Griffin’s birth story

Now this is a story all about how

My life got flipped turned upside down (in the best way possible)

After 3 precious daughters, Zach and I were done having kids. I didn’t have that thought in the back of my mind that we needed one more, we were so happy and our family felt complete.

Not so fast. My group of best friends were still having babies. They didn’t start quite as early as I did. They kept jokingly suggesting we should have one more and I kept just laughing and being all “no.” Well something started stirring in my heart and I was really feeling like Zach and I should give it one more try and if nothing happened, move on from the baby phase of life for good. Jeni was having a hard time wanting to start over with a newborn but wanted Nick to have a child of his own, so we made a deal. If you go for it, I will too. At first Zach was not in. Why would we rock this boat? But he agreed to giving it one last shot. And literally one shot is all we gave it. One. Not one month of trying. One lone “try.” The silver bullet.

Maybe it’s because I had already been pregnant 3 times, or maybe I’m just extremely in tune with my body, but I knew for an undeniable fact that I was pregnant within a day or two. My body felt different, it’s not something I can really explain other than everything was different. I was telling people I was 99% sure I was pregnant because I could feel my body changing. Sounds wack, but it’s the truth and…

Telling my family went a little something like this:

https://youtu.be/x8a6dkfbRdU

Zach was confused because I told him I had started and wasn’t pregnant. I wanted to be able to surprise him in person, but it didn’t really work that well clearly. Also, I told them I was taking a picture and that is why they all were frozen smiling for entirely too awkwardly long.

Pregnancy was awful. I was sick almost immediately. Nauseous, headaches, puking, extreme exhaustion, with each pregnancy, my symptoms got worse and worse. The withdrawal symptoms from getting off Zoloft didn’t help either. If it weren’t for diclegis, I would have had to quit work and life.

Something new that had come out since I had Aven, was the blood test you can do at 10ish weeks to find out about chromosomal abnormalities as well as the sex of the baby. I signed up for that test and assumed it was another girl because obviously the DNA of Zach and I do not a boy make. I remember getting the call from the nurse so vividly. First of all the test was normal, yay! Next, she asked if I wanted to know the sex of the baby. I said yes and as soon as I heard “b” I started shaking. I’m still to this very day, in disbelief that I have the son I had prayed for and wanted so badly.

I rushed to party city to get blue silly string and could hardly wait to tell Zach and the girls.

https://youtu.be/_djPSXCqQ2s

I trudged through the rest of the pregnancy with every ache and pain, zero work ethic, and an overall bad attitude, I remember Zach telling me on the 4th of July that I hate everything, including America. I kept my eyes on the prize of meeting that sweet baby boy that was wiggling all around inside.

The only baby I went into labor naturally with was Blake, my first. The other 3 I jumped at the chance to be induced. I don’t have sisters, so I invited my group of college best friends to come be with me as I welcome Griffin into the world. My mom was in the room with us when Aven was born, so she wanted to be in there with Griffin again and I also invited my mother in law! It was a packed room!

It was such a great experience having them with me! Jeni missed her calling as a nurse, she was so concerned with how I was doing and my pain level. What a caring sweetheart! And of course I had jokes. Always jokes.

I arrived at the hospital bright and early for the induction. Filled out the forms, answered the questions, got on the monitors, all the stuff. My last two labors were so fast, that I just figured this would be as well. I kept telling my friends they wouldn’t be there all day, my babies are ready to zoom out into the world and get the party started! I also have never been any percent effaced or any centimeters dialted when I get to the hospital. I have realized that this has very little to do with how fast or easy your labor will be.

Actual labor story: Pitocin starts around 8 am. I ask for an epidural before I even have an awful contractions because I am a seasoned mom and I don’t want to be writhing in pain for no reason. I also have waited too long to request the epidural before and the anesthesiologist got busy and I was screwed for a while. Epidural in. This was the most uncomfortable epidural I have ever had and it was really making me start to freak out with all the nerves being hit and “bee stings.” Friends arrive. As a couple of hours pass, I’m at a 2, 4, 10, time to push. Push for like a whole minute. The most beautiful boy I had ever seen was here at 10:59, a little on the plus size side at 8 lbs 12 oz.

After he was here and the room had settled down a bit, my girls came in to meet their baby brother they had been so anxiously waiting for!

They were just mildly impressed. Guess who stole the show? Nothing Bundt cakes. I can understand that.

And that was that! The Walker family was changed forever on that day. We are all so much in love with the baby boy that I truly thought I would never have. With three sisters, he better know a thing or two about girls, how to treat them and how to respect them. That’s a big job in today’s world and I am so up for the challenge.

We stayed in the hospital for one night and once we got home, we fell into a new normal routine really easily. That is the beauty of a big space between siblings and the beauty of having done this over and over and over.

We were obsessed with him then…

And we are even more obsessed now!

Happy 3rd birthday to the boss of the house!