Darren's Labor Story

Chelsea wanted me to write my side of the labor story so here it is:

At 35 weeks Chelsea and I had a date night planned, but the entire day she had been feeling sick. Around 2 o'clock she started getting really dizzy so she lied down on the coach, and after 2 hours she was still dizzy. We decided to go to the hospital because I was sure she was just dehydrated, so the baby sitter we had lined up for the date watched Kaiden for us so we could go. When we checked in at the hospital I was thinking we were only going to be there for a few hours but it turned out she was having contractions and they kept her there the whole night, the end result being a bad night sleep and a hurt neck for me, and no baby.
After that experience, she continued to have random contractions, they would come and go, some stronger than others but they would always fizzle out and go away. On Sunday the 17th Chelsea started having contractions around 6 O'clock pm, nothing new there, so we went on with our evening. We put Kaiden down for bed and started patching some jeans I had torn. The whole time she had contractions but nothing too strong or painful, I mean she was talking and smiling the whole time we were working on my jeans. After fixing my pants all up she was still having contractions about 6 minutes apart so we decided to sit on the coach and relax and try and get the contractions to fizzle out. Around midnight she was still having them so she wanted to go to the hospital. I told her I didn't think the hospital would let her check in because her contractions were too far apart and not strong enough but to call and see what they thought. So she called up to labor and delivery and told them what was going on and they told her to wait until the contractions got closer and stronger. Well she didn't like that answer because any body who knows Chelsea knows she hates waiting, but that's all we could do. I convinced her to come to bed and we could try and sleep and see if they got stronger during the night or if they would go away like they had for the past four weeks. Well we had only been in bed for 20 minutes when Chelsea announced she was going to the hospital because she couldn't sleep and at least they could give her something for the pain and to help her sleep. Since Kaiden was already asleep we decided I would just stay home and when she knew what was going on she would call me and we would decide what to do from there. So Chelsea got up grabbed her wallet and was off to the hospital (side note: we only live two blocks away from the hospital so I wasn't worried about her driving to the hospital by herself and she didn't act like the contractions were too painful.) So I went to sleep and at 2:30 am I got woke up by my phone ringing. I answered it half asleep, and really out of it, and I ask Chelsea how she's doing and what's going on and she says "they're giving me my epidural" and I think, what the heck I must be dreaming, "they're giving you an epidural" whats going on up there. So she tells me her contractions have gotten closer and stronger and she's in labor. So my mind set goes from thinking Chelsea is having some annoying contractions again to holy crap we're going to have a baby. So Chelsea calls a friend, the Toone's, to see if we can bring Kaiden over for the rest of the night and they say yes that would be fine. So I get up and put on the pants Chelsea had just fixed, get Kaiden's overnight bag ready, get his pack'n'play loaded in the car, throw the rest of the stuff we want for the hospital in the car, go back and get Kaiden, put him in the car and I'm off to the Toone's. I get there in pretty good time but I have go the speed limit and stop completely at every stop sign because it's Rexburg and the only people out at 2:30 am are the police, and I actually passed one the way there thank goodness I wasn't speeding. Any ways I get to the Toone's get the pack'n'play set up and get Kaiden back to sleep and I'm off to the hospital, making sure I don't speed. I get to the hospital and the doors are locked of course so I have to wait five minuets for some lady to come let me in. I use the stairs instead of the elevator and make it up to Chelsea's room at 3:00 am. When I get there she already has the epidural so she's feeling good and she's all excited cause after four weeks of contractions she's finally in labor. So at this point I'm still kind of asleep and not really sure how long this is going to take. Well at 5:00 am the Nurse comes and checks Chelsea and she's like at an 8 so I'm like "wow I've only been in this labor 2 hours and it's almost over." At 5:55 Chelsea does a little cough/sneeze that wouldn't have scared a mouse but it broke her water and after that it just got crazy. At 6 am there was a shift change so we had another nurse in our room and the overnight nurse was catching her up to whats going on. The new nurse checked Chelsea and noticed the baby was crowning and that Chelsea was ready to push. Right then Dr. Watson walks in and is trying to throw on his shoe booties and he gets both those on and only one glove. The nurses are telling Chelsea not to push, sneeze, or cough since this baby is coming out! I'm coaching Chelsea and she's doing great breathing and not pushing and I look down and Dr. Watson is catching Jaxton one gloved hand and all! Jaxton just slipped right out, it was crazy! Chelsea just breathed through the whole thing no pushing. It all happened so fast (I was only at the hospital for 3 hours!) I really didn't have time to mentally prepare for it but it was exciting and I was just glad Chelsea made it up to the hospital before things got too crazy.

Baby Jaxton is Here!!!

I like to think he has Darren's scowl! lol

Curly hair! This was an adorable surprise!

I like to think Jaxton is imagining himself jamming out on a guitar! Rock on!

Darren's Mini Me!

My little Moon Baby!

Birth Announcement:

Name: Jaxton Tripp

DOB: April 18th

TOB: 6:09 am

Height: 18 inches

Weight: 6 lbs 14 oz.

Gestational age: 38 weeks and 6 days, or 8 days early!

So as you all know at 35 weeks I was admitted to the hospital for pre-term labor. It was March 19th and a full moon, so I had a feeling the full moon in April would put me into labor. And I was right!!! Since I was induced with Kaiden I wasn't sure what to expect this time around! It also didnt help that since 35 weeks I've had constant contractions, some coming 3-5 minutes apart for several hours only to fizzle out. We had scheduled an induction for tuesday but our lil man just couldn't wait! So Sunday evening at about 6 pm I started getting contractions that were 6 mins apart. Nothing unusual there, but I was hoping!! They weren't that strong yet so I thought I'd help them out, or at least try to. I ran around the house chasing Kaiden and when he went to bed, I busted out the sewing machine and mended 2 pairs of Darren's pants through contractions, lol! After all that, my contractions were still coming every 6 mins so I decided to jump in the shower. (So glad I shaved!!) They stayed 6 minutes apart but were the strongest contractions I had felt yet, but still bareable. At 12 am (6 hours of 6 min apart contractions!) I called the L&D unit to see what they'd suggest since I'd never had consistent contractions last this long. Of course they told me that 6 mins was too far apart and that I should wait, especially since I could talk through the contractions, but seriously they were starting to get uncomfortable! I hung up the phone a little discouraged and Darren and I hopped into bed hoping that things would either progress or fizzle out while I slept. After timing 4 of them, at this point they were starting to get painful, I told Darren I was going to the hospital so that I could at least get some pain meds and sleeping meds cause there was no way I was sleeping through these! lol. (I really didnt think I was in labor. haha. I must have been in denial!) As soon as I got to the hospital and was strapped to a computer to monitor my contractions, my contractions picked up to every 5 mins, then every 3 mins, and finally at 2:30 am I called Darren and told him he better get Kaiden off to our good friends the Toone's (a BIG shout out thank you by the way!) because this was it and I was getting the epidural right then. Darren got to the hospital around 3 am and I was so happy to have him there. He is the BEST labor coach ever! The epidural was amazing and I felt nothing! At this point Darren and I weren't sure how long this event was going to be so we TRIED to get some sleep. I of course was running on excitement and adrenaline and didn't get much. =) Around 5:55 am, I sneezed and my water broke! Haha. And thats when I started to feel the pressure to push. My nurse just happened to be in the room at that time and immediatley called my Doctor. She instructed me not to sneeze, cough, move, sit up anything because this baby was crowning and FAST! Well, its a good thing we live in a small town because my Dr barely had time to drive the 10 mins across town, walk in the door, throw only ONE glove on, and catch him at 6:09 am (only 14 minutes after my water broke!) I was so shocked it all happened so fast I didnt even have to push! He just slid right on out with no tearing what so ever! I feel so great! We are so in love with our new addition and to be a family of 4! Jaxton is so mellow and took to breastfeeding right away! At 20 minutes old, he ate for a solid hour! He is so beautiful I cant stop looking at him! =D I am sooo in love!! <3 I always imagined he would look like Kaiden's twin, but Jaxton looks just like his handsome daddy with lots of beautiful curly hair!