Bryce and I are proud to announce that our little man has finally joined our family!! Stratton Bryce Roholt was born on June 22 at 8:47 pm. He weighed in at 7.7 lbs and was 20 inches long. We are so blessed to have him!
At 40 weeks and 3 days I had about given up hope that little Stratton was going to come on his own. I had my membranes stripped for the third time that day and I was still not having the kind of contractions that were going to get a baby here. That same evening, Thursday, June 21, I was talking to some friends and they suggested using a breast pump to stimulate things and try to jump start something. I borrowed one from a friend and also bought some evening primrose oil. I am not really in to home remedies, but I was ready to try just about anything to avoid being induced.
That night while I was sleeping, I had my first big contraction. It woke me up about 1:30 am. Bryce worked all day Thursday and into the night so he was not home. I breathed through the new sensation and was able to fall back asleep. At 2:30 I woke up with another big contraction. I was glad to see the pump and the oil had got things going. Bryce was still not home. I was able to fall back asleep. Again, at 3:30, I was woken up by a contraction. Bryce was still not home, so I gave him a call. He said he was just around the corner from our house. He got home, got showered, and climbed into bed with me. He fell asleep about 4:30, right when I was having another big contraction. I could not stay in bed any longer, so I got up and sat in the tub for a bit. As the morning went on, contractions kept getting closer together. Because Bryce had worked all day and all night, he slept while I watched Beauty and the Beast and breathed through them. At about 9:30 I told Bryce that he better start getting ready to go because I thought we would be heading to the hospital soon. He got ready, loaded the car, and had a bite to eat. I think at this point both of our heads were spinning. We were about to go have a baby! We had been waiting for this day for months and it was finally here!! We were both so excited! About eleven o'clock we decided it was time to go to the hospital. Contractions were about 5 minutes apart and getting more intense. We said a prayer, took one final picture as a non-parent-couple, and headed out the door.
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| {40 Weeks and 4 Days} |
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| {Right before the hospital} |
We got checked into the hospital and were all settled by about noon. By then, my contractions were about 3 minutes apart and I could hardly bare them. I cried with each one. Bryce and I both knew that labor could last for hours and crying with every contraction was no way to handle it. I decided to get an epidural. The anesthesiologist was wonderful! He was very kind and made us feel comfortable with the choice of having an epidural. Once it was in place, I was glad for my choice. I was able to relax and sleep between contractions and I was able to breath through them when they came. I could still feel quite a bit of pressure on the left side of my belly with everyone, it was rough, but the relaxation and breathing techniques we learned in our Hypnobirthing classes made it bearable.
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| {Our labor room} |
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| {Best friends waiting to have a baby} |
Our doctor, Dr. Blackett, came in to check me a little before 6. She said I was at 10 cm! She wanted me to do an hour of "Rest and Descend" time to allow my body to continue working on it's own to get the baby further along. After the R&D time, we started to push. It was hard work, but people make this part of labor into much more than it was for me. I would give 3 good pushes with every contraction and was able to rest in between. It was tiring for sure, but the time past quickly and I was excited to get the baby here. It also was more comfortable than the contractions I had been feeling all evening. The anesthesiologist decided that the pain I was feeling with every contraction was probably a result of how the baby was positioned and pushing against me. It was creating a hot spot that was not allowing the medicine in that location. I was grateful the baby had moved far enough down that I was no longer having that pain. I pushed for a little less than 2 hours and my nurse called Dr. Blackett to tell her she could see the baby and she should come back to deliver him.
Dr. Blackett arrived around 8:30 pm and got all prepped for delivery. With one contraction the baby's head was showing. I felt it and I was relieved that he was finally about here. Two more contractions and his head was out. With the fourth, his whole body. He was here!! It was a miracle! They put his blue/purple, perfect, little body on me and I was looking at my baby!! Bryce was standing next to me and I felt so happy as I looked up at him in awe about all that had just happened. It was so peaceful. I knew the nurses and Dr. Blackett were still bustling around us, but I honestly felt like Stratton, Bryce, and I were the only people in the room. I was looking at the perfect little body, completely stunned. He was ours. Forever. And, he was finally here! It was amazing.
We were able to stay in our delivery room for an hour with Stratton before they gave him some shots and vitamins. He was super alert. It was amazing to have his little eyes looking right back at us. My mom and dad had been at the hospital for the past couple hours so we invited them in to see their new little grandson. They thought he was pretty great!
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| {Cuddling after he got all cleaned up} |
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| {Meeting Grandma and Grandpa Bennington} |
I did not mention Bryce much in my story above. He needs his own excerpt. He was a champion the whole day! With him working all day and all night he was sure tired. And, you know delivering a baby is no Sunday picnic! He was supportive and loving through the entire labor and delivery.He was my best cheerleader. He helped me stay calm and took care of me. He helped me sneek sips of water while the nurses were out, he spoon fed me ice chips, and he held my hand while I cringed through the pain. I think he thought seeing my progress was pretty cool. He gave me a play-by-play as I pushed and we got closer to meeting our little man. Thank you, Bryce for being so wonderful. I don't know how easy this delivery would have been without you! You are already the best dad ever!
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| {Proud daddy!} |
At 40 weeks and 3 days I had about given up hope that little Stratton was going to come on his own. I had my membranes stripped for the third time that day and I was still not having the kind of contractions that were going to get a baby here. That same evening, Thursday, June 21, I was talking to some friends and they suggested using a breast pump to stimulate things and try to jump start something. I borrowed one from a friend and also bought some evening primrose oil. I am not really in to home remedies, but I was ready to try just about anything to avoid being induced. 
