answer a million text messages and phone calls. One status change and everyone knows. Technology is amazing!

This picture shows me just taking care of business. And yes, I am sucking on a lolipop. It was hard not being able to eat for 18 hours. Do you know who I am? I eat a lot on a very consistent basis (every hour or so, lol). So, I had ice chips and lolipops the whole 18 hours. It was GREAT!
4. What is her birth story? How long were you pushing, what happened, how did it feel, etc?
All morning and afternoon on Monday, I kept on hearing the word "c-section." My doctor was saying it. My nurse was saying it. I had visitors comment about it, etc.

Basically, there were 2 things: #1. My doctor did not think my body was big enough to deliver what they were estimating a 6.5 lb baby. #2. They did not think my body could go into active labor, according to the clock and how long I was dilated to a 1 and not progressing.

The plan from the beginning was to get an epidural and have a vaginal birth. No c-section. I had no desire to have a c-section. Hearing those words all day scared me.

I handed this worry and concern to the Lord and He took care of everything. I started to dilate faster, getting to a 6 pretty quick. An hour later I was at an 8. An hour after that I was at a 10.

I could not believe I got to a 10. It took FOREVER, but it was a huge concern that they thought wouldn't happen.

Once I was at a 10, they started prepping the room and getting things ready.....It was time to push!

Okay, so in 2007 I ran the OKC Memorial Marathon. 26.2 miles. It was intense. It was extremely hard. I thought "hey, I ran a marathon, I can deliver this baby."

Whoa dang, I think I was mislead.

HARDEST THING EVER!.....OF MY LIFE.....

I started pushing around 6:15PM or so and delivered her at 7:24PM. About an hour of intense pushing that felt like years.

There were a couple of scary parts while I was pushing:
#1. There was one moment when I saw the doctor look at the baby's heart rate monitor with a concern face and then ask the nurse, "where's baby, what happened to baby?" and I heard no heart beat that I had heard all day. I think I started freaking out. They put an oxygen mask on me and then we could hear her loud and clear. It was a brief second that I was so scared.

#2. There came a point in my pushing that my doctor knew that I could not get her out alone (Which she pretty much knew all along as she kept on saying she didn't think my body could deliver this child.)

She told me the next three things they were going to do: they were going to use a vaccuum and try to suction her out. If that doesn't work, they are going to use forceps. And if that doesn't work I needed to be prepared to be rolled out fast for an emergency c-section.

This is when I started crying.

And because I was crying, it was really hard to push. I kept on trying to pull myself together, but I knew I had a limited amount of time. I started praying and quoting scripture. The scripture that I kept on quoting over and over was "the joy of the Lord is my strength." The Lord was giving me such joy just knowing I was getting ready to hold my first child, my sweet daughter. Because of this joy, I also knew He could and would give me the strength to push harder and do this thing.

Attempt #1. Vaccuum- failed. I was pushing as hard as I could, but it just didn't work. Now, it was time to push and try with the forceps. I knew that if they did not get her out with forceps, then I was being rolled out.

This was my last chance. Good pushes, Amanda, good pushes. You can do it.

Within minutes, I heard my sweet little daughter crying and the doctors all rushing around taking care of everything. My immediate reaction was to throw my hands up in the air and PRAISE GOD! I left them up in the air for a while. May He be so hugely glorified in all of this. I think I said "THANK YOU" about one trillion times. I could not have been more thankful!!!!!!!!!!!

Delivering a child: BEST EXPERIENCE OF MY ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So hard. So so so hard. But oh, so worth it!

Here is a picture of my sweet neice, Ebbie, waiting to see if she could hear her cousin, Adelyn. Little did I know that all my friends and family were right outside my door and the majority of them told me that had there ear up to the door the whole time listening..... Uhhhh, do you know the noises you make when you are pushing.... Awkward. I am sure I was grunting and screaming and crying. Oh well, it all comes with it!

5. How much did she weigh? How long was she? What color hair, eyes?
Adelyn Ryan Taylor weighed exactly 7.0 lbs even and was 20 inches long. She was born with a full head of brown hair and her eyes are kind of brown but might be changing.... The other day they looked blue to me. I think they wil be brown or blue!

6. Were you able to communicate with Becca during this time?
Becca Gantz is my absolute very best friend in the entire world. She was a maid of honor in my wedding. She is everything to me. We have been there for each other for EVERYTHING. She is a missionary in Mexico and booked her flight for my due date, knowing she might come early.

I sent her a facebook message telling her I was the hospital. She called me and we talked. One of the other missionaries gave her her phone all day and Becca gave me the number. We were able to communicate frequently. My friend Sara took over once I started pushing and delivered her and everything. Becca wrote a sweet, sweet blog about baby Adelyn and what her expierence was like being in Mexico. Read it here.

Here I am on the phone talking to Becca. Praise the Lord once again for technology. Even being countries a part, I feel as though Becca was a part of her birth as if she was in the room with me.

7. When did you get to come home:
Colby and I got to leave the hospital at 12:30 on Wednesday March 18. We have loved being home and I am sure will have lots more to blog about all that is going on at our house. Colby is the BEST DAD EVER!

us arriving home:

8. Who does everyone think Adelyn looks like? Colby or you?
Well, when Colby held her right after she was born, he kept on saying "she is all Wolz (my maiden name). Adelyn is all Wolz. There is not a hint of Taylor in her. Is she even my child?" lol.

He also said she looked Asian which I am not sure how two caucasian people make an Asian child, but Colby apparently thought it was possible. (She had a pretty rough welcome to this world and her eyes were REALLY squinty. She was kind of blue too, which I guess is normal, but it seemed like something was wrong. But she was healthy as can be.)

At midnight, the nurse went and gave Adelyn a bath and when she brought her back she already looked so much different to me.

I could not really tell who she looked like or what features she had from us....UNTIL I saw this picture:

My sweet daughter is my sweet husband with bows on. NOT KIDDING. Colby's baby picture is on the left. My baby picture is in the middle. She looks identical to the picture, which is fine by me, because I thought Colby was a really cute baby!

Okay, I am pretty sure if you just read this, it took you like 5 hours. Sorry for taking up your morning. LOL. Please comment if you read this! I would LOVE to hear from you! And so would Adelyn! :) Also, if there are any other questions you have, please ask. I would love to do a follow-up post with more questions and answers.

That is our story. We believe it was God's perfect plan. We are so thankful to be a part of what God is doing. We are so thankful He entrusted us to be Adelyn's parents. This is a huge role to live and we have SOOOO MUCH to learn, but how awesome we get to do it together.

Thank you God. That is all I can say. Thank you.