Welcome our newest addition to our family Banks Conrad Jeffrey born Wednesday July 24th, 2019 at 11:49 am, via induction, weighing 6lbs 9oz, 19in long. The exact same height and weight as his big brother Miles.

I will start Banks’ story from the beginning. Jared and I always planned to have our children close in age. That’s right we are the crazy people who want stair step children right on top of each other. I grew up with a brother only twenty months older than myself and Jared grew up with a brother five and a half years younger than him. We both agreed we didn’t want much distance between our children. A big factor in waiting five years of marriage to start our family. That time just the two of us was so important for our relationship and ultimately I think made us stronger as parents. We planned to start trying for baby number two after Miles first birthday thinking they would be at least two years apart. We made plans, God has his. I found out on Miles first birthday November 20th that I was already pregnant. I just had this feeling. If you have been through pregnancy I think you just know.

A little shocked but excited I told Jared the big news. As Miles sat playing on the couch next to his dad I picked him up and said I couldn’t believe our baby is one today and I can not believe he is going to be a big brother. Not stretching the truth when I say I repeated this statement four times before finally asking Jared if he heard me. He finally did with the reply “no way”. Completely surprised and excited we celebrated the news but decided to keep our secret a little while so Miles birthday would still be his day. – We ultimately decided to tell our families on Christmas Eve using big brother for the surprise.

We did a gender reveal ultrasound at fourteen weeks- the anticipation is honestly the worst part. I just wantt to know! -Mother’s instinct was correct again. Another sweet boy! How lucky am I to be surrounded by all these handsome men for the rest of my life?

Many of you probably wonder where the name Banks came from. I understand his name will not be everyone’s cup of tea. It is unusual. His name however does have a special story behind it. My husbands favorite childhood movie is The Mighty Ducks and even though he jokingly says he was more of a Conway fan, Banks comes from the Duck Adam Banks- Cake eater if you are a true fan. When the name was first brought up I was pretty unsure about it until my mother-in-law sent me the picture below. My husband as a kid dressed in his home made Ducks uniform for Halloween. – How cool something once so special to him could have even more of a special meaning. I can see him know watching The Mighty Ducks with our son with a big smile on his face.

As quick as we found out we were expecting baby Banks in a blink of an eye July was here. Birth month- and to make the countdown even longer Banks like Miles was due the very last day of the month- July 31st. Weeks leading up to our anxiously awaited date I was progressing well, better each check-up. Seven days before our due date my doctor would allow me to be induced. Which I was perfectly fine with having been induced before I liked having the controlled setting. Two days prior to my induction I did not think I was going to make it, I had frequent and consistent contractions and was convinced I was not going to make it to Wednesday morning. I did.

Bright and early Wednesday the 24th, Jared, my mother and I headed out to the hospital for a 6:00 am check in. It was wild at 6:00 am this morning, people were checking in left and right for scheduled induction and C-section. We did not get checked in till around 7:30 and during that time I was still having frequent contractions.

Once checked in I awaited my doctor to come in and break my water. Remember in Miles birth story when I said it did not hurt getting my water broke well nope this time was different. It hurt, ouch did it hurt! My doctor had said Banks was so low he was laying on my bag of water making it harder for him to bust it. Finally it did. My water was broke! Lets have a baby! Referencing back to Miles birth I labored for five hours after my water was broke so I was hoping and expecting a quick labor again. -Careful what you wish for.

My water was broke. Jared and our mothers were set up and the waiting had begun. It was around 9:00 am Jared had turned on the tv for some back ground noise. An hour or so hooked up to the Pitocin I was having good consistent contractions much like I had been having days before. It started off like light cramping- at this time I had not received an epidural. Around 10:30 the cramping quickly changed to back pain. I have cheered, played sports, lifted weights- I had felt back pain before but nothing like this. My mother-in-law had always talked about how bad her labor was because it was in her back for twenty-three hours. Bless her heart and soul. The back pain made we want to get up and run away from it. It felt like someone was pulling my lower back apart. I wanted to tough it out. With Miles I felt almost guilty because I never felt real contractions because my sweet nurse wanted this first time mom not to feel any pain. – Bless her.

Finally I told Jared to get the nurse I needed the epidural. I was starting to cry from the pain. I do not cry in front of anyone. Jared and that is it. So I knew when I couldn’t hide the pain from our mothers it was time. I was practically hopping up into position as the nurse came in – I was so ready for some relieve. I had a contraction when the anesthesiologist was prepping my back and trying not to move after he had already sanitized my back was definitely a challenge. After the anesthesiologist gave me my epidural my nurse decided to go ahead and check me to see how much I had dilated since check-in which was a at 2 cm. Now I was at 6 cm. My nurse monitored my contractions and adjusted my epidural according to my pain level. She left the room and Jared and our mothers returned.

I was numb but not paralyzed by no means, more like my feet were asleep but I could still move my legs around. With Miles I remember not being able to feel my legs at all, what a strange feeling that was. Then it happened I felt my legs become wet. The same sensation I felt with Miles- what I thought was water was actually blood and meant it was go time. When I felt that sensation I told Jared to get the nurse in which he responded you were just a six no way you are ready to push. Before he could question my intuition in came my nurse followed by another nurse. The nurse behind her said no way she’s ready she’s only had four contractions. My nurse turned to me and said I’m going to go ahead and check you again. She checked me and turned to the nurse and said she is, we are ready to push. from 6-10 in less than 30 minutes – 30 minutes after receiving my epidural. I’m glad I asked when I did. I told my mother-in-law I was so sorry she had to do that for twenty-three hours with no epidural. What a woman.

Our mothers left the room. Once again delivery was a time Jared and I wanted just the two of us. The nurses began to set everything up. Jared the jokester ask if I would like to keep the movie on that we had been watching. No babe, I did not. During this time I was pretty scared. I was not numb like I was with Miles. I was scared to feel pain and I wanted him out quickly. At 35 weeks pregnant during an ultrasound we were told Banks had his cord wrapped around his neck. My doctor assured me this was super common and as easy as him slipping the cord off his neck as he crowns. So in my head I thought the faster he came the faster he could get the cord away from his neck and not risk him going into distress and possibly me needing a emergency C-section.

The nurses had me prepped. The same with Miles the nurses ask me to do practice pushes, I loved my delivery nurses- they were cheerleaders I would love to have on my team. After only a couple pushes his head was there. Jared says he has hair- and it looks red. The nurse said if you look up you can see his head in which I laughed pretty hard because actually I could not because my belly was to big to see over. Minutes later in comes my Doctor- I love my doctor. Calm, cool and collected he sits down and says well look at that lets finish having this baby. Now to address if I was feeling any pain, I was not, pressure but no pain. I actually loved being able to feel more than I did with Miles. I felt more in control, I could actually feel what I was doing. After a couple big pushes, My nurse- cheerleaders cheering, my eyes seeing spots and Jared’s soft voice saying there he is. He was, he was finally here.

I looked up and as magical, as beautiful, as time stood completely still once again in that one little moment. I saw my son that I had patiently waited to meet for so many months. There he was. They laid that perfect little boy on my chest and the feeling, the feeling I had felt once before there it was again. The moment your skin touches your child’s skin, to feel them move outside your body, to see their perfect little face for the very first time. Thank you God for giving me that moment not once but twice. Thank you for two healthy children and two safe deliveries. Every labor, delivery and birth are different. I can now tell you that but I can also tell you that end result- that beautiful, innocent, gift you receive is worth it all. The moment you see and can hold your baby for the first time is worth every week of pregnancy, every pain of labor- a moment in life where time stands absolutely still.

Banks Conrad Jeffrey was born at 11:49 am Wednesday July 24th, 2019 weighing 6lb 9oz, 19 inches long. A head full of red hair and absolutely perfect.

Our hearts are overwhelming full, we are so blessed and thankful. We are now a family of four!