Life is Unpredictable

I was planning on writing up Ayrton's birth story in a similar style to how I wrote Liana's birth story, but as my son is now two weeks old, I am feeling quite different this time around and believe that should be reflected on my blog. I have decided to write about Ayrton's birth in a three part series to cover a bit of the events before his birth, the actual labor and birth story, and life postpartum with two children. Without further ado, let's jump right in!

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My Diary of Ayrton's Birth

I wasn't expecting to feel nervous or apprehensive about giving birth to my second child; afterall, I'd done it before--and with flying colors.

Against all odds, my first birthing experience went perfectly according to plan: I labored for as long as possible in the comfort of my own home, I labored in a tub at the hospital for 2 1/2 hours until I was ready to push, I pushed for only 15 minutes before I met my beautiful daughter without any pain medication or need for stitches afterward, and my daughter and I spent the first two hours of her life cuddling and breastfeeding. It was absolutely perfect and I rode the high for several weeks afterward.

But I still grew more and more nervous as the due date of my second baby drew nearer. Although I had been through the experience before, the risks and potential complications were still real. I kept thinking I got lucky the first time and I was unsure of what to expect. I felt like it was my first time all over again.

Ashton and I had both made guesses on our little one's birthday fairly early on in my pregnancy. I was pretty adamant that she'd be born between the 24th-28th, because those are the dates of the waning gibbous moon phase--the same moon phase that Ashton, Liana, and I were all born under. As you may have noticed I just said "she." That was another aspect I was fairly certain of. I had been hoping for a boy for nearly half of my pregnancy and then at some point something clicked and I believed I was having a girl. From that moment on, I probably spent close to four months looking forward to Liana growing up with a little sister. I was often reminiscent of times I spent with my mom and sisters and was quite looking forward to remaking those memories with my daughters.

I was mentally and emotionally prepared for another little girl, and for a few hours on Friday when I was feeling quite uncomfortable with an upset stomach, I thought we might meet her that day and she'd share a birthday with my sister (February 19th). I let Ashton entertain company and I went to bed early feeling slightly better and looking forward to meeting our second daughter in the next week.

However, life is completely unpredictable, as are pregnancies and babies. I had been through a pregnancy and birth already and had been raising a child for nearly two years, but in retrospect, I actually had no idea what was in store for me.

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If you'd like to continue following our journey and find out what happened next as I went into labor, stay tuned for the rest of the posts in this series: 'Meeting Ayrton' and 'Two Under Two.'