Porter Ward-An Amazing Birth Story

Porter Ward
July 16, 2013
8 lbs 5 onces
20.5 inches

After all the complications and illnesses with Lincoln's Birth Story, I seriously NEVER wanted to have another baby again. No, seriously. It was that dramatic for me! I never got baby hungry ONCE either. Which apparently is not common for most women. But then... in January of 2012, I started feeling like it was time to have another baby. I fought this feeling off for so many reasons. I absolutely was NOT doing that again. The feeling kept nagging at me for a few months. Finally, I stopped fighting the feeling and decided it was time to just trust Heavenly Father. Last fall, I was a few days late and took a pregnancy test. It was negative. I remember feeling a little sad and irritated at myself for being hopeful. Then I got this STRONG feeling that it was going to happen next month. I brushed off that feeling and went about my life, figuring it may take another 5 years like it did with Lincoln.

 The beginning of Novermber, we were set to head out to Vegas to do some family sessions. The morning we were suppose to leave, Jory had gone to work to finish a job. I remember waking up (knowing I was maybe a day or two late)and just walking to the closet and getting a pregnancy test without even thinking or any hesitation. It seriously was the weirdest thing ever. And just like the test I took with Lincoln, that second line appeared seconds after the first line. I was SHOCKED AND FLOORED. It had only been 8 months!!! I did not think this was even possible. This pregnancy was A LOT harder then the first. I was SO SICK!! We seriously thought it was a girl with how sick I was. But we are so happy with our little Porter. He is just perfect and I am beyond smitten with this baby.

 Unlike Lincoln's birth story, Porter's is so simple, quick and 100 times easier. During my pregnancy I kept telling myself this was the LAST time I was doing this and no more homemade babies for me. I told Jory he needed to open his heart to adoption or find a second wife if he wanted more babies. Seriously, I hate being pregnant! I ended up having gestation diabetes as well-which I like to call the "starvation diet." That was miserable as well.

 Our due date was July 21 and we were planning on another c section. Believe me, I was so beyond scared to do that again. Everyone-including my Dr kept telling me that the recovery from the second c section is A LOT better. It seriously made me feel only a little better. We were told that July 16th was the only date they had the week before to do the c section. We gladly took it. I was not going to wait one more week for my Dr to get back into town. I love him, but was DONE being prego.

 The day before we had Porter, I was scared to death, stressed out and on edge. I cried a lot that day. So many emotions were just getting the best of me. Luckily, we have this AMAZING friend named Cort who is always willing to come give me a blessing. I am so grateful for the men that worthily hold the priesthood. I NEED this in my life. He came over later that night and gave me a beautiful blessing-as he always has. I am so grateful for him in our lives. It was the ONLY thing that helped me calm down. Well, that and a fabulous pedicure I made myself go get! ;) I felt so much more calm and peaceful after that. Not that I was able to sleep much that night, but I at least I wasn't freaking out anymore!

 I woke up 4:30am July 16th to get ready to head to Orem Community Hospital. I was so excited to meet this baby, not be prego and start a new chapter in my life. We got to the hospital about 5:30am and checked in. We had the most AMAZING nurse who helped prep me. She truly took such good care of me that day. As we were prepping, I started to get scared again and she could tell. She was beyond kind and compassionate while trying to calm my fears. Dr Haward was the one that delivered Porter and he was so nice as well. I started getting really scared as I walked into the OR room. It was so white and sterile. At the same time, it was really quiet and almost peaceful in there. The anesthesiologist was AMAZING! I talked to him about what I was scared about and he told me what why those things happened and what he was going to do about them. As soon as these things started happening, he was QUICK to jump in and take care of them to make me feel better. The whole time, my nurse was there holding on to me and holding my hands to comfort me while telling me I was doing a great job. She kept talking to me about different things and it helped calm me down so much!

 Shortly after, Jory joined my side. I could tell he was a little nervous as well. Some how that made me feel a little better. Dr Haward walked in and we started the surgery. I couldn't tell the were slicing me open like I could with Lincoln. He told me I was going to feel some pressure. I felt a small amount and then I heard him say, "Ok, baby is out!" Really?! That was it?? It was amazing to actually be able to watch them clean and work on my little baby. They left him by my face for more then 2 seconds and I just felt such a sweetness about this boy. I was full of gratitude that he is all mine. I loved him right away!

After they stitched and stapled me, they wheeled me back to my room. That's when the nausea and dizziness hit. Bleh... there truly is nothing more I hate then those two things! It felt like forever until they brought my baby to me. It was amazing to be able to hold him. Niether of us were sick or had any complications. My main complaint is that the morphine and percoset make me feel so sick and dizzy After a day and a half, I just quit taking the percoset. I was able to go home on Friday and I was seriously so sad to go home. The nurses were so amazing and took such good care of me. I literally cried when I got home. Overall, it was such a good experience this time. Today my little boy is already one week old and it has gone by so quickly! I really hate that it goes by so fast and how quickly they grow! Here are some pics I took the Sunday after he was born! Isn't he so darling?!

I LOVE this one of my two cute boys together! Lincoln caught a butterfly and wanted to show his little brother so he stuck it on his head. ha ha ha ha....