What a sweet joy!! Makenzie Pearl Ralph joined our family on April 26, 2018 at 8:09pm. She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. and was 19.75 inches long. NOW her sweet birth story is one for the books and our FAMILY HISTORY stories for years to come. The day she arrived, her Daddy, Jonathan was scheduled to fly out to go surprise his Dad for his 60th birthday surprise with all of his siblings united in Washington. It was risky having him fly out when I was so close to my due date, which was on May 14th or somewhere in there, that we hoped he could make it for his weekend trip to be with his siblings and parents, do some fun unity activities, go do temple baptisms together and be there for family pictures and a surprise gathering for his dad and then make it back in time for me to have the baby sometime after. Well, low and behold, it turns out I had a doctor appointment scheduled for the day that he was going to fly out to WA.
Well, the night before, I had felt some pretty strong and noticeable contractions or lower tummy pressure, which caused me to wake up a couple times.... Yet, nothing was consistent in the morning and so I wasn't sure that anything was progressing, perhaps it was just some more ligament widenings and sweet baby starting to drop a bit more as she would be preparing for birth over the next two weeks. Thankfully, Jon watched the other kiddos so I could go to my doctor appointment before his flight out that day, and once I was able to meet with my midwife, she asked if I wanted to be checked and I said, yes, sure, since I knew it would be nice to see just where I was at and if I had dilated much at all, since I think I was 1 cm dilated the week before.
As I was waiting for her to come into the room to check me, I realized I was having some belly tightenings about every 30 minutes or so, but they weren't super strong yet. Well, it turns out, when she finally checked me, she looked up at me in SHOCK, saying, "You said your husband is supposed to get on an airplane in the next hour????" and I said, "yes, is everything okay, or how's it looking?" and she immediately replied, "You better call your husband up and tell him to cancel his flight because you are dilated to a 6, there is no turning back girl, you could go walk over and admit yourself to the hospital right now, once you get pact a 5 honey, it's only a matter of hours before this baby is coming..." Oh MY!!!! I WAS IN TOTAL AND COMPLETE SURPRISE AND SHOCK!! Today was the day!!! She was coming today and I hadn't even been feeling that strong of contractions yet. Well.....I quickly called Jon up as I left the midwives office and imparted the news to him. He was a little disappointed, but her was understanding too and so he said to come home so we could get the kids all packed up so we could head off to the hospital. WOAH, this was REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN!!!
After we gave everybody some frozen pizzas for lunch, tidied up a bit (waiting til my contractions picked up a bit more frequently) and packed backpacks for the kids, we brought them over to play with cousins and have Uncle Austin watch them (since Aunt Liz had just flown out the day or so prior, to be there for Stephen's surprise birthday gathering and temple trip with all of their immediate children) and Jonathan and I headed to the hospital. My contractions were coming about every 10 minutes when we left for the hospital....and by the time we checked in at 7pm on the 2nd floor, they were coming every 5 min increasing in intensity a bit....so they checked me to see how I was progressing, they told me I was now about a 7....not too much progression since my doctor apt..kinda disappointing...but we pressed forward!
Once they checked for all the baby's vitals, they let me stand up and rock around with Jonathan any time a contraction came, while we were awaiting my midwife. It turns out it was quite a busy day and someone, who had come in before me, was progressing in labor too and so the midwife on call (Courtney Watson) was with her, since I came in after her. Well, lo and behold, 5th time mom in labor over here, I started progressing more quickly, and at about 7:50pm (only 1 hour into more active labor), they were coming every 1-2 min. apart, super long and super painful. It made ALL the difference in the world to not feel like I was laboring alone. He was such a well-trained champ of a perfect birthing companion. It was so special to have figured out how he can help me best in these most excruciating times, and it meant so much for me to have him there right alongside me to welcome our sweet newest little one into the world.
Well, since his Dad's surprise immediate family gathering was happening that very next day, on April 27th, we decided to compromise on his time so I requested he stay at least the first night with me and our new baby, deciding her name and being together....and then we planned for him to fly out the very next morning at 9am to WA to be there for his Dad's birthday surprise. Before he left, we had to decide on a name, which was SUUUPER hard because I had loved (and Jonathan like both too) two top choices soo much... Makenzie and Hannah (with the middle name options of Pearl, Kathleen, or Alivia/Livia). When it was close to time for him to go, we almost used Kathleen as a middle name b/c Jon's mom was also born in April, plus her name hasn't been used yet. Well, as I researched names that 1st night, I found that "Katelyn" is actually a version of Kathleen, so yay, Katelyn and grandma have a special connection already, so the next Langford family name we liked was Pearl (Jon's great grandma or Kathleen's maternal grandma) Turns out even Stephen had a Pearl on his side too! WEll, its also a form of Margaret (I have some on my side, Maragaret Watson- an early settler in Provo to BYU Academy with her husband, who was a bishop in Provo and served a mission in Scotland!) and I love pearls, the symbol behind them, their purity, their refinement over time, the connection to the ocean and peace, and just how precious they are. We felt it was the perfect middle name for her.
Then, although I still loved "Hannah," which means "gift from God," or "grace of God," which this sweet girl absolutely is--- I learned "Makenzie" means "comely" or loved, appropriate, pretty, "child of the wise leader" and "born of fire." To me, this represented how her birth story was sort of like a refiners fire for all of us. We went through after my Thanksgiving fall...the chance that we might lose her after so much bleeding that followed thereafter. There was so much unknown, uncertainty and hardship, so many sleepless nights and tears shed over the chance that she might not make it. Yet, through it all, she was strong and Heavenly Father blessed and strengthened her especially through the Priesthood Blessing given me after my fall....and she held on because the Lord must have a special mission for her and a reason to be here!
Some of the back-story: I remember when Jonathan gave me a blessing after my fall in Pocatello, ID at my Uncle Neil's church, when I was about 14 weeks pregnant, and where we were gathering for our big family Thanksgiving meal, and when I knew there was significant bleeding within 20 minutes of taking a fall during a game of kickball, when Jonathan and I accidentally collided near first base and I took a fall on my side on my tummy. I remember being emotional and worried and seeking a Priesthood blessing and hoping that we would get the reassurance that the baby would live, but I distinctly remember Jonathan saying in the blessing that however things turned out, that he would give us strength and help us get through whatever was ahead. I remember being so concerned that this still meant that we might lose her. But we continued to move forward and trusted that we would be strengthened through the whole process, however that may be.
I remember coming home from my prenatal appointments and perinatal appointments right after my fall, and I remember when I kept bleeding for over a month and just knowing this was not normal, this was not going well. They told me my placenta had been ripped and slightly detached from the uterine wall, and there was a steady stream of blood trickling down from the uterine wall, tracking down the top region and side of my placenta.
I remember having to be in my bed especially the two days right after, while we were still in Pocatello, ID and on our way back to Sandy, UT. I remember receiving comfort when I was reading my scriptures for strength and to hear what the Lord needed me to know at this time. I remember specifically reading about a challenging time in the Book of Mormon, and the line of thought that, "have you considered that all of these things are in the hand of the Lord?" Truly he was the one who held the power of deliverance and he was the one in whom I needed to trust. I was so worried and it was so hard for me to tell the kids why I couldn't be up around and playing with the kids anymore, or why I wasn't supposed to hold over 20 pounds anymore (including my very loving and needful to be helped 2.5 year old, Joshua :( ) and to not know what the future held. It was such a comfort when we got to Sandy and they fit me in for an OBGYN appointment, where they could give me an ultrasound and check to see how baby was doing. To my greatest relief, it took a few minutes, but they found her heartbeat. Then, on the ultrasound, we were able to put the pics in an envelope, and we kept them secret, until we showed them to my sister first, because she was getting married that weekend, and I didn't want to take away from the specialness of her occasion, but I wanted her to feel like she was important enough to us to learn the gender of our baby before we did, with Mom, me and Jonathan in the room. It was neat being able to find out we were having a girl all together, after the fall incident and unexpected turn of the events in my pregnancy.
I remember getting back to Texas and them wanting to see me as soon as possible. When they saw what was going on and that the blood was still tracking from the uterine wall down around my placenta, they sent me to see a perinatal specialist. The sweet lady, Dr. Brown-Elliot was such a tender mercy of an angel to me. She said, "Oh wow, this is going to be your fifth baby!! Good for you, mama!! What a beautiful thing family is and each child is such a precious gift from above. You have got this mama, your body is very capable of healing and you are strong and you and this baby have got this." It was like a balm of gilead being in her office and hearing her confidence exude as she was scanning the high-tech ultrasound. I remember walking out of her office, and she told me that there was about 50% chance the baby would be alright and everything would heal up properly, and there was about 50% that we might lose the baby. But, she had every hope and faith in me and God to help me heal. I was reassured, but also torn inside and couldn't help but find myself in tears on my drive home and once I got in to Jonathan's arms, knowing that there was 50% chance that we might lose this baby. It was so sad and traumatic to think about, but at the same time, especially reassured from the scripture I had read the night after my fall, I knew we would be strengthened and the Lord would be with us and that there really was no need for me to worry because everything was in His hands.
During the harder times, I remember waking up in the night, completely shaking and feeling as though I was losing blood pressure to my arms and limbs and not being able to sleep, thinking very well that we might lose this baby. But, I kept trying to stay well-hydrated and nourished and kept praying and trying to take it easy, so my body could heal properly. It turns out at subsequent dr appointments, I had developed a significant sized blood clot, about 8-10cm where the bleeding occured. My midwives were very concerned about it, and I had to come in every week for them to monitor me and the baby and track the progress of the blood clot. There was a chance my body could help metabolize it, or there was a chance it would stay there and could impede the birthing process. Thankfully, after several weeks, the clot started going down in size, to about 6 cm and then somewhere around 5cm.... They were careful and watchful, and thankfully, once I delivered sweet Makenzie, my midwife, Courtney Watson, said she could see a clump of blood vessels in what appeared to be scar tissue on part of my placenta. That must have been it. What a miracle and incredible blessing that Makenzie was delivered safely and soundly, without any major complications and that Heavenly Father allowed her to still come to our family and make it through the refiners fire of challenges we faced together. What a strong sweetheart she is, who didn't give up in utero despite a great challenge, and I am so thankful she was a fighter and that she came to fulfill a special mission the Lord has on this earth for her. Truly, a pearl that resulted from the fire of our challenging pregnancy story. She is a miracle and a precious gem to our family. Oh how thankful I was that she was finally here!
Once Jonathan left to make his flight back to WA to be there for his Dad's surprise birthday gathering, it was sweet because Jessica (Jon's sister right above him) sent me a teary-eyed text saying how thankful she was for me sacrificing my husband to be there for this special time for his Dad. It meant sooo much to his mom, she was in complete astonishment and tears to have all of her children (still on earth) there together with their Dad. I was even having tears stream down from my face when I saw his Marco Polo ssurprise and to see his mom LIGHT UP with surprise, awestruck he was there and filled with SUCH GREAT JOY! That is one reason I love Jonathan and the Ralph family so much, that they would sacrifice and give anything just to be together. Family means everything and I love that about him and the legacy of Kathleen and Stephen Ralph, who place and view their children as one of their greatest treasures and accomplishments and they cherish each other so much. So, although I certainly and absolutely missed him being there and with our kiddos, thankfully the Heath family stepped in so thoughtfully to help us out--so we could make all of that happen. Aunt Kadi, Uncle Mitchell and Tammy all helped watch our kids for two days while I recovered with baby in the hospital for the first two days and thankfully, Kadi came and picked me up from the hospital on the 2nd day after delivery. What a sweetheart and huge blessing she was tending to my every need. Love her service mindedness and charity. Then, my mom was able to fly out and be there a few hours after I arrived back at home to help me take care of the rest of the family. She was a HUGE help too, doing everything from helping the kids with their laundry, to playing games and reading books, riding bikes around the lake, planting a new gardenia plant together, telling them stories, and making meals for us, it was the best gift she could have given to me as a new mother to our fifth baby. What a heaven-sent blessing she was. Sure love my heart-of-gold mom.
So alert and perceptive, peaceful and calm. <3
It was a wonderful chance to have Grandma Susan with us for two weeks! Then, when Daddy came back, we were so grateful and thrilled to have him back. We were just so in love and smitten with this little bundle of sweetness! I sure had fun trying to capture these sweet angel pictures! We love you Makenzie and are so thankful you joined our family. You had lots of brothers and sisters to love on you and smother you with hugs as the sweet newest member of our family. <3
