the story of Sydney Jane
March 3, 2008 at 9:27 am | In Uncategorized |Ash Wednesday was my first official day of maternity leave - i planned to do some last minute errands, go to Mass and then lunch with my mom and godfather and pray that Spike would come unassisted before Friday - after Tuesday’s trip to L&D, my OB had agreed to give me a few more days to see if the baby would come on his (her) own before we induced - unfortunately for me, the hospital schedule was against me
Wednesday morning i got up to listen to the show (just because i work there doesn’t mean i’m not a fan!!) and i got a phone call from my OBs office about 8:30am - now i was expecting this call to be about scheduling an appointment for the next day - imagine my surprise when the nurse told me they wanted me to come to the hospital at 4pm to start the induction - HUH??? that’s not the plan - she explained that the hospital was booked the rest of the week and that since i was already overdue, Dr. Flowers didn’t want to wait until next week - so they were going to start the Cervidil Wednesday evening and then we would go from there - i asked her if i could get the Cervidil and then go back home to labor - hmm - how about no - she said that labor can come on really strong with the Cervidil and they needed to monitor me at the hospital - yeah, at that point i started to cry - i was prepared for induction on Friday but on Wednesday?? not so much - she asked me if i was okay and i lied and said yes - she promised me that it would be okay and told me to call if i had any questions - um, do you have 2 hours to talk to me - sure i had questions - like, why is my child stubborn? duh. i think we all know the answer to that - the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
anyway, Kelley was still asleep and i needed some time to process everything - so i sat on the chaise for another 2 hours trying to think things through - about 10am, Kelley came into the living room and he immediately knew something was wrong - i told him they were starting the induction at 4pm - of course Kelley, the level headed, was completely unfazed and asked me what i needed him to do - um, can you make your child come on its own?? anyway, i spent the rest of the day sending emails and making phone calls and trying to contact everyone and get everything together - as the day went on, i started to come to terms with the induction but i was still a little freaked out - and then i got a call from Dr. Flowers (my OB) - dude, what doctor does that? she was just calling to check on me and see how i was doing - she knew that i didn’t want to be induced so she just wanted to see if i had any questions and let me know that even though we were going the induction route, she would still do everything in her power to stick to my original birth plan - love this woman! while i wasn’t wild about the induction, i knew that her number one was getting Spike here safely - so i decided to go with the flow and finally started to really calm down
so we get to the hospital about 4:15pm - it took about an hour to fill out paperwork and all that jazz and they administered the Cervidil about 5:30pm - one of the things that sucks about induction is that they have to hook you up to all the machines to track your blood pressure and contractions and the baby - that means you pretty much get to sit in the bed and go nowhere - yeah, i hated that - Kelley had class at 7:30pm and i didn’t see the point in him missing class since we’d just be sitting around waiting - so i sent him on his merry way (after he picked up some dinner for me - he’s so great!) and my mom and godmother came to hang out with me - Kelley got back around 10pm and my mom and godmother left - during that time, my contractions were starting to pick up - at least according to the monitors - some of them i could feel and some i couldn’t - and since i couldn’t feel all of them, i was trying to watch for them on the monitor - but the monitors wouldn’t stay in place, so the nurse had to keep coming in to adjust them - but he was only concerned about the baby one and not the contraction one - dude, if you’re going to adjust one of them, why wouldn’t you adjust both? i was more than a little annoyed but he apparently wasn’t concerned with my contractions - i, on the other hand, was trying to figure out what to expect and was VERY concerned - i guess it didn’t really matter because the contractions kicked into overdrive around 11:30pm - Kelley was asleep (because his bedtime is 11pm) but i was wide awake because i had foolishly declined the Ambien offered by the nurse - big mistake because i didn’t get any sleep that night - about midnight, the contractions were getting pretty bad so i told Kelley to call Kathy (my doula) because breathing through them wasn’t cutting it and i had no idea what to do - i don’t know where she was but she arrived in what seemed like minutes - and good thing …
the next few hours were pretty much a blur - the Cervidil had kicked into high gear and it was not fun - first of all, i had terrible shakes - then i alternated between freezing to death and major hot flashes - then i had to pee what seemed like every 5 minutes - the problem was that i was still hooked up to the monitors, so every time i had to go to the bathroom i had to disconnect myself from the monitors - in addition to that, Sydney was still not reacting like they wanted her to - so i was hooked up to some sort of an IV in addition to the monitors - so from about 1:00am until 4am, i spent the night dealing with contractions, freezing to death, burning up, trying to disconnect the monitors so i could pee and carrying around an IV - talk about labor! so here i am trying to get to the bathroom without peeing on myself in the middle of a contraction - at the same time, Kelley is following me while holding the IV and a blanket because i feel like i’m in Antarctica - good times - not that i was modest to begin with, but labor will eliminate any modicum of modesty that you thought you had!! “honey, i know you’re holding the IV while i’m peeing, but can you wrap that blanket around me too?”
now here is where things get fuzzy - at this point, it was about 4 or 5am and i was really tired and the contractions were coming super fast - i think the nurse mentioned something about starting the Pitocin, but i wasn’t willing to do that until i could talk to Dr. Flowers - plus i was really starting to feel like crap from the Cervidil and just needed some rest - so i *might* have been a bad patient and told the nurse to take the Cervidil out to see how much i could progress without it - Kathy suggested i head to the whirlpool for a while - so the Cervidil came out and i headed for the whirlpool - SCORE!!! you wouldn’t think sitting in a bathtub would alleviate that much pain, but it did and it was wonderful!! now i know why people give birth in water - it’s still not something that i’ll ever do, but i understand it! i stayed in the whirlpool for about an hour and probably would have stayed even longer, but by then Dr. Flowers was there and she was ready to break my water … YIKES!! i was very nervous about her breaking water - for the first time i was officially scared - and i told her so! all i had heard is that if they have to break your water, it will hurt … BADLY - but Dr. Flowers (and my mom who had also arrived) assured me that it wouldn’t hurt and that i would actually feel better - and of course, she was right - see why i love this woman! she’s the greatest doctor ever! so i was good for a little while - it was about 7:30ish and i was dilated to about a 5 or 6 at that point and i was good for a little bit - and then the contractions kicked into overdrive again - they were coming really fast and they were intense - and i was TIRED!!! tired to the point where i was begging for rest - all i wanted was to get a quick nap - that and some drugs - i thought i could get through the contractions if i just took them one at a time - the problem was i didn’t feel like i was getting a break between them - it just felt like one long contraction - i was still adamant about not getting the epi, but i needed something to take the edge off - i asked Dr. Flowers what my options were and she offered me Stadol or Demerol - i opted to go with the Stadol because BFF Angie had Demerol with her daughter and was completely out of it - so we went with a low dosage of the Stadol around 8:30am and while it did nothing for the pain, it did allow me to sleep for about an hour - and i needed it because i was exhausted!!
then it was time for the big guns - around 10am, i wasn’t progressing and it was Pitocin time - i was still a little out of it because when the nurse checked me and said they needed to start the Pitocin, i remember asking her if she had checked with Dr. Flowers - i’m sure she was thinking “um, duh.” but i was a little loopy so when she said “yes - Dr. Flowers is the one who said to start it” i said, “ok” and went with it! once again, the contractions were in high gear and i was in MAJOR pain - this is where the rantings and ravings of the crazy pregnant woman begin - things i specifically remember saying:
“can you make them stop for just a little while?” - um, sure dianthe, hold on while we take care of that …
“why does it hurt so much in the same spot - why won’t it move?” - the contractions felt like the most severe menstrual cramps i’d ever had - and i think i was expecting them to hurt somewhere else than in my lower abdomen - in my head, i was thinking if it hurt somewhere else for a little while, it wouldn’t hurt as bad - um, okay …
“i just need a nap - all i need is a nap” - i was SO tired that i could barely keep my eyes open - and all i remember was contraction, contraction, contraction - now my mom says that i was sleeping between contractions - like full on-knocked out-snoring sleeping - what i remember is one contraction on top of another - but whatev!
i guess the contractions went on for another hour or so because i don’t really remember anyone checking to see if i had progressed any further - i just remember telling Kathy that i needed to push - i know that i changed positions several times because nothing felt right - it’s weird how well you get to know your body - i had no idea what i was doing but i knew what was working and what wasn’t - some positions worked for a few minutes and some positions i instantly knew were out! and during the pushing, more rantings and ravings from the crazy pregnant woman:
“i CANNOT do this” - i said this A LOT!! and every time i said it, someone was there to tell me i could - Kelley, my mom, Kathy - everyone kept telling me i could - whatever - i was tired and in that moment, i didn’t think i could finish - but it’s not like i had a choice!
“stop asking me if i want to see the mirror - IT’S NOT HELPING ME!!!” - so when you start to crown, they bring out the mirror so you can see the baby coming out of you - apparently it helps some women because they realize that they’re really close and it gives them the incentive for those last couple of pushes - a lot of people are weirded out by this - but i wasn’t - it just wasn’t helping - i caught a glimpse, i even touched her head (and was amazed that she had a head full of hair) - but watching her head come out of my va-jay-jay was not benefiting me and i wanted everyone to stop telling me to look
“OMG - can everybody just stop talking and SHUT UP!! S#IT!!!” - while i was pregnant, i spent a lot of time watching “A Baby Story” and every time i would get annoyed when the mom is pushing and there is a room full of people saying “push”, “you can do it”, “you’re almost there”, etc. - i always wanted to tell those people to shut up - and when everyone was saying those things to me, i felt the same way - which is why i told everyone to shut up - it was difficult enough concentrating on pushing - the last thing i needed was a cheering section
“Come on Spike - come out” - hey, if she could hear me while she was in the womb, surely she could hear me on the way out - and it was a team effort, right?
so at this point, i’m REALLY close - and Dr. Flowers said that we were almost there and made a comment that if i didn’t push Spike out, she was coming in to get her - then she started putting on her delivery gear - that was all the incentive i needed - when i saw Dr. Flowers in that gown with the gloves on and that huge mask, i decided that Spike was coming out no matter what - it didn’t occur to me that doctors wear that for every delivery - hello … childbirth is messy - but in my head she was preparing for forceps or the vacuum or a c-section (later, Dr. Flowers told me she was just kidding!) - but i wasn’t having any of that - it took everything i had, but i gave 2 or 3 more pushes and out came the head - they kept her body in the birth canal while they suctioned her and then one more push and she was out - they immediately handed her to me chest down - i flipped her over just to confirm and screamed “it’s a girl!!!!” - i can’t begin to tell you how shocked i was - i think everyone else was too because i swear there were actual cheers! someone handed me a blanket or something and let me wipe her off - i was surprised because she seemed to come out so clean - the nurse ended up cutting the umbilical cord because Kelley aka “Mr. Science” was busy checking out things from the other end - normally they tell the husband to stay up by the mom’s head but Kelley wanted a front row view of his child being born - he watched it all and his exact words afterwards were “AMAZING!!”
and after 15+ hours of labor and just over an hour of pushing, Sydney Jane was born!
as promised - there are pictures - i will warn you - while they aren’t graphic by any stretch of the imagination, you’ll probably see more of me than you ever thought you would (or wanted to) - they aren’t any more revealing than if i was in a bikini, but it’s not quite the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue! i debated whether or not to post the pictures, but after looking at them a million times i decided that the birth of my baby girl was too big of a miracle not to share - and a HUGE shout out to Mike and ReJana (that’s right, Mike was there too - remember that modesty thing i mentioned …) for documenting this amazing experience - Kelley and i (and Sydney) are so blessed to not only have them as great photographers, but also as great friends - i can’t wait until Sydney is old enough to see the pictures!! and here they are …
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Sydney Jane is such a doll! The link to the website didn’t work but thanks for sharing your story with us. You had a lot of hard work but that precious doll is here! I am so excited you had a girl. You are going to have a blast!! Congrats,
Kristie
Comment by Kristie — March 3, 2008 #
AMAZING!!!! The pictures are beautiful. What a way to keep the memory! Congratualtions again!
Comment by Lisa — March 3, 2008 #
Thanks for sharing. It brought back a lot of great memories and the pics were amazing!!! You are so lucky to have such great support from family and friends. The music to the pics was also great. Too bad I do not live in the area to get some pics made of my kids—they did a great job!! Sydney Jane is adorable. Congrats and enjoy every minute…..they grow up way too fast!!
Take care and God Bless.
Comment by Miranda — March 3, 2008 #
Aww, Dianthe, those pictures made me cry all my makeup off. Your photographer was amazing and Sydney Jane is perfect. She is going to look at these pictures someday and be so happy you had them taken.
Comment by Kacie — March 3, 2008 #
Dianthe, those pictures are amazing!! She is going to love those one day and you will always cherish them! I am so happy for you and your family!! These pictures made me think of when my little girls were born… you sometimes forget how amazing it is when they come in your life! Enjoy your time with the baby and take care!!
Comment by Amanda — March 3, 2008 #
Wow, what a story! Welcome Sydney Jane and Congratulations!!!
We just had our daughter at Baylor Grapevine on 11/6, and we had our son there too. They are just wonderful!
Comment by Amanda — March 3, 2008 #
OMG! That slide show made me cry! It was wonderful. You will treasure those pictures forever!
Comment by cristy — March 3, 2008 #
I am so happy for you! I have been following your blog for months now. I just found out that I am pregnant with my first child, 7 weeks today. Dr. Flowers is my dr. as well. We already love her and your story confirmed that we are in good hands. Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with all of us. You have a beautiful family! God bless.
Comment by Julie — March 3, 2008 #
Congratulations Dianthe and family, and thank you SO much for sharing your life and experiences with us. I’ve checked your blog every day from the beginning. Sydney is as beautiful as you. Best wishes…
Comment by Lisa — March 3, 2008 #
That Was Beautiful…I swear I could do it 100 times..I know I wont but I could. I have 2 already. An almost 4 year old daughter and a 14 month old son. I swear, its the best thing that a woman could do. Congrats Dianthe. Seeing those photos makes me want to do it again! LOL! IN THE END IT IS ALL WORTH IT. She is beautiful
Comment by Faith — March 3, 2008 #
Your photos were amazing. Dianthe you looked so beautiful and your family was so supportive.
What a lucky little girl to come into such a loving world!!
Congrats Again!!!!
Comment by Susan — March 3, 2008 #
I am literally misty eyed as I write this. Thank you so much for sharing and no matter what you think - those pictures just made you more beautiful that you already are. Thank for you sharing this with all of us - many blessings to you and your family!
Comment by Lori — March 3, 2008 #
Great slide show. Happy, happy, happy times! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Comment by Andrea — March 3, 2008 #
WOW!! That’s all I can think! Thank you so much for sharing/divulging all the details and photos of Sydney’s big day! Truly Amazing!!! There was so much love in that room, I could feel it just seeing the slide show. What a beautiful family you have!
I had so many great captions pop into my head as I watched it!
Comment by Rachel — March 3, 2008 #
Beautiful pictures, thank you for sharing them! She’s a beautiful baby.
Comment by Krisha — March 3, 2008 #
Thank you so much for sharing the birth story with us. You are an AMAZING woman! I am so proud of you for going the no epi route…truly inspiring.
Congratulations again!
Comment by Ramey — March 3, 2008 #
WOW Dianthe! What an awesome story and beautiful pictures. I especially like the last one
Feed the baby and the mama at the same time….coincidentally, of all the options, a big fat cheeseburger was the first thing I wanted to eat after my youngest was born. Heehee
Comment by stacie — March 3, 2008 #
Mike did an awesome job. It made me just cry the whole time. Your baby is so beautiful with two great new parents. I wish you all the happiness in the world. We are having Mike and RaJana shoot our wedding and like I told them, after seeing this, I know even more now that they are the best!!!! Good Luck Dianthe. Thanks for sharing…
Comment by Robyn — March 3, 2008 #
Oh my… I am bawling. Thank you so much for the photo post.
Comment by JL — March 3, 2008 #
Dianthe….your story and photo’s made me cry. I am due in 3 weeks. I have to have a c-section or your story would make me wanna try Natural! I love your pictures!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Jodi — March 3, 2008 #
Dianthe, thank you so very much for sharing these pictures with all of us! You are an amazing lady, and you’re going to be an amazing mommy. I’m so proud of you! Your husband is a trooper too! What a beautiful little girl!
Comment by Tina — March 3, 2008 #
That was by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen captured by photography. Thank you so much for sharing with us!!
She is beautiful and you are an inspiration to me!
Comment by Jaime — March 3, 2008 #
thank you so much for sharing your amazing birth story and beautiful birth pictures. she is a beautiful baby girl!
Comment by Jennifer M — March 3, 2008 #
Great pictures. Both my kids were c-section babies. Sydney is beautiful. You story is funny.
I remember asking my doctor if it was to late to change my mind. His answer was should have thought about that 9 mos ago. I enjoy your blogs.
Comment by Pam — March 3, 2008 #
Wow! I cried and I’m not even a mother! Thank you for sharing so much with us. It’s such a beautiful story!!
Comment by Rebecca W. — March 3, 2008 #
So….absolutely wonderful that it brings tears to my eyes. What a beautiful story. What a beautiful little girl. What a beautiful family. What a beautiful presentation! Hang in there - you’re in for the ride of your life.
Comment by Lori O'Leary — March 3, 2008 #
Oh Dianthe thank you so much for sharing I cried all through the pictures. Congrats! Sdyney is beautiful!
Comment by Rosie — March 3, 2008 #
Sitting here crying as I just watched the slideshow. That is the MOST amazing thing i’ve ever seen. Better to me even than a video. It just so captured the thoughts and is like the moments are frozen in time. Congrats again….she is beautiful!
Comment by Julie R — March 3, 2008 #
I am in tears! What a beautiful story of the birth of Sydney Jane! The photos are amazing and the music just perfect. My favorite’s are the few of Kelley beaming at you and Sydney and the one of you nursing her. If I could have done anything differently I think it would have been to hire a professional photographer.
Natural birth definitely isn’t easy, and it’s even tougher when you are doing it in a hospital. So, lots of kudos to you! I can very vividly remember saying “I don’t want to do this anymore” and trying to get up and leave. LOL But then it’s over and you are reminded why when that beautiful AWAKE baby stares into your eyes. It’s the most amazing thing in the world!
Comment by Amanda — March 3, 2008 #
Dianthe, Sydney is adorable. I love the pictures, thank you for sharing. I cried the whole time I watched your slideshow. What an amazing experience, something I have not had the pleasure of yet, but am anxiously awaiting. God Bless you and your family.
Comment by amanda — March 3, 2008 #
Dianthe, thank you so much for sharing the birth of your beautiful daughter. The slide show was awesome and the songs were great. Congratulations on your beautiful family and may God Bless you always. Take care.
Comment by Mary — March 3, 2008 #
Reading the story and watching the slideshow brought me to tears! Thank you for sharing them!!!
Comment by Shannon — March 3, 2008 #
Yay for the birth experience you wanted! It was awesome to see you laboring in the tub, and on the birth ball.
Congrats, mama on a hard job WELL DONE!
Comment by Joana — March 3, 2008 #
Thank you for sharing. What a wonderful slide show. I know you will all treasure it forever.
Congratulations! You did a great job girl!!
Comment by Darlene — March 3, 2008 #
I watched and loved your slideshow. I was so amazed by her fingernails! Babies are awesome how they come out perfect little people.
Comment by Miranda — March 3, 2008 #
Oh that was jusr precious! Thanks so much for taking time to share such an amazing story with us. I have really enjoyed reading your daily blogs during this time. And feel like we are family. I am so happy for you and your new family. Keep these blogs coming, and of course the pictures.
Comment by Amanda — March 3, 2008 #
WOW THAT WAS SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL! THANKS FOR SHARING THAT WITH US! THE PICTURES WERE AMAZING AND VERY TASTEFUL. YOUR LITTLE GIRL IS SO BEAUTIFUL. WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!
Comment by Perla — March 3, 2008 #
Thanks for sharing your birthing story! It made me laugh and cry remembering my own story of my son just 3 years ago. The pictures are amazing of Syndey. Hang in there things will get easier!!!
Comment by Karen — March 3, 2008 #
Love it! Thank you for sharining your wonderful story and pics with us. God Bless You and your family.
Comment by Liz — March 3, 2008 #
OMG-amazing, absolutely amazing!
Mike and Rejana are so good–yet another set of wonderful work from them….they have captured something so amazing! You are truely blessed-such a gorgeous baby and beautiful family!
Missy (nestie mcollinsunt)
Comment by Missy — March 3, 2008 #
That was beautiful - I loved the slide show, it made me cry. I also loved the first song, who sings it? Enjoy your beautiful baby!!
Comment by Isabelle — March 3, 2008 #
Just beautiful! All of it! The pictures, the music, the family , the moments in time. Thanks for sharing.
Comment by Tracy — March 3, 2008 #
Thank you for sharing that amazing slide show with us. I cried through it all. Thank you again for letting us be a part of your world. You and Kelley have been blessed with an precious baby girl. God Bless you all.
Comment by Toni — March 3, 2008 #
Am crying… so touching, so inspiring, so beautiful!!! Thank you for sharing your story. Looking forward to the birth of my own baby!
Comment by Leslie — March 3, 2008 #
Precious! Thank you for sharing your life with everyone. She’s perfect.
Comment by alc — March 3, 2008 #
that was so touching!! thanks for sharing such in intimate moment with us!!
Comment by KS — March 3, 2008 #
OH MY GOODNESS!! I am 22 weeks pregnant with my second child and you have given me so many ideas on capturing the birth of my son this summer. I actually cried during the video, it may have had a little to do with my hormones. Any way… it was truly amazing and thank you for sharing this moment with us.
Comment by Ashly — March 3, 2008 #
Dianthe! Thanks so much for re-igniting my baby fever! My husband and I have been married for 8 months and we both really want to be parents. Soon enough. The Birth Story was hilarious. Pregnancy may have changed a lot but thank God it didn’t take your sense of humor
The Birth Day montage was precious. I laughed, cried, and laughed again. Congrats to you and Kelly and may God bless your brand new family.
Comment by Kayla — March 3, 2008 #
That was a beautiful montage of little Sydney’s birth. Thank you so much for sharing that with all of us. It was so moving and touching. Congratulations again to you and Kelley.
Enjoy your time with your beautiful little girl and we can’t wait until you are back with Kidd and the gang again.
Comment by Heather Thomas — March 3, 2008 #
What a beautiful baby!!!! I love the slideshow, it was amazing and the last picture was great, totally something I could see myself doing. You and your husband enjoy your time with your beautiful girl and congratulations to you both.
Comment by Tiffani Jones — March 3, 2008 #
Thank you for sharing - the pictures are so touching. It brought tears to my eyes and memories from the bith of my 2 sons ( even if it was alomost 17 years ago ) Thank you again - She is a beautiful blessed little angel.
Comment by Kym — March 4, 2008 #
Hey girl—just beautiful and I’m so very proud of you and for you. Continued blessings for the Hall family. Kiss that sweet girl for me!
Comment by Kristine — March 4, 2008 #
That video was beautiful!!! It made me bawl the entire time I watched it! Congrats and best wishes to you, Kelley, and Sydney Jane!
Comment by valerie — March 4, 2008 #
Absolutely beautiful! Krause Studios does beautiful work - capturing the emotion and mood of your birthing room. It was all so very beautiful and you were brave and strong and should be admired! I used to be a doula, myself, so I have attended my share of births. Yours was so loving and Kelley’s smile in every picture after Sydney Jane appeared was absolutely radiant. You did it Dianthe! I am so proud of you and I feel blessed for being able to witness a part of the miracle you just experienced.
Comment by Jules — March 4, 2008 #
I am so glad you decided to post the pictures. Watching that slideshow… I felt like I was there (which is probably kinda freaky). But the photos are soooo incredible. I loved watching the photos of your mom (she’s so pretty!) and you could see how hard it was to watch you in pain. And then her expression changes…and you see Kelley’s big smile…and the next photo is of Sydney on your chest. I got chills!
Congrats! You are very strong. Sydney is beautiful.
Comment by christy — March 4, 2008 #
the link doesn’t work all the way through but it seriously brought back so many memories of when my son & daughter were born (they are 25 & 20) congrats!! you have a beautiful daughter and an amazing family!! thank you so much for sharing very personal feelings throughout your pregnancy & Sydney Jane’s birth.
Comment by ms debbie g — March 4, 2008 #
beautiful pictures and birth story! well worth the wait congrats to your family!!!
Comment by Megan — March 4, 2008 #
Oh Dianthe! The pictures had me in tears! What a beautiful way to remember that special day! I delived at Baylor Grapevine too and had such a good, although turbulent, time there! Thank you for sharing the sweet pictures and what a gorgeous baby you have!
Comment by Jaunna — March 4, 2008 #
gave me an idea to “document” the birth in a way in which the pictures tell a story. CONGRATULATIONS!!! She’s absolutely adorable! And you looked great on your delivery day
Comment by Erika Knox — March 4, 2008 #
Thank you so much for sharing with us! I loved it. I plan to have my next birth documented this was also. You did a great job during labor and delivery and I am sure that you are a great mother. You are very brave to share this with us. Sydney Jane is beautiful and I love her name.
Comment by Lenae — March 4, 2008 #
Dianthe,
OMG your pics are amazing they made me cry!!! I hope you and your husband enjoy every minute with you new daughter she is beautiful!!! Congratulations!!!
Comment by Jessica — March 4, 2008 #
DR.Flowers ROCKS! I gave birth, with Dr.F as my Doc, in September to my baby girl and had to go thru the same process with the Cervadil and Pitocin HOWEVER I took the Epi. ;o)
Dr.F and the nurses there are awesome and totally made the experience wonderful!
Congrats to you on a beautiful baby girl!
Comment by JMo — March 4, 2008 #
Amazing…. words can nopt express the love in those photos… AMAZING!!!!
THank you so very much for sharing.
Comment by Erin — March 4, 2008 #
HEY DIANTHE!!
THIS IS STAR , YOUR SEPT. 21, 2007 BRIDE. MAN WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME THIS HAS BEEN. SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY YOU E-MAILED ME THE NEWS AND NOW SHE IS HERE.
I LOVE WHAT MIKE AND REJANA DID. I’M GOING TO HAVE TO GET THAT DONE FOR OUR BABY. WHENEVER THAT HAPPENS. ANYWAY JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATS, SHE’S GORGEUS AND I’M SO GLAD YOU SHARED THAT WITH US. CHILD BIRTH IS TRULY THE MOST AMAZING THING A WOMAN CAN DO!
Comment by Star Hill — March 4, 2008 #
Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful birth of your baby girl! AND for sharing the pictures they are so awesome.
Comment by Aime — March 4, 2008 #
Amazing pictures and story! It totally made me cry. Congrats on the prettiest little girl!
Comment by Nicole — March 4, 2008 #
I have tears in my eyes as I am writing this. What an amazing slideshow. Thank you so much for sharing with us your miracle. The picture of your mom praying was so incredible. You are so blessed. Take care of that angel! We miss you!
Comment by Kim — March 4, 2008 #
That story was beautiful…I so no about difficult children, except mine like to come early. I was scheduled to have my 2nd today and that was 2 weeks early, they were trying to let my husband be here before he went to Iraq. Nope, my baby decided to come two weeks ago, water broke while getting dressed to go finish a job for a client. Dad didn’t make it to the next day, but my doctor was super cool…he got to be on the cell phone during my csection. So glad all is well…good luck with Sydney Jane, I so know the new mommy club is tough but wonderful.
Comment by Meredith — March 5, 2008 #
Aww, such sweet photos, thanks for sharing your special story with us. I love that they used “My Girl” in the slideshow. I taught my daugher (now 19) to sing that when she was two so it’s a special song.
Comment by Kathy — March 5, 2008 #
LOVE the name Sydney Jane. My daughters middle name is Jane too. I got it from my moms 1st name. shes 13 now and she is an old soul so the old fashion name suits. Congrats! and best of luck..
Comment by Amanda — March 5, 2008 #
Dianthe, thank you for sharing the birth of your baby with us. What a grand honor for you to share your family with us. May God bless your family and you and keep you safe>
Comment by Michelle — March 5, 2008 #
Wow!!! Makes me want to have another baby. My son’s birth was only three pushes but I remember it well. It was the first day of the beginning of an exciting life.
Comment by anji — March 5, 2008 #
Dianthe, I intended to watch the video and click off but I had to comment! This is a beautiful keepsake and you are blessed to have Sydney’s birth recorded. It was done so tastefully and anyone who has given birth can just feel what you and your husband were going through. I also have to say it was so touching to see the love in your mother’s expressions. Just beautiful!
Comment by Maria — March 5, 2008 #
Thank you so much for sharing such a profoundly meaningful moment with us. What an amazing slideshow; I felt like I was watching an artfully directed movie complete with great soundtrack! My coworkers asked why I was crying so we watched it all over again, then they understood! Congratulations to you and Kelley, Sydney is a lucky girl.
Comment by Karla — March 5, 2008 #
Wow! I was crying by the end of the photos. That was such an intense photo shoot that was beautifully done. I appreciate you sharing your story with your fans. I’m so thrilled for you, Kelly and the whole family. She is absolutely beautiful and precious. Congrats!
Comment by Tammy — March 5, 2008 #
SO….how much did that cost you to have a photographer for that many hours? How much do the Krause’s charge for those type of photos?
Comment by Jill — March 5, 2008 #
Your slideshow was amazing. It brought a tear of joy to my eye watching it. You family is gorgeous. What a beautiful way to perserve that memory.
Comment by Cassie — March 6, 2008 #
Awwwwww! Thanks for sharing those with us! The pix were amazing and Sydney is just beautiful!!
Comment by Ashley — March 6, 2008 #
What a beautiful, beautiful day. Watching the slideshow made me tear up a little bit. I had the honor of watching the birth of my godson, and I can not wait to experience it myself. Congratulations to you and Kelley, God has truly blessed you both.
I notice that Kelley is a lefty. My husband is a lefty, too!
Maybe that’s linked to their “perfect” gene. Congrats again, Dianthe!
Comment by Mary — March 6, 2008 #
Beautiful photos, music, everything was absolutely amazing. What a lucky baby Sydney Jane is to be born to such caring, loving people!! You truly are blessed!
Comment by SS — March 6, 2008 #
I want to book the Krause’s for my delivery. Can you give a rough estimate the fee?
Comment by allison — March 7, 2008 #
First of all CONGRATULATIONS! She’s precious. I loved the slide show. You have an amazing photographer. I completely sympathize with your birthing story. It cracked me up though and brought back lots of memories. THanks for sharing with all of us. Good luck and enjoy the daily joys of parenting.
Comment by wendie — March 7, 2008 #
omg!!! Sydney is so freaking adorable…..I just want to go through the computer and squeeze those adorable little cheeks. congratulations and enjoy being a new momma!!
Comment by Camie — March 7, 2008 #
Congratulations on the birth of little miss Sydney Jane! You tell an amazing story. It stressed me out, but it was amazing nonetheless. It always astounds me that a woman is capable of pushing something so big out of something so small, know what I mean? Mother nature must’ve been distracted while devising that “system”, huh?
The slideshow was awesome and I clapped when she finally popped out. Kelley looked so proud and in awe. I liked how Sydney was eyeballing you at 1:44. Too funny. Congratulations again, chickadee. You guys make a gorgeous family.
Tracey G
Comment by Tracey G — March 8, 2008 #
P.S. Your mom is adorable
Comment by Tracey G — March 8, 2008 #
Girl, the slide show is so sweet. I got a little choked up…
Comment by Michelle — March 10, 2008 #
Ok, this whole “I had a baby, isn’t she adorable” thing just isn’t working out for me. I miss my blog updates!! Just kidding Dianthe…oh god, she’s going to punch me in the face. Syndney is precious, and I’m totally thrilled for you….but I still miss you. Can’t help it.
Comment by Amie — March 11, 2008 #
CONGRADULATIONS! Great story! I felt like I was there…. Sydney Jane is Beautiful. Get lots of rest and cherish every single moment with her, they grow up sooo fast. Miss you.
Comment by Marisa — March 17, 2008 #
Dianthe- You are my hero. Natural is the way to go. Thanks for this blog, it gives me HOPE. I am not pregnant yet, but I hope to be sometime this year. The few women that I know here (moved from TX) tell me that I won’t be able to do it, but I will give it my all. All though, I am 35 so age is not on my side… That is in God’s hands, not ours. Thanks for the story, I was laughing and then crying - that slideshow is the coolest thing I have ever seen!
Comment by Tammi Munn — March 31, 2008 #