Kayelee's Birth Story: Part 1

I've been wanting to write this for forever, but I finally got the kick in the pants I needed when the Relief Society in my ward encouraged us to work on writing our personal family history. The first month we are supposed to write about- guess what??- our labor/birth stories! So here it goes (Kal's birth story will be coming soon)...

Oh, my sweet Kayelee girl! Where do I even begin? When we were praying of when to have a baby, and felt like then was the right time, we had to put forth a lot of faith. We had been married a mere 7 months or so, and Jonald had just graduated from BYU-Hawaii. He did not have a job after graduation, and I was planning on having another year-and-a-half or so until I finished my studies. I was working on a minimum wage job as a tour guide for the Polynesian Cultural Center. The only way we could afford to eat (and we're talking Ramen, pasta, rice, or Mac-n-Cheese most days) was through the hard-earned scholarships I had received for the upcoming semester, which covered for my classes and part of our housing. But, we still felt strongly like Heavenly Father still wanted us to try and start our family at that time. 

Later, when we found out I was pregnant, we were both delighted and scared at the same time... plus all of my newly found surge of pregnancy hormonal feelings as well, haha. Jonald still didn't have a job at the time and we didn't know how we were going to make this work. I mean, like I said, we had a hard enough time feeding ourselves, let alone having another mouth to feed. Plus, we knew babies and all the crazy stuff that they will need can cost a pretty penny. At the same time, we felt peace as we knew God would be watching out for us, and he would bless us for following our promptings to start our family. We knew it would work out, somehow. We just didn't know how at that time.

The wittle peanut (:

 

Soon after, we were extremely blessed that Jonald was able to get a really, really great job working at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific in town. We felt a sigh of relief that we might be able to pull through and afford essential things (i.e. mountains of diapers) for our baby. Then, we found out we were having a girl! I was ecstatic because I had a feeling that was the gender before the doctor checked, and that was also what I had been hoping for all along. Even though Jonald wanted a boy at first, he was very excited as well to hear the news of us having a girl. I called my family and friends to let them know, even my mom, who was a cook at Girl's Camp that week and had to go to the top of a hill just to get cell reception. We were so excited to soon meet our baby girl! When my friends and family found out, we were blessed with many items of adorable girl clothes. We received hand-me-downs from 3 of my friends who were so sweet to share the clothes their girls had grown out of. Also, my sister, mother, and best friend Erika from Kentucky sent clothes for our sweet girl. This was a huge blessing for us, as we didn't have money to buy clothes for our baby at the time.

Over time, I had to stop working as a tour guide in April so I could complete one of my class requirements of doing an internship. I was blessed to find an internship at the same place my husband worked, as an office assistant in the Physical Therapy clinic in the mornings as well as a "second-check" medical filer in the afternoons. I went a couple days a week, so I could also keep up with my classes. I was busy, busy, busy and super tired. I had decided to go to take extra classes in both the Winter and Fall Semesters as well as go to school through the summer so I could knock out a semester of school and be able to graduate by that upcoming December. It was exhausting at exciting all at the same time.

Amazong diaper cake, given to me by my boss at my internship, on my last day.

The days flew by, I had an ADORABLE baby shower (hosted by Crystal and Marya) with some of my closest friends, and October 27th (the due date for her arrival) came and went. I wasn't expecting to be on time or early because it was my first child anyway. By that time, my feet and ankles had become very swollen. At my last doctor's appointment, I had measured dilated at a 2, but that wasn't convincing anyone that I would go into labor anytime soon.

On Halloween, my mom was in town waiting for baby's arrival. I decided I was done being pregnant, so I chose to go Trick-or-Treating with my mom and Marya. Jonald and Jared (Marya's husband) decided to go work out at the gym instead, haha. I dressed my big, round belly up as a girly pumpkin. I swear, I think we honestly walked 7-8 miles that night making rounds around La'ie. Well, nope, that didn't even put me into labor right away. Sheesh! That shoud've been my first warning sign that this girl was going to be a little stubborn.

 No, I'm not holding a pumpkin. No, that's not a basketball under my shirt. 

That baby belly was REAL... as in 5 days overdue REAL, REAL.

As it's time to feed baby Kal, (again?!) hahaha, part 2 (the actualy birth story and not just the lame story leading up to it) will have to be put on hold and come later. (: