Howe Sweet Life Is.: 2019

(38 weeks pregnant)

Russell came two days before his due date

I have always loved documenting the birth stories of my babies.
They're each unique, just like them, and when they're older I want them to be able to read about how they came into this world.
Russell is sleeping soundly on our bed next me as I write this.

Russell Zachary Howe was born June 26, 2019 at 4:55 a.m.
He weighed 9 lbs. 6 oz.
20 in. long
head circumference of 14.7 in.
chest circumference of 14.3 in.
Surprisingly, our boy ties for 2nd place in biggest baby in our family.
Evelyn wins first prize at 9" 10' and then Lucy and Russell were both the same. I don't know why we're blessed with such big, chunky babies.

(Right before going home)

Today is July 3rd and Russell is officially a week old. We have loved transitioning into having him in our family and learning how to give all of my kids the attention they need. Russell is learning how to sleep at night (last night he gave me an almost 5 hour stretch and then two 3 hour stretches). Bless you, child.
Lucy is Russell's second mother. She helps me change his diaper (which can be quite an ordeal with a little boy that can shoot you at any moment), she brings him his binky when he cries, she holds him so steadily and sits there for long periods of time (which is helpful when I need to do something else but Russell wants to be held). So, yes, the second mother is absolutely in love with her little brother and "ugga mugga's" his nose whenever she holds him.
Evelyn is also quite in love. She wants to "Hold him! Hold him!" and then she rests her head on his (she is learning how to be soft). She thinks that he always wants his binky so even when he is sound asleep she is trying to put it in his mouth, but she is also learning about when the proper time is to binky her baby brother. The way that Evelyn says Russell makes my heart melt.
Zach and I are so happy to have our precious boy. We are so grateful that we were blessed with him, along with his big sisters.
Now, to the birth story:

Russell was born on a Wednesday. At the beginning of the week I had a feeling he was coming soon, but I had to get some last minute things done before he came, so I got to work (full nesting mode).
I rearranged the girl's room, deep cleaned the bathrooms, made sure we had groceries and meals that could be made after the baby was born, I weeded in our yard, and probably other things too that made me absolutely exhausted. I was so grateful he didn't come that night. Tuesday I finished my weeding job, took the girls to swimming lessons (which I really wanted to have happen before the baby came), made dinner, took the girls on a little walk, bathed them, and then I dropped into my bed feeling almost as exhausted as the day before...but I finished everything that I wanted to finish!
That night, Zach and I went to bed a little before 10, which was good, but the girls must have sensed that this was their last night before baby because they kept waking up and waking up and not going to sleep and not going to sleep from 12 to 2 (which was unusual!). Thank goodness they went to sleep because at 2 in the morning I started feeling some mild contracting.

They were about 10 minutes apart and started to get more intense. I wasn't sure if this was it because with Evelyn I would start having these somewhat intense contractions and then they'd just go away....for like a week! So, I wasn't taking these contractions seriously, but I got my hospital bag ready and started listening to relaxing music, hypnobirthing affirmations and relaxation recordings. I drank water and ate a snack and just continued preparing to go to the hospital even though I didn't know if we were really going to go. The contractions were still about 10 minutes apart but started getting to the point where I had to lay down and Zach was pushing on my lower back to ease the pain....it did ease it a little bit and I was trying to be calm and relaxed, but I remember saying to him, "I don't know how I did this before. I can't do this."
Zach reassured me that I did do it before and I am strong and can do it again. I didn't feel strong, but I kept telling myself that I could do this.
I asked him for a blessing so that I would know when to go to the hospital (which he only vaguely remembered because he was more than half asleep). That blessing gave me the confidence and peace that I needed to follow my feelings and OH am I glad about that! I needed it and I'm glad I acted when I did.

I called my friend, Sarah at 4:10 to see if she could come be with the girls while we left for the hospital. She said she would and she would bring Kylie. Thank goodness for good friends.
We called our doctor at 4:20 to tell him to meet us at the hospital.
I had been texting my mom since 3 so she knew I was having contractions and that we might be having our baby, and at 4:26 I told her to book her flight because we were going to the hospital.
Before we left I went into the girls' room and looked at them both one more time. I wanted to remember the time of just having my two little girls.
Sarah and Kylie got to our house just as we got in the car to leave (around 4:30).
Once we were driving I told Zach to drive fast! So Zach drove FAST.
We were in his work car with fabric chairs and he was praying that my water wouldn't break in the car. Meanwhile, I was praying that I wouldn't have the baby in the car!

Zach pulled up to the ER and there was a wheelchair outside. I started walking inside and Zach followed me with the wheelchair. I was probably quite the scene with my phone in one hand playing hypnobirthing relaxations out loud and my handheld battery-powered fan in the other hand. I sat down in the wheelchair and told the people at the desk that I was going to push a baby out right now. The lady looked a little frantic but asked some basic questions so she knew who I was (thank goodness that Zach answered the questions). The guy looked at the lady, looked at me, and said, "I'm taking her up". Zach had run outside to park the car as this blessed man took action and wheeled me down the hallway and into the elevator. I said a quick prayer that Zach could find us and then BAM, Zach's hand stopped the elevator door from closing. I honestly don't know how Zach parked and got back to us so fast but I was so happy that he was there with me. We got to a room and I was dilated to a 10. My doctor got there just in time. I pushed three times and at 4:55 the baby was out! (We did not find out the gender during our pregnancy so we were about to be surprised).
Zach called out, "It's a boy!" and I just started crying. I was so happy he was here and relieved that he was out. It all happened so fast and we now had a precious, healthy baby boy. A BOY! I didn't know how happy and emotional I would be when we found out the gender, but it just seemed so right. It was such a heavenly, special moment finding out right then that we had a boy. I felt heaven near and I felt my grandma Sharp near (she had passed away only a few weeks before).

They put my baby on my chest and I just held him and cried happy tears. Here was our baby.
After the doctor and nurses did all they needed to do they left us alone with our boy. The calm after the storm. It was quiet and peaceful and it was just us. I've come to know that for me, that is one of the most special times after a baby is born. Just to have that intimate alone time for the first time.

After a few hours we walked to a different room to settle in there for the day. We stayed at the hospital for a little more that 24 hours and our stay there was great. Everyone took such good care of us. At night, my nurse said that she could watch my baby while I slept and when he got hungry she would bring him to me. So I agreed to that and so needed the sleep, but what I loved most about this was that throughout the night and into the morning different nurses would come in and tell me that my baby boy was so cute and that all the nurses were just sitting around at the nurses station loving on him. I was happy that he was being loved and held and that he was in good hands.

The highlight of our hospital stay was when Grandma Karen and Grandma Linda brought our girls to see us and to meet their baby brother. Evelyn was so excited that she couldn't even handle herself and Lucy was so motherly and just wanted to hold her brother the whole time. Having our girls share our excitement was so special. I'm so grateful that our kids have each other to love.

Lastly, I'd like to share how we came about Russell's name. It's a strong name and we like the nickname Russ a lot. He wasn't necessarily named after the prophet, Russell M. Nelson, but that man of God is such a good example and a source of strength. There are other great men named Russell, one of them being my favorite soccer coach, Russ Godfrey. He was so good and fun and genuine. I really look up to both of these men. There are also some Russells (last name) on Zach's mom's side of the family. We learned a lot of interesting stories about them and we are excited to learn more. We hope that these reasons will give Russell's name meaning to him as he grows up.
Zachary, of course, is named after his wonderful and good father. Zach doesn't want the attention drawn to him, but I hope that Russell will grow up being glad that he shares a name with his dad.
Zach's middle name is Randall, so we also really liked that Russell also started with an R and ended with two L's.

Anyway, now we're home and loving life with our 3 children (my mom is still here teaching me how to mother 3 of them now. Bless her). Life isn't perfect but it's full of perfect moments and when Russell came into this world it was definitely one of those perfect moments.