The Birth Story of June Elizabeth

Ahh, the neglect. I cringe thinking of how long it has been since I have written for my blog. Now, before I get too hard on myself, I have to remember that we welcomed our sweet daughter into the world and moved to a new house within two months. On top of having a toddler at home too.

Life has been crazy. We are just settling in our new house and adjusting to life with two kids. In the meantime, while the babies are asleep, I want to share June’s birth story.

The best way to describe it is fast and furious. Enjoy.

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It all started on Friday, February 15. I began having contractions in the late afternoon. The contractions felt like period cramps and I timed them coming every two to three minutes. I called the nurse and was told because the contractions were that close together, I should go to the hospital.

Since June wasn’t due until March 5, Seth hadn’t packed yet. He is the ultimate procrastinator. He quickly threw some clothes in a brown grocery bag. We brought Silas with, as we didn’t know if this was really it.

Once at the hospital, a nurse hooked me up to a monitor to time the contractions and hear the baby’s heartbeat. We discovered that I was dilated to 3.5cm, which was .5cm more than my appointment a few days earlier. The nurse didn’t think my contractions were intense enough, so she said she would check me again in an hour to see if I progressed.

After an hour, I progressed to 4cm. Although uncomfortable, the contractions weren’t very intense. We were given the option to stay at the hospital or go home and labor. I decided to go home because I wanted more time with Silas before the baby was born. We went home and my contractions went away during the night.

On Tuesday, February 19, I had my 38 week checkup with my doctor. We decided to do a membrane sweep to potentially progress the labor. I was very eager to have my daughter. I went home and had some cramping throughout the evening, but no sign of baby.

The next day started like any other day. It was Wednesday, February 20 and a huge snowstorm was rolling in. Schools were cancelled for the day. I had a great morning with Silas. The baby was much lower than before and I felt pressure, but no contractions.

We decided to go to lunch at Big Louie’s. Because of the storm, the only other people in the restaurant were snow plow drivers. Silas choked on a French fry and Seth had to perform the Heimlich.

We went home and Silas and I took a nap in my bed. Seth was working out in the living room talking to his CEO on the phone. I probably fell asleep for about 20 minutes and woke up around 1:45pm. I was lying next to Silas when I felt a “pop” down below. Instantly, I knew that my water broke, as it was the same feeling I had when I went into labor with Silas.

I ran out of the room and quietly shouted, “My water broke!” to Seth. Before this, I felt like I was the girl who cried wolf. He had just finished his phone call with his CEO and jumped off the couch in excitement. I told him to go finish packing and use a REAL suitcase this time.

I made calls to our parents and my sister. Within ten minutes, my contractions started and they were the real deal. Much more intense and painful.

I was stumbling around the house trying to pack some last minute items and had to stop and breathe through the contractions. They hurt really bad and they were already really close together in time. I knew we had to hurry.

Seth loaded the truck with the dogs, luggage and Silas. I was last to get into the vehicle as I was moving very slowly because my contractions were becoming unbearable. I waddled through the deep snow in my Sorel boots and slowly got into the truck.

A contraction started right as I got in and I couldn’t even shut the door. Seth revved the engine forward and back quickly to shut the door and we were on the road by 2:15pm.

The roads were extremely bumpy, which made the contractions more painful. We drove to my mom’s house to drop the dogs off. I faked a smile to her as she waved to me from her front door. She told Seth it could take up to 24 hours for the baby to come. Seth said, “Not this time!”

As we got back on the road, we timed the contractions and discovered they were only a minute apart. Time was running out and we needed to get to the hospital fast.

The original plan was to drop Silas off at Seth’s parents’ house. We quickly called them and asked them to meet us at the hospital instead.

Traffic was moving slower due to the heavy snow. My mom called us right as we got onto the highway to tell us that the truck’s tailgate was down. Seth had to quickly pull over and once he got back, I told him it was happening fast. 

We pulled into the front of the hospital and Seth’s parents got Silas. Seth had to get me a wheelchair and I could barely get out of the vehicle because I was in so much pain. He couldn’t even park the truck.

I remember moaning as Seth pushed me through the hospital doors.

We got to the elevator and had to go up a level to get to labor and delivery. Unfortunately, once we were in, the elevator went down a level to pick someone up. I was in so much agony that I couldn’t even open my eyes.

Finally, we got to labor and delivery. They seemed like they were really slow checking us in. A lady asked for our insurance and Seth demanded that I get checked as soon as possible. We were instructed to go to a triage room and I was to put on a gown.

Once in the room, I couldn’t do anything but lean on my arms against the bed. Seth had to pull my boots off my sweaty feet. He pulled my pants and underwear down and I was leaking fluid everywhere.

A nurse came in to give me my hospital bracelet and Seth urged, “Go get someone NOW!”

Within seconds, another nurse came in and asked me to lay down to check my cervix. I panted, “I can’t” and got on my hands and knees. She checked my cervix and swiftly turned around.

Seth asked, “Well, what is she at?”

“A good nine,” she replied.

“Epidural?” I whimpered.

“I think we are too late for that,” she said. “It’s time to push.”

Misery set in. It was like I was going too fast down a sledding hill and I couldn’t get off my sled. The only way out was to finish the ride.

I couldn’t even think. The pain took over and consumed me. I closed my eyes wishing it would go away.

The nurse and Seth helped me back onto the wheelchair and wheeled me to the delivery room. I felt the urge to push.

I could barely keep my eyes open but managed to see the doctor all suited up and ready to go. I knew that meant it was go time.

A team of nurses were in the room and helped me onto the delivery bed. The urge to push came again.

I was whimpering. It was all happening way too fast. I pushed through two contractions. Everyone in the room was coaching me.

My triage nurse, Stephanie, shouted, “Push through the pain!”

I felt like a warrior. A weak one in defeat.

On the third push, I felt what they call “the ring of fire”.

It burned. I screamed. She cried.

Into the world at 3:08pm came June Elizabeth. I was in shock.

We were at the hospital for 18 minutes.

Looking back, I wouldn’t change June’s birth and how it all shook out. It was extremely fast and painful, but it didn’t last long and the recovery was very easy. I did not need any stitches and I got the natural childbirth I always wanted to experience.

We love our sweet Junie Girl. More on her later.

Related Posts: Baby #2 is a… // Our Surprise Pregnancy With Baby #2 // The Birth Story of Silas Bradley

Cover Photo Credit: Elle Anne Photography

Dear Silas

Dear Silas,

If I could write you a letter for you to understand, this is what it would say…

In a few short weeks, our lives will change dramatically. Mommy and Daddy are having a baby and you are going to become a big brother.

Being a big brother is a big responsibility, but you won’t understand this for a while. You will have little eyes looking up to you and watching your every move. Your little sister is going to admire you, adore you and want to be like you. You are going to have a lot of influence on her. There will be days that she annoys you, but I hope those are far outnumbered by the days you make each other laugh.

One day, you will only have each other, and I hope that you share an unbreakable bond to get you through life’s ups and downs.

As of now, you have only known what it is like to be an only child. You are the only grandchild on both sides of the family and everyone just adores you and loves you so much. You are the center of our world.

Life is going to change quite a bit. I want to give you all that I can, but know that I will fall short sometimes, as I am caring for your little sister. Know that I still love you more than all the stars in the sky and you are still my boy.

You will always be my firstborn, my sweet child. You taught me how to be a mom. I remember the moment you were born, and they put your warm, gooey body in my arms. In an instant, you had all of my heart.

Just because I am having another baby doesn’t mean I don’t love you. You are the reason, my son. It’s because of you and how much we love you that we wanted to experience this love again. We also wanted you to experience the love of a sibling and have a lifelong friend.

I am soaking in these last few days of just us. Sometimes, I lay by you and watch you sleep, wondering how I got so lucky. How in the world did I get chosen to be your momma?

There is no doubt in my mind that we were always meant to be. You, your dad and me. Soon, we will welcome another member to our family, and I know we will all agree that she is meant to be with us too.

I love you more than you will ever know.

Momma

Photo taken by the talented: Elle Anne Photography.

Related Posts: A Letter To Our Son On His First Birthday // Be Little // The Birth Story of Silas Bradley

Happy New Year (A Little Late, but Better Than Never!)

Time is just flying by at our house! Somehow, I have failed to find time to write for my blog and I am hopeful that in 2019, I will be more consistent with my posts. I realize this might be a lofty and unrealistic goal, since I am two months away from having our second child and my first kid keeps me on my toes all the time. A woman can dream, right?!

But isn’t this what the new year is all about? Shouldn’t we set goals and chase dreams in order to be happier, healthier and a better person overall?

I think 2019 is going to be one of my best years yet.

I am turning THIRTY in 2019. 30! I feel like such an adult typing that number. I will be 30 years old, and unlike some close to me who have met this milestone, I am not really dreading it. I am looking forward to this next decade and the possibilities it can hold. I am hoping to travel more, establish better routines and be the best mom and wife that I can be.

As I usually do around this time of year, I am sharing some of my favorite family photos from our shoot in November. Photos were taken by Elle Anne Photography.

Cheers to this next year and decade!

Our Surprise Pregnancy with Baby #2

For the last few months, I have wanted to write this post, but have been avoiding it for some reason. As you may have gathered, we are pregnant with our second child. A baby girl to be exact. Oh, how excited (and very nervous) we are!

This was an unplanned pregnancy. Miss Type A did not have to chart a single temperature, pee on one ovulation predictor test, or take any medicine to help with ovulation. Not only was I exclusively breastfeeding Silas, but I only had one period since his birth. It came right around his first birthday.

A few days after my period, I saw my OBGYN for my annual checkup. She asked if we were planning to have a second child. Of course we wanted another kid, but we weren’t really quite ready yet. I told her about my sister’s upcoming wedding in Mexico in February, and she informed me how serious the Zika virus still was and that I needed to be very careful. If we weren’t getting pregnant before the wedding, we would have to wait until six months after to start trying, since the virus stays in male sperm for up to six months.

Towards the end of the appointment, she warned me that I might be surprised how easy it is this time around to get pregnant. “Your body knows how to get pregnant now.” It was kind of a sweet warning, but I brushed it off because of our history.

Over the next few weeks, Seth and I had a few conversations on when we wanted to try for Baby #2. We went back and forth and struggled with the fact that if we postponed until after my sister’s wedding, we would have to wait until August 2019, and who knows how long it would take the second time around. What if it took another two to three years? How far apart would our kids be? Would there be a huge gap in age? On the other hand, I absolutely did not want to miss my only sister’s wedding.  

I prayed about it and asked God for some clarity, because I did not know what we were going to do. Should we start to try, knowing our history and that it might take a while anyways or should we wait until later next year?

Then, one Sunday morning, Seth and I woke up, and went for a run with Silas and the dogs. On the run, we started to talk about plans for Baby #2 again. By the end of the run, I came to the conclusion that we needed to wait until after the wedding to start trying. I had to get ready for a friend’s bridal shower, so Seth took Silas across the street to talk to our neighbor, and I ran the bath water.

I knew I was due for my period any day and I kind of have a habit of taking cheap pregnancy tests, so I decided to pee on a stick just for no reason. I had no idea what I was about to find out.

I put the test on the edge of the bathtub and got in. I glanced at the stick and thought I was seeing two lines. I closed my eyes and looked again. One dark pink line and a second faint pink line.

I’m pregnant. Holy crap.

I asked God for some clarity, and clarity He gave! I couldn’t even believe it. I started to shake and quickly bathed and got ready. Seth brought Silas inside to me so I could change him. I whispered in Silas’ ear that he was going to be a big brother. It was almost like he knew and a big smile came on his face.  

I was running late for the shower and decided to go without telling Seth what I just discovered. This would give me time to process my thoughts.

I am a very open person, so it was strange being at the shower and not saying anything to my friends. I kept quiet and tried to focus on the activities, but couldn’t stop thinking about what I had just found out.

How in the world did it happen so easy this time? When would I be due? Would I be able to go to my sister’s wedding? These questions were racing through my head and I couldn’t wait to get home and talk to Seth.

When I came home, I shared the news with Seth. He was equally surprised and couldn’t believe it.

Within a few weeks, we found out we would be due at the beginning of March. After talking with my doctor, we came to the realization that we would not be able to go to my sister’s wedding in Mexico. The risk for Zika was too high and I would be about 36 weeks pregnant, which is too late to travel internationally while pregnant. I was devastated.  

During the first few weeks after finding out, I had a hard time feeling excited. I was so sad that I couldn’t make it to my sister’s wedding and I felt sick about telling her the news. It was so different than our first pregnancy, because we were wanting it so badly. This time around, it came as a total surprise and altered some big plans.

When I told my sister the news, we both cried a lot. I am still heartbroken I cannot be there for the most important day in her life, but God had different plans for us. Thankfully, we are able to celebrate at their Minnesota reception in April.

After I rid the weight of telling my sister I was pregnant, I was able to accept the fact that I was going to be a mother again, and I allowed myself to feel more excited.

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I am a little over halfway through my pregnancy and it already feels like I have been pregnant forever. Both Seth and I are really nervous to become parents again and to have another child. We do not know how we will handle life with two young kids, but we will take it day by day and figure it out. Doesn’t everyone?!

Recently, we just found out we are having a girl. I thought we would only have boys, since Seth’s family has a strong history with bearing sons, but we get our girl and we are so incredibly happy. It will be so different than having a boy and we are a little nervous for that.

This pregnancy, I am much more moody and emotional. I am more sensitive and needy too. It is so different than my pregnancy with Silas, in which I was happy and easy going most of the time. For this pregnancy, I also did not crave any food during my first trimester. Nothing sounded good to me.  I had more aversions than cravings.

I am scared for what is to come and I have more insecurities with this pregnancy.

Will I be able to handle life with two little kids?

How will I ever love another like I love my son?

Will Silas still feel loved when I won’t be able to give him the same amount of attention?

I think these are completely normal feelings for any mom who is expecting her second child. I have faith that it will all work out and one day, I will look back and wonder how we ever survived without our Baby Girl.


Life is about to get even more chaotic (and beautiful) at the Johnson house.

I can’t wait to kiss these adorable little feet!

Our Special Time: A Farewell to Breastfeeding

Sometimes, the best time for me to write is when I am in the moment, feeling the emotions as they come to me. I don’t know if it’s my pregnancy hormones making me more emotional, but I broke down tonight and just sobbed.

My baby boy is growing up. Much quicker than I could have ever anticipated. This is the heartache they warn you about. The kind where your heart hurts so bad because you want a moment to last and know that it cannot and time is slipping right out of your fingertips.

Breastfeeding. It was quite the challenge at first. The milk didn’t come in right away. We were worried about Silas’ initial weight gain after birth and encouraged to supplement with formula until the milk came in. After our first supplemental formula feeding, the milk came in full force.

Cracked nipples.  Painful. Uncomfortable. Mastitis not once, but two times. Rounds of antibiotics to combat the infections, only to lead to a stomach infection that didn’t want to go away. More antibiotics to kill off the overgrowth of bad stomach bacteria.

“Is this really worth it?” I remember thinking. A little voice inside my head said, “Keep going.”

Eventually, breastfeeding became easier. My breasts and body healed and my son and I bonded closer than I ever could have imagined. Breastfeeding became our special time and part of our routine.

Fast-forward sixteen months. In those first few weeks of breastfeeding, I never thought we would have made it this far. I feel grateful for the opportunity to feed my son from my own body. We were fortunate to be able to breastfeed for sixteen whole months.

Over the past few weeks, our special time has dwindled and Silas has become less interested in breastfeeding. Six feedings gradually turned to three, which quickly turned to one or two. All within a few weeks. I am guessing my current pregnancy is the culprit and is causing my supply to dip or the taste to be off. Maybe he’s just growing up and over it.

Either way, I am sad that our breastfeeding days are over. It was a hard road at first, but eventually, it became our thing. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to do it as long as we did. I will forever miss our special time together.