Introducing...

Katelyn Marie Williams

THE STATS
August 28, 2015 (her due date!)
1:38 pm
3-hour labor
7 pounds, 7 ounces
19-3/4 inches long

THE STORY
My parents came on Friday the 21st. My aunt and cousin stayed that night too on their way to Utah for her to start her first year at BYU. On Saturday, Ryan and I went to a friend's birthday party in the evening. The theme was Minute-to-Win-It games, and we were team Big Red. We both wore red t-shirts, and Ryan stuffed a playground ball under his. It was super fun, and we got last place. Ha ha. 

After all the drama

On Sunday, my parents took the boys to our now "old" ward, and Ryan and I attended a different stake's conference, by way of geographical assignment. We learned that a new stake was being formed, and our neighborhood was being reassigned to a new stake and ward. Perfect timing to have a new bishop, relief society president and no visiting teachers. Not. 

Weight: 7 lbs, 7 oz

Monday was Collin's first day of school. I walked him over alone, since my parents could keep Brennan and Ethan, and I think he was a little nervous. He did great. He is super tired and hungry each day when he gets home, but I think we may survive this transition... maybe. 

Proud Daddy
I could never do natural labors without this super man. He is amazing!

Tuesday I had a routine ob appointment. I was 39-1/2 weeks, and I asked to have my membranes stripped. I was dilated to 3 cm, 70% effaced and at -2 station. I had had this done with Ethan too, and I told the midwife. The rest of the day I had a light period with heavy cramping. She never mentioned these side effects, but I guess she thought I knew because I had had it done before. I didn't. In fact, I cramped the rest of the week. It was absolutely horrible. 

Love the tongue. Ready to tease her brothers back already!

After my appointment, my mom and I went together to get mani/pedis, which was really fun. We also vacuumed out my filthy van and got it washed. All while I cramped. :-( 

On Wednesday we took the kids to a park in the morning, and I mostly tried to nap and take it easy. 

My favorite position to cuddle my newborns. Those sweet open lips make me melt.

Thursday morning I woke up at 3 am with lower back pain every 10 minutes. This is how all my other labors started, and since Brennan came so quickly afterwards, I woke up Ryan at 5 am and told him we were having a baby. He took a shower, but by 6:30 am the back pain wasn't getting any more often or more painful, and I fell asleep. I went ahead and sent him off to work at 8 am. I had a few more painful contractions throughout the day, but they were spaced sometimes hours apart. We went to the library. I was so uncomfortable ALL day long, but I still met my friends for book club that evening and stayed out until after 10 pm. Whatever. Life goes on, right?

Happy Mommy

Friday morning I woke up at 3 am with lower back pain every 10 minutes AGAIN. I was so fed up and exhausted with it all by 5:30 am that we decided we'd go to the hospital no matter what and just see what happened. I was basically having constant lower back pain, but only a couple of abdominal contractions. We arrived at the hospital about 8 am, and the nurse checked me at 8:30 am - I had made NO change since Tuesday's appointment. I was so frustrated. They said they couldn't admit me, but that they would let me walk the halls for two hours. If I didn't make any change in those two hours, they would send me home. And that was that.

She's a sucker. Loved her fingers and a pacifier - despite the nurses' objections - right from the beginning

I was devastated. I KNEW I was in labor and that Brennan came so super fast after just back labor, but they wouldn't count my back labor as real labor. They said I need to get the baby to move into position in order for the pain to make any affect on my progress. They told me to take some Tylenol and use a hot pad. I was not happy. 

Anyway, Ryan and I walked the halls of Mother & Baby for two hours. Nothing seemed to really change. I was still miserable, my back was still killing me, and now I had to face going home and having no idea when to come back. 

Because she used her fingers to self-soothe, I kept her unswaddled in the hospital.
Unfortunately, her face got pretty scratched up from it.

At 10:30 the midwife checked me again. I was crying because I knew nothing had changed. She prodded around and in utter disbelief declared me dilated to 6 cm, 90% effaced and baby at 0 station. Yeah, she wasn't the only surprised one! The nurse finally admitted my back labor counted as real contractions, and they took my blood, got me admitted, set my IV, and started treating me like a real patient. 

The only brother brave enough to hold the baby when they came to visit the hospital on Saturday.
They look so angelic.

Of course by the time they got all these chores done, labor was in full swing. When they quit messing with me, I sat on the birthing ball and Ryan applied pressure to my lower back with each contraction. Still only a few of them were in my abdomen. 

My "not-even 2-year-old, but already a big brother"
We're in trouble!

At 12:30, my midwife checked me again. I was now dilated 8 cm, and we decided to have my water broken. Ohhh baby!!! I hate this last part. My contractions were on top of each other. Ryan tried his best to help with my back pain, but it was intense. I felt the urge to push after only three contractions on the ball. 

First bath. They don't bathe the babies here until they are 24 hours old. She smelled like a cow pasture until then.

With me back in the bed, the room filled with people. I was checked and declared 9 cm. After that, it was all leg holding and screaming and pushing and pain and craziness. I was never checked at 10 cm. That's what happened with Brennan too; it's all so chaotic because my babies came so crazy fast, and no one ever listens to me.

And here's our little tomato ready to come home. We left after 24 hours because they don't have a nursery at the hospital and don't give the mother ANY help. I figured my mom and Ryan would be better than that at home, and I was right!

And Baby Katelyn was born at 1:38 pm. Three hours from the medical community finally admitted I was in labor until she was in my arms. I can't imagine if they had sent us home. We never would have made it back to the hospital in time.

My oldest boys with the pink cake they made with Grandma. Happy "birth"day, Katelyn!

Anyway, she's here and perfect and beautiful in every way! And I had my natural, un-medicated, un-induced labor on my due date. Now I call that wonderful.