Life often unfolds in unexpected ways.


From the outset, our little boy taught us that while we can meticulously plan, life often unfolds in unexpected ways—hence the fitting name, Isaac. 😄


Our story begins a week prior to his arrival. After celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary with a nice dinner at Crawdaddy's in Visalia, and a drizzly walk around downtown Visalia, we headed home to relax. All along I was having the pesky Braxton Hicks contractions...granted this was nothing unusual as I had been having them randomly throughout the day for weeks at this point. When we arrived home, I went to the restroom and notice my mucus plug had come out and a small amount of bloody show. Knowing that my last two births started within 48 hours, I said a little prayer, text my midwife to let her know, and put myself on pelvic rest at least until I could be seen by my midwife on Tuesday.


After meeting with my midwife and going over the dates for his estimated arrival, (LMP was for February 19th, and the first ultrasound had him at February 11th) we agreed that we needed to get to at least January 14th, but ideally the 21st for us to continue with a homebirth so we would be somewhere around 36 - 37 weeks gestation.


Fastforward to January 13th...


It was a typical Saturday, filled with the usual whirlwind of activities as we prepared for the arrival of our newest family member. Amidst the hustle of the day—making pancakes, tackling laundry, and tidying up—I managed to squeeze in some exercise, albeit a bit foggy on the specifics. 😅


As the evening settled, and I made us a hearty chili, I noticed something stirring within me—Braxton Hicks contractions, steadily making their presence known. Initially spaced out, I decided to relax and head to bed early. I was able to sleep for a few hours, only waking every so often from the contractions. However, around midnight they intensified and were no longer spaced out, prompting us to reconsider our birth plan. Though we had hoped for a serene home birth akin to our daughter's, Isaac had his own timeline in mind, prompting us to call the midwife. Based on our discussions she wasn't 100% comfortable having us stay home but left it in our hands to make the decision. My husband & I had a quick discussion and decided we should pivot and head to the hospital, just in case our little guy needed a NICU staff for being so early (somewhere between 35 +2 and 36+1).

 

Hospital directional sign showing arrows to Birthing Center, Radiology and Critical Care departments.

Off to the hospital, we went, hoping it was just a false alarm, or that with some fluids they could stop the contractions.


Arriving around 1:30am, we were met with a whirlwind of tests. The contractions were continuous, but I was hanging in there. We waited in triage for several hours as I breathed through each contraction. All the while I’m canceling appointments on my phone for the rest of the week. 😂 When they checked me at around 3am was 0-1 cm dilated - and I honestly wasn’t surprised. I start slow but end fast! Shortly after texting my midwife the details, I went to the restroom, came back & lied down on my side only for my water to break at about 3:30am. It was GO time! We were having this baby today whether we like it or not. Thanks to my trusty Christian Hypnobirthing app and my husband's amazing support, I continued to breathe through each pressure wave with focus. My nurse was amazed at how well I was breathing through each wave.


Now, picture me in the middle of all this, trying to find a comfy position while hooked up to monitors and wires—talk about a challenge! But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do, right? At one point, I even had to defend my choice to be on all fours to one of the nurses who seemed a bit baffled. Ah, the joys of hospital births! 

We continued laboring in triage for another 3 hours, when a nurse finally came to transfer us to a birthing room. I text my midwife and the birth photographer where we were headed and that the contractions were now much closer together & more intense. We arrived in the delivery room shortly after 6 am and the doctor insisted on checking me - 5cm with a bulging bag of waters. It was a bit chaotic with all the doctors, nurses, and NICU staff on hand in the delivery room. The doctors and nurses insisted I fight my instincts and move back to my back so they could rupture the remaining bag of waters so they could monitor Baby easier.


Reception desk area of a Birth Center with computers and sign above.
Hospital room number H362 displayed on wall mounted sign.

With the intensity of the birth, they were worried about him. Trying to focus on breathing was nearly impossible at this point with all of the wires and people around me. However, I took a brief second to focus inward, pray for my sweet baby, and then things just started happening. Rushing to the operating room because Isaac was not descending like they wanted him to, I suddenly could feel pressure - the bag of water ruptured. Isaac wasn't wasting any time, that's for sure. With a bit of chaos and a whole lot of adrenaline, our little man made his grand entrance just as they got me into the operating room. Tears were flowing, both from relief and pure joy.

And just like that, our family grew by one tiny, squishy bundle of love. In the midst of all the chaos, there was this overwhelming sense of gratitude—for the miracle of birth and for the unwavering support of my husband.

Welcome to the world, Isaac. You sure know how to make an entrance! 💙

Black and white photo of a patient resting in a hospital bed.

 

Isaac Luke Moses

January 14, 2024

6:23 am, 5 5lbs 15 oz, 19.3 inches

 

Multiple hands forming a circle around newborn baby in white clothing.
Newborn baby in white outfit resting peacefully on soft white surface.
Sleeping newborn baby wearing white outfit against light background.
Young child in white dress looking at sleeping newborn in wicker bassinet.
Child in white dress watching over newborn baby sleeping in woven bassinet.
Portrait of child in white dress seated beside wicker bassinet with sleeping newborn.
A tender moment as a girl in white dress leans over a wicker bassinet holding a sleeping baby.
Girl in white dress gazing adoringly at baby sleeping in woven rattan bassinet against beige background.
Family portrait of siblings and parents in coordinated white outfits against neutral background.
Siblings gathered closely together sharing a special moment with their baby sibling.
Three girls in white dresses pose with sleeping baby in wicker basket against beige backdrop.
Newborn baby sleeping peacefully on blue backdrop in natural pose.
Sleeping newborn wrapped in navy knit wrap on deep blue background.
Peaceful newborn baby sleeping in navy wrap on blue background.
Newborn wearing knit bonnet and wrap sleeps peacefully against blue backdrop.
Smiling newborn wrapped in blue fabric against deep blue background.
Sleeping newborn wrapped in navy knit blanket with bear ear hat rests in wooden bowl with gray fabric.
Newborn in dark blue knit wrap and bear bonnet sleeps peacefully in round wooden bowl.
Baby wearing navy bear hat sleeps in wooden bowl with gray textured backdrop.
Black and white portrait of newborn cradled gently in adult hands.
Peaceful newborn sleeping on gray background in artistic portrait pose.
Sleeping newborn in white outfit being gently touched by caring hands.
Artistic close-up profile view of lips and nose against light background.
Black and white photo of adult hand holding tiny baby hand against dark background.
Black and white photo showing three generations holding hands together.
Black and white close-up of adult and baby hands tenderly touching against dark background.
Intimate black and white photo of tiny baby feet cradled in adult hands.
Artistic black and white macro shot of fingers intertwined against dark backdrop.
Close-up monochrome image of hands gently clasped together in dramatic lighting.
Dramatic black and white photograph of tiny baby feet with delicate toes against dark background.
Multiple hands forming a circle around newborn baby in white clothing.
Newborn baby in white outfit resting peacefully on soft white surface.
Sleeping newborn baby wearing white outfit against light background.
Young child in white dress looking at sleeping newborn in wicker bassinet.
Child in white dress watching over newborn baby sleeping in woven bassinet.
Portrait of child in white dress seated beside wicker bassinet with sleeping newborn.
A tender moment as a girl in white dress leans over a wicker bassinet holding a sleeping baby.
Girl in white dress gazing adoringly at baby sleeping in woven rattan bassinet against beige background.
Family portrait of siblings and parents in coordinated white outfits against neutral background.
Siblings gathered closely together sharing a special moment with their baby sibling.
Three girls in white dresses pose with sleeping baby in wicker basket against beige backdrop.
Newborn baby sleeping peacefully on blue backdrop in natural pose.
Sleeping newborn wrapped in navy knit wrap on deep blue background.
Peaceful newborn baby sleeping in navy wrap on blue background.
Newborn wearing knit bonnet and wrap sleeps peacefully against blue backdrop.
Smiling newborn wrapped in blue fabric against deep blue background.
Sleeping newborn wrapped in navy knit blanket with bear ear hat rests in wooden bowl with gray fabric.
Newborn in dark blue knit wrap and bear bonnet sleeps peacefully in round wooden bowl.
Baby wearing navy bear hat sleeps in wooden bowl with gray textured backdrop.
Black and white portrait of newborn cradled gently in adult hands.
Peaceful newborn sleeping on gray background in artistic portrait pose.
Sleeping newborn in white outfit being gently touched by caring hands.
Artistic close-up profile view of lips and nose against light background.
Black and white photo of adult hand holding tiny baby hand against dark background.
Black and white photo showing three generations holding hands together.
Black and white close-up of adult and baby hands tenderly touching against dark background.
Intimate black and white photo of tiny baby feet cradled in adult hands.
Artistic black and white macro shot of fingers intertwined against dark backdrop.
Close-up monochrome image of hands gently clasped together in dramatic lighting.
Dramatic black and white photograph of tiny baby feet with delicate toes against dark background.
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