And sometimes newborns look crossed eyed…

And the three year old is goofy…

And if you follow me on instagram (purpletreephotog) you saw the picture I took, with my phone, of Sutton climbing on Chris while he was trying to photograph Finn and I.

All in a days work for a photographer
peace and pictures,
kelli

peace & pictures,
kelli

peace & pictures,
kelli

peace & pictures,
kelli

peace & pictures,
kelli

Here is Finn at three days old.

peace & pictures,
kelli

But allow me to back up just a bit. My first born, Sutton, had a fairly normal birth (people keep asking). He was born two days before his due date, labor was about 8 and a half hours total and I was blessed with an experience that I handled without drugs. By contrast, here is my husbands perspective what went down with our second born with my notes added in in purple:

5:00 a.m. ish – I woke up thinking I just had to go to the bathroom, if you get my drift. I spent about a hour in there thinking this was my body’s way of cleaning me out before I started labor, playing ‘words with friends’ and checking facebook. There became a point I did put my phone down because it was getting “uncomfortable”.
6:20 a.m. KELLI: Get up. I did not say this nicely.
6:23 CHRIS (CALLING MOTHER IN-LAW): I think we’re gonna head to the hospital.
6:23 CHERYL (TO CHRIS): I’m on my way.
6:34 KELLI: @#$*@#!!! We gotta go.
At this point, haven given birth before, I had the instinct that I was NOT going to make the 20 minute drive to the hospital.
CHRIS SENSING SERIOUS PANIC, RUNS NEXT DOOR AND POUNDS ON NEIGHBORS DOOR.
6:40 CHRIS (TO NEIGHBOR): Can you come over and watch Sutton RIGHT NOW!?
6:40 NEIGHBOR (WIDE EYED): Yeah.
6:41 DRIVING VERY FAST YET CAREFUL WHILE TALKING TO HOSPITAL ON PHONE.
6:42 KELLI: @#$*@#!!! I feel like I need to push.
6:42 CHRIS: Where’s a cop when you need one?!
6:45 KELLI: I’m not going to make it. PULL OVER.
6:45 CHRIS IGNORING REQUEST BECAUSE THAT’S JUST THE PAIN TALKING, PUSH’S THE STATION WAGON TO MAX ACCELERATION ON I-275.
I really couldn’t believe he wasn’t listening to me.
6:46 KELLI: My water broke, PULL OVER!!! IT’S COMING. AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! OMG THE HEAD IS OUT.
They had to break my water with my first and he was born right after, so when my water broke, I knew this baby was about to be born in the passenger seat of our Volvo station wagon*. With that contraction, I pushed his head out as Chris was pulling over on the side of the expressway. I was turned around in the passenger seat on my knees so not in a position that I could pull the baby out myself but I reached back and felt his head. FYI I couldn’t get in the backseat because of the car seats and all of our hospital bags, my camera bag, etc. where in the very back of the car.
6:46 CHRIS NOTICES THAT A THIRD PASSENGER WANTS A BETTER VIEW OUT THE FRONT WINDOW. REALIZES THAT IT WASN’T JUST THE PAIN TALKING AND PULLS OVER. DIALS 911
6:50 DELIVERS BABY ON THE FRONT SEAT LIKE A CHAMP.
I have to give him credit and make a note he was NOT on the phone with 911 when he delivered our son, nobody talked him through it. I turned around in the seat, he handed me our son, to which I said “It’s a boy!!!!”. I reached for my jacket and threw it over him to keep him warm while we waited for the ambulance to arrive.
7:10 WALK INTO HOSPITAL TO A STANDING OVATION.
7:11 DOC/NURSE: You want to be on the news?
7:11 KEL: Nooo!
7:12 NURSE: How are you?
7:12 CHRIS: I can’t believe it’s a boy!

SUMMARY:
At 6:20 I was lying in bed.
At 6:50 I had delivered a child on the front seat of my car on I-275.

That stretch of highway and my Volvo will never look the same to me. Or to people he offers a ride to. Gotta thank North Face for keeping my son warm. The jacket is toast, but best spontaneous newborn blanket ever.
Very thankful and full of love.
My wife is the strongest woman I’ve ever met. And something tells me that our new son shares her determination!

*I have to add that this car is his baby. When we were registering for our baby shower when I was pregnant with Sutton, I’ll never forget the look on his face when the guy at the store was suggesting things like seat covers to help keep your car clean from the mess. Little did he know…

Everyone has given me props for the birth but to be honest, I just did what I had to do and what came naturally. And let’s be honest, giving birth hurts so I was not super calm until after he was out and I saw that he was ok. It also helped both of us that this wasn’t our first birth and had some idea of how it goes down. I’m happy to report we are a happy family of four- home, safe and sound and the whole experience just seems a bit surreal. As I was putting Sutton to bed last night and we said his prayers, we got to the part where we had been praying for a happy healthy baby for the last nine months and I had to hold back the emotion and realization of just how lucky I was to be saying “thank you for our safe and healthy baby and family”. The “what if’s” will pop into your head if you let them but I refuse. One day, Finn will be annoyed with me telling his friends this story for the 100th time and poor Chris will never win another argument “Oh yeah, well I gave birth to our son in the car, BOOM!”

Shockingly being born on the side of the expressway wasn’t the only surprise with this guy:
1. Although we didn’t find out the gender, we were both convinced we were having a girl. Chris still says he’s more surprised that he was a boy then how he was born.
2. We thought “SHE” was going to be early, given I went early with my first, I had been having major braxton hix since 36 weeks and some real contractions on and off from about 38 weeks. He was two days late.
3. We thought “SHE” was going to be an Aries. He’s a Taurus.
4. And, needless to say, we didn’t think I’d be giving birth on the expressway.

So either he got all his drama out of the way at the beginning or we are REALLY going to have our hands full with this one!

Obviously, it’s been a little busy so no “official” baby photos just yet but here are some I snapped in the hospital. Stay turned for his newborn session courtesy of Mama.

I can’t express how much I love and am grateful for my three boys. I suppose when the time comes I will want a girl dog though.
peace & pictures,
kelli

peace & pictures,
kelli

peace & pictures,
kelli

Happy Easter everyone!
peace & pictures,
kelli