Jade Isabella

She is here!!! Jade Isabella Johnstun was born on Thursday, June 4th, at 6:13 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs, 7 oz, and was 17 inches long. She is just a tiny thing!!! She has quite a bit of dirty blonde hair and is just skin and bones. So here is the story...

I was getting desperate, for many reasons: 1- I was totally sick of being pregnant, 2-my mom was coming in 3 days, I didn't feel anywhere near going into labor, and I really didn't want to waste any days with her without the baby, 3- I was TOTALLY sick of being pregnant. So let's face it, you are willing to try anything. I knew my doctor was on call all day Wednesday and into Thursday morning, so this was my shot. Jared and I decided to go out to dinner one last time as a threesome and that is where it would take place. Right before we got our chips and salsa I partook, that's right, I drank castor oil. Now I know that many of you are skeptical, so was I, I have heard many things about the oil, but I was going to give it a shot. I was prepared to be in the worst pain of my life, sitting on the toilet all night long, and preparing myself that all the pain would just be false labor. So after dinner we came straight home so I could be prepared.

I had friends tell me that the pains felt just like labor pains, but that they were really stomach cramps from the oil that comes with the diarrhea, and the real ones come after those or they don't come at all. So as I was sitting on the toilet feeling no pains at all. I was becoming depressed. I guess it wasn't working for me. My body reacts differently to everything when I'm pregnant though, so I was not surprised. So when it was 11:00 p.m. and nothing had or was happening I decided to go to bed and chalk it up as a failed attempt.

At 3:30 a.m., when I awoke to a pain in my lower abdomen, I thought, oh great, the false pains are coming late. I laid there trying to breathe through them. I stood up trying to breathe through them. I got down on all fours trying to breathe through them. I kept thinking only a couple of hours and they'll go away! By now I was really regretting the oil, my friend was right, she would never do it again, AND NEITHER WOULD I. These false contractions were PAINFUL!!! After about 1 hour and 30 minutes I was thinking that they should be diminishing, not getting more painful. But it was when I realized I had not felt the baby move that we should at least drive to the hospital to get things checked out. I was freaking out that the oil had caused some sort of complications with the baby. That is when I awoke my peacefully sleeping husband as I had been writhing in pain for the last 1 1/2 hours!!! I called my friend to come over to watch Taegen and away we went.

I still thought that these pains were false, so we were talking on the way to the hospital of how embarrasing it was going to be explaining this to my doctor and hoping he would not be mad. Jared dropped me off at the doors and he went to park. When I arrived at the 16th floor, I calmly said to the lady at the desk, "I think I'm in labor". It was hard to talk and hard to walk with the pains, but I was trying to be as calm as I could until I found out what was going on. They took me into the examining room so they could check things out. I changed into the gown and laid on the bed. By now Jared had gotten there and I was glad I wouldn't have to explain the story by myself. The resident came in to check my dilation. I was thinking ok, here it comes, she is going to say nothing is happening, but instead the words were "You're at an 8!!!" Oh my gosh, Jared and I looked at each other both thinking YEA, now we don't have to explain about the oil. But on the down side, no epidural AGAIN!! The resident basically said as soon as we break your water I think you're going to have this baby. So we were off to the delivery room, all this pain was not in vain. Obviously by now I was pushing, since I couldn't help the instinct, and the resident and doctor were quickly getting the room/instruments/ lidicain ready. Jared was looking to see if he could see the head when it happened, my water broke on its own. It shot 5 feet through the air almost hitting Jared square in the face... good thing he has quick reflexes! Then came the shots, trying to be squeezed in between the contractions. Luckily they got some in before she was born. After about 20 minutes in the labor and delivery room, out she came, looking very alien like, but very beautiful. They sat her on my stomach and I just soaked in every moment!!

So from the moment we left our house at 5:18 a.m., until I delivered at 6:13 a.m., I realized how lucky I was to not deliver her in the car (although I am sure Jared would have done an excellent job)! And let me say I am no longer skeptical.

Now may I present to you our Jade Isabella Johnstun...

More pictures to come and sorry for the long post!