Alexis Joy McWilliams

Alexis and Daddy

Alexis all Bright Eyed!

Baby McWilliams decided she didn't want to wait for the induction. She decided to come on her own, but in a very special way, to say the least!

This will be long, and I am sorry for that, but it is kind of interesting too.

Sunday, the 23rd, Brad was in the Demolition Derby in Miles City. I told him I wasn't missing it and since we have been "waiting" for the big day for the last 5 weeks, I wasn't sitting at home anymore. We had a great time, Shelby cheered so loud for her Daddy and he did pretty good. We all met up at the Airport Inn for some dinner before heading back to Jordan. Well, lately, I don't eat much of lunch, then gorge on dinner or vice versa. So I ate quite a bit for supper that night and ended up with too full a tummy. It wasn't bad and I went to bed later on feeling fine.

I woke up around 2:00 AM on Monday morning (not sleeping well thinking about the induction anyways) not feeling very well. Felt very gassy, so took a couple of Tums, started the dishwasher, and sat to watch Ice Road Truckers on the History Channel. Within about 5 minutes I was burping like a champ..would put some guys to shame I would say. So about 2:45 I went back to bed to sleep.

At 3:00 I had to go potty AGAIN, so got into the bathroom (keep in mind it is only like 3 feet across from our bedroom) and my water broke! Oh crap......here we go!! I woke Brad up and said we had to go that my water broke---needless to say the man that never gets out of bed on time was up, dressed and heading out to get the van ready before I was back in the bathroom. I got changed, we got Shelby to the potty and her loaded....Brad was great grabbing everything! We headed out of the house at about 3:10 AM.

I called Lewistown to let them know what happened and we were on the way....the nurse said OK, we would be OK and they would be waiting. Keep in mind the only signs of labor I had were the gas and my water breaking...still NO CONTRACTIONS!!!!!

About 30 miles out of town around Sand Springs, the contractions started HARD AND FAST with no signs of them even coming yet. At one point I told Brad I needed the epidural and I know he was hauling some butt. We made it about 15 more miles with some hard contractions before I asked him to call 911 because I wasn't going to make it another 90 miles!!! We found out that even if you don't have service in an area, 911 will call you back!!! We drove a ways to get to a mile marker, so he could let them know. By this time I felt her crowning and was in a ton of pain..I do actually remember screaming at this point. Brad got off the phone with 911, called Lewistown to tell them we were going to make it and I knew I needed to get to the back of the van. Shelby was in her carseat and I can't imagine what was going through her head already!! Brad opened up the back door and came around to get me out. As I slid to the side to get out I felt her head suck back up and knew we had to hurry. I didn't think I was going to make it to the back of the van, but I did and as soon as I laid down she came out!!! 5 total contractions---OMG.....Bra

d handed her to me quickly and got a wool blanket out of the emergency bag. I asked him from which direction the ambulance was coming--Jordan of course--so we turned around and headed back that direction to meet them...I didn't want to sit there. I can tell you the back of a van...with that third seat out...is not the best place to be sitting, holding a newborn with bags, a cooler and a carseat next to you. Not the most comfortable. I don't remember much at that point...was just trying to keep Alexis warm and next to my skin. The placenta still hadn't delivered yet. We went about 10 miles before I told Brad to stop...the bumps weren't helping. He then was on the phone with the nurse in Lewistown who told him to tie off the umbilical cord with his shoelaces. He did great and was so calm--even wondering about them being dirty. The ambulance showed up (in the mean time Brad had let Shelby out of her carseat & she climbed over the seat to give me a big hug and kiss and see if we were both okay. She was such a champ--not too many questions, but sounds like Brad got the brunt of those.

The ambulance loaded us up and we headed back into Jordan. After realizing that the placenta was NOT moving and I was NOT cramping, they decided to send me on to Miles City--if they couldn't manually get it to deliver, I would be heading to Billings for surgery. Around 7:00 AM we headed to Miles and arrived at around 8:00. Brad and Shelby weren't far behind and I got to lay on the bed with Sweet Pea for a while and reassure her we were okay. The nurses took Alexis to the nursery to do some tests to make sure she was okay.

After waiting a while and getting into Labor and Delivery, Dr. Gallo was able to deliver the placenta--NO PROBLEMS and everything looked GREAT! Alexis checked out GREAT weighing in at 6 lbs. even and 19" long. She was so very precious. Shelby was so excited to see her sister.....she kept going to the nursery and looking through the window at Alexis with Brad...she is pretty taken with her. My folks (after starting out at the ranch as I called them after calling Lewistown when we left) made it to Miles City, the long way, at around 11:00 AM.

Everything was so calm....looking back I don't know how Brad didn't pass out-he even figured he would have up to that point. It was an on-going joke that we would deliver on the side of the road, but we didn't mean for it to happen. Highway 200 West at mile marker 169 now holds a very special and dear spot in our hearts!

The adrenaline was pumping so fast and everybody that helped was so calm. I think that is the only reason I never really freaked out until the ambulance crew left me in the ER in Miles....that was a bit tough, but Brad was right there after they left, so that helped. It hasn't totally sunk in yet, and as I type I get teary-eyed, but I am so grateful that we are both okay. It could have been worse, but wasn't and we can't dwell on that. We are both doing great and that is what matters the most.

Shelby went home to the ranch with my folks....which is good as we had to stay in the hospital until Wednesday afternoon as Alexis wasn't nursing--she went that whole first day with nothing, so that was scary. She is a nursing champ now and her Big Sister will be home tomorrow or Saturday with Grandma Kathy. She talked to her sister on the phone last night and Alexis turned her head to the phone when Shelby was talking...it was so cute.

Alexis is very strong willed and did great with everything that happened on Monday. She is even trying to hold her head up already...she likes to headbutt ya if you aren't careful.
We go to the Doc tomorrow to check her bilirubin and weight levels. Not exactly what I had in mind, but God was watching out for us and had a hand in all the events.

IF (that is a big if at this point) there is another Baby McWilliams in the future (far future that is) I will be getting a place VERY close to the hospital--don't need two deliveries like this one....One is enough for this Momma!