As most know I was in the hospital from 25 weeks pregnant until 28 weeks pregnant. My doctor realized that my body was handling the pregnancy weird and therefore trying to go into an early labor. I felt and noticed no symptoms, so it was a hard transition. During the time in the hospital many friends came to visit and keep us company. I had a few girlfriends come keep me company while Josh worked during the days, and in the evenings some of our couple friends came to play games and bring us home cooked meals and Red Robin! This time was so challenging for Josh and I but honestly, it is one of the greatest memories. Sure, I was an emotional wreck, we were tired of only having one room to live in, Josh was tired of sleeping on a cot and I was tired of having blood drawn every two days or so, as well as sleeping and sitting on a hard hospital bed. But, it was a time that Josh and I were able to grow closer and know each other more. Our friends and family did so much for us during that time and it was such a learning experience to realize there is nothing wrong in showing your vulnerability and weakness. God's faithfulness in teaching us these precious things is incredible.
When I was released from the hospital in mid July I was put on strict bedrest. The bedrest was hard for me to take since I had been so active during my pregnancy thus far! Josh and I were supposed to move back to Pennsylvania at the end of the month; but, because of the circumstances we decided we should stay in Michigan until the baby was born. That meant we had to find a place to live, but still move out of our apartment and have it cleaned by the beginning of August so students could move in. Josh was working 40 hours a week and trying to make up for a lot of the hours he missed while I was in the hospital, which meant I had to try to pack and clean little by little and Josh helping as much as he could while working. Unsure of where we were going to be moving to temporarily our friends Drew and Grace let us put our things in their basement. A couple days later Josh was approached by our friend Brandon who offered us a room at their place. Being a family of six, we were so shocked at their generosity and took them up on their offer. So, at the beginning of August, we moved our bed, dresser and Jude's things into our bedroom at their house. We loved living with them! Josh and I learned so much and really loved being a part of their lives. When I think back to those months and they always bring sweet memories.
Fast forward to the beginning of September our friends from school were getting married. The wedding was a couple hours away but we decided to go. Little did we know this was the last picture we would of taken together before Jude arrived! The evening before Jude arrived I remember I was
That night I woke up around 2 a.m. thinking I had a huge gas bubble, I didn't want to wake Josh so I went into the bathroom and sat on the floor. I wasn't in pain, I was just really uncomfortable. After it subsided I went back to bed, however, every time I laid down another one would come. I then realized they may be contractions so I started timing them. I didn't think I was timing them right because they were about one minute-two minutes apart. Josh woke up to me moving around in bed, he proceeded to look at my phone and then sprung out of bed immediately. I asked him what he was doing and he said, "We need to get to the hospital!" I shrugged him off and told him I was fine. Very seriously he said, "No, we need to go!" Slowly I got out of bed and started getting dressed. Josh was already getting our bags and went to start the car. I took my time getting ready and we were out the door around 3:15 a.m.
When we got to the hospital they took their time, I think they thought it was a false alarm because of how calm I was. They took my weight, blood pressure, etc. and got me into a room to start monitoring my contractions. When the nurse came in to check she was very surprised at how calm I was (she kept calling me a Buddhist monk saying I had such a high pain tolerance) since I was 7cm dilated and contracting quite a bit. The staff scurried to get me into the birthing room and ready for delivery. They checked me again to see if I progressed and I was 9cm dilated and told me I was having a baby! Josh then made calls to our family to let them know I was in labor. The nurses were trying to get me to pop my water by pushing but it was too strong and had to be done by the doctor. I asked for some mild pain meds because the contractions were so tight but there was no time! So they went to try and find the doctor on call and finally got him into my room. He was surprised at how fast I was progressing and got dressed as fast as he could. As soon as he was ready I started pushing. At 4:30 a.m. I started pushing and at 5:15 a.m. on September 17th my beautiful baby boy was born without any complications. Weighing in at 7 lbs 7 oz., 20 1/4" long he was perfect.
That day and the next were filled with visitors, phone calls and pictures. Our first visitors were Heather and her kids, they were all so excited to finally meet baby Jude who had been inside my belly for so long! My parents were the next visitors. They left Pennsylvania around 4:45 a.m. after we called them and arrived at the hospital in Michigan around 2 p.m. They were excited to finally meet their third grand baby! Josh and I were ecstatic to finally meet our precious son.
We stayed in Michigan until the beginning of October and officially moved to Pennsylvania on October 9th. Josh and I have been forever grateful for all of the cards, gifts, support and love that our friends and family have given us. It has been exhausting, enlightening and encouraging. We couldn't be more grateful and are excited to have you all alongside us in this new journey and are excited to share Jude's life and growth with you all! God is so, so good.
With love,
Felicia
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