Our Sweet Caroline
Sorry it has taken
me a couple of weeks to get this up but, it has been a crazy couple of weeks
for our family. Caroline came into our lives, Jeff started a new job at Sky
West, and I have been busy with my schooling for my Bachelors program.
Caroline Jolley came
into this crazy world on September 8, 2013 at 1:02PM (1302). She was 7 lbs 4oz
and 20 inches long. Our beautiful baby girl has hair and some very strong
lungs. It is indescribable of the amount a love you have for someone that you
gain when that baby is pushed out and put into your arms. For me (racail) it
was a feeling I never want to forget and I am so happy to be a mom. The labor
and delivery went better than I could have ever imaged. Jeff was right by my
side the whole time and would do so much for me. He is truly my rock and
strength that I could never live without. This story does not just have a
smooth delivery and great ending but it has quit the story before. We will
never forget the experience we went through before our sweet Caroline came into
this world and we want her to know it as well. So we are typing it up and
putting it here and in her book so she can always know what happened right
before she came into this world.
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On Saturday September 7, 2013, it was
just like any ole Saturday. We got up cleaned the house, Jeff did some yard
work and I did homework. I had a great amount of energy this day (which my
sisters said you will have a lot of energy before you go into labor). It was
also Jeff’s archery Deer hunt. Jeff was planning on going out later that
afternoon and evening. I was planning on staying home, but after I got thinking
about it, I love the deer hunt and wanted to experience some of it with him
this year and I had the energy to go out so I went. J Yes I went deer hunting 39 weeks pregnant.
OK I didn’t do a whole lot of hunting but sit on top of hill on the four
wheeler. We went out close by mountain meadow massacre, our vehicle could have
made it to the spot we were going but we decided to take the four-wheeler for
something different. I didn’t think the
four-wheeler was a bad idea because it had a big seat on the back and was very
comfortable. Everyone says go for a bumpy ride to go into labor. Well I did
just that, just not in a car. So we get to the top of this hill where Jeff
leaves me to go hike and find a deer. I just sit on this hill with some school
books and doing some reading. I have a radio to be able to have Jeff let me
know what is going on. Jeff has been gone about 20-30 mins when he sees a deer
on the other hill across from him. So he starts hiking. He hikes all the way
down the hill he’s on, and then all they back up the hill across from him to
try and cut this deer off. Needless to say he was pretty tired after the hike.
To listen to him tell the story you’d think he just ran up Everest.
As he gets to the top of a hill he sees that a
storm is moving in from pine valley and radio’s to me that if it starts to rain
get on the 4-wheeler and get back to the car and that he would just meet me
there later. I said ok will do. As a sit there for about another 20 mins or so
I look to the north and see another storm moving in. Oh crap, I get on the
radio to see how close Jeff is to getting the deer and let him know that from
my view it looks like we are going to get pounded soon. I get everything
gathered up so it does not get wet why I am driving back if it starts to
rain. I was just sitting on the
4-wheeler waiting for Jeff to let me know if he got the deer or not when it
started to POUR!!! Those two storms crashed together right on top of us. I try
and get the 4-wheeler started but it would not start!!! AHHH!!! I get on the
radio to let Jeff know that it won’t start and to come get me. He tells me he
turned the engine switch off and to make sure it is on and try it again. For me
growing up on 4-wheelers, I had no idea where the engine switch was. Don’t I
feel stupid! I asked Jeff what color it was, or if it was orange and he told me
it was black. Nope it was orange. Anyways it was on and the 4-wheeler still
would not start. I guess I should mention that we were near those big mountain
power lines. Not such a great idea. By
this time I am soaking wet and the tallest thing on the mountain and lighting
started to strike right around me. I had no idea what to do, I just knew I need
to take some cover so I ran (or walk/waddled) really fast over to a tree and
laid on the ground to get as low as I could, waiting for Jeff to get back to
me.
While on top of this mountain, Jeff
sees the lightning start to strike really close to where I’m at. So he says,
“forget this stupid deer” and takes off running to try to get back to where I
am. Now he’s already really tired from the hike and once again, to listen to
him tell it, to get back to me he ran across Egypt, did a back flip over the
Nile and single handedly took on an army of Spartans…he likes to stretch the
truth a little. Now this lightning was
getting really scary. It was striking within just a few hundred yards every 30
seconds. The place I decided to take cover I began to realize was starting to
pool up and I was getting soaked! Finally after what seemed like an eternity
(it was really only about 20 minutes), I saw Jeff running up the trail toward
me. He looked exhausted but happy that I was ok. Once he reached me he began to
dry heave because he was so tired. He also tried starting the four wheeler but
to no avail. It seemed like a dead battery. So our only option was to make the
mile or so journey back to the car. Unfortunately, the road back was directly
underneath these giant cross country power lines and the lightning was still
hitting all around us. The safest option was to try and get back going cross
country. We made our way to the side of the hill so we wouldn’t be up so high.
So there I am, 39 weeks pregnant trying to walk diagonally across this hill, my
balance isn’t great, I’m soaking wet, Jeff is trying to move as fast as he
thinks I can, but we really aren’t moving all that quickly. As we’re going,
there is a sudden flash of light just yards away from Jeff and I. I feel Jeff
shove be into the nearest bush and yell “get down!” There was no hesitation of
the loudest thunder I have ever heard after the strike of lightning. It was so
close that Jeff later told me that he could feel the heat from the bolt as he
pushed me into the bushes. As we were lying in the bushes Jeff said, “let’s say
a prayer and ask for protection.” I was so scared that I knew that was the best
idea Jeff had!
Once we reached a spot where Jeff
decided I would be safe. He told me to stay put and that he could run to the
vehicle and be back to get me faster than we could make it there together. I
was nervous for him but off he went. I sat there in the spot where Jeff left me
I started sing primary song to get my mind off the crazy lighting and thunder going
on around me. Sure enough, no more than ten minutes later I hear the car coming
up the road and stop just above where I’m at. Jeff yells to me and I yell back
to tell him I’m still ok. He comes down, grabs me, and leads me back to the
car. I have never been so happy to be back in the safety of a vehicle in my
life. He drives us up to the top of the hill where we push the four -wheeler
back onto the trailer and head back off the mountain for home.
On our way home I started to have some
contractions which I did not think much about because I had been having them
off and on for a couple of weeks. Once we got home, I got in a nice warm shower
and got some dinner and went to bed at like 11pm. I then woke up to some bigger
contraction about 1AM and don’t know if they are labor contractions or just
Braxton hicks. So I get up and call my mom about 1:30AM and ask her what labor
pains/contractions feel like. She said they were in her lower back. My lower back
is not where my contractions were, mine were in my hips and on my pelvic floor.
So at 2am, I decided to call the hospital because I did not want to go in and
be there forever before real labor started. Well they told me to just stay
home, take a nice bath, time the contractions and get some sleep. Yeah right?
Sleep? But I did try. My contractions stayed about 5-8 min. apart for the next
three hours. So three hours, two warm baths, and not a whole lot of sleep
later, we headed to the hospital at 5AM. We did not make it very far before we
came back home. I got sick about 4 miles away from home and threw up all over
the car door as I tried to open it and throw up outside. So we turned around
and came home to clean me up and the car. We head back to the hospital about
530. We get there and they brought me back to be monitored for an hour before
they would let us know for sure if the baby was coming. I was still really
nauseas and wanting to keep throwing up for that hour. When she measured me at
6AM I was at a 4 and then an hour later I was at a 5. So they said let me call
your doctor and find out what he thinks. And then they came back and said let’s
have a baby today! YAY!! We were so excited but worried at the same time J Jeff and I both had to teach in church that
morning and so we had to call and make arrangements for that. Thanks to so many
people who were understanding and helpful.
At this point we had to wait for our
delivery room to get ready so we call our families. I called my mom and dad who
were already up and getting ready to head down. It was probably because I was
calling them all night J Sorry mom
and dad. Thanks for helping me though. And Jeff called his mom and dad. Then we
texted our siblings, to let them know what was going on and that we would keep
them posted. When we got moved, I receive the joys of getting poked and
monitored once again. They took my blood, gave me and IV, and taught Jeff how
to help with my contractions and labor pain, until I could get my Epidural. I
lasted until about 800 and then I wanted the pain gone so I could maybe get
some sleep before I started pushing. They gave that to me, and from there I was
like in heaven. I could enjoy family being around, and getting some shut eye....
(As much as you can get in a hospital) ;) From here it goes on like a normal
birth… or what I sum to be normal J I laid there while my parents and Jeff’s mom talk (his dad was
teaching Jeff’s Lesson) and Jeff watched football and got some shuteye. My
doctor came in about 1030ish to let me know that he has to leave the hospital
because his daughter is leaving on her mission on Tuesday and is giving her
Farewell talk at 11. He said he will try and make it back and to not worry that
they have another doctor to cover for him if he is not. So then he broke my
water and he was off. We continued to just hang out and rest up before we would
no longer rest!! At about 12ish my nurse comes in to check where I am at. I am
at a ten, and she says let’s get you ready and your doctor should be back
within the next hour and we will be ready. Sure enough by the time they get me
ready to go and tell me what to do, as well as Jeff. My doctor walks in, Shirt
and tie, puts on the gown and say k here we go. I did what they told me and I
had my little girl out in out 4 sets of 3 pushes.
OH MY GOSH!! The amazing feeling it is
to hold your baby for the first time is unbelievable and indescribable. I would
not change it for the world and hope to never, EVER forget it. Even though I got
really nervous during everything throughout this day about becoming a mom and
having everything ready, I am sure glad to remember that nobody is perfect,
things may be forgotten, and to not sweat the small stuff everything will be
just fine. When I was able to remember this, I was a much better person and can
just remember everything that went on this LOVEY day and enjoy the moments we
had as a new little family of 3.
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| These are pictures i took. so don't judge |
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