Hentges Photography: Introducing Valerie Joy Hentges

On June 21st, 2013 at 10:37 a.m. I welcomed into the world my second daughter, Valerie Joy!

40 Weeks Along with Valerie

Here is how it all went down!

I was a week overdue and needed to go in Thursday evening for cervical rippening and was scheduled to be induced on Friday the 21st (8 days overdue.) I spent Thursday at my friend's mom's pool and quite a few people there could not believe I was out of the house... a week overdue with my 19 month old daughter. My reply was, "Well, I knew staying at home and dwelling on what I have ahead of me tomorrow is not an option and that this is way better!" I mean lets be real... who doesn't want to feel weightless when they are 41 weeks and 45 lbs heavier than normal! It was an amazing way to spend my last day carrying my little bundle of summer love! Well we made the call to the hospital at 5:45pm on Thursday and they confirmed that they did in fact have room for us and that they wanted us there by 6:30. Well we had a 45 minute drive to the hospital so we had to get going! As we went down the driveway, leaving Evelyn behind, the tears began to roll! I was so scared... and emotional. Scared of labor... scared of being a mom to two... scared of the unknown... the uncertainty! I was emotional about being induced, as I was induced two days with Evelyn! Emotional about leaving my little girl overnight for the FIRST time and not knowing how many nights it would be before I would be at home with her!! As we made our way our pastor prayed with Andy over the phone and then we prayed together as a couple!

Well, we made it to the hospital and about an hour after we got there, so 7:30 p.m, they finally got to inserting the Cervidil to do its magic on my cervix! When we got the hospital I was 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. We spent the night just watching movies on TV and listening to the storm rage outside. Between the contractions & the storm, I got only a couple hours of sleep! From about 1 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. I was just have uncomfortable tightening contractions. From then until 6 a.m. I was having some noticeable contractions that I could have still talked through but definitely had to focus on breathing and even get on my hands and knees to be more comfortable. Well the nurse who had on duty that whole night came in and asked me "Are you noticing these contractions that you are having every 4-5 minutes?" and I replied "Yeah, they are pretty uncomfortable and I am having to breath through them." She commented that she was surprised that I was not reacting more! Well she took the Cervidil out at about 6:45 a.m. and to her surprise found that I was at 5 cm & 90% effaced. She told me she would pass this onto the midwife and discuss whether to put me on pitocin or not but that they are going to want to get the room set up for delivery since when I did finally go into labor with Evelyn, things went pretty quick. The nurse asked if I would like to get into the tub and began to run the water. Now the tubs at Woodwinds are... phenomenal! They are so massive! With Evelyn I was having way too strong of contractions, especially in my back with being on pitocin, that I could not get comfortable in the tub! So, I was thrilled to be able to take advantage of the tub this time around! So I got in around 7 and Andy ordered me breakfast. I went all out with Belgian Waffles with Strawberries & whip cream and a side of sausage & hashbrowns! The midwife came in around 7:30-7:45 to check on me and told me to continue on with what I was doing... that was I doing great breathing through my contractions. Well breakfast came and right as I was finishing things were starting to get intense with the contractions came. I really had to brace myself and breath through them very carefully. At about 8:45 we decided it was time for me to get out of the tub and have the midwife check me for her first time since the nurse checked me earlier. Well to all of our surprise I was at a 7 cm & 90% effaced. The midwife recommended that we get the birthing tub filled and then she would break my water to get things going and hopefully meet this baby before noon. So the tub got filled & at about 9:15 the midwife broke my water and found my cervix was at 8 cm. Off we went to the water birthing room. I really did enjoy my experience with a water birth. I was definitely VERY uncomfortable during contractions after my water broke, which my midwife warmed me about. I went from my hands & knees to my back and repeated that for the rest of my labor. I had a cervical ring that was not wanting to go away and was making this extremely painful as Valerie was not able to get deeper into my Pelvis. Well at about 10:20ish my midwife could tell I was loosing my drive and that we really needed to work on getting baby out. She put her hand up there and pushed the cervical lip out the way and told me I needed to push. It was so unbelievably painful!! With Evelyn I had such a drive to push... my body did it on its own. I would be pushing mid-sentance but with Valerie... I had no desire to push and I felt like there was no give with baby going deeper into my pelvis. But I pushed... and screamed my head off. Andy had to point out that I was yelling "Owie! Owie! Owie!" What can I say... I talk to a 19 month old all day!!! :-) With Evelyn.. I did not make a peep... with Valerie... my throat was pretty horse when it was all said and done!! Well after multiple position changes to try and get that ring to go away... and my midwife pushing it out of the way and instructing me to push... that I had to even though I didn't want to... that we needed to get baby out... Valerie finally made her way into the world at 10:37 a.m. The words that came out my mouth as tears welled up in my eyes was... "I am done! I am finally done..." I was so relieved to be on the other side of it all... with baby in my arms!! She weighed 9 lb 1.6 oz and 21 inches long! No wonder pushing was a challenge with her!! She weighed a whole pound bigger than Evelyn!!! It was so weird to me how much Valerie was covered with that white, desitin-like goo... Evelyn was wiped off before she was thrown up onto my chest so it was weird to see Valerie fresh from the womb. The one thing I noticed with a water birth is that baby does not really cry in those first moments. I kept asking the midwife and nurse if she was okay because she was not crying and they told me that is a water birth baby for you! They don't cry as much!!

So they got me out of the tub and I walked to the bed and got ready to bond with baby as the midwife stitched me up. I had some minor surface tears around my Urethra and so they had to put a catheter in overnight to make sure they did not stitch shut or that it wouldn't swell shut. Wouldn't that be a treat! So that was different... I tore the same spot with Evelyn but they took the catheter out right away. I was not crazy about having that in for the day but at the same time... it was nice to not have to get out of bed as your balance is so off and you are drained from the most intense workout you could ever do! Not to mention the bleeding and just the weird feeling of your pregnant belly being gone and all your organ returning to its place! Yeah.. it was nice to just stay in bed and hold my precious Valerie Joy! My first day of summer baby!

We were able to go home the next day, Saturday the 22nd, and what a relief it was to be home! We even introduced Valerie to some of our church family at the church picnic at 23rd where we got a round of applause as we walked up to the picnic shelter! We got called crazy for being out so soon but yet amazing at the same time! Oh well! After going 8 days over my due date, we couldn't wait to show her to the world!

We are all doing well here and are overjoyed to have Valerie apart of our family! Evelyn loves being a big sister making sure baby has her nuk, hat on, and is well rocked in her bassinet. We have had some challenges... not directly involving Valerie. Evelyn refuses her crib now but she also has a meltdown whenever it come to naptime or bedtime in her big girl bed. We have dealt with frustration from Evelyn as mommy can't get up and be wherever she wants me... as I have another baby to nurse and care for! It has been so wonderful having Andy home all week and I dread Monday when he returns and I am left with both kids. Let me tell you though... I love being a mom of two! I feel like having a first was so much harder and way more overwhelming than having two! Having a toddler keeps things interesting & fun as newborns don't do much but eat, sleep and poop but yet newborns seem so easy compared to the busyness of a toddler!

I am so abundantly blessed by the family that God has entrusted me with!! I look forward to seeing what God has in store for this family of four as we continue the process of closing on our new home in a month or so!! Lots of changes here in the Hentges household! But we could not be more thankful or excited as we start both of these journeys!