LIAM'S BIRTH STORY

The hours surrounding both my baby's births are ones that will forever be etched into my memory. They fill my mind with fondness. I don’t want to ever let them leave. So here I will sit, let it all flood back to the front of my mind and let the words flood onto the page. 

February 1st, 2017 - the day my first baby came into the world, my boy, Liam Archer McKisic. But this isn’t where his story began. May 2016 was a busy month. I flew home from a trip to GA on May 7th, just to jump on another flight the next morning to Japan with my husband for our 1st anniversary. We spent a wonderful week and a half exploring Tokyo. As soon as we were back on American soil I was off again to celebrate my youngest sister graduating high school in GA. While on this trip I found out about LIAM! And boy was it a surprise. My mom and I were sitting in the kitchen waiting for all the other siblings to arrive. She looked at my wedding ring that slid around on my finger and said, “Don’t you think you should get that sized before it falls off?” My response was, “I guess I could, but if I ever get pregnant I’ve heard your fingers can swell so I may as well leave it.” She excitedly responded with, “Does that mean you could be pregnant?! Your sister has been trying so I have a pregnancy test in the closet I was saving for her when she arrives but you have to take it RIGHT NOW!” I replied, “Well we aren’t trying but we also aren’t not trying?! I’ve always wanted to be a mom so I’ll be excited if and when it happens.” She quickly poured me a glass of water and made me drink it and then refilled it up. Within 5 minutes I was nervously in the bathroom peeing on a pregnancy test. The positive line came back IMMEDIATELY. With a shock, I walked out and didn’t even have the words to say before my mom grabbed the test and started yelling in excitement… and I began crying. Looking back on it, it makes me laugh. At that moment I was afraid because I was the one working and Aaron was a full-time student. My mom ran to her bookshelf and grabbed the baby's name book and started running through name ideas. I was so overwhelmed that my little sister who wanted to respond with excitement stood there with a concerned look on her face wondering if I was okay. (seriously this makes me laugh). I walked out back and called Aaron who was back home in Ohio. He immediately said he thought I was and that he was very excited and knew we could make it all work out. Relief rushed over me. Excitement began to grow. I had been given two due dates with Liam from different places. One was set for January 29th, day after Aaron’s birthday and also the same date I first talked to Aaron 5 years earlier! The second date we were given from our actual OB when I was about 11 weeks pregnant was for Feb 12th and that was the date we were going with for my real due date. Fast forward to October that year. My boss at Chick-fil-A created a new position that would allow me to create my schedule and work from home. I’d always heard God loves children and children bring blessings. Boom blessing number one placed before us! Fast forward one more time to when I was 8 months pregnant. It was sometime during the first week of January I went in for a usual checkup. They measured my belly and were concerned with how small I was. They started telling me that Liam would probably be a premie under the 5th percentile in weight and need to be born at a bigger hospital that had a NICU unit and that I would have to deliver with different doctors from that hospital. I surprisingly wasn’t afraid and had so much peace. I went in a couple of days later for an ultrasound to check on him and he was measuring above the 50th percentile!! On January 31st I woke up around 2 am with mild contractions but quickly fell back asleep. I went in the next morning for a 38-week appointment and found out I was a few cm dilated but was told you can be this dilated for weeks and nothing happens. I carried about my day as normal and headed into Chick-fil-A for work. We had a really important meeting that morning with people from the corporate office who were coming to interview us for a second store. I sat down with the other managers and the corporate leaders and one asked me, “So when are you due to have your baby?” and I jokingly replied, “Could be any moment now.” But I didn’t let them know that although joking there was also a lot of truth to that answer. The day continued with me having mild contractions here and there and I was the “runner” that day who brought food to the guest. Lots and lots of walking happened for hours. Around 3:30 pm, while I was the one leading the shift, I noticed the contractions were getting stronger and closer together. I borrowed my friends fit bit to keep track of how often they were happening and how close together they were. Periodically I would stop walking while carrying out food and breathe through the pain. Thirty minutes passed and they had been three minutes apart and lasting a full minute each time. I walked back to the office where my general managers and operator were and told them I needed to leave and have someone else take over the last portion of my shift. They all laughed and said I probably wasn’t in real labor and that it was Braxton hicks. I called up Aaron to come pick me up and once I got home called my OB. They had me continue timing it for another half hour. While Aaron packed up the car I took a shower, blew my hair dry, straightened it, did my makeup, and shaved my legs. I joke now about that cause man did I have a lot of time on my hands to “pamper” myself. And yes time alone shaving my legs and showering is a full-on spa day to me. Kidding but not really. As the contractions continued getting stronger we decided to head into the hospital. I had Aaron stop at Claro Coffee Bar to get me my last cappuccino and take a last belly photo. The entire time Aaron kept saying he didn’t believe I was in real labor because I was too calm and not yelling.

We got to Labor and Delivery at St. Luke’s Hospital in Maumee, OH around 630pm. After a few tests, they determined I was 3cm dilated and in active labor to which I gave Aaron a look across the room that said: “told ya so”. One of the nurses noticed and asked what my look was about and I told them we were having a bet on if this was labor or not. They checked us into a room and so it began. I went into labor very “uneducated” if you may. I didn’t research a thing, read any books, write a birth plan or even tour the hospital. The closest tour we got was when I went in at 32 weeks to have Liam’s heart rate monitored due to me not feeling him moving for a long period. Little did I know that was just pure personality - chillest of chill little dude. Still is. I sobbed the entire way there thinking every worst-case scenario while I heard God’s voice reassuring me that it would be okay. I tried to collect myself as we walked into the hospital and took some deep breaths. At that checkup, a midwife named Erika came in and very peacefully said, “As soon as I put this monitor on you I’m sure he will begin kicking. They always do. So what will his name be?” To which I nervously smiled and told her, “Liam”. She never forgot his name and always carried that level of calmness, that left an impression on me. Seconds before she placed the monitor on me I felt a little kick... insert eye roll and big sighs of relief. We left thankful and joked that at least we now knew where to go when the time came. From then on I began praying I’d have her on call when I went into labor and sure enough she was! After finishing up paperwork once checked into our room for the delivery they began an IV as a “just in case” I wanted to get an epidural. The contractions continued picking up. Aaron was very fascinated by the monitor that showed my contractions go up and flat line at the top from being so high and then go back down. He asked lots of questions to the nurses about everything that was happening with much interest. Such an Aaron thing. Pain was at a very manageable place so I found this cute. Around midnight I was about 6cm and at a point of being able to breathe threw the pain but ready to sleep so I asked for an epidural. They had someone needing an emergency c-section so they said it would be a little bit before they could get to me. They went ahead and put some pain meds in my IV. I felt immediate relief. I was joking with all the nurses all night that I was going to get them some free Chick-fil-A once this was done and one nurse told everyone that I was so calm because I do yoga. It made me laugh because I don’t. About an hour later they came in and did my epidural and we began to tuck in for some sleep for the night. By this point, I wasn't feeling any contractions and became sort of a diva. I was annoyed with the way the monitors felt on my skin and the itchiness that covered my belly. The needle in my arm providing my fluids was uncomfortable and about every half hour my low blood pressure monitor would go off. It didn’t fit my small arm so it went off often. When this happened I had to try and find the button to call the nurse so she could come to turn it off but I was all tangled in wires and monitors so it made reaching for it difficult. Aaron by this point was passed out and I’m pretty sure I tried to throw a pillow at him to wake him up and find the button for me a few times. This is where I learned that Aaron was a hard sleeper and my diva self was a bit annoyed that I kept getting woken up. Around 3 am I had a wave of anxiety rush over me at not being able to feel the bottom half of my body. Aaron was pretty far away asleep on the futon and I couldn't move to wake him so I began to pray and worship. It soon passed and I was able to get back to resting. Around 4 or 5 am they came in with a peanut ball to put between my legs as I lay on my side so that they could get Liam’s head to drop further down. Erika came in at 6:30 am to check my progress, found I was fully dilated and accidentally broke my water. She told me it was time to begin pushing. She left the room to get everything she needed and I quickly touched up my makeup and sent out a few texts letting people know he was coming! and yes I did my makeup… makes me laugh so much now. Some of my friends were all texting me letting me know they couldn't get into the restaurant to open so I replied with a photo of me and said: “I am about to have a baby and about to begin pushing.” I had a mirror placed in front of me so I could see the progress I was making while pushing and Erika coached me through the whole thing. A few minutes in Erika asked if she could do an episiotomy. I didn’t know what that was but trusted her to make the best choice for me so I said yes. She said she thought I would tear without one. It was getting close to 7 am when she was off and needing to leave to get her kids to school. Looking back and now knowing more about episiotomies I’m not sure if it was to speed things up or not but I’d like to believe she had the best intentions for me. She did it and we soon saw the top of his head to which she asked if we wanted to touch it and we quickly said no thanks. (haha) Another push and his whole head came out. Aaron and I both began LAUGHING. He looked like an alien and it was the craziest thing we have ever seen. With one last push his whole body came out and I began crying happy tears. At 6:51 am, after 6min of pushing, our entire world changed forever. He was 21inches long and 7lbs 12oz of perfection. I say this was the moment a new joy rushed into the room.

Aaron quickly seized the moment and made what we now call - his first dad joke. “Now Sarah has officially delivered twice to you guys,” he said. (I had once delivered them Chick-fil-A chicken and now a baby) Like I said dad joke. Anyways they put Liam directly on my chest and his cries were the best thing my ears have ever heard. I don’t remember the rest of the delivery after that. I don’t remember any blood, the delivery of the placenta or the stitches. I just remember him on my chest looking me in the eyes. They did a delayed cord clamping where I cut the cord. Then they checked all of his vitals while I was doing skin to skin with him. He was doing so well they just left him on me and never took him away to a nursery to be checked. He found his way to my right breasts and began nursing. Soon after this both of our mothers came into the room to see their new grandson for the first time. It was a very special moment to have them there with us at the hospital. After a few hours, they took him to do skin to skin with his daddy. I felt amazing. Since I didn’t feel anything I didn’t realize how much my body went through. I asked if I could get up to use the restroom and shower. As I got up and walked to the bathroom I felt very light-headed. Once I sat down I looked at the nurse assisting me and told her that I was going to pass out. I blacked out and it scared the nurse so much she pulled the entire emergency cord out of the wall. Many nurses and a Dr. flooded the room where Aaron couldn't move cause he was shirtless with Liam laying on his chest. He knew I’d be fine because this wasn't the first time I’ve passed out. The Dr. began asking me questions to make sure I was okay and then I was assisted back to the bed. I then was given a red bracelet that labeled me as “High Risk”. The nurse I had at that point made a scolding type of comment that she had trusted me that I was ready to get up and that she wasn't going to let me up anytime soon because I broke that trust. I felt embarrassed and cried. Not sure if it was just a surge of hormones that made me take the comment that way but that’s how I remember it going. Memories are a funny thing. Anyways I was soon given an iron pill to up my blood supply and FOOD. They brought me two servings of pasta from the cafe downstairs and I quickly felt better. I also was allowed up to shower with my moms' assistance and that made me feel ready to conquer it all. As the day progressed Aaron decided to leave with my mom to get us coffee from Claro. Once he got back and had his first cup the nurses taught us how to soothe Liam with a swaddle. Aaron looked at me and said, “Okay… I think I can do this. Coffee and swaddles are all I need.” 

The first night in the hospital I was so starving from breastfeeding I asked the nurse to order me a hamburger and fries. I guess they were not taking calls between 1- 3 am and stopped delivering food to the rooms so my sweet nurse took my order on pen and paper and went and picked me up food. She made a joke that she felt like a server. That was when I started dreaming of having a stocked up mini-fridge in the nursery for those midnight hunger moments and searched Pinterest for ideas. Yes, I did that. Breastfeeding hunger is no joke. The nurses I had were amazing and the couple days that followed were full of laughs and jokes and some tears from exhaustion and crazy hormones. The days felt packed with learning and pampering so when they came in on Thursday morning asking if we’d want to go home we weren't sure. We talked and I didn’t feel peace about leaving yet so we decided to stay one more night.

On the second night, I woke Liam up after 3hrs to feed him and he was very lethargic. He wouldn't eat no matter what I did. The nurses came in and tried to get him to wake and eat as well and decided to take him from the room to check his bilirubin levels. While Liam was in the nursery to get his bilirubin levels tested Aaron went in to sit by him. He later told me it felt like he was hanging out with some bros making jokes and he felt beer should've been had. Again just like Aaron to be winning others over with his humor and chillness. They determined Liam’s bilirubin levels were high and put him under a light in our room. Our worries quickly faded as we saw nurses pass our room making comments like, “Aw baby's first vacation on the beach” or “Look he’s having his first tanning session.” Their silly remarks made us realize he would be okay and that they were not concerned. During his time under the light, maybe 12hrs, I had a moment of breaking down. The nurses chose to take Liam out of the room and told me I had to take a nap. I remember my brain felt wired and like I couldn't shut it down and sleep. So instead I rested for 2hrs and had a good heart to heart with Aaron. Later that day the breastfeeding consultant came in along with many Drs doing checks on me and baby. The consultant was incredible and we learned so much from her. By mid-afternoon, on Friday we were told Liam was doing good enough to go home and to continue giving him sunlight at home. With much peace, we headed home with our new bundle. As soon as we got home Aaron headed out to get me my first sushi in 9 months! 

I’d like to think that Liam’s birth is also a lot like who he is today - calm, chill, joyful, humorous, and filling rooms with love and compassion. 

* Liam, I hope one day when you read this you know that the day you entered our lives you marked us and every day since has been the best adventure we could've ever embarked on. Thanks for being you. You will always be enough and be my boy of joy. We love you, which isn't hard at all.