This week we welcomed Caroline Fern Yazel to the family. We weren’t expecting to see her so soon, but we are so happy she’s here.

The first picture of the three of us together, May 2022

On Tuesday, Paisley went to a routine 37 week appointment with the midwife to check Caroline’s growth and Paisley’s health. I received the call while eating an apple on my lunch break, “Ethan, they are worried she’s not growing enough and need to induce today”. Comically enough, we were planning on packing our hospital bags this week. Paisley and the midwife made plans to pack a bag and return to the hospital with me within 2 hours after getting packed for Caroline’s arrival. Paisley and I talked on the phone until we both arrived at home and could begin packing.

Much to badger’s disagreement, we hastily gathered our bags and transformed the car into a parent mobile before making our way to the hospital. Once in our room, the nurses began hooking up monitor after monitor to keep an eye on Caroline and Paisley through the night. I have to give credit to all of the nurses who helped us, they truly worked hard to comfort our worried souls through the process. The midwife visited us several times between her patients, answering questions about the induction medication and our concerns about Caroline.

We listed to her heartbeat on the monitors through the afternoon, evening and into the night before falling asleep sometime after midnight.

Around 2am Wednesday morning we were shook awake by the nurses speaking in rushed voices, “Get up right now, we need you to get on all fours as fast as you can”. Caroline’s heartbeat had “decelerated” or dropped too low and we needed to get her back. This was one of the first times I witnessed Paisley’s incredible focus as she pushed the pain in her arthritic joints to the side to do everything she could to help our baby. After what felt like years, the sound of my heart beating in my ears was joined by the steady beep of Caroline’s on the monitor. This would happen a couple more times that night, each time just as terrifying but it cemented the feeling that we had done the right thing by coming to the hospital.

At dawn, Paisley ordered breakfast and I went out to grab some coffee, the air smelled of late spring rain as the redwing blackbirds sang. Paisley was measuring 1cm dilated, but the nurses said today would have to be the day, the decelerations in the night meant that Caroline “Had their attention”, we met with the OB on staff and discussed the possibility of a C Section.

10am rolled around and the Midwife returned for another checkup, by now word of Paisley’s focus and determination to power through her contractions had spread through the hospital. As Midwife’s head came back up she exclaimed, “You are at 7cm!”. In a few short hours Paisley had guided her body to 7cm without complaint, it finally looked like we were out of the woods.

Paisley’s incredible focus would guide her through another 4 hours of contractions without complaint. The nurses would ask, “how’s your pain?”, to which Paisley would respond, “9/10” - each time the nurses would say, “you are doing so great”, “I’m so impressed”, or some variation of support that was so crucial to us as young parents. I will forever be impressed with Paisley’s strength and determination.

At 2pm we went through another check but Paisley’s cervix hadn’t budged. Time was ticking and stress was mounting, it was time to abandon our plans and get Caroline into this world. The staff started an epidural and within 2 hours Paisley was fully dilated and the baby was on the way. The room behind us filled with nurses, equipment, but we didn’t care. I know time passed differently for me in those moments but for the last time it was just the two of us.

In an incredible duet the midwife and Paisley worked in unison, the Midwife would call out direction and Paisley would follow with incredible strength. With Paisley’s sixth push, Caroline entered this world. For the first time we saw her and she was beautiful, perfect in every way. We were nearly in tears as the midwife laid her on Paisley’s chest, she made it.

We would spend the next two days in our room, just the three of us and the occasional check up. The world continues to be a bit of a mess, but for those two days we were in our own little world. Although she was a few weeks early, Caroline passed all her tests with flying colors. She is very strong despite her small frame. The only concern the doctors had was her ability to breastfeed, but both Caroline and Momma Paisley are doing great.

As I write, our little family is resting at home. Badger has fallen in love with his new best friend and the woods is beginning to smell like summer, we couldn’t be happier.

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Welcome Caroline Fern Yazel