it's a BOY!!!!!!!

March 10th, Jonah and I welcomed the newest addition to our family.

Austin Don Stroud

7 pounds 8 ounces
19.5 inches
born at 9:35 p.m.

here is the pregnancy drama..... it is really long- sorry;(

throughout my pregnancy, we ( myself, my midwife, and my OB-in St. George )watched my blood pressure very carefully because of the issues I had with Jackson. So when my blood pressure started to fluctuate around 32 weeks, my OB decided that I should start coming into the office every week, to monitor my blood pressure. then at 34 weeks it became twice a week, instead of increasing steadily, my blood pressure jumped everywhere, one day it would be high and the next it would be completely normal. what we were hoping for was that i would be able to make it to 36 weeks preferably 37 weeks before i was going to have to be induced due to hypertension.

FRIDAY-36 weeks came and blood pressure was fine :) 2.5 cm dilated, 50 % effaced

back pains started

TUESDAY-next appointment blood pressure was borderline, HIGH, borderline, normal, normal, borderline ( yes, these are all from one day in fact a span of 2 hours) I was sent to L and D to be monitored, I was sent home after an hour and a half. 3 cm dilated, 80 % effaced

WEDNESDAY- OB suggested that I should have my in laws come down because she felt that i would be having this baby before the end of this week. called in laws

THURSDAY-blood pressure normal 120s/70s, but told OB that I was bleeding slightly, was sent to L and D to have an ultrasound to make sure that the placenta wasn't tearing away. sent home yet again after 2 hours. 3 + cm dilated, 80-85 % effaced

in laws pulled in town around 4:30

7:30 p.m.- water broke, or so I thought! went to L and D again, found out that it was not my membrane rupturing- totally felt stupid!!!!!! sent home

had constant contractions ALL weekend long

SUNDAY- contractions every 3 minutes for 2 hours, went to L and D 3 + cm dilated, 80% effaced- sent home again ;(

MONDAY- blood pressure HIGH 140s/90s, then borderline 5 minutes later 130s/high 80s. I did not have her check me!!! I was feeling completely frustrated and angry ( i was just so tired)

told in laws to go home,

after a good cry, I realized that i should just stop worrying and stressing- I should enjoy the last of my pregnancy.

TUESDAY-in laws drove home to Salt Lake

feeling much happier and relaxed

THURSDAY- blood pressure HIGH (higher than 160, we stopped when the pressure continued to go up) then borderline 148/93,

So when my OB came in the room she was not very happy with my blood pressure, when i told her that the borderline pressure was the second one we did, she said that she was going to send me over to L and D to be monitored - I told her that i was done going to L and D, and that I was not going to go over there unless I was having my baby.

she checked me and I was still dilated to a 3 + and 80 to 85 % effaced- really ???? no change in over a week

but there was one small difference this time..... my bag was bulging, big time!!!

her exact words were " okay, we are going to have this baby today, I am inducing you now, let me go make some phone calls". "um, I hope you go fast, cause I leave tomorrow morning on vacation"

the nurse came in and said told me that I needed to walk over to L and D with her, right then- that would have worked except that both Mara and Jackson were with me and kids are not even supposed to go in the waiting room at the hospital let alone the L and D unit. So I drove home, hoping to have a neighbor girl watch my kids until my father in law got here from Salt Lake.

When I got home, I ran over to the neighbors house, she wasn't home, but her sweet older sister said that she would watch the kiddos. I left in such a hurry I forgot to get her cell number, or give her my number. I left my kids with a neighbor girl that I had only met once- am I crazy or what!

4:25 p.m.- I got to the hospital and all checked in.

4:45 p.m.- started my pitocin

started having really good regular contractions

6:30 p.m.- OB on call broke my water

started having bad contractions - yippee :)

8:30 p.m. was checked, 5 cm dilated, 90% effaced

decided to get an epidural, every contraction I had I was tensing up- not fun

9:00 p.m. epidural placed

still having really bad back labor, baby sunny side up- was turned on my right side to hopefully shift the baby

9:15 p.m. checked again, 10 cm dilated, 100% effaced

15 minutes from a 5 to a 10!!!!!!

next two contractions, I pushed to see what I could do. nurse told me to stop pushing, baby was almost crowning

9:25 p.m. OB called

9:30 p.m. OB arrived

contraction...... pushed three times and the head was out, pushed one more time

9:35 p.m. baby born

I said "WELL, WHAT IS IT?"

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!

we finally knew what gender tipped our family scale, boys= 3, girls= 2

(I had 6 ultrasounds, i think that is pretty good for not finding out)

as the nurse took our new baby boy away to clean him up she said " he's got red hair" Jonah and I just laughed

we are very excited to be able to have three beautiful kids.

Mara and Jackson are very happy to have a new baby in the house, Mara wants to hold him constantly, Jackson wants to kiss him and love him all day long :)