Claire's birth story

I don't know if I've ever written down the story of my sweet daughter's birth! Pulling from memory 13 yrs ago doesn't really seem so hard when I think how precious the whole time was. Cameron was 13mo old when we found out we were pregnant with our second child. We lived in Mishawaka, Indiana at the time, where Tim was the youth pastor at Twin City Baptist Church. I had a great pregnancy, nothing scary or unusual. I remember my doctor was a Chinese guy, Dr. Kim. He was one of the best ob/gyns in the area, just really hard to understand sometimes! This was in 2001, when maternity clothes were just starting to become fashionable. Before, when I was pregnant with Cameron, I remember struggling to find cute clothes to wear that actually fit me!! Motherhood maternity had some pretty decent things to wear but ran kind of large so a lot didn't really work for me. When I was pregnant with Claire, I remember shopping at target a LOT for cute outfits :) (and the obsession with target hasn't changed in 13 yrs ha!)

I loved dressing up my bump! By the time 19 weeks rolled around, we were super excited for our ultrasound to see if we were having the girl i so desperately wanted!! I remember calling my dad, asking him to please please pray the baby was a girl. He graciously obliged:) I had to guzzle down 40 oz of water less than an hour before my appt. really?? 40 oz of water, and then hold it all in for 2hrs?! I remember having to go to the restroom so so desperately it hurt to walk. I literally hobbled into the doctor's office. Lying on the table brought a little relief, only because the scan took my mind off my pounding bladder. Baby looked perfect!! Aaannnnd .... Unfortunately, the cord was perfectly woven through the baby's legs, and the tech couldn't get a clear enough picture of the gender. What. 

"Uhh, should I turn over? Can I take a quick walk??" I hesitantly asked ... 

Ok, I turned from side to side. No go. By the time 15 mn passed, the tech firmly said we just wouldn't be able to find out the gender today. Maybe at a later ultrasound?? 

Um. Well, our insurance would only cover one ultrasound unless medically necessary. Darn it!!!! How in the world was I going to make it another 5 months until I knew what we were having?!? After a quick (long) stop at the bathroom, we dejectedly returned home. So we spent the next several months planning for baby X :) I bought mostly neutral sleepers, along with a few pink girly outfits just in case!!! 

Claire's due date was August 23, which was a Thursday. The day before I reached 39 weeks, I remember waking up in the middle of the night aching and mildly cramping. I ran a warm bath at 2 am, hoping the water would ease them and it did. The next morning, while making Cameron's breakfast and cleaning up the house, I remember feeling that achiness and cramping periodically, but it really didn't seem like anything major. I had a doctors appt that afternoon anyway, so I figured I would mention it to him then. We ate lunch, then buckled Cam into his car seat and drove to South Bend to see Dr. Kim! Tim stayed out in the car with cam, because he'd fallen asleep and we didn't want to wake him since it was nap time. I sat in the waiting room, leafing through magazines. We didn't have smartphones with Facebook on them yet!! :) When they called my name, I went back and talked with the doctor. He asked how I was feeling and I mentioned casually that i had been a little crampy and achy, but really nothing very painful. He nodded and then checked me .... His head popped up and he said calmly ....

"You are 5.5 cm dilated, Mrs. Holman. You need go to hospital right now!" 

"What??"

"You are in labor. You need to go to the hospital. Go to the front desk and tell the nurse we are going to the hospital. You are having a baby today. I will meet you there."

"What??" I was kind of in shock. Cameron's labor took FOREVER!!! How was I possibly already halfway done with labor?? I walked quickly out to the parking garage where Tim and cam were and told him the news. I didn't have a bag packed - we had nobody to take care of Cameron!! We called Tim's parents, who lived 4.5 hrs away and were on alert ... Come now!! We are having the baby!! We drove back home, I was a nervous wreck. Packed a quick bag, called a friend who lived down the road and asked if they could keep Cameron until our parents picked him up, probably around 5 hours. They gladly took him, and after we dropped him off, we finally made it to the hospital!

After I had gotten checked in and my IV taken care of, we waited for the dr to come and break my water. He came, quickly broke them, and I remember things picking up quickly after that, meaning, contractions became much more noticeable! I got my epidural and laid back to wait. We got to the hospital around 3, and by 630, Tim was getting hungry. He decided to run down and see what he could find to eat. I was nervous with him leaving and asked him to hurry up!! After he left, I looked over and realized he had left our only cell phone on the table by my bed. Nice. 

I started getting shaky, and my teeth were chattering. I  couldn't stop shaking and the nurse looked over, and said - ohhh, let me check you!! 

10 cm. 

what?! 

Where's Tim?!

Where is my husband?! I can't start pushing if he's not here?! The dr. came in, checked me too, and said - yes. You need to start pushing. You are completely dilated and baby is coming!! I was a mess. Where the hell did tim go?! I thought he'd just gone downstairs to the cafeteria!? Not even 2 mn later, tim casually walked into the room. 

Oh hey there. No big deal - I'm just FULLY DILATED while I had.no.idea.where.you.were!!!!! 

(Found out later he had walked to BURGER KING to get a freaking burger!)

I literally don't think I pushed more than 5 times and out the baby came!! 

Out SHE came!

Claire Elisabeth Holman was born at 7:34 pm, August 16, 2001. 

Ohhhh I was just over the moon to have my baby girl!!! Holding her, nursing her and cuddling her while in the hospital was the most beautiful, precious experience of my life. 

We couldn't wait to come home :) Cameron was very gentle with Claire, although he largely just ignored her, maybe hoping this new, noisy little thing wouldn't be staying long!! ;)

For several weeks, poor little Claire hated her bassinet, and hated being put down to sleep. We set up the swing in our room and that was the only way she would sleep for a block of time in the middle of the night. I remember her being 3 days old, daddy and Cameron had gone to church that Sunday, and I dressed Claire in her first pretty pink flowered outfit. Daddy come home, saw sweet little Claire all darling in pink and his heart just.melted. He said it finally just hit him that we really do have a baby girl!!

3 weeks after Claire was born, I had my first experience with kidney stones. UGH!!!!! It was horrible - and having to avoid most of the pain meds because I was nursing made it even harder. Thankfully it all passed in 24 hours and I didn't have another repeat experience until after the birth of caloway. 

So my dear, sweet baby Claire - how truly loved, prayed, hoped for you were!! What a balm for the soul, a ray of light, hope and comfort you were during a difficult period of ministry!!! And God saw fit to bless us with only one precious little girl. You are a gift. A hidden treasure. A surprise totally worth waiting for! I think God moved your cord on purpose so that we could experience the unmatched anticipation of not knowing who was being formed in my belly, and relish in the sweetness of expectations, longing and hope being made in the form of our own darling daughter. 

We love you so very much dear Claire!!!!!