We knew we wanted a second baby. Isla completed our family.
I found out I was pregnant with Isla in May, same month as O. I was on a stretch of swing shifts and walked around the hospital in the evenings with expectant happiness. We had just sold our first home and building a new one in my favorite part of town. At the time, we rented a small apartment barely big enough for the three of us. I had all kinds of plans to use the apt gym and get in shape. But alas, I peed on a stick and two lines popped up. I spent the next 10 months laying on the couch.
Olivia was two and the sweetest little toddler, deep into bubble guppies, nursery rhymes, and potty training. I remember many hours of napping by her on the couch as nausea and fatigue hit. I also binged all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls, dreaming of the little girl growing in my belly.
We moved two more times between May 2017 and Feb 2018. The little apt was in no way able to accommodate another human being (not to mention my mom would need to stay and help). Right before Thanksgiving 2017, we moved into a condo in the same complex. Then two weeks after Isla arrived, we moved into our newly built house.
The only thing I wanted from my second (and last) delivery is that I wanted the baby to come on her own time. No induction. No rush. A few days before my due date, around 3AM Feb 5, 2018, I woke up with odd twinge in my lower abd. It wasn't pain, it wasn't contraction, but it came around every 10 min and kept me from going back to sleep. Olivia and S are both sleeping soundly. I remember waking S up and telling him to go back to sleep, I'll just drive myself to the hospital and see what's going on. Surely this cannot be contractions. I was scheduled to work that day anyways. If it turns out to be nothing, I'll just get an early start to my work day. S groggily agreed. I emphasized that we do not want to wake up O and drag her to a hospital at 3AM.
I remember driving myself in the dark. Our rental was very close to the hospital and an easy 15 min drive. The weird sensation kept coming back, getting stronger and stronger. By the time I parked in the Women's Center, I had to wait for one to pass before getting out of the car with my bag. I checked myself in, got hooked up to the monitor, and was told that indeed, I was in labor!
I will always remember that morning as a mixture of happiness, expectance, and peacefulness. I remember S dropping O off at daycare at 6:30 AM before coming to the hospital. By then I had already gotten my epidural. There was an brief episode of bp issues but mostly it was just waiting. At close to noon, my water broke, my epidural ran out, I was fully dilated, and my OB came to check on me all at the same time. He asked me to try giving it a little push and out came Isla! She was ready! She was soft and warm, small but mighty, and she had a loud baby cry that I can still hear. I vowed to note every moment of this last delivery, my last baby, and I did.
Isla was not a good sleeper in the beginning, I remember waking up with her every hour that first night. But if anything parenthood has taught me, it is to just go with the flow. We brought her home the next day as well, with much less anxiety. I was determined to not stress about breast feeding, didn't even open my pump those first few months. Isla was a good eater and soon became a good sleeper. She wore all of jie jie's hand me downs and spend many nights in little sleeper (that has since been recalled) by my bed.
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