Beautiful Life Made Easy: Chloe's birth story and life at home now

Our girl is home.

Sweet baby Chloe Isabella made her grand entrance into the world on July 12th and she has completely stolen our hearts.

It's been three weeks now since we brought her home--three weeks now since I felt those unbelievable pains that made us jump into the car and race to the hospital and three weeks since our household has gained one more tiny sibling to love on.

A sibling so tiny that she actually fits perfectly into their beloved baby doll crib--just for kicks.

And a sibling who is so adored that our biggest issue since coming home has been trying to give Chloe time to sleep without constant little hands and kisses all over her.

But with that said, these past three weeks have flown by and I feel like I barely have a minute to breathe, barely have a second to sleep, barely have a minute alone, barely have a minute to even write an email--let alone write in this space of mine. But I want to make sure that I remember the details...remember the moments, remember the feelings of how it all began. Because I just don't want to forget.

So here it is...Chloe's birth story.

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So there are rules, you see. Rules of labour.

Rules that I didn't even know were rules until I had my first baby back when labour was an unknown mystery that I was about to experience. It was a time when I went into it expecting that Terry and I would follow the protocol of him rubbing my back, talking me through the contractions, holding my hand and wiping the hair out of my eyes--all lovingly, and supportive as good husbands should.

And then I experienced labour for the first time, and all of that went right out the window.

Instead of asking Terry to lovingly hold my hand or rub my arm as a contraction whipped around my body, I found myself telling him to please don't touch me AT ALL. Every touch radiated pain somehow throughout my body, and every loving word of support and encouragement distracted me and irritated me.

I can do this on my own. Thank you very much for your help...but I'm good.

So the rules of labour began--no touching, no talking. Just sit there. The doctors will let you know when it's time to cut the cord.

So after debriefing the nurses about his crazy wife's rules "just so they don't think I'm a jerk ignoring you" Terry told me, he stood there and followed protocol, like the champ that he is.

**insert picture of me in full blown raging labour--one blonde pouf of hair to prove my existence in this photo, and Terry fulfilling his duties as perfect supportive husband, doing exactly as I asked.

It all began though as dinner was fast approaching on that July 12th afternoon and the achy feelings of pain in my stomach and back started to creep up on me.

"The moment you feel an ounce of pain, you need to rush to the hospital" my OB kept telling me throughout this pregnancy.

"Have clean towels ready", he told me "just in case Terry has to deliver this baby in your living room".

Because, you see, Sophia was born 40 minutes from the time that I had my first contraction with her--so every nurse, OB and doctor since then has told me that the next baby could come just as fast, or even faster this time around.

So as that first real jolt of pain crept throughout my body, I got on the phone and called my parents--who were at my house in a heartbeat, and then I called my sister who ran two doors over from her house and swung my front door open, ready to push me out to my car.

"I just want to wait for one more contraction to make sure that these are real" I said, not wanting to waste all of our time if I was sent home with false labour.

"Are you kidding me?!" I heard my sister say "GET IN THE CAR!!"

"Just give me a minute, I'll wait it out until another one comes, just to be sure" I said.

"TERRY, GET HER IN THE CAR!!"

And as another contraction, ten times stronger than the one that I just had whipped through my body, I listened to my wise sister and bolted for the driveway.

"This is definitely it--and it's happening fast" I told Terry as I held onto the side of the door as he raced as quickly as he could to the hospital. The pain was unreal already--exactly as it was when Sophia came so quickly. No build up, no time to breathe...just intense, wildly painful contractions, coming one after another quickly.

So as he sped up to the hospital doors, I slammed the door behind me and yelled to Terry "I'll meet you upstairs!".

"I'm in labour and this baby is coming fast" I said to the receptionist in triage as I held onto the front desk as another wild contraction took over my body.

"Ok, just have a seat over there in those chairs and we'll be with you shortly", the receptionist said to me with the same calm demeanor as if I just told her that I'd like to buy a cookie.

I looked at her like she was crazy--then took a seat, waiting 2 minutes until the next contraction took hold of me...calmly waiting for her reaction from it.

And then I smiled as I quickly heard her panicked voice yell over to me "Would the lady in labour please go into triage right now!!"

I felt the needle go into my arm as they started the IV, and Terry stood over me as they explained "You're only 4cm dilated, so we have some time".

I looked at the nurse between contractions and explained to her "So, just so you know, when my last baby was born they told me that I was 4cm and then my water broke seconds later and the baby's head was out--as I was in the hallway".

She didn't seem too concerned.

"Can you get into this wheelchair and we'll take you to a room?"

I could barely see straight the contractions were coming so fast---"Um...no"

"Wheel her out!" I heard another nurse say as another unbelievable contraction came, and all of a sudden I was being pushed in the bed down the hallway towards bright lights.

My sister was all of a sudden in the room with us and moments after rushing me in I heard her say "I see her head Erica! I see her head!".

And with a couple insanely intense pushes, we had our girl.

This tiny little bean. Sweet baby Chloe.

We called our parents just moments after she was born and they all trickled in to get some baby cuddles.

And after two nights of staying at the hospital, we were finally given the green light that we could take her home. So we started packing up our belongings and folding up our clothes when it really hit me. I held this sweet little girl in my arms, the most precious gift we could ever be given and I sobbed.

Terry put his arms around me and without me even saying a word about why I was crying he said "I know...I know. I knew this moment of going home would be hard. And it is" and he kissed my tear streaked cheeks.

Because he felt it too. The joy of bringing our baby home meant that the grief from the loss of her twin was all of a sudden so real again. When we once thought we'd be holding two babies that day in our arms and carrying two car seats down those hospital hallways, the grief from the loss of her sibling all of a sudden became incredibly raw.

So we took a moment to feel it as we held our sweet baby girl tight in our arms, and then packed up the rest of our things and headed for the car.

We made our way home where we were welcomed with cute little hand made signs, balloons and a lot of eager little people who couldn't wait to see their new sister and cousin.

**p.s. if you're pregnant, have you picked up one of these Baby Boxes? They're now available in Canada and when I was given one I honestly didn't think I'd use it--but now that Chloe is here we use is all the time. It's a box with a soft little mattress for the baby to nap in, and they fill it with all sorts of baby products for you to get started with your new baby. Just FYI.

And what would be better than newborn baby dolls for all the girls and new toys for the boys too for the day that Chloe came home. Thanks Nana!

So life has changed around here. Life is full and busy, and tiring and great. It is full of kids who can't get enough time with their new sister--who beg to hold her all day long. Who kiss her constantly, who love on her all day long, who fight over who got to hold her the longest and who love to help with every last detail of caring for her.

We have 2yr old Sophia who gives us a play-by-play all day long of what Chloe is doing or what she notices about her....

"Chloe yawning...she sleeping...she crying...she SO tiny...she has little feet...she so little...she so cute"

But it's also a life now that is full of incredible sleep deprivation, a mom who is trying to heal her achy body, trying to keep everything afloat, keep meals on the table, keep up with mounds of laundry and cleaning and keep life moving for the kids.