The Colschen's: May 2012

So my biggest fear in becoming a mom of three was the balance. I feel like I have done a pretty good job with our boys and them knowing how much I love them but how can I love three? What if they all need me at the same time? Well it just works...or at least now it does. Your heart grows bigger and your arms grow longer. I feel so blessed to be a mom to three beautiful children. Words will never describe what I feel everyday when I wake up and think I am a mom. The word mom means so much to me and entails so many emotions. When I was pregnant with Hunter a mom gave me a poem about raising more than one. It was perfect. I went searching today for another perfect poem to capture the emotions and feelings I have now and found one that I think is perfect...

A Mother's Prayer

Author Unknown

Dear Lord, it's such a hectic day,

With little time to stop and pray,

For life's been anything but calm,

Since you called on me to be a mom.

Running errands, matching socks,

Building dreams with building blocks.

Cooking, cleaning, finding shoes,

And other stuff that children lose.

Fitting lids on bottled bugs,

Wiping tears and giving hugs.

A stack of last weeks mail to read,

So where's the quiet time I need?

Yet when I steal a minute Lord,

Just at the sink or ironing board,

To ask the blessings of your grace,

I see then in my small one's face,

That you have blessed me all the while,

As I stop to kiss that precious smile.

Amelia Kay Colschen was born on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at 2:10 am. She weighed 7lbs. 3oz. and was 20.5 inches tall! We had been waiting for the day for me to go into labor as this baby was our "surprise" baby and we didn't know whether we would be holding another little boy or holding a baby girl for the first time. We had been trying everything to try and get this baby to budge but she was waiting for her special time and once it was her time she came FAST!!

I had my 40 week check-up at my doctors office and was approximately 4-5cm dilated and set to see her again on Wednesday and then head over to the hospital. Needless to say Amelia had other plans. After my appointment I told David that I wasn't feeling great. I am not sure if it was being 40 weeks pregnant but I explained I hate to complain but was just drained with the roller coaster of emotions I had been putting myself on. Excitement of getting to meet our baby and find out whether it was a boy or girl, being nervous about being a good mom to three babies (Yes Austin and Hunter are still my babies!), and not knowing if this would be the last time I get to be pregnant and have our baby kick inside of me.

At about 9pm on April 23 (due date) I came out into the living room because I wasn't feeling the baby move. (Yes very scary!) I drank some cold water, laid on my left side, and kept nudging our little peanut and finally she moved. I then went to bed and woke up at about 10:00 and my bathroom pee breaks started. I probably went pee (sorry TMI) 3x in 30 minutes. I then got a text from a teacher friend just checking on me and told her I was only awake because of my potty breaks. She said, "Are your sure those aren't contractions?" I then started thinking and got out my phone and opened my contraction timer app. This was at about 11pm. And BAM!! first contraction hit and it hurt. Not screaming in pain hurt but breathing and holding onto the bed hurt. After about 5 I woke David and told him we better move the stuff from my car (loaded my car because of my 40 week appointment) to his truck. He asked, "How many contractions have you had? How far apart are they?" When he saw that I was in pain he said, "We need to go now!" Haha! David's mom came over to the house to stay with the boys and we left for the hospital a little after 11:30.

When we got there we checked in and I was really starting to be in pain. Not yet the screaming pain but tears were filling my eyes with each contraction. The triage nurse checked me and I was 6cm. I told her I went from a 6-10cm within 30 minutes with my second and she agreed this baby was going to be quick but we were going to try to avoid delivering in triage. You can't get an epidural in triage so I told her I will do my best because I want an epidural. I did not want to lay down and kept asking to stand as it helped with the pain. I walked to my room (my choice) but don't remember much of it as my eyes were closed and I was clinging to the wall rail. I do remember a nurse at one of the stations let me cut behind the desk. Haha! I can only imagine what I must have looked like. We made it to the room and they immediately started hooking me up to the machines and getting an IV started. I asked, "Realistically how long will it take before I get an epidural?" I didn't want anyone making up stuff I needed them to be real with me because the pain I was having was real. She said 10-15 minutes. I thought to myself okay about 5 more of these contractions. I can do this. The anesthesiologist got to the room and I was really in pain...screaming but not to loud (that comes later...haha) The nurse wanted to check me while he was getting all set up and I said, "No! You are not checking me." Haha. When I am in pain I think I become a different person. I was not very nice. I knew that our baby was right there and that it was time to push but I wanted that epidural. He placed the epidural and then the nurse checked me and sure enough it was time to push. They called the doctor and then we waited...

It was hard to not push but the nurse told me to breathe and act like I was blowing out candles so that is what I did. I imagined a birthday cake, clung onto the side of the bed with my eyes closed, and blew. I think I looked at David once during the whole thing in between contractions because at one point I thought to myself I need to focus on my husband. He always helps me feel better. I was feeling a little better as the epidural was helping with the pain but I could still feel pressure. The doctor arrived and the pushing began and so did the realization that it was 2am and I was exhausted. I was trying to push and just felt like I couldn't. David says I only pushed for about 10 minutes...I on the only hand swear it was hours. Once baby was "there" I was in pain. The kind of pain where you could hear me outside the door and probably down the hallway. The kind of pain you see an actress try to pull off in the movies. It was not pretty! Then our baby was here...

The doctor held up our baby and David was speechless. I said "It's Amelia!" Neither of us could believe we now had a little girl. It was a moment I will never forget. I am so glad we waited to find out. It was such a special moment. They handed her to me while David cut the cord. She wasn't crying but was very alert. They said they were going to take her and get her cleaned up and I said, "Yes make her start crying." I think that will be the only time I say that about my children. They took her and started cleaning her off and she let out a cry. The sweetest sound you will hear after you have delivered your baby. David kept saying "What do I do?" He was still so shocked to have a little girl. I laid in the bed staring at her and saying over and over, "I can't believe we have a girl." I was tearing up because it was such a surreal moment.

Austin came up later that afternoon after his day at "work" and Hunter couldn't come until the next day as he left school early with a stomach bug. It was so sweet seeing them both love on her when they came up together. They are going to be great big brothers to their little sister Amelia! Below are just a few pictures from the hospital.

First picture of Proud Mommy and Daddy with Amelia Kay Colschen