Back Blog: Easton's Birth Story

This is a few months overdue...4 months to be exact, but here is my birth story for my sweet little man, Easton!!

To say this pregnancy was "different" is an understatement. With my history of delivering large babies, (Andie 9# 5oz and Erynn 8# 4oz) I was tested and diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes at 12wks pregnant. Not fun!! I had to check my Blood Sugar every morning before I ate and then an hour after every meal. Initially my sugars were maintained with my diet, but around 20wks I started to have elevated sugars and needed to take Metformin to help control my sugars. So being a Gestational Diabetic put me at an increased risk for delivering a large baby and my Drs at Gila Valley Clinic had been planning on inducing me around 39wks. Cut to April 17th, 38wks.

I had my appointment with Dr. Guerrero (an amazing woman and Dr), where we discussed my induction a week later. I had really been wanting Dr. Guerrero to deliver this baby and she was to be on call that following Thurs, so we set the date.

That morning I go my kiddos off to school and got my bag ready to go. Avery had gymnastics pictures that day and so the plan was to get her ready and then I would head into the hospital and Lucas would get the girls settled at home. Luckily my amazing parents were coming into town for the evening and would be staying with the girls while Lucas and I were in the hospital. So I arrived to the hospital around 3:00pm, Eliza admitted me and started the induction. I was 2-3cm, boo!! This is baby #4!! They started me on Cytotec and I waited for things to pick up and Lucas to get to the hospital.

If you don't know what Cytotec is, it's a small pill they use to help the cervix start to thin out and dilate. They give you a dose every 4 hrs. Well after a second dose at 8:00pm I was 3-4cm. My parents had come into visit and then they headed home to get the girls settled and ready for bed. We knew this was going to be a long night. After my 3rd dose of Cytotec, at midnight I was 5cm. Now this is the magic number, we usually give epidurals to moms that are 5cm. I had had an epidural with Erynn, but thought for sure this was why my labor took all night, with an epidural you are stuck in bed and can't walk around and be proactive during a labor. By this point, the contractions were starting to get uncomfortable, but I was doing well and had been in the shower a few times. Plus it didn't hurt that my awesome friends Tawny and Jen were around to keep me company and get my mind off the pain. Tawny was my nurse and she is the best!! An hour later, I was still 5cm, so they decided to place a 4th dose of Cytotec. By this point, I was getting pretty tired, Lucas had been napping off and on, but getting up to help me to the shower or bathroom when I needed it.

At 2:30am, Dr Guerrero came into break my water, I was still 5cm. Thirty minutes later I was 6-7, so Lucas went ahead and made a few calls to let my parents and his mother, Julie, know that I was probably starting to kick into labor now, they all showed up. In the past, once my water broke, I would progress relatively quickly...not this time. At 4:30am I was super exhausted and the contractions were really starting to hurt, so I decided to try some pain medication...not sure it really helped. At 5:45am I was still 6-7cm and hurting pretty bad. After being up all night, I was so worn out and exhausted, I broke into tears a couple of times, but finally begged Tawny for my epidural. Lucky for me Jason Underwood was on for anesthesia, he did my epidural for Erynn. He was so fast and I was feeling much better by 6:00am. My parents headed home and my mother-in-law came into visit before she needed to go into work.

So here we were, a new day and a new shift. Vickie came in and was my nurse that day!! Yay!! Pretty much from 6:00am -8:00am, I slept. I know not real exciting, but it was the best sleep!!
Vickie came in around 8:45am, I was at 7-8cm and so comfortable. I was then placed on a "peanut ball"...which is just a very large ball shaped like a peanut (go figure). We use this to help position mother's to allow baby to descend into the pelvis better. We tried this over the next couple hours and at 10:30am I was 9cm! Woo hoo! At 10:45am, they decided to start some Pitocin.

I have a history of hemorrhaging after my deliveries...all three of them! So Dr Guerrero had decided that since my more severe hemorrhages were after I had had Pitocin, she didn't want me to have any with this baby...well we tried everything else, so bring on the Pit!!

Still feeling comfortable I had Pitocin going and was still 9cm at noon. Then at 12:30pm, I began to feel some pressure and was 9-10cm. At 1:01pm, I was complete!! It was getting time to push!! My parents and Julie arrived, Lucas was at my bedside, I had Dr Guerrero, Vickie, and Eliza there to meet my baby boy. I pushed for 10 min. As he was coming I could hear the excitement in Lucas voice which made me very emotional and I started to tear up, but them reminded myself that my job was not done yet.

Easton Lucas Johnson:

Born on April 26, 2013 at 1:11pm through 2 cords wrapped around his neck!

Weighing in at 8# 14oz!! When they placed him in my arms I just broke into tears.

I well never be able to express the happiness that is felt when a new baby is born, but it is the part of my job that I love the most,  my job as a mother and a nurse.

 Mom and Dad with new baby boy!! Lucas kept saying, does he know how long we have waited for him!!

Holding my son

 Nana holding baby Easton

 Grandma Julie with Easton

 Granny meeting Easton

 The first of many kisses

 Papa holding his second grandson

 Easton with his Great Granny

So happy to be all together!!

My family is complete!!

For Tayler...A Much Needed Update!!

I have been so bad at blogging, but had promised my awesome sister-in-law Tayler Johnson that I would start again. She is always blogging super cute stories about her little family and has inspired me to give it another go.

Fall 2013
We find ourselves very busy this Fall with a Preschooler, 3rd Grader and 7th Grader in Middle School. Where has the time gone? Also, this Fall I am spending my home time with a new little man. Will need to back blog his story later.

Andie is enjoying her social life as a 7th grader at Thatcher Middle School. Kind of crazy to think this was where I was when I met Lucas, ahh!! She is in Leadership, and loves all the aspects of that, from planning assemblies, dances, and running concessions for sporting events. She is also Manager for Volleyball and loves traveling with the team filled with some of her best friends. On top of all this she is getting to go to Church dances and Mutual. She was able to attend Girls Camp this last Summer and is really enjoying the activities for Young Women.

Avery is now a 3rd grader, in Mrs Petersen's class at Jack Daley Primary School. She will be starting Junior League Volleyball this week which should be fun. She was moved up in Gymnastics to Advanced and is hard away working on her back handspring. She has discovered a new love of skateboarding thanks to her friend Sophie down the street. She also is obsessed with anything American Girl and has already made up a Christmas list for us and Santa.

Erynn is just a fun, sweet, little girl. She just came up on her one year post-op anniversary and has been off of antibiotics since January with amazing results. We are so glad that she has been doing well and so grateful to her Pediatric Nephrologist Dr. Nguyen. She loves following Avery around and playing with Avery's friends. She too has moved up in Gymnastics and is now a Squirt. She is too cute. She has shown us that she is a great big sister, always wanting to help out with brother, but sometimes forgets to be careful.

Easton is now 4 months and a little butterball. He weighed 17 pounds 10 ounces at his last appointment which was about 2 weeks ago. He loves his sisters, they are always making him laugh. He is so fun to hug and cuddle with. We love his smile and laugh. He loves to pull on daddy's beard. It has been a little bit of an adjustment with a new baby, and him being a boy, but we wouldn't change it for the world. He is a good feeder (if you hadn't guessed) and sleeps relatively well in his crib. Still wakes for feedings, but once he's wrapped back up he goes right to sleep. We are so lucky we found a great sitter that enjoys him just as much as us, for the days when I am working.

We are heading into Fall, my favorite time of year and have already watched Avery and Erynn march in their first parade! We have Football in session, Halloween costumes on the way, the Fair is just around the corner and we are even enjoying some late season MLB cheering on my brother-in-law Elliot as he plays for the Braves!!! Woop Woop!!

Easton playing with cousin Dylan