Jack's Birth

Our precious son, Jack Trevor White, was born on December 17, 2013. It will forever be one of my most cherished memories. Everything about his birth and the whole experience was amazing, I feel so blessed. It could not have gone more perfect. Here's the story:

Trevor and I decided a few months back that we wanted to try to deliver Jack in Utah if the timing worked out okay because we love our OB in Utah so much and we wanted as much family to be there as possible. So we started making plans for this in about August. To be totally honest, the closer it got and the more pregnant I got, I didn't think it was going to happen. Trevor and I went home to Utah for Thanksgiving and at that point I was 35 1/2 weeks. I got checked by my OB and was dilated to a 2. Our plan before we left for thanksgiving break was to come to Utah for thanksgiving, go back home to California, then return to Utah after Trevor's last final two weeks later (December 14). After finding out that I was already dilated, I thought for sure our plan wasn't going to work. We left Utah after thanksgiving and it was a LONG drive back home. I was uncomfortable and nervous and there was also horrific traffic. I was so grateful we made it home. 

The next two weeks were a blur. I called my mom everyday, sometimes multiple times a day because I could feel myself getting closer to being in labor. Once Trevor's last final was over we packed our bags and left the next morning. The night before we left, I didn't sleep at all. Even minutes before we left I kept thinking, "wow I really hope we make it home before I go into labor."  I knew it was coming soon. THANKFULLY we did make it home and the next couple of days flew by. Monday (12/16) night Trevor and I drove up to cedar (we had been spending the previous days in St. George), to celebrate Kyle's birthday. We had dinner in Cedar and then drove back to St. George to spend the night. Little did we know 12 hours later we would be driving back to Cedar to have our sweet baby! Monday night I didn't sleep well. I just had a lot of back pain and was just very uncomfortable. Still not thinking I was going into labor. That morning Trevor got a phone call from my dad making sure we were okay because they couldn't see our car parked in their driveway and thought we had left to go to the hospital! Trevor assured him we were fine and just parked in a different spot. We got up and out of bed and all of a sudden- MAJOR contraction. Up to this point I had been feeling tons and tons of Braxton hicks contractions. But this was nothing like I had ever felt before. I had to grab the bed post to stable myself. It was very painful. Trevor had a very concerned look on his face and I told him I was fine. We went on getting ready for the day and not 8 minutes later- another major contraction. Trevor was sold that this was the real deal but I just kept telling him let's wait and see. My worst fear was to rush to the hospital and have them tell me it was false labor. 5 minutes later, another contraction. This kept going on for the next hour- seriously painful contractions every five minutes. I told Trevor that if I had one more, then we could drive up to Cedar. Sure enough I did. I had Trevor give me a blessing before we left- I'm so grateful I did because I know that helped me so much with the delivery- and we took one last belly picture and rushed off to the hospital!

On the drive up my contractions kept getting closer together and stronger, so I was squeezing Trevor's hand. The first time I did, he squeezed my hand back just as hard. I told him he's not supposed to do the squeezing- he said he didn't know how it worked :)

Once we got to the hospital everything happened so quickly. We got there at about 10:30, I got checked right away and was dilated to a 4. Within ten minutes I was already hooked up to IV's and my anesthesiologist was on his way with the epidural. The anesthesiologist was amazing. I was a little worried about getting an epidural, but he did such a perfect job I didn't even feel a thing. I was worried the epidural would take away from the delivery, like I wouldn't be able to fully experience it. That was so not the case! If anything it let me experience it more. I could definitely feel when I was having a contraction/ needed to push- without the excruciating pain. It was so perfect.

After the epidural, everything started to happen so fast. Both mine and Trevor's parents were called and told to come because it was time. Trevor was so cute, he was the most excited I've ever seen him. He was just pacing back and forth, and had this constant giant smile on his face. I got checked again and found out Jack was posterior. That made me really nervous. After everything I've heard about posterior babies (Trevor and myself both were posterior) I was thinking it was going to be a very long, hard labor. My sweet nurse was so perfect though! She acted like it was no big deal and after a couple of pushes, she had him turned right around! It was no set back at all. At this point my OB said he was going to run some errands and would be back in about a half hour. After ten minutes, my nurse checked me again and said it was time to start pushing! I wanted to say "but shouldn't we wait for the doctor?" But my nurse seemed like she had it under control so I just did what she told me. Trevor was amazing in there with me, it was like he knew exactly what to do and always said exactly what I needed to hear. He was in charge of counting to 10 during pushes and was such a great motivator. He always makes me feel so safe and calm. I really can't even explain how perfect for me he is.

So glad my family could be with us for his birth. I have always wanted my family right outside the door for my children's births ever since I was a little girl. They are such a great support!

After a couple of minutes of pushing with my nurse, my doctor was back and 7 pushes later little Jack was born. I will never forget seeing him for the first time, and hearing his sweet little cry.

Right after he was born Trevor got to cut his umbilical cord and they laid him on my chest. It was the most amazing experience. It was like I had been running a 9 month long marathon and just got to the finish line. It was the most rewarding feeling seeing our beautiful son. I couldn't stop kissing him and crying and smiling- such a rush of emotions. I got to hold him without anyone taking him away for a whole hour. I got to just love on him and feed him. That hour was perfect- like my own little heaven. I felt a little guilty making my family wait to see him, but that hour was so amazing. One of the most peaceful experiences.

I'm so grateful Jack came 2 weeks early, for many reasons. But the biggest reason probably being that he already weighed 8 pounds 9 ounces, and if he would've had 2 more weeks in the womb, I don't think I would've been able to deliver him. He would've been huge!

We were only at the hospital for 24 hours when they told us we were free to go. We were so excited to take him home. I had the perfect experience at the hospital, everyone treated me so well and I loved all of my nurses, but there's nothing like being home.

Life just feels so perfect with him in it.