Ivy Mae Stone

"The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

What a whirlwind this day turned out to be.

Karmen arrived at the hospital at 37 weeks pregnant, already 3 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and -3 station, ready to begin her induction. After a week filled with blood pressure concerns and preeclampsia scares, it was finally time to meet her baby girl.

Pitocin was started around 8:50 a.m. Small contractions were coming and going, and although she was a little sleepy, she was feeling good overall.

Baby Ivy looked beautiful on the monitor all morning, showing just a little bit of "spice" here and there, keeping everyone on their toes while still reassuring us she was doing well.

At 10:15 a.m., Karmen's water was broken. She was 3 cm dilated, 80% effaced, and Ivy was sitting at a -3 station. Before long, contractions began picking up in strength and intensity.

One of my favorite parts of this journey was watching Karmen and Zane together. Zane was an incredible support person, keeping her spirits up through every contraction. At one point, he jokingly reminded us that this was his first time too, and somehow that quickly became our inside joke whenever we needed a little icebreaker or a laugh. It was exactly the kind of humor that helped lighten the room when things got intense.

The love between these two was impossible to miss. "I love you" and "so much" were spoken so freely and so often that it became one of my favorite parts of the birth. Watching them support one another through labor was every bit as beautiful as the arrival of their daughter.

By 11:20 a.m., Karmen had progressed to 4 cm, was completely effaced, and Ivy had moved down to a -1 station. Thirty minutes later, contractions were coming back-to-back and a little sporadically. She was still 4 cm, and together we decided it was time for an epidural. She received it around 12:45 p.m., and the Pitocin was backed off briefly to let her settle in.

I remember telling Dad that once her body was finally able to relax, Ivy probably wouldn't keep us waiting much longer.

And she didn't.

Looking back, it's amazing to realize just how quickly everything happened. Pitocin had only been started around 8:50 that morning. Less than six and a half hours later, Karmen would be holding her daughter in her arms. For a second-time mom, it was an incredibly efficient labor, and once her body was finally able to rest, everything seemed to fall into place.

After a REALLY good epidural boost around 1:30 p.m., Mama was finally able to relax. The tension she'd been carrying seemed to melt away, and her body got right to work.

Less than an hour later, the nurse came in to place a catheter and suddenly stopped.

"There's a head there. You're not getting a catheter."

Cue the laughter.

Everyone hurried to get the room ready for delivery, but Ivy had plans of her own. She wasn't waiting on anyone.

In fact, the nurses were telling Karmen to stop laughing because Ivy was literally crowning without any intervention. One minute we were preparing for delivery, and the next minute delivery was already happening.

With one tiny little push, and I do mean tiny, their daughter made her entrance.

At 2:56 p.m., Baby Ivy Mae was here.

6 pounds, 14 ounces of sass and opinions.

Just 6 hours and 6 minutes after Pitocin was started.

Perfect in every way.

She was placed immediately onto her mama's chest while her daddy looked on completely in awe, practically vibrating with excitement to finally get his hands on his little girl. After all, it was his first time.

The room felt different the moment she arrived. After a week filled with blood pressure checks, preeclampsia concerns, uncertainty, and stress, you could almost feel the tension melt away. What had started as a scary week ended with a beautiful, healthy baby girl in her parents' arms.

And waiting just outside the spotlight was another little girl whose world was about to change forever.

Big sister Piper had been counting down the days until Ivy's arrival for weeks. She had even made a paper chain countdown, carefully removing links one by one as she got closer to meeting her baby sister. The funny thing is, there were still about 20 days left on the chain when everyone found out Ivy would be arriving that day.

Instead of waiting three more weeks, Piper's countdown suddenly jumped to zero.

She was beyond excited to learn that today was finally the day. After all the anticipation, all the planning, and all the waiting, her baby sister was finally here.

As i looked back over Ivy's birth day, i couldn't help but smile at all the little details. The sixth month. A labor that lasted just 6 hours and 6 minutes from the start of Pitocin to baby in arms. A beautiful baby girl weighing 6 pounds, 14 ounces.

But more than numbers, we saw perfect timing woven throughout the day.

After a week of blood pressure checks, preeclampsia concerns, uncertainty, and waiting, Ivy arrived exactly when she was meant to. Piper's paper chain countdown still had nearly 20 links left, yet somehow everything aligned in a way no one could have planned. Instead of waiting weeks longer, Piper got to meet her baby sister that very day.

As Karmen and Zane held their newest daughter and watched their family grow, it felt like the perfect beginning to this next chapter.

"The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

What a fitting blessing for sweet Ivy Mae, whose story began with so much anticipation, unfolded with breathtaking speed, and ended with exactly what every parent hopes for: a healthy baby, a growing family, and a room filled with love, gratitude, and peace.

Welcome to the world, sweet Ivy Mae Stone.