Sawyer's Birth Story

Sawyer Jones Smith, born on June 21st at 4:35 am, weighing 6 lbs and 4 ounces, and 19 3/4 inches long! This little boy is by far my greatest accomplishment yet. I've been trying to write this post for a while now. If any of you reading have a new born, you will totally understand why it has taken me so long. I'm writing this as I continuously glance at the monitor to ensure he's still napping. 

For those of you that followed along on my pregnancy journey, you may recall me mentioning that my Dr. scheduled an induction for June 21st. I was given specific instructions to not eat past midnight and arrive at the hospital at 6:30 am. We alerted all of our family and arranged for everyone to be at the hospital. My bags were packed and I was as ready as I could be. I decided I would work from home the day before, not wanting to waste any time off. Fast forward to the early morning on June 20th. I woke up around 2 am to use the restroom for the millionth time per usual. I climbed back in bed and felt the need to immediately get up again. This happened several times throughout the night, leaving me with a suspicious feeling that something wasn't right. However, I didn't want to be the girl that goes to the hospital thinking she's in labor and is told to go back home. So, that morning I began to go down the dark rabbit hole of googling things, which left me unsettled and eventually lead to a phone call to my OBGYN. I wasn't in any sort of pain, but without getting into too many details, I had a suspicious feeling my water may have broken. I left a message with the nurse to call me back. I finally spoke with her two hours later and she asked me to come in at 2 pm to meet with my Dr. to see what was going on. My anxiety kicked in as I watched the clock, patiently waiting to leave the house, so I decided to take a nap. At this point I had only told Whit that something seemed weird and I was going to the Dr. because I didn't want to alarm him. The next thing I knew, my Dr. was telling me that my water had in fact broken and that I needed to go to the hospital. I asked if I could run home and grab my bags and was told "No. You need to go straight there." So, I drove myself to the hospital, calling Whit on the way to tell him it was game time. I never envisioned driving myself to the hospital or walking right into labor and delivery to check in as if I were checking myself into a hotel. Whit arrived not long after I got settled into my room. Our family was altered and they all began preparing to make the trip to Charleston one day sooner than planned.

I had decided that an epidural was an non negotiable for me because I'm a big baby when it comes to pain. I asked the team to make sure everyone taking care of me knew that I wanted one so there was no miscommunication. They told me to just say the word and they would make it happen. Around 5 pm, after starting to feel contractions (enough to say I knew what they were),  and at 3 cm dilated, I decided it was time to call in the team for an epidural.  I  hate needles and was honestly pretty terrified.  Whit held my hands as I endured the unpleasant sensation of the needle followed by the fluids that entered my back. And then the waiting game began. 

Family started to arrive and drift in and out of the room, keeping us company while we waited. The epidural set in and I couldn't feel my legs at all. I also started shaking uncontrollably, an effect of the epidural that was nothing more than just annoying but unsettling for others to see. I was so thirsty but wasn't allowed to have water. Popsicle's and ice chips are the only things that saved me. I must say that the hospital team was the absolute best, especially my delivery nurse. Everyone was so attentive, doing whatever it took to keep me comfortable and updated on my body's progression. 

It wasn't until around 1 am that I finally reached 10 cm. The nurse came in and said it was time to start pushing. Our families stepped out to find a spot on the couches in the waiting room and sleep until the next update. With every hour of pushing that went by, I became increasingly worried that I was going to have to have a c-section. The nurses said that after 24 hours of your water breaking you then become at risk for infection. That's all I could think about as I watched the clock on the wall tick. I knew I had to make it happen so I gave it my all and a roller coaster of emotions set in. There were times I was determined, I was mad, I was frustrated and I was sad. No workout could have prepared me for what I went through.  

At 4:35 am, and 3.7 hours of pushing later, we finally met our sweet baby boy. I am so thankful that I was able to deliver him. I had the best labor nurse that never left my side, coaching me through it and never letting me give up. She was actually told that she could go home early that evening but decided to stick it out with us. The compassion and dedication that she displayed is something I will never forget. She also wanted to find out what his name was. We had decided to wait until he arrived to choose. It was between Sullivan and Sawyer, and the minute we saw him we both knew his name would be Sawyer.

As soon as he was born he was immediately placed on my chest. As I held our sweet baby I couldn't stop staring at him. I felt as though I had just won the Olympics. My body was exhausted and I was running on pure adrenaline. I wish I could have bottled up the feeling I had when I finally met him and looked into his eyes. My greatest achievement of all time, a love so unconditional and a day that I will never forget. That little boy stole our hearts the minute we laid eyes on him. I will forever be grateful that God chose us to be his parents.

Babymoon in Destin, Florida

Ah babymoons — a great excuse to take a well-deserved break and relax with your spouse before the life changing craziness begins! I wasn't sure if Whit and I were going to be able to find time to escape but we managed to do so, just as I was nearing the end of my "travel cut-off." I actually had a doctor's appointment the day we were set to leave. I sat in the office knowing that there was a chance that I could be told I wasn't allowed to travel but thankfully my Dr. gave me the green light. We had booked a trip to Destin, Florida and had planned to drive. I was advised that we would need to make frequent stops for me to move around. I packed all my fluffy pillows and a blanket to make myself comfy and surprisingly the eight hour car ride wasn't that bad. 

Whit booked our stay at The Henderson, a luxury spa and beach resort in Destin, Florida. The resort is located just across the road from a white-sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico which to no surprise, is where we spent most of our time. We had the most wonderful stay at the resort, with top notch service and excellent accommodations. The private beach was one of our favorite things about the resort. The cabana service set up our chairs at the location of our choosing and there we sat, soaking up the sun and sipping on frozen beverages (the non-alcoholic version for me.)  

The resort also had two amazing pools, one for the adults only and one with a lazy river that was the main attraction for children. We chose to spend most of our time at the beach simply because of how beautiful it was. You can't beat digging your toes in sugary soft sand while staring at the emerald green water. The pool was a nice spot to lounge and enjoy a bite to eat (without a side of sand), after a long day at the beach.

I'll admit, when we first arrived in Destin Whit and I were both a bit concerned that it was a glorified Myrtle Beach. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but that's where Whit grew up and we were looking for something a little different. Our resort was tucked away from the craziness but yet close enough to restaurants and various other attractions. We arrived on Thursday evening, grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed to our room relax. 

Friday morning we woke up and had a lite breakfast at Primrose, one of the four places to dine at the resort and headed straight for the beach. 

Typically, I have a hard time relaxing when I'm at the beach, but ironically it was different this time. It felt so good to unplug, sit back and enjoy the sounds of the ocean without a care in the world. Later that evening we ventured out for a drinks at Marina Cafe followed by dinner next door at Boshamps, both of which came recommended to us by multiple people as well as our concierge. Both places were definitely more on the casual, relaxed, touristy side but that suited us just fine after a day in the sun.

I enjoyed a rich dish of lobster mac and cheese. All the carbs were consumed on this trip, and I blame it on the pregnancy cravings. 

Whit, unbeknownst to him, had booked the spa room which we discovered when we checked in the night before. Because of the length of our stay, this meant we got a nice little spa credit which I gladly welcomed. I woke up early Saturday morning to enjoy a relaxing prenatal massage. And afterwards treated myself to donuts from the infamous Donut Hole. It was the perfect way to start the day. I will note, the long wait for a table that I was warned about at the Donut Hole proved true. We tried to wait it out for a seat but decided to get ours to go. The red velvet donut was by far my favorite and I'm currently researching how to get some shipped to my house.

One of the beauties of being pregnant is devouring donuts and not having to worry about looking bloated before you hit the beach. I fully embraced the bump.

We decided to head out to Alys Beach for dinner that evening, with a stop at Rosemary Beach for drinks. I had been to Alys Beach before, but never Rosemary. The moment we arrived, I immediately fell in love with the vibe of this area. We stopped for a drink at Havana Beach Bar and Grill, the signature restaurant located inside The Pearl.

We had been advised to make it to a rooftop to enjoy the gorgeous sunset before dinner, so that's exactly what we did. Per a recommendation, we went to Pescado, a casual fine dining seafood grill with a rooftop bar overlooking Rosemary Beach. I could have stayed there all night. Not only was the inside adorable, but the views of the all white architecture of the surrounding homes were gorgeous. I loved everything about this place! We enjoyed some drinks and an amazing small dish of pan-roasted pork belly with humboldt fog cheese, fig compote and balsamic creme. I can't wait to go back some day when I can enjoy the cocktails and their raw bar.

Our dinner reservations were at George's, a restaurant located just a quick car ride over on Alys Beach. We enjoyed yet another delicious meal and hit the road back to our resort. It was nice to have one super casual evening near the resort and to enjoy our last evening, fine dining in a more upscale area. 

We loved Rosemary Beach so much that we decided to spend Sunday afternoon there before we headed back home. We checked out of our hotel and made the 40 minute drive out to Rosemary Beach, where we enjoyed a fabulous brunch at Wild Olives. 

I did a little shopping and we took in a few last views of the beautiful beach before hitting the road to go home. Whit and I both agreed that there will be a future trip planned back to Rosemary Beach. It is such a charming, picturesque community that feels so inviting.  I'm looking forward to going back one day. 

I'm so thankful that Whit and I were able to spend such a special time together and enjoy our last vacation as a family of two. We talked about how we envisioned our lives will look after welcoming our new little one and it's crazy to think we will be living that reality this week!

38 Week Pregnancy Update- Countdown to Baby Smith

Things are about to get real! I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that we will have a baby by this time next week. It’s seems so crazy and surreal. My Dr. has advised that we move forward with an induction on June 21st,  which is just six days before my due date. That’s the plan for now, unless he decides to make an appearance sooner. I feel like I’m about to explode!

I washed all of his little clothes the other week with the Laundress Baby Laundry Detergent which smells amazing. All of his things are so tiny that it makes folding a challenge. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to organize his clothes in a drawer. 

How far along? 38 weeks and 2 days.

Baby’s size: This week baby Smith is the size of a leek.

Weight gain: 21 lbs

Baby Name: Stay tuned! We will be deciding after we see him. : )

Energy & How I'm Feeling: We have been on the go lately. It seems we have a million events, dinners, birthdays, showers, weddings, etc. all this month. I’m just trying to continue on until I can’t. However, I hit a wall yesterday. I felt terrible and was in bed by 6 pm and was convinced that I might be meeting our little one today. But no baby, and I'm feeling much better now that I got some extra rest.

Thoughts Before Baby: I'm both scared and excited...but mostly scared to be honest. I'm scared for the actual birthing process. I know millions of women do it but it doesn't make any less nerve racking. I pray for a smooth delivery and healthy baby boy. 

I can't wait to see his little face. It's so crazy to think that this little human has been growing inside of me and we have no idea what (or who) he's going to look like. I have a feeling that he's going to look just like Whit did when he was little. I'm picturing chubby cheeks, big lips and little bald head. It makes me so excited to meet him when I think about it!

Appetite: I’ve been eating all the things lately, going on lots of dinner dates and treating myself to food I normally wouldn’t. I figured now is the time to take advantage and that's exactly what I'm doing.

Date Night at Purlieu 

Dinner with friends at Wild Olive

Workouts: No updates here. Still being lazy, per the Dr.'s orders. While I've appreciated giving my body a break, I'm also looking forward to getting back on track and in the gym when my body is ready.

Sleep: It's hit or miss these days. I wake up at least five times a night which isn't the worst part in my opinion. Trying to get comfortable again when I get back in bed is the frustrating part. It's hard to put into words the way my stomach feels. It feels like there is one giant bowling ball in there, is sore to the touch and supporting the weight is painful, especially since laying on your side is recommended.

Aches & Pains: I'm still having those sharp stabbing pains randomly throughout the day and the occasional back ache when I overdo it. But for the most part, not too bad. I feel more like my stomach is a balloon that has been overfilled with helium and is about to pop.

Movement: The movement is much more defined these days and almost alien like poking out of my stomach. It's kind of freaky sometimes, I'm not going to lie. But I still love feeling him move and panic when he's calmer than normal.

Wardrobe: I'm going to a wedding this weekend and have no idea what I'm going to wear! But on another note, I'm looking forward to the day I can get back into some of my summer clothes that I've shoved to the back of my closet. I'm also on the search for a good nursing bra to purchase after the baby is born. I need one that will work well with everyday clothes, not just lounging. Suggestions welcome!

Nursery Updates: The only thing that was missing from the nursery was a changing pad and I received that at my baby shower last weekend. So, we are all set! Well, actually I need to purchase a diaper pail but other than things seem to be in pretty good shape. I've spent the last few days putting away gifts from the last two showers and now have a new pile to sort through but I'm thankful for all of the things we've received. 

Monster has been hanging out in the nursery lately. I'm not sure if she senses what's going on or she just likes the new space.

Doctor's Visits: AKA my second home these days. As tough as it is to juggle meetings at work with stepping out of the office twice a week for appointments, it's totally worth it to keep up with what's going on with the little one. It's comforting to keep such a close eye on him and I love that I get new ultra sound pictures each week. I had an NST on Monday and a Ultra Sound yesterday. Both had good results and showed that he has gained weight. He's now up to 6lbs which is great news!

37 Weeks

37 Weeks

38 Weeks

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