Introducing...

Beckett Kay Knuckles

arrived Monday, January 16, 2017 at 8:08 a.m.

weighing 6 pounds 14 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.

Our smallest baby! I was so surprised that Beckett only came 2 days early because Aiden and Janie both came a little over a week early. Our pediatrician made the point that maybe that's why - he just needed a little more time to grow!

Just like with the other two, we got down to 2 names - Beckett and Patton. We always leaned more towards Beckett, but I was worried about how it sounded with Aiden and Janie. I felt like Patton kind of flowed better. But he came out and Beckett was the first thing I thought when I saw him! Man, naming your kids is stressful! It's kind of a big deal! And just like with Janie, Aiden preferred Patton :/ At one point he even told us that he'd still call him Patton even if we went with Beckett..ha. But again, he was just fine when we told him at the hospital. Love him!

We chose Kay for his middle name because we like to use a family name and Kay is my grandpa's (mom's dad) first name :) He passed when I was a freshman in high school, so it's been a while, but he made sure we had a family reunion every single year growing up. I really believe that because of that, I consider my cousins my very best friends. To this day my grandma still makes sure we have a reunion every summer. I am so grateful and cherish all of the memories so much.

Now for the labor story!

Sunday night, the 15th, we went to my parents' for dinner. I had kind of just figured baby wasn't coming until his due date since I felt like I'd been waiting so long (compared to the other two), but that night I kept telling my family that something was different. I was definitely feeling more pressure than usual. I must be sleep deprived because I don't remember too many details from that evening. I did help my dad out with his new iPhone (we finally got him a smartphone!!) and showed him Instagram. Hope you're checking that every once in a while Dad ;) We headed home a little later and got the kids in bed. I did my regular night routine - social mediaed for a bit, read my scriptures, I actually did not write in my journal, but started Parenthood instead - I've been wanting to watch it. Anyway, time always gets away from me and I didn't even go to bed until like 1 - I'm a total night owl! Well I woke up like an hour later around 2/2:30 to a contraction. I tried to just go back to sleep, but then I had another one a few minutes later so I hurried to download a contraction timer app and start timing them. My contractions were already only like 5 minutes apart. I kept toying with the idea of hopping in the shower, but things progressed with Janie so fast that I didn't dare. In the days leading up to this I kept telling my mom and Trent that it would be fabulous if I started contracting during a late morning after I had showered, but of course, I can't determine that..ha. I spent the next hour or so getting things in order, checking my hospital bag, diaper bag, and cleaning/tidying.

Sure enough my contractions started to come faster and by about 4 they were only about 3 minutes apart, so I woke up Trent to tell him. He called his mom to come over to be with the kids and we pulled out at 4:35. I was pretty bummed that I couldn't say goodbye to our 2 kiddos for the last time, but we didn't want to wake them because I'm sure they would've stayed up. We got to the hospital about 10 minutes later. My contractions always feel so much worse during the car ride..ha. We were able to get checked in pretty quick and they got us into Triage to check my progress. At my last appointment on Thursday I was 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced. The nurse went to check me and seemed kind of surprised that I was at a 6 or 7 (everyone's fingers are different so it's always more of an estimate)! The nurse had to finish putting some info into the system about me and soon after we headed to our delivery room and they got right to work getting an IV in me. It felt like a while before the anesthesiologist made it in (I am ALL for the epidural, always will be!), but I'm sure it's just because my contractions were getting more intense. As usual, I was very nervous, and I kept telling Trent and the nurse how nervous I was, but I actually didn't cry this time! He got it placed around 6:05. They are always sure to tell me how easy it is to place because I'm so little..ha. A few minutes later I was feeling good and so much happier :)

That's when I went ahead and texted my family (6:15) to let them know I was admitted and doing good with the epidural! I tried to rest while I could since I'd been up all night, but just like with Janie, things progressed fast. My mom made it to the hospital around 7:15 and Dr. Huish followed shortly thereafter and broke my water around 7:30. At that point I was between 8 and 9 cm dilated. He left for a bit and the nurse did as well and soon I was feeling pressure to push. The nurse checked me once more right around 8 and I was 10 cm. This part is always kind of surreal because Dr. Huish and the nurse seem to be rushing around getting everything situated. I started to push and I just remembered that this is the first time that I actually could tell the epidural had worn off some. With Aiden and Janie I just felt pressure to push, nothing more, but this time I could actually feel a little bit of pain and burning (they say the "ring of fire"). This made me all the more grateful for the epidural! It was so odd to feel his head come through (the only way I can describe it is that I felt like I was just going to rip wide open down there!) and then the rest of his body! Thankfully I have never actually torn or needed an episiotomy and I still give Dr. Huish full credit for that. Anyway, I pushed for just a few minutes, Trent says maybe 5 (just like with Aiden and Janie), and Beckett made his grand entrance at 8:08! Unlike Aiden and Janie, Beckett was mad and let us know..haha (Aiden and Janie were very quiet when they came out which had the nurses concerned at first). I love those first newborn cries!

I actually had some skin to skin with Beckett for a bit before they did anything else, but it probably only lasted about 20 minutes because I was kind of anxious to hear his measurements..haha.

In all his glory ;)

Having his footprints done :)

Daddy and Beckett.

Grandma Christensen :)

Grandpa Christensen arrived at the hospital about half an hour after Beckett was born :)

It was probably around 11 that we headed to my postpartum room. As always the nurse pushed me in a wheelchair and Trent pushed Beckett.

I had some lunch and couldn't wait for the kids to arrive. It felt like forever before they made it, but it was around noon! It's hard to see, but we had Beckett laying in the little bassinet and the kids didn't notice at first..ha.

I missed them!

Having a chat with Jane :)

Big brother checking out little brother :)

Grandma Knuckles :)

I have 3 kids!

All having a look :)

First family photo of 5 :) It's hard to see Beckett Baby.

Aiden holding Beckett for the first time :)

And Janie :)

She was really studying him ;)

The kids headed out an hour or so later with Grandma Knuckles and I did some more skin to skin with Beckett. That little face!

A little nap with Daddy.

Lots of pictures with Beckett :)

Little yawn.

That tiny head :)

I waited and waited for the nurse to come in and bathe Beckett before I posted a picture. I just love how fluffy little baby hair gets after they've been bathed..haha. I was getting so impatient. I finally gave up and settled on a picture and posted and not even 30 seconds later the nurse came in to bathe him. Figures!

Just before Beckett was bathed (around 6) Trent headed home to spend some time with the kids and do their bedtime routine with them. I had dinner and watched The Bachelor. Totally my guilty pleasure! Trent came back later to spend the night with us and my mom spent the night with Aiden and Janie.

We like to get back home as soon as possible so we only stayed for the mandatory 24 hours. We were discharged around 11:30 Tuesday morning. I put Beckett in the same dino jammies that Aiden wore coming home from the hospital :) 

Beckett...

and Aiden :)

It's hard to believe it's already been 3 weeks. 3 weeks ago I was still up watching Parenthood and didn't even know my contractions would start a few hours later!

We're all doing pretty well over here. I've been pretty surprised/relieved because I feel like this has actually been my easiest recovery. And we are all really starting to get the hang of things. Life is certainly crazy with 3 kids though! If we're not helping one kid, we're helping another, but we wouldn't change it! We've been mostly laying low and have hardly taken Beckett out at all (really just to doctor's appointments) since it's RSV/flu season. Our pediatrician strongly encouraged us to keep him in for his first month. She even told us that if he got a fever of 100.4 we would be sent to the ER immediately, no questions asked, and they would test him for meningitis. Scary stuff. 

For the most part Beckett is a pretty easygoing baby and we are grateful for that! He's pretty much up every 3 hours to eat, but occasionally he'll give us 3.5-4 hours at night. Fingers crossed that he'll start stretching that soon! I am really trying to enjoy every moment while Beckett is so little and precious. As for the other 2, at first Janie seemed pretty jealous of Beckett (once we brought him home) and she mostly just ignored him, but she really seems to be getting used to him now. Anytime he cries she starts yelling, "He's crying again!" over and over until we acknowledge her/him..haha. And Aiden is just awesome and so helpful. We sure love our 3 kiddos and feel incredibly blessed to be their parents!

If anyone's interested, here's Aiden's labor story and here is Janie's.