I got to be a part of something so special to me, you guys! I’ve always kind of toyed with the idea of doing birth photography, but never had the chance to do it. All my friends, and family members, having babies thought i was crazy for even wanting to try it, and they didn’t want me to do it! I knew I had the skills, i just didn’t have the people wanting it. But, prayers are answered, and  I was asked by a girl I went to high school with (Angie) if i was interested in shooting hers!  I hesitated at first thinking “am i really THAT crazy for wanting to try this!?” Probably, yes, a little, but after I heard their story, I couldn’t say no! I knew I had to be a part of this Samaritan hospital birth photography session.

I knew that Angie and her husband had been trying since around the time they got married to have a baby. It’s something they have wanted from day one, but they had a struggle in front of them- I just hadn’t realized how much of a struggle. I’ll let Angie take it from here…

“Quick Timeline

Married-July 24, 2010

last birth control pill taken- August 3, 2010

Diagnosed with PCOS (poly cystic ovarian Syndrome)- November 2010    ***Misty here! Side note- if you don’t know what PCOS, you can check out Angie’s Maternity Shoot here for more details!***

Started Clomid pills- December 2010- November 2011 (no luck at all)

Gastric sleeve surgery- January 2012 (lost 98 lbs) still no luck with pregnancy 🙁

Referred to Infertility Specialist – March 2012

started fertility treatment of pills and injections- May 2012

Ovarian Surgery to remove cyst – April 2013

Had a hysterosalpingogram – May 2013   ***Misty again– A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is an X-ray test that examines the inside of uterus and fallopian tubes and the surrounding area. Thanks Google.***

6 rounds of IUI’s with pills and injections from July 2012 – December 2013 (all failed cycles)

So after this point in which we had several failed cycles of medicated inter-uterine insemenations (IUI) with both pills and injections and already spent about $10, 000.00, we pretty much started to become hopeless and began to think that doctors could after all be right that we would never have children, although we became weak and weary we never surrendered entirely. We began to want more answers and do much more testing with hope that we would get closer. Eventually our fertility specialist Dr. Robins at The Center for Women’s Reproductive Health in Spokane, gave us the okay to try the IVF process which we knew was a very expensive gamble with chance that it could work. We prayed about it and God opened the doors to us once more through the process and with the help of my great parents we were able to provide the finances ($20, 000.00 for the whole IVF process)to move forward with the plan to start May-June 2014 but then tragedy hit us like a ton of bricks literally. My mother in law became very ill and was in ICU for about three weeks before she finally passed away on June 2nd of 2014. We were devastated and obviously had to put our baby dreams on hold for a bit. After we regained or strength we began the process of IVF in August 2014. I was put on injection medication everyday for 2 weeks and then had ultrasounds every two days to make sure that my eggs were maturing like they needed to, after we got the okay and had several eggs maturing in both my ovaries we went in for my egg retrival on August 13, 2014. They were able to retrieve 33 eggs. Out of those 33 eggs we went through the process of ICSI which is when the embryologist fertilize each egg with sperm (from my husband) individually rather then just letting the sperm and egg try to do it on their own since our chances were very low if we did it that way. Out of the 33 eggs only 23 of the eggs were actually mature enough to go onto day 2 of the process and out of the 23 only 16 actually fertilized or took my husbands sperm and formed embryos. On day 3 out of the 16 only 15 kept growing and we needed then to make it to day 5 for full growth for implant. We waited everyday so anxiously for those phone calls with mixed emotions and reactions as we kept having fewer and fewer embryos make it as the days went on. On day 5 we received the call that we had none ready for implant and i was completely devastated. The nurse did give us very little hope and said the doctors were willing to allow one more day of growth to see if day 6 they would be ready for implant so we had to be up and ready at a moments notice to go in for implant if they did make it. We waited what seemed like an eternity and got the call at 5 am (8/19/2014) on day 6 that we did have 4 good embryos so we rushed in and were ready for implant. We chose to implant 2 of 4 so that we could increase our chances a bit. We went home and i was put on bed rest for a few days and told not to take a pregnancy test until i needed to come back in on 8/27/2014. Well we could wait that long and we cheated a bit and on 8/25/2014 i took a home pregnancy test that sure enough came back positive. We were extremely excited but still a bit skeptical that it could be a false positive from the HCG hormones i was still on in a low dose form as well. On 8-27-14 we had our first beta hcg test ( blood test) and i was at 52.8 indicating that indeed we were pregnant! (they need it only above 5 to indicate pregnancy in the blood). We couldn’t hold it in and we were so ready to scream it at the top of our lungs but knew we were still not out of the woods. My beta hcg levels continued to increase and on September 5th we were able to see our little bean inside at 4 weeks 6 days. I had lost the other embryo so we were very careful to do nothing excessive to keep this little on inside. Everything was great until i hit 9 weeks exactly and had a horrible sub-chronic hemorrhage and thought that we were going to lose our little bean at the time as well. At the hospital we were able to get an ultrasound and still see and hear a heart beat and thanked God for another miracle. After a few more days of bed rest and continued carefulness we made it to a full term pregnancy and then some! lol So thank God that after every week down we were on step closer to having what it now our little princess Evie. Born naturally at 40 weeks 5 days and from there you have witnessed the rest!”

HOLY SMOKES, right!? Having so much heart break, and disappointments, it just goes to show how much these two SO wanted this to work for them.  Every time I read their story, it makes my heart ache, and I feel for those that, even after all the IVF process, are still unable to have children.  Like I said, i KNEW i had to be the one to document this journey from them.  From The maternity shoot, the birth photos, and then newborn photos, I wanted to be there for it all!

So here’s the story…. **Spoiler alert, it might be graphic**

There is was, Angie’s due date May 6th, 2015. Still not sign of baby. Angie had a doctor’s appointment on the 8th to determine what to do next. She was starting to get very uncomfortable (of course!) and was ready to see that precious baby–OH yeah! they hadn’t found out the sex yet! Another thing I got to be there for. SO AWESOME!– The doctor decided that they would shoot to induce her on the 11th. Angie was disappointed because she was really wanted that baby by Mother’s day, who wouldn’t after all that, right?! I reminded Angie that she was still a momma by then anyways, regardless of the baby being in or out!…

…Sunday- the 10th, Mother’s Day- I got a text from Angie at 4:51 PM. she was starting to feel really strong and frequent contractions and back pain, and lost her mucous plug and they would let me know what the doctor said.

There i sat, on my couch, knowing this baby was coming soon!

Her hubby texted me at 6:00 PM- felt like FOREVER, let me tell ya!– that she was dilated to a 4 and they were possibly going to start pitocin soon. –I was planning on leaving my house when she was at a 6. It would take me an hour to get the hospital, but i was packed and ready.

Alright, i thought. Bring it on.

7 PM goes by. 8 PM goes by. I get a text that they are going to check her in an hour or so. 10 Pm goes by. I decide i should TRY to get SOME sleep-yeah, right- Who knows when this baby will show.

11 PM i get a text that she’s at a 5-6 and contractions are 2-3 minutes apart. I hop out of bed and head out. I have to drive from my house to Moses Lake, which is about an hour commute, and decide to go through Othello (I know i can speed that way)…

Halfway, around Othello, i get another text, at 11:38 PM, that she was getting ready to push!!!! OH. MY. GOSH. I totally thought i was going to miss the big show, and may or may not have started speeding excessively. Like reckless driving excessively. I had my baby in like 3 pushes, and i was seriously praying that i would make it!

I showed up to the hospital at 12:10 AM and had to rush into the room, got crazy looks from the nurses, but then someone told them I was supposed to be there.

So i showed up at 12:10 AM, and a little baby girl, Evangeleen made her debut into this world at 12:40 AM. Angie did it all natural. and HOLY SMOKES. Kudos to all the ladies out there that do it. I’m a big weenie and opted for that epidural as soon as i could (but i was in induced labor for like 24 hours before i could get it). I stayed for the little girls first bath, and followed them to their new room, and then let the new little family enjoy their new little one. It was about 3:30 AM when i left.

It was such a fun, crazy, exciting event, and I’m seriously SO grateful that i got to be there for it. So without further ado, Miss Evangaleen’s Birth story.