Ellie's Birth!

For the past one year, I have nursed my Ellie (yes in public too with no fear), given her baths, rocked her to sleep every night, watched her grow and become her own little person.  She has one tooth coming in (finally). She has a little bit more hair than when she was born, her eyes are brown, big and beautiful, full eyelashes like her dad.  She crawls so fast especially when she knows she is in trouble, she sits with her feet cross-legged just like her father.  But she has my personality, strong willed, determined, hard headed and with a temper to rival mine and yes I can say that she has Nigerian blood coursing through her veins.  Yet she is so loving, giving kisses to me, her dad, grandma, great grandma, aunts and Uncle.  I long for the time she will get to meet my side of the family and I ache that they have not been here in person to watch her grow.

I too have grown, for I never thought I would feel such love.  I long to be with her, I look at her and I feel love, God’s love for bringing her into our lives.  We waited 4 years to have her and it was worth the wait.  She has brought Justin and I closer (despite taking over our bed) and made us a family.  She is the light of our world and we see God’s incredible hand of creation in her.    We are truly blessed!  As she turns one I feel it is time to share the incredible journey of her birth through the eyes of her grand mother. (Sarah Marshall)

THE MIRACLE OF BIRTH AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF A GRANDMOTHER

On Friday, August 31, 2012 Amber and I arrived at Justin and Debbie’s at about 5.30 PM.  The intent was that I would shampoo the carpets for Debbie before the baby arrived.  Amber was going to take maternity pictures of Justin and Debbie.  We were all excited about taking the pictures and Amber had brought some things to use as props.  But… God and little Miss Ellie had other plans.

When we arrived, Debbie told us that she had been having some pain and bleeding since earlier that afternoon.  We tried to persuade her to let us take her to the hospital, but she kept insisting that she was okay.  She said they’d probably tell her she was fine and send her back home.  Justin told me later that she dint want to have to pay for a visit to the hospital if they weren’t going to do anything.

About 9.30 pm., Debbie decided to go to bed, as she had worked the night before until 7.00AM. and hadn’t gotten much sleep throughout the day.  I asked her to please wake me if she had any further pain or bleeding.  She agreed that she would.

At around 1.30A.M., I felt someone patting the foot of my bed.  It was Debbie and she said that she was still having some pretty severe pain and a little bleeding.  By that time she was in the middle of a contraction, and I told her we needed to get her to the hospital.  She replied, “I can do that!”  She and Justin began packing a bag for her and one for the baby.  He called his co-worker who was working the night shift and told him that we were taking Debbie to the hospital, but that he was sure they would send her back home in a little while; but just wanted them to know in case he was a little late getting in to work in the morning.

We arrived at Riverside Medical Center at about 2.15 A.M and they took us straight back to labor and Delivery.  They got Debbie into bed and checked her.  She was already dilated to 6 cm and they said they were admitting her.  Justin called his co-worker again and said; “I was wrong we are having a baby today!”

They put Debbie in one of those infamous “backless gowns” and thus began the “saga of birth!”  They started the IV. 

Both Amber and I were allowed to stay in the labor room with Justin and Debbie, as her labor progressed.

We had all planned on Debbie’s mother being present for Little Ellie’s birth, But God chose to have her come earlier then the doctor expected, so that did not happen.  Ellie was supposed to be due September 15; so they purchased Debbie’s mother’s airline ticket for her to arrive in Chicago on September 2, 2012.  Consequently, Grandma Ijalana missed Ellie’s birth by one day. (As an aside; when I said to her later that I was so sorry that she didn’t get to be there for the birth, she told me that she was not upset about it at all.  She believed that this was God’s way of creating a special bond between Ellie and I, and that God meant it to be!  I thought that was such a sweet and unselfish thing to say!  Thank you Esther!)

I am truly blessed and so thankful to God for the precious privilege of having been so intimately involved in the birth of my first Grandchild!       

As Debbie's labor progressed, it took her about another 45 minutes to dilate from 6 to 8 Cm. The nurses kept asking Debbie if she wanted the Epidural and she kept saying No! They advised her to let them know if she changed her mind, because she would have to receive 2 bags of special IV fluids before they could give her the Epidural.

Throughout her entire labor and delivery process, I was so touched by Justin's tenderness and supportiveness with Debbie. I was so proud of him. I kept watching him and thanking God for what a fine, gentle and special man my "Little Boy" has grown up to be. I also couldn't stop thinking about how proud his Father would be of him. I know that he was watching from heaven glowing with happiness and pride!

I was also very proud of Amber during that time. She - the girl who hates needles, the sight of blood, and the one who can't watch someone even pretend to vomit, without getting sick herself; was right there holding the emesis basin for Debbie, while she was being sick. At one point, Amber was kneeling down on the floor at Debbie's bedside; getting Debbie to breathe with her and helping to keep her calm.

It took Debbie about another two hours to dilate from 8 to 91/2 Cm. During that whole time, Debbie was a real trooper. She was not screaming, but, was focusing on breathing at the instruction of Amber, Justin and myself. We were watching her contractions on the monitor and would tell her when a contraction was coming even before she could feel it, so that she'd be ready to breathe with it.

At one point, her contractions seemed to have lessened in both severity and frequency which caused me to be concerned, so I went and got the nurse. It was just because her labor had moved the baby further down into the birth canal and the monitor was not picking up the contractions. They adjusted the belt and we were able to see the uterine activity again.

By the time she was dilated to 9 1/2 Cm., Debbie was in severe pain and asking for the Epidural. They started the first bag of IV fluids that would be required for the Epidural.(which she ended up not receiving)

This began the final and most difficult stage of labor. She still had to dilate another 1/2 Cm. Throughout the entire labor and delivery, Justin was so supportive and gentle with Debbie. At one point, Debbie got out of bed to sit on the birthing ball, in an effort to help move the baby the rest of the way into the birth canal . She was balancing on the ball with her upper body rested against Justin's chest. It was such a gentle and symbolic moment indicating the role of a husband; being there to support his wife and offer her his strength when she needs it.

After a few minutes she got back into bed. By this time she was saying things like: "I can't do this anymore, It hurts so bad, Jay it really, really hurts; Jay please make it stop.!' I looked over at Justin and tears were streaming down his face. It broke my heart because you could see it was tearing him up inside to see the woman he loves so much, in so much pain, and knowing he was helpless to stop it. He just kept holding her hand, talking to her so gently and encouraging her to breathe. When she would start to lose it a little because of the pain; he'd say "Dee, look at me , you can do this, breathe with me,” and she did!

It took about an hour for Debbie to dilate from 9 1/2 Cm. to 10. Before they could get the second bag of IV fluid started which was required for the Epidural to be given, Debbie started feeling like she had to push. I went and got the nurse She checked Debbie and she was dilated to 10. Debbie kept wanting to push; but the nurse, Justin, and I all kept telling her no, that she couldn't push yet because the Dr. wasn't there yet.

At this point, they had Amber leave the room, and told Justin and I put on the disposable scrubs we were to wear for the delivery. At one point when she was wanting to push so much, and we kept telling her no, Debbie turned to look at Justin, and wagged her index finger back and forth at him, and said, "No, no,no I'm not doing this anymore!!" We all laughed and told her she didn't have any choice; there was no changing her mind now!!

The Dr. arrived and confirmed that it was time to start pushing. Debbie started the hardest part of the whole labor and delivery process; pushing the baby out! The nurse prepped Debbie for delivery, by having her move her bottom to the end of the delivery table (bed) and put her legs in the stirrups.

Debbie began to push and they never started the second bag of IV fluids because it was too late to give the Epidural. She pushed for about 5 minutes and we could see the top of Ellie's head with lots of black hair. I was at the foot of the bed and Justin was up at Debbie's head. We kept encouraging her to push as hard and as long as she could with each contraction. She pushed for about another 10 minutes and then Ellie's head was completely out.

The moment I saw that precious little face,I had a lump in my throat which felt like the size of Texas! I could barely breathe. That moment could only be rivaled by the birth of my own children!

At 8:08 A.M .as the rest of her tiny little body slipped out; there was a sense of joy and pride which overwhelmed me like nothing else I've ever experienced in my life, and the tears began to flow! My heart was beating at least a hundred beats per minute I'm sure!! I looked up at the head of the bed and Justin and Debbie were both crying' and Justin was kissing Debbie. At that moment I felt like my heart would burst with joy!

The Dr. had Justin move to the foot of the bed and cut the umbilical cord. The nurse wrapped Ellie in a blanket and laid her in the incubator. She wiped her off and placed a little pink knit cap on her little head. At this point, Debbie asked, "Is she still a girl?" We all assured her that she was definitely a girl. She then weighed and measured Ellie. She weighed 6 lbs. 2 oz. and was 20 inches long. Justin took hold of Ellie's little hand. She immediately wrapped her tiny little fingers around her Daddy's index finger. That was the beginning of "Ellie having her Daddy wrapped around her little finger!!"

They then handed Ellie to Debbie. By this point, I don't think any of us could really see anything' because our eyes were filled with tears! I just kept whispering "Thank You God, thank You God"!! This is without a doubt, the most precious event I have ever witnessed!!

My precious little Princess Ellie, has her Daddy's eyes, which are for the present time at least, slate/blue; her Daddy's lips and mouth; and her Mommy's nose. And, wonder of wonders; she has her Grandma Marshall's dimple in her little chin. Her skin tone is a warm caramel sugar color (just like her Aunt Amber has dreamed of since she first started dreaming of Justin and Debbie having children)! She is absolutely beautiful!!

The nurse had Justin, Amber and I; (Aunt Amber was back in the room by this time) follow her to the nursery; to watch her give Ellie her very first bath and shampoo! She took Justin into the nursery and allowed him to watch and take pictures, while Aunt Amber and Grandma watched through the nursery window. They put her in a little long-sleeved T-shirt with mitts on the hands and the Riverside Medical Center logo on it, and wrapped her in a blanket. The nurse then let Justin push the baby bed back to Debbie's room. The nurse then gave Ellie to Debbie to breast feed.

I thank God for allowing me the awesome privilege of being such an intimate part of Elizabeth "Ellie" Ibukonoluwa Marshall's birth!! Thank you Justin and Debbie, for allowing me to be in the delivery room during my first grandchild's birth. It is something I will always treasure.

Thank you Justin and Debbie, and most of all, God for giving me the most precious gift I have ever received!! Now I pray that God will give me the strength, wisdom, and sensitivity to help teach her what a precious and beautiful person she is and to always understand how much her parents, her aunts and uncles ,her Grandparents, myself, and...most of all... God...love her!

Later that afternoon, Jason Savage (one of Justin's best friends) came to visit Ellie and her parents in the hospital and brought balloons.
Ellie's Great-grandma Schisler drove all the way from Monmouth, Il. by herself, after work and arrived at the hospital at about 5:30 P.M. Justin and Debbie's pastor, Carl Leth from Wildwood Church of the Nazarene, also visited them at the hospital that afternoon. On Sunday, the day after Ellie's birth, Lynn (Debbie's friend from work), her husband and daughter, came to visit and brought a gift for Ellie. Sister Rona; a precious little lady from Kenya, who attends Wildwood, visited at the hospital and served Justin, Debbie, Great Grandma Schisler and myself, Holy Communion. What a precious and fitting way to celebrate this precious gift from God who has come to bless our lives!

Thus begins the most awesome and blessed adventure of my life...Being a Grandmother! Thank you again God for this most precious gift!!