Having Sierra and Teesh only 25 months apart really took a toll on my sanity. I was so overwhelmed with all that it took to take care of them. They entertained each other most of the time, but were still so dependent I felt tired and exhausted a lot. When Teesh was 3 and Sierra 17 months we moved from Layton to Magna. We were in our home four days when I was called to be the Young Women's President. I was dumbfounded. Corby was working two jobs and I thought my world would end. I wanted another baby and I felt like it was time but with all that was on my plate I did not think I could handle it. Eventually things settled down and I became pregnant with you Malia. I was excited to find out that your due date was April 24th. I always wanted a baby that time of year. Once again my body handled the pregnancy perfectly and I was able to maintain my normal lifestyle. Since we moved I had to find a new mid-wife, Mindy. She was just as exceptional as Gretchen. When the day of the ultra sound came I wanted to keep your gender a secret but you Dad insisted we find out. When the technician said a girl they asked, "do you have any other children", we responded, "yes, two girls". He said, "well, looks like she will fit right in" and he couldn't have been more right. We loved you the moment we heard your sweet heartbeat.
To keep records accurate I would like to say that we were hoping for a boy since we did not have one yet and we even did some funny tricks to try to get a boy but Malia you were meant for our family and I wouldn't want a boy after getting to know you.
Pregnancy went well and quite fast too. I started scrap-booking during your pregnancy. I would get together with a lady in my neighborhood named Kaylen DeVires. It was a fun outing for me. On April 11th she couldn't get together so I put the little girls to bed and set up my scrap-booking area on the dining room table preparing to try to get caught up before your arrival. Earlier in the day I had lost my mucus plug and did not know what to think. I read in my book, "What to expect when you are expecting" and it said I could have the baby in 24 hours or even up to 2 weeks. I called my friend Alesia O'Keefe and said, "Hey you still on board if I go into labor". I sat up to the table scrap-booking away and around 10PM the contractions began. They started in so fast I could hardly handle it. Corby came home around that same time and we began the "is this the real thing or just false labor process". Around 11PM I knew it was the real thing and called Alesia to carry out our plan. She did not answer. I called 25x's (I later found out). I was really stressing out at this point. I was in a lot of pain. I remembered my parents were in town so we called them to come sit with the girls. My dad said they were in their pajamas and just couldn't help me out. I was beyond annoyed but not going to go down that road here. Happy thoughts! Eventually I called my first counselor, Darlene Fox. She worked at 4AM. I felt so bad disturbing her but I had no other choice at this point. She happily came over to stay with the girls until Kathleen was able to make it down from West Point, about an hour drive.
Once the girls were taken care of, Corby drove me to the hospital. While driving, I insisted we drop off library books and do a few errands, during the car ride my contractions pretty much stopped so I thought well we have time. We arrived at Pioneer Hospital at 12:20AM the nurse asked what I needed. Apparently I did not look like I was in labor for her to have to ask. She asked if I wanted a wheelchair but I declined. I wanted to walk to my room. On the way to the room, my contractions returned 110%, wowsies!
The nurse insisted I give her a urine sample. I thought I would have Malia on the toilet I was in so much pain. Corby was registering us and my nurse was assisting another patient so I was in the room all alone for 20 minutes. I knew I was almost ready to have this baby but with no one there I started to freak out a bit. Eventually my nurse came in and said oh my goodness call Mindy we are going to have a baby. Mindy, my mid-wife, was already at the hospital with another patient. Mindy literally walked into the room checked me and said push, with one push Malia was born. My bed wasn't broke, there was nothing ready for your birth but you came anyway. You were born at 1:09AM. I have to say it was short and super hard. I could not get my breathing down or my mind where it needed to be but you were born and were beautiful. You weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and 21" I had to laugh because Mindy told me to keep it on the down low that I walked in about a half hour ago and had a baby. She said the lady she was with had been in hard labor for over 10 hours. Shhhhhh.....I won't say a word, I could hear her screaming and she scared me just a bit.
Once again, I felt great. I literally had nothing to recover from. I wasn't even sore but if you could give me my perfect birth I would say be in hard labor for 2 hours instead of half hour, it is hard to control everything. I was so relieved to finally hold you in my arms Malia. You were perfect in every way. It cracked me up because apparently no one does child birth naturally anymore at this particular hospital everyone asked where my IV was.
Having a baby at 1:09AM is hard on so many levels but the hardest was not really getting to sleep that entire night. By the time the excitement of a new baby and giving her her first bath and all that jazz it was almost 6 AM and I had barely fallen asleep when I had visitors had 8 o'clock sharp. My parents were the first ones to come see you. I was still a little bitter with their lack of help the previous hours but I decided to let it go and just enjoy the moment. They said since I was so early(12 days before my due date) they figured I wouldn't have had the baby and so they did not take my call serious. Whatever! Alesia was the next for me to hear from. One of her kids turned the ringer off their phone so she was home but had no idea I had called. She said when I saw I had 25 missed calls I knew you had your baby. All in all it worked out and thank goodness for willing neighbors who sacrificed sleep to help a pregnant laboring women in need.
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