It's been a little over 3 years since I wrote my last blog post! The last one I wrote was Camden's birth story in April of 2019. SO much has happened in our lives since then! I don't do a good job of keeping up with my blog like I used to, but one thing that has always been important to me is writing out the birth story of each of my children. I absolutely love looking back and reading over all the details of each of their births. Even if no one ever reads this, I know it will be something I will treasure having over the years!
All this to say, we have a brand new addition to our family! A new little red-headed baby boy named Rowan Jake Gale...our 4th child and our 3rd baby boy. I would have never expected to have 4 kids and to have 3 boys, but here we are! I'm still adjusting to it all, but I feel so blessed with these 4 little people who call me Mama. And Rowan has 3 older siblings who absolutely adore him! He's the perfect little guy to complete our family...our "resident baby"/"forever baby."
Every birth story is so unique and different, and that holds true for me! Every one of my births has been different than the others, and that continues to be the case for Rowan's. I thought I knew exactly how Rowan's birth would go down, but it was something unexpected in many ways! You could definitely say we went out with a BANG with this last child and the way he came into the world!
A little background: I found out that I was pregnant on October 2, 2021. We were SO excited and also terrified at the thought of having 4 kids! I had a miscarriage in March of 2021, and we had been trying since with no luck. I was really wanting a 4th baby, but I also knew if it didn't happen for us sooner rather than later, we would forever say bye to the baby days and move on with just our 3. When we found out I was pregnant with Rowan, I don't ever think I'd seen Josh's eyes get so wide! Haha.
I had major pregnancy anxiety during my pregnancy with Camden. It was really, really bad, and it affected my entire pregnancy. I was determined to have a "carefree" pregnancy this time, knowing it was my last. Unfortunately, only a week into the pregnancy, while we were out of town in New Orleans on a family trip, I started bleeding heavily. I immediately assumed I was having a miscarriage, and my heart sank. I had to wait until we got back from our trip to go to the doctor to find out exactly what was going on. When I got back from the trip, I was so relieved to find out that I actually didn't miscarry. I had another subchorionic hemorrhage as I did in my pregnancy with Emerson. Thankfully, this one wasn't nearly as big or as bad, but it did come with MONTHS of having brown bleeding, which really messed with my head and instilled a lot of fear in me. I was beyond grateful that Rowan remained safe and healthy throughout my entire pregnancy. Despite the hemorrhage (which thankfully healed by about 8 weeks despite me continuing to bleed for months afterward), Rowan was perfectly fine!
And the rest of my pregnancy after that initial hiccup actually went perfectly smoothly! I even had an ultrasound at 32 weeks to see if the baby had IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) as I had in my previous 2 pregnancies, and thankfully, I didn't, and all was well! I wouldn't have to be heavily monitored during the end of my pregnancy or induced early because of the baby's (small) size. After the first half of the pregnancy, I was able to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy and was even working out a few days a week at the gym and feeling good! This was the best I had felt almost ever in pregnancy, and it was definitely much better than how I felt in Camden's. We also chose NOT to find out the gender of this last baby, so we would be surprised at the birth...yes, we know we are weirdos, but we love the surprise and not finding out! We didn't find out the gender with any of our boys (ironically), but we did find out the gender with Emerson (ironically, our only girl, which was great because then I got to get all the girly stuff ready ahead of time) because she was my most complicated pregnancy and I had a ton of ultrasounds with her.
All this brought us to the week that Rowan arrived AND also the week that Josh would be out of town in Kentucky for his Doctoral program graduation from Asbury. We had known about this graduation since I found out that I was pregnant, and we KNEW that there was a major chance the birth and the graduation would overlap, but we were praying that wouldn't be the case. And of course, that's EXACTLY what happened!
Josh left for Kentucky on Monday, May 16, and he was supposed to be gone all week. We were supposed to go to Emerson's dance recital on Thursday evening, May 19, and then drive up to KY that evening with Josh's parents. We were going to stay until Saturday afternoon and then head back home as a family. We knew this would all be tentative depending on how I felt, but we were going to try to go for it considering Josh had been working 5 years for this graduation! You might be thinking, "Weren't you only 36 weeks at this point?". That's correct, but my babies had all come early, and the last 2 were born right around 37 weeks, so we knew there was a big chance it would be close to this time period. We joked because Josh's graduation was literally the morning I turned 37 weeks, and that's also RIGHT when Camden and Emerson were born, so how funny/frustrating would it be if that's when this final baby came?!
Filling out forms in the hospital and getting to check off that Josh has a Doctorate degree!
I had my 36 week checkup on that Monday when Josh left for KY, and we found out that I was already 3 cm dilated at that time. I was super nervous finding that out, but I knew that it was pretty "normal" for me based on what my body had done in previous pregnancies. All I had to do was make it less than a week then the baby could come. I could do that, right?! Wrong! Before Monday, I hadn't had any pain/cramping/contractions, so I really wasn't too concerned about being dilated. Well, after that appointment, I started having pain/cramping/contractions throughout the week. On Tuesday evening, it got so bad that Josh started to head home from KY. I genuinely thought I was going to give birth without him that night, but then everything fizzled out. That happened a few times, but it never turned into anything consistent. Thankfully, Josh was able to give his presentation on Wednesday afternoon at Asbury then he surprised me by heading home. I can't describe the amount of relief I felt when I knew he was on his way back to us! This way, no matter what happened, at least we would be together!
I went to the doctor on Thursday afternoon to get checked (for my peace of mind) before we headed to KY on Thursday evening. Now that Josh was home, he was going to drive up there with me after Emerson's dance recital. I was starting to feel better, and the doctor told me that she was very skeptical I would have a baby over the weekend, so we decided to go for it! We went to Emerson's recital then we were off! I had a ton of anxiety starting the drive, knowing I could have a baby in KY, but I was trying to be positive and realistic, knowing I was only 36 weeks and surely, I could make it just a few more days. We made it to the GA/TN line, and then I suddenly started having those pains again. I was definitely panicking on the inside but trying to remain calm and rational on the outside. The cramping quickly turned into contractions. At this point, we stopped at a gas station to see if things stopped or became more consistent. Unfortunately, I had a few more (light) contractions over the course of about 30 minutes, and we made the decision to drive back home. It was scary because I didn't know if my body was about to go into full-on labor, but it was also heartbreaking to make the decision to drive home and miss Josh's big graduation ceremony. Bittersweet for sure. I had such immense guilt for taking this milestone away from him while also knowing there was absolutely nothing I could do to control when this baby came.
Thankfully we did make it home at about 2am and then tried to get some sleep. I woke up throughout the night with contractions, but nothing consistent. I got the kids ready for school in the morning while having contractions and genuinely thought after they went to school, we would head to the hospital. Thankfully Josh's parents came back to the house with us (they were supposed to make the drive to KY with us), so they took the big kids to school and took care of Camden for the day. Once they all left for the day, the contractions still weren't full force, so we took a nap, and when I woke up, I hadn't had any contractions. I was so frustrated at this point. I figured if I was going to make us miss Josh's graduation, I should at least have a baby to show for it, right?!
We decided to drive to OB Assessment just to see what they said since I was having contractions but just not consistent enough. Unfortunately, that's exactly what they said. They said it was mostly Braxton Hicks contractions at this point, even though I was dilated to 4 cm and was 70% effaced. They said I was close, but I wasn't in active labor yet, and they sent me home. Again, I was beyond frustrated but not surprised since I knew contractions were supposed to be 5 minutes apart before you headed to the hospital. I was shocked in a way because I thought surely, with this being my 4th child, my body would just know what to do and would do it quickly. And truly, that IS what happened, but at the time, I wasn't expecting such a "long" pre-active labor. We watched Josh's graduation online, and that was hard to watch emotionally for me, considering I still hadn't the baby, but I felt pretty miserable. The doctor did recommend walking to try to get the contractions going, so that's what I did!
Josh and I ended up walking for 2.5 hours throughout our neighborhood that evening (while Josh's parents took the kids to the pool). Thankfully his parents dealt with the kids all day, so we could just focus on my labor! Such a blessing! We were barely moving at most points of the walk (because the contractions were slowly but surely picking up), but we just kept going because I was determined to get this baby out of me! I didn't enjoy this whole being in labor but not in "enough" labor thing at all! And I didn't want the contractions to fizzle out at this point. I was ready to just get the show on the road! I would stop walking while having a contraction, then we would keep going....or should I say, I would just keep on waddling! We were timing the contractions all day, and soon enough, we stopped walking, and they were about 7-8 minutes apart. We were getting close...finally!!
I put the kids to bed, took a shower, slowly finished packing the very last things in my hospital bag, and could feel the contractions getting closer and closer together and more intense. Finally, it was go time! At 10:30pm, we headed to the hospital because the contractions were 3-5 minutes apart and a lot more intense and painful. While this wasn't fun, I was also relieved that this baby was finally coming after what seemed like forever! When I got to OB Assessment this time, I had to pause for intense contractions while checking in and getting hooked up because I was clearly in the "active" labor stage that I wasn't in just a few hours before when I was here. When they checked me this time, I was 7-8 cm, and it was definitely time to get me to Labor and Delivery! I was SO thankful to get to go into labor by myself and not have any pitocin this time around (I had it with Camden and Grayson) and also to have done most of my laboring at home! While it felt like a pain in the butt at the time, I'm grateful I wasn't stuck in the hospital laboring all day.
I didn't plan on getting an epidural (at least that was my hope) because I had a natural birth with Camden and really wanted to attempt that again. Most people think this is CRAZY, but if the labor is fast enough, I honestly think this is the way to go, at least for me. They asked me if I wanted an epidural when I got to Labor and Delivery, and I said no, and I was hoping I could pull it off again! Thankfully I was already 8 cm, so I was close! They asked me about 400 questions while having to stop every 2-3 minutes for me to have an intense contraction. I didn't want to sit down, so I was pacing around the room and leaning over on the bed every time I had a contraction. Josh would rub my lower back, and it REALLY helped. He's never really been an active part of my labor before. He's always held my hand and been right by my side, but in the past, nothing he ever did really eased the pain. For whatever reason, him rubbing my lower back during contractions was an absolute lifesaver!
The nurse started my IV and got me completely checked in. Then the nurse called my doctor and told her to head to the hospital. Once my doctor got there, she asked me if I wanted my water broken. I asked if that would help progress labor, and my doctor said that it should. I told her, "Then let's do it!". My doctor broke my water which was quick and easy. Then she told me that things might start to get REAL now. Not going to lie, I was definitely scared of the pain ahead because I KNEW what it was like, but I was also so ready to meet my baby and end this labor! I went into the phase of labor called "transition" after that, which is when the pain gets REALLY intense, and I tend to feel really nauseous during that time. Thankfully I didn't get sick either time (with Rowan or Camden's labor), but I always feel like I am going to. This is the time when your body goes from 8-10 cm (usually pretty quickly), but it's also one of the hardest parts of labor!
I was only in the phase of "transition" for a very short amount of time, and then it felt like I had to push. I told Josh and my doctor ran in and checked me. I was fully dilated and completely effaced. It was time to meet our baby! I remember looking at Josh and telling him that I was so excited to find out if it was a boy or girl. The doctor told me to start pushing when I felt a contraction, but unfortunately, I wasn't really getting a break in contractions at that point. It was like one continuous contraction which was pretty awful. So I started pushing and kept pushing as often as I could. I had to switch around positions for the most "effective" push because his head wasn't coming down. Once they told me to move my legs to the side (like a butterfly), and that helped a lot. Very strange looking and feeling, but it got the job done. Then my doctor told me to put my chin to my chest and push. I don't know what I did, but suddenly I heard a loud "POP" in my chest and major pain. I screamed, and the whole room looked at me. They said they hadn't heard anything, so I just kept on pushing, but I would soon find out that I actually injured myself in the process of pushing. (I was pushing so hard that I either cracked a rib or pulled a muscle in my chest. I was in MAJOR pain for a few weeks after his birth because of this. My chest killed me. Only I would hurt myself in that way while pushing!) I just kept saying, "I can't do this!" which I also remember saying with Camden. There is NOTHING like pushing out a baby without any pain medication. It is a feeling like NO other, and it hurts so badly. Thankfully, my doctor and Josh were SO encouraging to me and just kept telling me that I could do this! The pain was pretty unbearable, so I just kept pushing in hopes that it would all end soon! Thankfully I didn't tear at all and didn't have to have any stitches, which REALLY helps with your recovery (I only tore and had stitches with Grayson).
Meeting Rowan!
I pushed for maybe 10-15 minutes total, and out he came! Before he was even here, they told me that they could see tons of red hair, which was so crazy! They also let me feel him before he was out, which was cool and weird and amazing! As soon as he came out, both Josh and I thought to ourselves, "This looks just like a boy! Or a very ugly baby girl!". Haha! We both just knew it was a boy at first glance! Josh went to check the genitals to be sure, and for a split second, I thought I saw nothing there, and it might have been a girl, but once Josh opened his legs, it was clear as day that it was a BOY! I really thought it was probably a boy throughout my entire pregnancy, but there was a small part of me that thought maybe it was a girl. I couldn't believe it...I had THREE sons, and two of them had RED hair! I never ever would have guessed in my wildest dreams!
Rowan Jake Gale was born at 12:32am, and he was 6 lbs 2 oz and 19.75 inches long! While the entire labor felt like FOREVER since I was having mild contractions off and on for 24 hours, my active labor was SUPER quick, and I only had to be at the hospital less than 2 hours before he arrived. It all went really quickly and smoothly once we got to the hospital, and I couldn't be more thankful! Rowan was born RIGHT at 37 weeks, and he was perfectly healthy in every way! I was 32 minutes into my 37th week when he arrived, and "full term" is exactly 37 weeks. My prayer the entire time was that he would be healthy and make it to full term. It was amazing how all the details came together! From Josh still being able to make his Dissertation presentation in person to making it home for the labor and delivery, to us starting the trek up to KY but turning around because I started having contractions, to allowing our family to be in town to keep the kids when all of our family lives a few hours away from us, to me being able to have another natural birth with zero complications and a perfectly healthy little guy at my hospital in town and NOT in KY! We are SO thankful! Although we had to laugh because Rowan was literally born on the morning of Josh's graduation, just as we had feared/assumed might happen the entire time!
Rowan's middle name is Jake, after my grandpa (Rowan's great-grandpa), Jacob "Jake" Silver. He passed away last year, and he was the last living grandparent on both sides for Josh and I. Grandpa Jake was a beloved great-grandparent to my kids, and he became someone really special to me as I got older and really got to know him more. He was able to meet Josh several times, and he was able to meet all of my kids (except for Rowan), which was something that meant a lot to me!
We are so happy that Rowan made it here safe and sound! His big sister and brothers have been completely obsessed and smitten with him since we brought him home. Emerson really wanted a sister, but after seeing Rowan, she can't imagine anyone else. She tells me how cute and adorable he is every day and how much she loves him. She's SUCH a big help already, and she's such a little mama to Rowan. Grayson is also very helpful (when he wants to be), and he really loves Rowan, but with more of a mature and reserved love. Camden's love for Rowan is more of a smothering love. He adores his baby brother, but he's still learning the art of being gentle. They all love to hold him and love on him. Welcome to the family, Rowan! You may never know peace and quiet, but you will always know overwhelming love! We are now a family of 6, and I'm so excited to see what the future holds!
