The Swensons: Enjoying the Journey: Ruby June Swenson

On August 12, 2013 we welcomed our sweet Ruby June.
Here is her story...

After we moved into our new home I thought our baby girl would be making her appearance any day. More like the VERY next day. I had worked hard moving, but rested enough to try to keep her from coming too early. I wanted her healthy, and that really was all that mattered. But after we moved I felt like she should come quickly. We moved on August 1st so I was ready. That Sunday after we moved we attended our new ward for the first time. I was HUGE ready to pop and convinced that I would only get that one Sunday before I had the baby. That's what I kept telling myself and others. She'd be coming any minute. I would have contractions, and think this is it, but they would stop and I knew it wasn't the right time. 1 whole week went by and I was back in church, NO baby, but even bigger than before. My swelling would go up and down, my Dr appointments revealed high blood pressure, and protein, and my head aches and blurry eyes were all indications of early pre-eclampsia. Very Familiar, but everything was border line. Not TOO high blood pressure. Not a TON of protein. My feet and ankles were just a LITTLE puffy, not rolls around them like they were with my first. So we waited longer.

August 7 - I had a DR appointment. My BP was high, there was protein, but not lots. I was dilated to a 2 or 3 (foggy memory). My DR said he'd like to see me get a bit farther but mentioned that I was measuring very big, and if the baby was too big I'd have to have another c-section. I really didn't want to do that. He scheduled an appointment for me to see a nurse on Friday for a BP check, but said he didn't think I'd last that long, and to come in with any worries.

August 8th, I moved boxes in the house, moved furniture, got my feet zoned from my awesome new neighbor, tried using the Essential Oil Fennel, went to the Jump Zone with the kids and jumped on the tramp a bit, ate really spicy food, and tried a number of other things all to get baby girl here! I was 37 weeks and worried now that she was going to be HUGE. Oh, and I bought a new car seat! Well, new to us. $50 on CVC as opposed to the $200 I couldn't bring myself to spend at Shopko. Woohoo! Baby could come now!

Aug 9 - Friday came. NO baby yet so to the BP check I went. BP was higher than last time but my DR wasn't in town and the nurse practitioner that saw me was hesitant to make any big calls. She called the on-call DR who said I could go into Labor and Delivery and have a c-section. I said, I'll take some Ibuprofen and wait till Mon when I would see my DR again. Oh, and I set up the Bassinet! Baby could come NOW!

Aug10 - . Thought my water broke, but it was just a spilled water bottle in the car. DANG! Another BP check. Same result. Baby by c-section only. I waited. Bought diapers, and any feminine products I might need for after baby. Baby could come RIGHT NOW!!!!

Aug 11 - Went to church frustrated, I hadn't had a baby yet. Got my feet zoned again. Still did lots to get baby here. Washed bottles, pulled out pump, washed bedding. GET BABY HERE!!!!

Mon Aug 12 - Got my feet zoned in the morning. Packed my hospital bag. Arranged for the kids to go to the neighbors and then for my Paige to pick them up a little later just in case. Put a smile on my face, but prepared for disappointment. 3:30 pm BP Super High, Swollen, Protein, Dilated to 4 1/2. DR said, "Gosh, I would have got you started over the weekend! Didn't they look at your history and see that you could explode any minute?! Let's get you up to the hospital!' I excitedly said, "Really?!" and off we went! Wahoo!!!!

Blurry, taken from John's phone but you get the idea of how big I was

3:50 pm or so...

Dr broke my water. Things get foggy again here. I started having the BIG labor contractions. Got an epidural. That went great. I think I started pushing around 8:00 and baby was here at 8:23. Sometime during the delivery I got a text message. My phone whistles when I get a message and it was right when the Dr sat down to get me started pushing. It was pretty funny, cause he spoke up and said, "That wasn't me!" We laughed. Then as I was pushing he said, "Wow, she's coming out fast, You are much stronger than the last time." I said in between pushes, " I've been working out! " He said, "Really?" to which I replied "NO!!!" And we all laughed.

This was my most pleasant experience having a baby. I loved every bit of it. I was happy, relaxed, and so ready. John felt the same way.
Our sweet baby girl was born August 12, 2013 at 8:23 pm. She weighed 6 lbs 2 oz and was 18 in long.

We named her Ruby June. First child of ours to have a name the day she was born. She cried lots and was pretty mad when they went to clean her up, but John knelt beside the little bassinet and calmed her right down.

She opened her eyes wide right away, and didn't shut them for what seemed like 24 hours afterwards.

I started to nurse her quickly after and she took to that well, but I could tell she was HUNGRY already. Is that possible? We didn't get much sleep that first night, And we were all VERY tired, but we managed.

We had a few visitors which was great. John's parents brought Cache and Season to see the baby right away. It was pretty late and they were both very tired, but they were excited to see us. Cache was concerned about the IVs in my arm and wanted them out right then. It was hard for him to see me like that.

After Season left the room she told John, "The baby came out!" So excitedly. They both fell in LOVE with their little sister. Cache and Season stayed with Grandma Paige and Grandpa Dave and they were happy there, and so so tired that they didn't move an inch the whole night.

My Sister, Sarah came the same time as them.

The next day my Mom came, Cache and Season again, along with Dave and Paige, Abbey, and our friends Andy and Mallory. I rested and recovered quicker than I had with Season. I was up walking faster than with my last delivery, and felt better very quickly. I never did take anything other than Motrin for the pain, but also made sure I was very careful to not bust any stitches.

Cache Picked out the flowers, Season picked out the Balloon. Sweet Sweet kids.

That night in the hospital was better. I wanted to stay for the full time with this baby, so I could really get the best recovery. Plus, my Dr was still watching my pre-eclampsia symptoms closely. My BP was still high, and there was actually one time where the reading was crazy high, but I think it was right after they took blood or something. Not my favorite.

Our last day in the hospital was Wed Aug 14. Before she was released she had to have her last glucose test which they monitored carefully since she was so small. It had been going up rapidly which was AWESOME! She also had her hearing screening which she passed immediately. The nurse said she didn't have that many babies that passed it so quickly and warned us to watch out what we said about her because she'd be able to hear it for sure.

Ruby HATED the car seat. She screamed bloody murder the whole way out to the car. We had packed the binky in a bag some where and she was NOT happy! She did fall asleep once the car got rolling though.

We made it home right at lunch time and hugged the kids. They were so happy to see us, and I was happy to be home with them.

It's fun to think back on Ruby's first days. We didn't know what she was going to be like quite yet, or how our family dynamic was going to change. It was all so much a whirlwind thing with our move and everything. It's good to get it all written out.

Ruby Slept for 5 hours that first night that we were home! What!!!!!????? This was a new experience for me!

Ruby saw her Dr on Friday Aug 16th. When we left the hospital little Ruby weighed 5lbs 11oz. This day at her Dr apt she was 5lbs 12oz. She definitely wins in the weight and eating categories for our kids. Yet her Newborn clothes still drowned her.