It's all about Kaleii

Labor Inducer?

Today marks a year since the day God blessed our family with the birth of Miss Kaleii Liberty. It has been a fun year. We've had our rough moments, but most of it has been a lot of fun. The first year of life, so far, is my favorite part of having children.


At the beginning of January 2011, I planned with my doctor to have a scheduled induction on March 8th. I knew what day she was going to be born, barring labor before then. This date was a week before my due date, but by February 25, I was ready to have her out. I had read many places that Black Cohosh Root was supposed to induce labor. I had a friend who recommended it as well. I also got castor oil, and Daddy was checking my cervix constantly at that point.

Water breakage?

I tried the Cohosh, with no luck. Then, the castor oil, with no luck again. Finally, I remembered that spicy food was supposed to help get contractions started. I hate spicy food. I mean, I detest it, seriously, to my core. We went to Chipotle and Daddy got the spiciest burrito he could manage to get me. It wasn't spicy?! I loved it, and it produced no contractions. Daddy then had the wonderful idea to have me eat a forkful of jalapenos. Awesome idea, Daddy. My water broke! Seriously, we ended up in the hospital. But, as it turns out, pregnant women sometimes can't tell if they are peeing or if their water broke. I thought that was hilarious and it was a myth - all the movies show women thinking they are peeing themselves - I guess it's real. This is my third pregnancy, you would think I'd know the difference.

Then we walked. Almost everyday, and I ate more spicy food. I did just about everything I could think of to get her out before the induction date, but she was determined to stay in until the doctor forced her out.

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011 we arrived at the hospital at 7am. They started me on Pitocin within an hour - why they waited that long, I'm not sure. My sweet mom - she showed up after being up all night and getting off work at 7am. No one else showed up until around 9am. That's when Corey went back home to pick up the kids - Azariah (eleven at the time) stayed home from school and got all the little ones fed (twins were four and Syleii was two). My friend Christy, her husband Chris, and their youngest daughter Lydia came to visit while I was in labor. At some point while they were there, the nurse came in and broke my water. After that, it progressed pretty quickly.

Gg & Kelsey

My sister had never seen a baby born - and I'd already had three at this point - and she really wanted to see her born, so she stayed to watch. I'd been promising her since I was pregnant with the twins that she could be in the room, but it wasn't possible with the boys (we were in the OR in case of an emergency c-section & only Daddy was allowed), and I could only have two people (my mom & my mother-in-law) in the room with Syleii. I was allowed to have one more person in the room, so my grandma stayed. Both of them had the most expressive looks on their faces the whole time.

We're all in awe.

The delivery was so smooth. Kaleii was out so fast. She was born at 3pm. My doctor was so awesome. Doctor Cynthia Eckert was my doctor from the middle of Syleii's pregnancy until the end of Kaleii's. I didn't have her for Sy's delivery, just for K's.

Love at first sight.

We welcomed an eight pound, four point five ounce baby, who was twenty one inches long. She was so beautiful. Doctor Eckert respected my wishes, and had her sent immediately to my chest, instead of to the warmer. I was the first one (after the doctor, of course) to hold her. I didn't get to hold the boys until they were a few days old, and Syleii until everyone in the room had held her. I nursed Kaleii almost immediately, and we were in love at first sight.

My amazing doctor.

Kaleii and I spent the next two days in the hospital, in a mostly quiet room. We had a few visitors, and our siblings visited with Daddy a few times. We just got to know each other and enjoy one another for those two days. If she left my room, I went with her. We were in love. And we still are.

To this day, I don't understand how a year could have already passed us by. My precious little girl, who was just nursing and not even rolling over, is now a one year old running toddler. She's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life. One of four. I love you Kaleii Liberty, and I will love you until my dying breath.

My beautiful one year old.