McKinley's Birth Story

This has taken waaaaaay too long for me to get out. I started it a while ago but then never got around to finishing it, imagine that ;). Now that I'm posting it, expect a new post everyday because I have SOOO much to catch up on. Wanting to post McKinley's birth story first before moving on has really clogged up the queue.

This is me writing this post today, October 9. I feel so happy, so content snuggling my new baby.

Will and the kids are at church. The house is clean, quiet, and peaceful. I thought it a perfect time to record the happenings of the last few weeks (with Will interjecting a few of his thoughts along the way).

Will: Meanwhile, peace eludes the kids and me at church. As I am trying to help Reagan be reverent, she spills slightly greasy crackers all over my dress pants (biggest concern) and on the floor (I can live with this). Lincoln starts climbing on my like a jungle gym. Yes, he reached the apex by climbing over the top of my head. You know it's entertaining when you can see the Bishopric looking right at you and laughing. But it was fun to be with the kids and helped me remember how much I need my Julie.

Julie: To the beginning:

Being overdue is a crazy thing. I personally, expected it, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Maybe my babies just take longer to cook, maybe my dates are wrong, I don't know. But I felt like to everyone else I was a ticking time bomb. Maybe next time I'll tell everyone I'm due a week later than I really am, lol. Every where I went and everyone I talked to was like, “Have you had that baby yet?!” It was almost comical to me, I would smile and say, “No, but I still feel great!” Feeling great at 9 months pregnant is a crazy thing for people to take in. I’m really, really grateful for a healthy body that handles pregnancy and recovery so well when I know it is so difficult for so many people.

At my 41 week doctor’s appointment I was still not dilating. “Uninducable,” Dr. Judd said. Weird! I had never heard that before. At a week overdue with Lincoln, I was at least dilating on my own. I was told I needed to come to the hospital Tuesday night to spend the night while they gave me some gel called Cervidal to get things prepared/softened up to start the dilating. Then they would induce me Wednesday morning.

This timing was funny because as Will and I discussed possible induction dates the week before he had said any day but Wednesday. Wednesday was BYU’s career fair and as Will is over the college internship program at Northwestern Mutual, this career fair is a pretty big deal. But Wednesday it was! Isn’t that how life goes, lol.

Tuesday felt weird, knowing it would be my last day pregnant. But being the planner that I am, I liked the schedule feeling. I liked “putting things in order” before I left. I cleaned the house, finished some laundry, and packed my bag. Reagan was such a help, wow she was so excited and wanted to be involved. The day we had talked about and prepared for for so long was finally here. She brought out McKinley’s bag with the blanket she had lovingly folded and refolded a thousand times, a hat, a few bows, and a couple outfits that had been carefully packed and repacked dozens of times over the past week. She helped me pack my toiletries, fetching ziplocks for me and counting out cotton balls and Q-tips. Wow she’s cute! She even loaded everything to the car (except my backpack that was "too heavy") and put McKinley’s car seat in the back seat.

After dinner, Will gave me a blessing. I am so grateful to Will for being the worthy priesthood holder he is. Reagan and Lincoln each wanted one too. I remember Reagan’s saying how she would be a good big sister and be an example. The power of example among siblings is huge. For good or for bad, Lincoln does EVERYTHING Reagan does. She is definitely in an unique situation as the oldest to set a good example. I remember her baby blessing mentioning the same thing. What a sweet way to prepare to leave.

Since I wasn’t going to be induced until morning we (Julie) decided it would be best for the kids to sleep at home with Will and he would take them to Brad and BrieAnn’s first thing in the morning. (If there’s one thing my wife cares about, it’s her kids’ sleep). I was to be at the hospital at 8:00. I was running late, of course, and with it getting dark so early now, it was pitch black outside. The family loaded me in the car. There were some neighbors out so we got to talk with them as I was leaving. I honked my horn “eighty-o” times as I drove away, waving to the kids, to Will, the Folkmans, and Pruitts. Excitement filled the air.

It felt weird driving myself to the hospital, like something you shouldn’t be doing on your way to have a baby, lol. The drive was uneventful, I parked, and leisurely walked in. It was weird that everything felt so calm. Orem Community Hospital is a place I have really come to love. Now having delivered all my babies there it is especially meaningful. But I remember visiting there a few times during this pregnancy to check a some things out (one for excessive bleeding, another for false alarm of my water breaking. I was a little dramatic this pregnancy!) and I was jealous of the women there having their babies, I was ready to stay and have mine! There is such a good feeling there that I was so happy to come to stay!

I was settled into a room and around 9 o’clock the nurses inserted the cervidal. I immediately hit the sack. I awoke around 1:00 with contractions that weren’t horrible but uncomfortable enough to keep me from sleeping. I pulled out my computer and moseyed around, then tried sleep some more. By 3:00 am the contractions were getting pretty strong. I thought the epidural would definitely help but thinking I was going to be induced in the morning, and labor all day, I thought I better save the epidural for then. What I didn’t realize is that cervidal can get you dilating so much that you actually go into labor without having to be induced. Thinking it was still going to be a looong time before the baby came I kept pushing off the epidural, I was progressing but I didn’t realize it would go so fast. At 5:00 I couldn't take it any longer and the anesthesiologist was called. By 5:30 the epidural was in at which point the pain was so so bad. But being the miracle that it is by 6:00 I was feeling fantastic! I was totally relaxed. I could feel pressure but absolutely no pain. I could have totally gone to sleep. I rested and enjoyed the time. I called Will and told him that I had the epidural, I was progressing and would definitely have the baby before the career fair even started. “You can still go!” I said. People may think it’s unsentimental but I knew this was important and I didn’t want him to miss it. At this point he didn’t care if he missed it but I wanted him to be able to go. As long as he was there for the birth he could leave and do his thing, I would just want to rest anyway. I told him that as soon as the kids woke up to load them in the car and come on down the hospital.

Will: So I get a call at 6:30. I'm dressed, dapper, and ready to go. Julie tells me that she's had a long night and she is anxious for McKinley to come. She also tells me to take my time at home, wait for the kids to wake up and then come over. I plop down on the couch, pull out my computer, and start checking my email. I'm pretty relaxed but a little nervous. It's scary to add a new member to your family, especially a really fragile one when you have really reckless kids.

Julie: At 6:40 the nurse checked me and holy cow I was at a 9. I called Will and said, “OK go wake the kids up, don’t do anything with them, just put them in the car and get over here, I am about to have the baby!” It all of a sudden had gone so fast. Gone from 5:30 with the epidural and being in labor to 6:40 and about ready to have her!

Will: Fifteen minutes goes by and another call comes, this one in another tone. Hurried. "Go grab the kids, throw them in the car. I'll probably be having the baby in an hour." Funny thing is, once we got in the car, I had to keep running in the house get things I had forgotten one at a time. I've always hoped for this rushed, stressful, movie-like pregnancy moment. However, typically we just casually get ready when Julie starts feeling like the baby is coming. So this was kind of cool in an intense sort of way. I raced to the hospital speeding, swerving and passing cars. This is how I've always wanted to drive! I kept waiting for a cop to pull me over and have the best excuse ever. Then be escorted to the hospital with lights flying. Where are they when you need 'em? I got to the Schmidt’s house, didn't even go inside, Brad took them straight from the driveway.

Julie: At this point, Ali, the nurse, called Dr. Judd and told him he had better get over here or she would be delivering this baby herself. He had previously been contacted and knew I was progressing but none of us thought it would go so fast. Dr. Judd was at Timpanogos hospital about ready to perform a scheduled C-section. He had to leave that lady (how upset would you be!) to come deliver me.

Dr. Judd came into my room. The nurses had already gotten the bed ready and preparations were made. I was on the phone with Will, “Where are you, where are you?”

Will: I got to the hospital and didn't even park, leaving my car on the curb of the round about at the entrance (gotta love small hospitals) . Everyone was expecting me so security ushered me right in.

Julie: All the nurses had entered my room. With Dr. Judd there and ready to go I was a little embarrassed my husband wasn't there yet. It did look bad, but it was all my doing, lol! I was beginning to think Will might miss it when he ARRIVED!! Yeah!!! He came in the room literally two seconds before my first push. I pushed two times and she was out. That's how it's been every time, once I start pushing the baby is there in no time.

Will arrived 7:33 and McKinley was born 7:36!

I was SO HAPPY!6 lbs 14 oz, so tiny.19 inches long

McKinley Grace Beck was here. She was perfect, so beautiful.

Will and I spent the morning together admiring our beautiful new baby. We had such a good morning together. We laughed at how we hardly have alone time anymore, it was so fun to just talk and be together.

Will took off mid morning and I got to snuggle my newborn baby and sleep the morning away after a sleepless night. Happiness.

Welcome to the family baby McKinley! We love you so much!