Free shipping on all orders over $75🎄

It took me over 3 weeks to write this. Because, of course it did. I figured I’d better get on it before the details start to fade in this never ending fog of cluster feeding, dirty diapers, and late nights.

So pull up an ice box and lend me an ear… or, whatever you have available (I know, guys – I’m delirious. It’s only going to get worse… you’ve been warned).

This is the birth story of my sweet Keithan.

I hated being pregnant. There. I said it. This time was harder than I remembered, which is the theme of the past 9ish months. Hard.

Truthfully? I feel like a real jerk admitting that because other than stupid weight gain, puke and peeing my pants, this pregnancy was much like my other two.

Uneventful.

And that’s incredible. Not to overuse the hashtag blessed here but for real. We’re #blessed.

Truthfully number two? I think both Kyle (that’s my hubs and not some random dude in case you were wondering) and I were hesitant to have a third baby because we wondered if we were pushing our luck, you know? Like, maybe we should stop because two healthy kids is like hitting the jackpot and eventually your luck runs out. And I was old this time. 35. Advanced maternal age bull crap.

It made us so nervous. 

“What if something goes wrong? What if he has health issues. What if I have health issues? Can we handle it all?”

Isn’t that a terrible reason? Thankfully, we listened to God’s whispers and forged ahead. Keithan is so perfectly perfect in every way. And we’ll get to that in a moment. But first? Contractions.

I had fairly painful contractions for a full week before I gave birth. In 2008 and 2010 when I had each of my girls, we had to use this old fashioned thing called pen and paper to time our contractions. But not this time, folks. Nope. This time we used an app to time those bad boys.

And it LIED to me.

OK, it probably wasn’t the apps fault (maybe user error?) but it did get my hopes up. I was having consistent contractions 4 or 5 days before he was born and each time I would get this message.

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

And then this one.

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

Bastards.

I was just so ready to be done being pregnant. I had the world’s worst cold (no, really) about 5 days before he was born too – so that was awesome. I was coughing so bad and any woman who has had a baby knows coughing at 78 months pregnant is not good for the bladder.

Yikes. O.

I should have bought stock in pads that week, because I used them. A lot. 

It was terrible, guys. Like – I was a sight. And I smelled like urine. And I was starting to walk like a 115-year-old woman because my back hurt so dang bad. 

Again… awesome.

I had a doctor’s appointment on the morning of the 2nd, so Kyle ventured with me. My regular doctor was on vacation (of course she was, darn it) so I had someone new. (And folks, she was lovely. And young… but really lovely.)

She told me the good news. That…. I had not dilated and was still sitting tight at 1 cm. 

Blerg. Bring on the pee. 

Kyle and I went on a quick coffee date that morning and I’m so glad we did. Because by the next morning, it was finally game time. 

Early Friday morning on March 3rd (we’re talking 4ish am) I felt those contractions again. Since I wasn’t sleeping anyway, I decided to get up and work on the ole’ Her View site, just in case baby decided to make his appearance.

Which was good, because by the time the rest of my house started to stir, I decided it was probably THE day. I have a history of having fast babies (hello less than two hours with my 2nd!) so I knew I couldn’t mess around. There would be no baby delivery in my bathroom. K? Thanks. Still, I didn’t want to spend a lot of time in the hospital laboring either… so, we waited just a bit. I did make sure to take one last picture with the girls before they headed off to school! This would end up being my last baby bump pic!

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

Contractions weren’t super close at first, so I told Kyle to go ahead and go into work. He took one look at our house (um, disaster + it likely smelled like pee?) and decided to stay home to work, clean and monitor those contractions. Finally around 10:45 a.m. we decided to call our doctor.

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

We ventured to our local clinic just to be 100% sure these were the “real deal.” My blood pressure freaked out my docs and they sent me to the hospital right away. Apparently it was high? I don’t know. I was high on pain at that point and a little disappointed in myself for not getting that darn pedicure.

Priorities people. Priorities.

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

I was also sitting pretty at 3 cm. So we knew it was go time.

We checked into the hospital around noon and got down to business – which means, I started my birth plan.

What was my birth plan, you ask? Great question. There wasn’t one. I like to “wing” a lot of things in my life, birth plans included. 

“Please let me know if you have any special requests,” asked my nurse.

My only request? To just wing it with me. 

So the hubs and I turned on some 90s music on Pandora, switched the TV over to a House Hunters marathon and got down to business. 

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

Will I have an epidural? Maybe. Maybe not. I was going to see how I felt. Honestly, I thought I could do it without one. With my 2nd, I was 8+ dilated before I had any drugs. Even my doc that time around said, “Leslie, I think you can just do this without.” (I wanted an epidural that time but she came too fast.) I ended up with an intrathecal for my second girl and hoped to do the same with Keithan if needed.

(I should note – I didn’t want to try without drugs because I wanted to be super, or special or even because I was worried about it. Nope. I was just curious. Like – this was our last baby and maybe I should just really do this without just to see what it’s like. Come to think of it, that’s how I live most of my life. I know.)

My nurse suggested I hop on the big ball to get things moving and boy did they ever.

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

Guys, holy buckets of cats. Talk about pain. This is proof that every baby and every pregnancy is 100% different. By 5 cm, I thought my body was going to break in half. I went from a 3 to an 8 in about an hour and when I started cussing, (Kyle said I only dropped one cuss word – but in my head, the F bomb was flying like mad) I decided it was time for drugs. Screw trying something new, I was over it.

(Again, I could have probably done it, but it’s best not to “wing” a birth plan if you want to go without drugs. Heh.)

This guy held my hand during every contraction and was so incredible throughout the entire birth. I’m kinda a big fan.

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

Keithan was coming too fast, so we did the intrathecal and also prepped for an epidural too. The intrathecal was so perfect. I was laughing with the nurses and asked the hubs to take pictures. Seriously, it was glorious and FAST. 

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

Until it wasn’t. Those things only last about an hour and a half – which we all thought would be plenty of time since I was moving so quickly – but it wasn’t. When I got to about 9 cm, the pain came back, friends. And that’s when they gave me the epidural and I started to float on the ceiling.

Ugh.

I have a love/hate relationship with drugs. I would be the worst drug addict.

They broke my water and unfortunately, we found out it was meconium stained. Sometimes baby’s have trouble breathing when this happens, so they couldn’t put him on my chest right away which was a bummer. (I was told this can happen because of stress – so perhaps the high blood pressure issues or my nasty cold from the days prior had something to do with it?)

By this point, my legs weren’t numb but I couldn’t feel to push. No matter though, he came out in about two pushes.. screaming.

Which is just about the best sound ever.

By 5:22 p.m., our sweet boy was born. 

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

They whisked him away to check over and gave us the all clear within minutes. 

Thank God! 

I just kept looking at Kyle asking him if all was OK. He probably told me a handful of times that all was well – but I didn’t feel sure until the little guy was in my arms.

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

After was a blur as it usually is. Lovely mesh panties, nurses pushing on my stomach (holy pain!), stitches, visitors, monitors beeping, cluster feeding and baby snuggles. I finally got out of bed a few hours after he was born to take that glorious first shower. You know the one? When you stand in the warmth of the water and ponder the fact that you just made and delivered another human being.

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

Mind. Blown. Yes – even the third time.

As a “push present” for myself, I devoured an entire family size bag of almond M&M’s (in like two days) gifted to me by my sister, Linds.

It was the best gift ever. 

Kyle and I feasted on cheeseburger and fries after the delivery (holy starving!) which was a welcome treat since I had nothing to eat that day except a granola bar. Nice planning, Leslie. Honestly? I didn’t want to puke or poop on the doctors, so I purposely avoided food that morning. In hindsight, I should have just. had. food. 

Duh.

My mom and dad were the first ones there. Talk about bawling… when Kyle said, “Keith meet Keithan” my heart melted into 590 pieces. Our baby is named after my dad, Keith and Kyle. So basically, he has the best name ever. Two of my favorite guys. 

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

The girls came in to meet him too, and I was just a mush. 

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

Two days later, right before check out, my head started to pound. Like, really pound. Turns out I had a darn spinal headache from that epidural.

Grrr.

My platelets were too low so they could’t fix it with an epidural blood patch, meaning – I had to spend the first few days at home with my new baby and a lovely headache. Had I known I would have a terrible headache for days after, I would have tried to push that kid out with no drugs. It would’t have been pretty, folks. But it WOULD have been better than my headache. 

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

They did give me extra fluids in the hospital minutes before I checked out – which helped for a bit. 

That’s why it was HARD those first few days. Thankfully, Kyle was a huge support and by mid-week the headache had lifted and I felt back to normal. Or… as normal as one can feel a few days after giving birth. 

On Sunday morning, we checked out and made our way home. Even though our hospital stay and all the nurses/staff were wonderful, there’s just nothing like your own home to make one feel so much better. Clearly we were excited to break outta there!

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

It’s a cool feeling to know we are “done” with this stage of our lives, you know? The baby factory has officially retired. It’s closed for business. It has shut down for good. Any way you say it, sounds lovely. It had a good run with three healthy babies, and now we retire that time of our lives. 

Am I sad about that? Nope. I really just feel so incredibly content.. and happy. 

Guys, I’m so in love with this little dude. I honestly can’t imagine life without him. Thank you for all your love and prayers this past month and throughout the entire pregnancy. We are so lucky and thankful.

(This pic via Blue House Fotos)

Welcome To The World, Keithan Kyle! (Birth Story) www.herviewfromhome.com

 

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our new book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Leslie Means

Leslie is the founder and owner of Her View From Home.com. She is also a former news anchor, published children’s book author, weekly columnist, and has several published short stories as well. She is married to a very patient man. Together they have three fantastic kids.  When she’s not sharing too much personal information online and in the newspaper – you’ll find Leslie somewhere in Nebraska hanging out with family and friends. There’s also a 75% chance at any given time, you’ll spot her in the aisles at Target.

Brothers Fight Hard and Love Harder

In: Kids, Motherhood
Two boys play outside, one lifting the other on his back

The last few years have been a whirlwind. My head has sometimes been left spinning; we have moved continents with three boys, three and under at the time. Set up home and remained sufficiently organized despite the complete chaos to ensure everyone was where they were meant to be on most days. Living in a primarily hockey town, the winters are filled with coffee catch-ups at the arena, so it was no surprise when my youngest declared his intention to play hockey like his school friends. Fully aware that he had never held a hockey stick or slapped a puck,...

Keep Reading

Stop Putting an Expiration Date on Making Memories

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother and son in small train ride

We get 12 times to play Santa (if we’re lucky). This phrase stopped my scroll on a Sunday evening. I had an idea of the direction this post was going but I continued on reading. 12 spring breaks 12 easter baskets 20 tooth fairy visits 13 first days of school 1 first date 1-2 proms 1-2 times of seeing them in their graduation cap and gown 18 summers under the same roof And so on and so on. It was essentially another post listing the number of all the monumental moments that we, Lord willing, will get to experience with our...

Keep Reading

When Your Kids Ask, “Where Is God?”

In: Faith, Kids
Child looking at sunset

How do I know if the voice I’m hearing is God’s voice? When I was in high school, I found myself asking this question. My dad was a pastor, and I was feeling called to ministry. I didn’t know if I was just hearing my dad’s wish or the call of God. I was worried I was confusing the two. It turns out, I did know. I knew because I was raised to recognize the presence of God all around me. Once I knew what God’s presence felt like, I also knew what God’s voice sounded like. There is a...

Keep Reading

Go Easy On the Parents Who Refuse to Skip Naps

In: Kids, Motherhood
Two little boys and their sister walking down a gravel road, color photo

Greetings from a mom who is done with napping children. It’s great to have the flexibility during the day for longer activities, meeting friends for playdates, or day trips to faraway places. It’s a new life . . . the life without naps. The freedom to make plans and keep them. But not that long ago, I was something very different than the flexible, plan-keeping, up-for-it woman I am today. I used to be the mom who refused to skip my child’s nap. Yep, that one. Here’s the thing, for a lot of parents, It’s so much more than just a...

Keep Reading

My Heart Isn’t Ready for You to Stop Believing in Santa

In: Kids, Motherhood
Little boy standing in front of lit christmas tree

“My friend doesn’t believe in Santa anymore, Mom,” my son said out of the blue the other day. We were driving in the car, and when I met his gaze in the rear-view mirror his eyes searched mine. Immediately, my heart sank.  This sweet boy, he’s our first. Thoughtful and smart and eight years old. A quick Google search tells me that’s the average age kids stop believing in Santa, but as his mom, I’m not ready for that—not even a little bit.  I can still hear his barely 2-year-old voice going on about reindeer as we lay together on...

Keep Reading

Motherhood is a Million Little Letting Gos and Fresh Hellos

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother sitting with child on her lap by the setting sun and water

I missed my grocery-shopping buddy the other day. Mondays are usually the days my littlest and I knock out our grocery list. In the past, we’ve dropped the kids at school and then headed to the store. I grab a latte, and she chooses a hot chocolate. But that day, they were all in school. That day, she sat in her kindergarten class, and I went to the grocery store. Alone. A new rhythm. A changed routine. A different season. I listened to a podcast on the drive. My podcast. Then I grabbed a drink. Just one. I got the...

Keep Reading

Dear Kids, This Is My Wish for You

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother hugs three kids

To my kids, The world you’re stepping into is unlike anything I experienced at your age. It’s fast-paced, interconnected, and sometimes overwhelming. But within this chaos lie countless opportunities for growth and joy. My wish for you is that you find the perfect balance between embracing the modern world and staying true to yourselves. Change is one thing you can always count on. Embrace it because it’s often the motivation for growth. Embracing change doesn’t mean letting go of who you are; rather, it’s about evolving into the best version of yourself. Remember, you don’t need to have all the...

Keep Reading

Dear Daughter, Stay Wild

In: Kids, Motherhood
Mother and daughter on beach, color photo

I can’t really put my finger on it. Or manage to find all the words. But there’s just something about that girl. Maybe it’s the way her hair sits tangled. Curled up at the end. The way she moves. Dances. As if everyone was watching. Or no one at all. RELATED: There is Wild Beauty in This Spirited Child of Mine It could be the way she smiles. With her heart. The way only she can. The way she cares, loves. For everyone. For herself. You see, she is beautiful in the way only wild things are. The way they...

Keep Reading

You’re Becoming a Big Sister, But You’ll Always Be My Baby

In: Baby, Kids, Motherhood
Pregnant woman with young daughter, color photo

The anticipation of welcoming a new baby into the world is an exciting and joyous time for our family. From the moment we found out we were expecting to just about every day since, the love and excitement only continue to grow. However, amidst all the preparations for the new addition, I cannot help but have mixed emotions as I look back at old videos and pictures of my firstborn, my first princess, my Phoebe—for she will always hold a special place in my heart. As the anticipation grows, my heart swells with a mix of emotions knowing we are...

Keep Reading

Cowgirls Don’t Cry Unless the Horse They Loved Is Gone

In: Grief, Kids, Loss
Little girls Toy Story Jessie costume, color photo

The knee of my pants is wet and dirty. My yellow ring lays by the sink—it’s been my favorite ring for months. I bought it to match Bigfoot’s halter and the sunflowers by his pasture. Bigfoot is my daughter’s pony, and I loved him the most. The afternoon is so sunny. His hooves make the same calming rhythm I’ve come to love as I walk him out back. A strong wind blows through the barn. A stall labeled “Bigfoot,” adorned with a sunflower, hangs open and I feel sick. I kneel down by his side as he munches the grass....

Keep Reading