Family of Five

Kovie Chelsea Carrasco
April 23, 2019
6:01am
8 lbs 9 oz
21”

I’m sitting here writing this as one kid plays baseball in the backyard, one is napping and another is laying on a little play-mat; opening her eyes so wide on day 4 of being earthside.
I feel like I am in a fog, so tired but I don’t really care because I’m still in awe that our baby girl is finally here.
It almost doesn’t feel real.
Three kids.
Three healthy, gifts from God.

David and I look at each other and just feel a bit overwhelmed but incredibly grateful that we were given these three. We are trying to remember the tiny features of Kovie because we know all too well that this stage flies by in a blink of an eye (and so do the sleepless nights).
Kovie arrived on April 23, at 6:01 in the morning. Contractions had started late in the evening the night before so we started to pack up for the hospital and arrived at about 2:30am. When it was go time, things ramped up so quickly and my water ended up breaking at the same time that Kovie came out. The doctor had quickly been called and only had time to put on one glove as I pushed for one minute and she was out!
Wild.

The tough part came after.
Kovie had so much fluid in her lungs and stomach because she came out at the same time that my water broke. She was having trouble keeping her oxygen levels stable so they quickly tried to suction the fluid out and give her oxygen with the tiniest little oxygen mask I have ever seen. After about 25 minutes, she still wasn’t able to maintain her oxygen levels so they moved her over to the NICU where a pediatrician and a respiratoriologist took over. David went with her and said it was quite tough to see them suction out fluid from her stomach, but after about an hour of them working on her, she was finally able to maintain oxygen levels on her own.

I was wheeled in to the room to see her for the first time and of course a flood of emotions swept over as we were able to touch her and hold her and kiss her.
She was here and she was safe and she was alive.
Thank you Jesus.

Now anyone who has gone through the pains of childbirth knows that it doesn’t quite end there. Yes you have made it through the indescribable events of labour, but the emotions that follow, along with the pain of getting up and sitting down are still vividly there, days after giving birth. You can feel your stomach, that is now loose and vacant, where that tiny miracle grew and kicked for what feels like much longer than 9 months and wonder how long until you feel like yourself again. But you count those tiny toes that once kicked you from the inside and stare at her perfect little face and all you can feel is gratitude, awe, wonder and so much love.
Kids are such a gift.