A couple weeks after we moved to Kentucky there was all this talk on the solar eclipse coming. The kids brought home glasses and were let out of school early on August 21st. We went outside in our back yard to watch, we were in 90% totality. It didn't get totally dark but there was a significant shadow over the earth and the birds stopped chirping. With the glasses we could see the sun was in a crescent shape, it was so cool!
It was also a good chance to meet our new neighbors that bought the house next to ours. We all watched together. Their daughter is in Ian's class at school.
We love seeing deer at dawn and dusk eating in the meadow behind our house.
Buying a brand new house seems like it would be glorious with no problems, however we have found that since it hasn't been lived in there are a lot of things that need to be done to the house to make it more livable. Like shelves in the garage, Scott and Rylan spent a Saturday putting in shelves along the wall and above our garage door.
Scott loves having an organized space
Ian won the Paw Award at school in September and I was able to be a part of something really special!
Ashley Rylan (Scott's cousin) moved to Ohio a couple years ago and her husband was working in Afganistan. Ashley was expecting a baby and her husband was scheduled to come home a week before the baby was due. Ashley asked me to be a back-up person in the labor room just in case her husband wasn't home yet. This is her first so we had no idea what to expect, whether she would come early or late. She kept me updated with what was going on with her doctor appointments, if she was dilated or effaced. It seemed like the baby was content on staying there and there was so real indicator that he would be coming sooner than planned. THEN one Sunday afternoon (two weeks before her due date and one week before her husband was planning on being home) I get a text at church saying, "are you ready to come help me have a baby?" Ashley's water broke at work and she drove herself to the hospital! I took the kids out of their classes at church, and ran home to pack (I had the thought to do it earlier that week but put it off). Scott was out of town that weekend but was coming home that night. I drove 3 1/2 hours to the Wright-Patterson Air Force base, found Ashley all alone in the hospital room just going through contractions by herself like a champ! I got there around 5 pm Here she is skyping with her hubby.
She labored all afternoon, then through the night, we walked the hall I don't know how many times, then the doctor broke her water just a little bit more and she was at 5 cm. Around 4:30 am she was still at 5cm so the doctor wanted to start pitocin to help her labor along. Between 5:00-7:00 the contractions were super strong and she was so tired but she was at a 10 by 7:00 but the baby wasn't down very far so they basically said, ok you have three options 1. You can go through these contractions for the next couple hours while we wait for the baby to get in position, 2. we start pushing but you will be pushing for a long time, OR 3. we get you an epidural and you can rest for a couple hours while the baby moves down and then you will be rested enough to push. I was so relieved that she chose the epidural! They first tried to put it in while she was laying down, but it didn't take effect so they ended up doing a spinal tap and they had me stand along the bed and have Ashley lean over my shoulder while she got it. Ashley is a buff, former volleyball player who is 5' 9", I hadn't slept all night and I was so nervous and anxious with worry yet I had to hold her up, the nurse, the doctor and Ashley were counting on me, my legs were shaking but I had to stay perfectly still. I said so many little prayers that I could be strong for her. She finally started feeling the effects and was able to rest. I tried to get some sleep too but I just couldn't, I was so excited/anxious/worried. I was watching that baby's heartbeat on the monitor, and Ashley's pulse constantly. After about 3 hours of Ashley sleeping in and out in an awkward position to help the baby move down by 10:00 am they checked her and the baby was ready. A couple pushes and he was here! I loved that at this hospital they let Cooper just lay on Ashley for a long time, they checked his vitals while he was on his mama's chest. I think it was over an hour before they took the baby and officially weighed him.
Being on the other side of childbirth was such an amazing experience. I wasn't in pain and I could actually enjoy the miracle of birth! When she was ready to push two doctors came in, her nurse, and an additional nurse, plus three nurses for the baby came in ALL FEMALE. We were all surrounding Ashley cheering for her, encouraging her, loving her, holding her hand, it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life! I was crying tears of gratitude for being a woman and getting to be the gender who can go through pregnancy, and childbirth and have this strong emotional tie with their babies.
Later that afternoon I picked up her mother in law (who was able to change the date of her flight) at the airport, and brought her to the hospital, then I checked into a hotel so she could stay with Ashley and the baby. I slept about 12 hours that night! The next morning, I went to Target and picked up some things that Ashley needed for the baby and her recovery that she hadn't picked up yet, then I got the mom and grandma some coffee and headed to the hospital. I stayed for a couple hours and held that precious baby one more time then I drove home. Dad (Chris) was able to get there the next day to take his family home.
Welcome to the world little Cooper!
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