A Birth Story: Calvin Davis

----------Short Version-------------

Water Broke at 4:20
Contractions started at 4:30, lasting 1 minute, about 4 minutes apart
Hospital Arrival - 5:50
Checked in at 6:15 and was at a 3, 100% effaced
By 8:45 I was at a 7.5 and +1 station
9:50ish I started pushing
Dr. Najima arrived at 10:00, 3 contractions later, our little Calvin was born!


----------Long Version--------------

Mr. Calvin Wixom Davis joined our little family on Wednesday July 23, 2014 at 10:15 pm-- 6 days early, weighing 8 lbs 5 oz (making me glad he came early) and 19.5 inches in length with a full head of brown hair.

Since my birthday-July 14th- I had been having mild cramping and back pain, making Robert and I hopeful that our little guy would come a little early. Everyday we would get more and more anxious, especially since I was already 3cm dilated, 90% effaced and he was at a 0 station. Every night Robert and I would look at each other, sigh, and say "no baby, but one day closer". I was walking or hiking everyday, bouncing on my yoga ball, eating pineapple, and trying just about every other "natural induction" technique. The week and a half before he came was like anxiously waiting for Christmas morning, but having no clue when Christmas would actually occur.

On Wednesday morning Robert and I decided to go for a 4 mile walk (the trail that we were running a week before). While we were walking I turned to Robert and said, " You know what? I am being a pretty big hypocrite when it comes to this whole birthing thing. One of the reasons I am so adamant about going through this birthing process with unnecessary medical intervention is because I have complete trust that my body knows exactly what it's doing, and it is a completely natural process that I was built to be capable of. I am so anxious for him to get here that I completely forgot that our little boy will come when he is completely ready and when my body is ready. So I just need to stop trying to "naturally induce" this process.".

The rest of our morning and afternoon was spent reading and watching Chopped. Around 4:15 I went to the bathroom and was surprised to find my mucus plug, which both my doctor and I were positive I had lost about 3 weeks prior. About 20 seconds later my water broke; at the time I had no idea it was my water breaking- I just thought I couldn't stop going to the bathroom, haha. I came out and told Robert what happened; on demand I had a terrible shooting pain through my back and what felt like the worst menstral cramp that had ever existed. We started timing them, which was difficult to do at first, and found that they were coming every 4 minutes and lasting 45 -60 seconds. After timing them for about 20 minutes, Robert and I figured it was go time, but were still trying to not get our hopes up. We had practiced relaxation techniques for the previous 8 months and I knew that during active labor I needed to keep myself distracted. We spent the next 45 minutes watching Parenthood, and by the end of the episode I was in Childs Pose because I couldn't stand up due to the back labor. At 5:35 a contraction came, Robert was rubbing my back and I looked at him and couldn't stop crying, we both knew it was time.

We got to the hospital, taking about 15 minutes to get from the car to the admittance desk because I couldn't walk. The nurse greeted us and asked me why were here. I was having a contraction at the time- I looked up at her (probably glaring) and told her I was there to have a baby! What did she want me to say? She found out I had only been in labor for a little over an hour and that we were first time parents and was ready to turn us away when Robert informed her that I thought my water had broken. She took us back at 6:15, I was at a 3 (still) but 100% effaced so she let us stay.

When the two nurses checked my blood pressure I was at 162/120. My blood pressure throughout the pregnancy has been 100/65, so I was shocked. They called my Dr. and she was worried about preeclampsia so they had to do blood tests; I have small veins, so 7 pokes in the arm, 3 collapsed veins, and 45 minutes later they finally had my blood and I was free to walk around, so I thought. Baby boy's heart still hadn't "responded" to the labor, meaning his heart rate hadn't gone up which it should have. They promised me that once his heart rate went up they would let me get off the bed. By 7:30 I ripped off my hospital gown and monitors and said something like "I can't take it anymore". They came back in and had to put the monitors back on and gave me a few different options if I really didn't want to stay connected, but it would entail putting an electronic monitor in baby's skull. I would have to stay still for more than 5 minutes and I wouldn't be able to shower (which is all I really wanted to do). After some talking, we opted out of that option and Robert kindly reminded me that it was just a monitor, not an IV (so it wasn't a huge deal) and I couldn't really walk anyway because the back labor was so bad.

By 8:45 my Dr. came and checked me (I didn't want unnecessary or frequent checking), and I was at 7.5 cm and a +1! I was in transition labor after only 4 hrs of labor and I was at the hardest part (so I had been told). I knew that I could do it. To be honest, I felt absolutely no difference in pain from active labor to transition labor. Robert was a wonderful coach and support. The back labor was the worst part and he was so wonderful do counter pressure during every.single.contraction. There wasn't a contraction that passed where he wasn't by my side, encouraging and helping me through. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that if it wasn't for Robert there is no way I would have progressed so quickly and gone through it all. At 9:30 I started having the urge to push and my nurses couldn't believe it. She checked and I was already at a 9.5 but it was uneven so she had me move from side to side so the contractions would even out the dilation. I was in my own little world, but I did notice that a nurse came in hesitantly (I had on my birth plan that I only wanted my Dr and necessary labor nurses in the room) and said she was there to set up the delivery table and then I heard the nurse calling Dr. Najima telling her she needed to get there ASAP. Was this really happening? I had barely been pushing. The nurses were guiding me through the pushing because the back labor made it difficult to push. Pushing was definitely the most difficult time for me. There were multiple times I looked at Robert and told him I couldn't do it anymore. I had been looking forward to the small break between Trasition and pushing and it didn't come. I was so worn out and tired I just kept saying over and over "Robert, I've been lied to! I just wanted to rest before I started pushing. I am just so tired!" Dr. Najima got there a 10:00 and within 3 contractions our little boy was in my arms. On the last contraction she said his head would come out and she would suction his nose and then with the next contrition his shoulders would come out, etc, etc. With the last contraction, on the first push his head started to come out, the second push his head came half way out, and Dr. Najima said "I just need one more big push and his head will be out". I gave one big last push and even though no one was quite ready for his fast debut (our Dr. didn't really have time to catch him securely, haha), our little boy was born!

The nurse handed me our little boy immediately and I could hardly believe that after nine months I was finally getting to hold this precious little boy. I took him, looked at Robert and immediately started crying; I am not sure if it was because I was holding our little boy or due to relief from the pain. The nurses let me hold him for the hour that it took Dr. Najima to stitch me all up before they took him to weight him, bathe him, etc.

Giving birth to Calvin without any medical intervention was by far the most difficult thing I have ever done, but I would do it all over again in a heart beat. It truly was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever gone through. Everything from our birthing classes to birthing books, Robert was always 100% supportive; he knew how to help me relax so I could progress and what to or not to say to calm me down.  I would definitely say I fell in love all over again with him during those 6 hours. It was the perfect day, and we are just overjoyed with our new addition.

We love you Calvin Wixom Davis!

Medical School

Hey, guess what? See that dashing man, right there?

Well, he is going to MEDICAL SCHOOL!

This whole medical school process started long before I ever came into the picture- it just happened to be around the time we got married that the process really started to consume our lives. He was preparing to take the MCAT, starting his hardest pre-med classes, and saving for the ridiculously expensive process to apply to medical school. (folks, they aren't lying when they say just applying to medical school costs an arm and a leg). Let's just say, of the almost 3 years we have been wed, almost everyday has been filled with thoughts and worries about medical school. 

He took the MCAT 3 times, and applied for two years in a row. After the first mediocre MCAT score, and the first wave of rejections, I could see his heart sink, wondering if he was really cut out for this dream of his. He persevered- took the MCAT 2 more times and applied once more and finally saw his dream become a reality. He was accepted to a few medical schools, and to our surprise, we had a pretty big choice to make. Granted, this was all about the time we found out we were expecting. There was a lot of change happening in this little life of ours. 

Robert loved another school he was accepted to, TCMC in Scranton Pennsylvania. He would frequently get letters from them, and every time he did I think he would weep a little bit on the inside, just a little bit. When I say he really liked the school, I mean he was in LOVE with this school. With more thought, and prayer we decided that although it wasn't his top pick at first UNSOM (University of Nevada School of Medicine) was where we were supposed to be. It was a pretty difficult decision, but this last week we flew over to Reno to visit the campus it was a definite confirmation that this is where we were supposed to be. We are both overjoyed for our move come June, and Robert is even more excited to start medical school in August!

We will be part of the Nevada Wolf Pack!

26 Years

Today my dear husband turned twenty six! Of the three Wixom girls that live here in Rexburg  (the only family that we have in Rexburg), two were going to be gone today. Natalie was headed off with her adorable son to Vegas (and then off to California. I'm a little jealous :) and my other sister was headed off on a canyoneering adventure. Top that off with our birthing class tonight, we were limited with time and family and decided to celebrate the big day yesterday so that way we could actually party!

We held the festivities at my sisters house, which meant I needed to bring everything from my house over to her house. Naturally candles for the cake were forgotten. Luckily her husband just turned 27 and her son recently turned 1, and so we were able to get creative (even if the 1 made it in backwards). And in all reality, it's just the taste of the cake that really matters (although, aesthetics are rather important in my book). I made a mint ice cream cake for Robert, and mmmmmmm it was delicious. 

Sadly I forgot my camera so I didn't get any other pictures. All in all, it was a wonderful evening. Birthdays were always a pretty big deal when I was growing up, so I was glad I was able to help Robert-o celebrate. And apparently 26 is now a pretty big deal, too. Last year he qualified for cheaper rental cars and this year he is having to get his own insurance. So three cheers for turning 26!

Cross Country Skiing

This year we decided to spend New Years with just the two of us. Robert planned a big date for us, including cross country skiing in the Driggs area, Bangkok Thai and then going to see The Hobbit.

For anyone who lives in Eastern Idaho, (or who cares :) there is the Ashton-Tetonia Trail, that -believe it or not- goes from Ashton to Tetonia. It follows the old railroad trail and is a total of about 32 miles. It's perfect for cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the Winter and mountain biking in the Summer! It was beautiful, and you cross over 300 ft bridges. It is definitely on my list of top 10 things to do in Eastern Idaho/Teton Territory. And while you are at it, you can stop by Bangkok Thai....the best Thai food I've had on the west coast.
This was also the first adventure I was able to capture with my Christmas present from Robert! (Nikon D5100.....it's awesome)

The Best Two Years

Two years ago, on a beautiful August afternoon, I married that handsome lad. 

Over the past few days I have been thinking a lot about marriage, and especially my marriage. It's rather funny how you spend a lot of your younger years day dreaming about how you are going to meet your spouse, if you are going to get married, how perfect that man will be, what his hair, eyes, build, and personality are going to be like and then all of the sudden you meet him and everything seems right; there he is. You date for 6 months, he asks you to marry him, and then all of the sudden you are married to the man you had dreamed about for so many years. It wasn't until the night before I got married that I remembered all of the little girl fantasies, and I recognized that Robert was even better than anything I could have dreamed about.

Before I met Robert I was in a good relationship, and then I saw him and always found myself wondering if I could have something just a little bit better. After we started dating I quickly recognized that I have the best thing out there and two years has only made that realization even more true.

So here is to the best two years of my life, and the man that has enjoyed them with me. You are off the heezy Mr. Robert Davis.

Summa Summa

Surprise! The Summer is slowly coming to a close (even if all the pins on Pinterest are of Halloween and Fall outfits) however- it is still very much Summer. If it is still 90+ degrees in Idaho it is most surely not even close to Fall. Now that I am off my soapbox, I can tell you how terrible I have been at blogging. This has been for a number of reasons. First, my computer is really slow and there isn't an Apple store here, so that has to wait until our next Utah/Vegas trip. Second, I really don't like my camera and all my pictures are not the best quality and I don't love putting semi quality pictures up.

As a quick Summer recap:

I sewed. A lot. My two favorite projects were:

  a knockoff Baby Zara dress

and a color block throw pillow

I said a few things about my internship a few posts back. I finished with this about a month ago. I came to love teaching geriatrics, which is something I never thought I would say. I quickly learned early on in my health and fitness career path that personal training and teaching younger crowds usually turns into a vanity competition; these people loved to exercise because they simply got stronger! It was so much more important to them to be strong and fit than to have a "nice bod". This is a whole other tangent I can go on, but I will spare you all. Simply stated, CrossFit is the best thing ever. Exercise for practicality and strength, not vanity. 

I taught three different classes in Idaho Falls, Milo, and Rexburg. I already miss their smiling faces terribly. I la la la loved their care free attitudes. 

Robert has been working for a concrete company over the Summer; he works from about 5:30 am- 3-4 pm (on a good day). He has gotten incredibly tan, and lets be honest. I am a tad bit jealous. Even though the poor guy can't feel the nerves in his hands half the time, it has been a blessing that he found this Summer job. He also took the MCAT for the 3rd time (he finds out results in about a week!) and applied to Medical Schools (again). 

We have found time to play even with our  his crazy schedule. We have done quite a bit, but sadly, below are the only adventures I actually documented. 

We went camping with some of our good friends in the Tetons.

We accidentally took the managers camping spot (whoops) but it had an incredible view of the lake!

 I promise Kaylin & Tyler aren't the only ones who like each other.

Hidden Falls at Jenny's Lake

If any of you are going up to the Grand Teton area I HIGHLY recommend going on the short little jaunt up the mountain by Jenny's Lake to Hidden Falls. It is beautiful and it is the perfect place to pick Huckleberries! 

Speaking of, our next adventure was picking Huckleberry's in Kelly Canyon. I love Idaho's little gem berry.

We picked about a quart, which may not seem like much but for Huckleberries, that is about $25 worth of berries. Mmmmm. Delicious.

Lastly, back at the beginning of July we went to Palisades to go camping with our ward. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love our ward, and all of the wonderful friends we've made. It's such a unique and wonderful experience to be in a ward when everyone is pretty much in the exact same stage as you are. It is a once in a life time opportunity and I am very grateful that we have this chance, and that we got so lucky. I don't have any pictures from the campout, but the next morning a few of our friends went to hike Palisades with us. It is one of our favorite hikes in Eastern Idaho, and reminds me why I love this part of the country so much. We didn't get any pictures with our friends because Robert and I got carried away and decided to hike the extra 6 miles to the other lake while our friends were fishing. 

Phew. And that's a wrap. Definitely was a very brief overview of our Summer thus far but there is still enough Summer left to make up for my lack of blogging our many other adventures.

Post-Grad Update, Corrected.

Remember that one time when I told you Robert and I were moving to Salt Lake so I could maybe, possibly start my grad program and Robert would maybe, possibly be doing research at the medical school?

Psych.

Last Friday our lives took a crazy turn and we are staying in Rexburg! I know, beyond exciting. Okay, so maybe staying in Rexburg isn't really that exciting and I will be the first to admit that.

The exciting part is actually on Friday a professor that Robert and I work closely with asked us both to be adjunct faculty in the Fall! We will both be teaching Anatomy and Physiology labs for the next year.

That's right, you are looking at the newest faculty here at the BYU-Idaho campus.

Brother & Sister Davis.

We are pretty excited to be working together. Although it's something that we weren't really expecting or planning for ourselves we are beyond thrilled at the opportunity.

Three cheers for taking random, unplanned turns in life!

Post-Grad Update

Currently Robert and I are in what I call post graduation limbo (aka- our lives are pretty boring and I have nothing to blog about besides weekend adventures with friends).  This morning I woke up and said to myself- "self, it's probably about time you updated your blog about your life, as mundane as your post grad life is". So here it is:

First off, since I know 99% of the people who read this blog are thinking a baby is long overdue for us since we are almost hitting our two year mark…….No, I am not with child. Neither is Robert.

Robert is just a rugged handsome fellow who just shaved off a goatee. Yep, that's right rubbertoe was feeling rebellious after graduation and just grew that puppy out.  

Other than growing facial hair- Roubbertoe is working 50+ hours a week for a concrete company here in Eastern Idaho and he is loving it. Mostly because it's the first time we have been able to save in a long time, and it pays for round two of medical school applications. He also really likes working outside with his hands because he has been coped up in a library for the past two years with no break. 

Along with working from 5am-6pm, he is studying for the MCAT (third times a charm, right?) and getting applications all tidied up for the big June 1. 

I am doing my internship through the Idaho Public Health Department as an instructor for the Fit and Fall Proof program for Senior Citizens. It has been an incredible opportunity for me, and one that I never thought I would enjoy as much as I do. The two girls I work with are great, but my clients are what make it such a rewarding experience. 

Along with my internship, I am still working up on campus as the lead TA for the Anatomy classes, which is still just as interesting as always! It will be my last semester being a TA, and it will certainly be something I miss; I also learned that as much as I love being a TA, teaching in a classroom setting is not my calling in life. 6 semesters of doing this has been a blessing, but it has been enough classroom teaching for  me. :)

We are moving to SALT LAKE! (yes, compared to Rexyland, it's pretty exciting- we are ready for a change). I haven't really said anything about this for multiple reasons. We don't really know what we are going to do or where we are going to live when we go down in August. I was accepted to the U of Utah for a grad program in Global Health starting in the Fall, but grad school is still TBD for me. Robert also has a research opportunity down at the U medical school that he may or may not take. You know, decision making seems to not work well with either of us. Let's just say I like to keep multiple doors open, at one time. Who likes having limited options, anyway?

So if any of you kind folks have any sweet housing or job opportunities up your sleeve, don't be shy.

Whew. And, thats a wrap.

An Arizona Wedding

Two weeks ago Robert and I went down to Phoenix/Mesa/Glibert for one of his best friends weddings. It was a perfect little weekend getaway. It had been a long time since I have traveled, and although it wasn't anything crazy, it was a perfect weekend and wedding.

I had been to Phoenix a few times for soccer tournaments-which meant that over a two day period I played 4-5 soccer games, slept, ate, and hung out at the soccer fields. So I hadn't really even been to Phoenix. To my surprise, Mesa was actually really green and beautiful. I would say it's comparable to Vegas, but much prettier.

They can even grow citrus trees because it rains more! There were a plethora of them around the temple grounds. Speaking of, the temple in Mesa is probably one of the most unique and coolest temples I have ever been to.

Nathan was a mission companion of Robert's and after spending more time with him, I completely understand why Robert's favorite time of his mission was when he was companions with Nathan. They are like two peas from the same pod. Robert was also the most handsome groomsman out there. :)

 The reception was in Allies backyard and they did a wonderful job. It was beautiful  They had fajitas for dinner and a popcorn bar which are probably two of my most favorite foods in the world. I am pretty sure Allie and I can be friends now. We were able to spend a lot of the day and most of the reception with Robert and Nathan's mission president and his wife. It was such a good experience being able to talk and get to know them better. Robert has most surely been blessed with such great people in his life.

After all of the festivities on Friday Robert and I enjoyed a Saturday on the town! We went to Sprinkles (too much frosting for my taste, but still absolutely delicious!) went to Tempe Town Lake, did a temple session and looked at some of the coolest homes I have ever seen.

Yes, my toe is black. Turns out, whenever I run over 13 miles, my toes turn black.

Three cheers for awesome weddings!

Graduate.

Last Friday Robert and I graduated from BYU-Idaho with our Bachelors.

It was a very long last semester, and I am proud to say that Robert and I both did better than we could have hoped! The last four years have been more than an adventure, and honestly I didn't think I would actually ever see my graduation day. Yes, it's cliche- but it really feels like it was just a few days ago that I was in a teal cap and gown, heading off to my new big adventure- college. Yet, here I am a college graduate, happily married and ready to begin a new stage of life. 

Over the last four years I was blessed to have opportunities that many people aren't given. BYU-Idaho has given me more opportunities than any other school could have; the professors have greatly impacted and changed both mine and Roberts life. We will forever be grateful to professors who took a sincere interest in Robert and I and who were always cheering for us and pushing us to our potential. 

Three cheers to graduating and taking a new big step in life!