Wednesday's Walk: Ethan's Story

Last week I told you about the day I found out Reagan was on her way. I decided to follow this path for the next few weeks and tell you something special about each of our children's pregnancy/or birth. It's Ethan's turn.

I will tell you that all of my kids are my favorite. One of my favorite children's books is "You're all my Favorite!" (I recommend this if you have 3 or more small children!!!) They all have things about them that give them a distinct place in my heart, and if you are a mom of many...you understand. Ethan has been my easy child from day 1....literally. If you remember from last week, I was never supposed to have ANY children. We never expected to have anymore after Reagan was born, we were happy that we had ONE. My heart longed to have more, but I was always told that I would have a hysterectomy at a young age. I expected nothing.

When Reagan was a little more than 2 months old (and in the throws of colic!) I had a dream that I was pregnant. I won't give you the details of the dream, but I felt led & had the urge to take a pregnancy test. I had not yet had a cycle since Reagan's birth, and yet....here was a POSITIVE pregnancy test!

During this pregnancy I had no morning sickness, I felt wonderful! So wonderful in fact that I gained 75 pounds!!!! My due date was on April 8th, 2005. That date came and went. I had been delivered with the help of pitocin with Reagan, and I wanted to avoid that at all costs. My hospital midwives agreed to let me continue the pregnancy as long as I came in for regular stress tests and sonograms. A week went by, then two, then almost 3 weeks. On April 26, 2005 I called the office due to lack of movement. They scheduled a sonogram. The tech (who has become a friend at this point) notices that Ethan is not moving. His heart is beating, and he is breathing....but his placenta had deteriorated and his fluid is low. She called in my midwife, and an intern who both agreed that I should be immediately admitted to the hospital for observation and pit started in the morning.

Josh brought Reagan in and my heart broke into a million pieces. I loved that little girl with all of my being....how would a little brother affect her?!?! She's not even a year old yet! I cried so hard that when Daddy and Reagan left I asked for some Tylenol PM so I could settle in for the night and get a good night of sleep. Morning came, and my pit was started. I had walked around for 6 weeks at 3cm dilated and 70% effaced, so I was prime for labor. My water broke within the first few contractions. It was an easy, drug-free labor that lasted 6 hours. At 1:59pm on April 27, just 364 days after Reagan came, Ethan made his appearance. He was 9lbs 10oz, and looked like Shrek. The meuconium stained him green....but he was the biggest, most beautiful little boy I had ever seen. Like Reagan before him... it was pure love at first sight. He was so overdue that he had long finger and toe nails, and desperately needed a bath. After he was cleaned up they gave him back. I nursed him, and I never put him down. Friends still laugh that they never saw Ethan's body until he was a year old. I wore him in a sling, and he nursed and cuddled all day. That's the way he's always been, and still is. He never cried, and he LOVED Reagan. The two of them have been inseparable from the day he was born.

I made it home in time for Reagan's first birthday. I asked for early discharge, and I arrived home 23 hours after Ethan's birth.