New Mom Podcast

Finally sharing our full birth story!! 

Host Carrie Alexander has her husband Connor Alexander back on the podcast to share the birth story of their first child. They reminisce on the moment they found out she was pregnant, discuss pregnancy from the husband and wife’s different perspectives and share the full birth story of their son Archie. 

What is New Mom Podcast?

The New Mom Podcast is a Christian motherhood podcast for women navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood.
Whether you're a first-time mom, expecting, or in the middle of sleepless nights, this show offers real, honest conversations about motherhood, marriage, identity, and faith. We talk about birth stories, postpartum recovery, relationships, mental health, and trusting God through every stage of motherhood. If you're looking for encouragement, practical advice, and a reminder that you're not alone—this podcast is for you.

Our prayer is that New Mom leaves you feeling seen, strengthened, and a little more equipped for the beautiful calling of motherhood!

New episodes weekly.

Carrie:

Hello, and welcome back to New Mom. Today on the show, I have Connor, my husband, back in the studio. We are talking about our birth story. We cover it all from deciding to start our family, my entire pregnancy journey, as well as the birth story with our son, Archie. I love our birth story.

Carrie:

I love the story of our family. It's really sweet, and I hope you guys enjoy it. We cover a lot. We cover labor and delivery units. We cover the first, second, and third trimester crazies and everything in between.

Carrie:

So I think you guys are gonna love it. Have fun.

Connor:

Okay. Hi, everybody.

Carrie:

Hey, guys.

Connor:

We're back.

Carrie:

Thank you for making me a fresh Americana.

Connor:

You're welcome.

Carrie:

And thank you for making your was that a Gibraltar that you made?

Connor:

Yeah. Wow. Or like a what do they call it? A Gibraltar or a Cortado?

Carrie:

Cortado.

Connor:

Okay. I don't know the difference. I think they're the same.

Carrie:

But you spilled it on your shirt, all that to say.

Connor:

Yeah. Everybody happens to be washing this. To address, and I am both of those elephants. Elephant number one is that I just spilled coffee on my shirt.

Carrie:

Yep. Which is pretty on par.

Connor:

So if you're watching this

Carrie:

If it wasn't coffee, it was gonna be spit up. It doesn't I mean, whatever.

Connor:

Seriously. And then the other elephant is that I'm kind of sleepy.

Carrie:

Oh, I thought you're gonna say that you're wearing the same hat as last time.

Connor:

There's elephants. There's three elephants.

Carrie:

Yikes. Wake up. Get that Gibraltar.

Connor:

We were crazy last night. We we had a little worship night at our church last night.

Carrie:

We did.

Connor:

And then we went out for a drink with friends because your mom and aunt were watching Yeah.

Carrie:

And it was well, we have one baby and then our friend's baby. Mhmm. And we got So we

Connor:

bed at ten p. M.

Carrie:

It was pretty crazy.

Connor:

It was crazy.

Carrie:

Yeah. But then I actually did wake up So with a cheers. The fact that I'm feeling better and we're doing this podcast is a slight miracle. So

Connor:

We're fired up. Woah. We're gonna talk about having a baby.

Carrie:

Yeah. Okay. So we we paused

Connor:

This is so crazy.

Carrie:

You paused us

Connor:

My coffee.

Carrie:

Embrace it. Alright. It's fine. You or change your outfit.

Connor:

No. We're gonna go.

Carrie:

We're doing this.

Connor:

We're doing this. Okay.

Carrie:

You paused last time when we did part one. Right when we were talking about

Connor:

We told our little story of how we met.

Carrie:

Yeah. And our love story. And then love you. And then we talked about, like, getting to the point where I was ready to have a baby, but we hadn't I don't think we got to the part where started, like, trying yet.

Connor:

No. Yeah. Let's just go Yeah. Into

Carrie:

Let's go into it.

Connor:

Where do wanna start?

Carrie:

I wanna start with where I was at before you kind of felt the nudge. So I knew for a while, and I apologize this is a repeat. I don't exactly remember what we to be honest, whatever.

Connor:

Who cares?

Carrie:

We're doing it. Yeah. We're doing it. But I knew for a while. And I we had numerous big conversations over the first two years.

Carrie:

We knew we wanted to wait a little while, but it was such a weird time in our industry. And I just really had it on my heart. I wanted to be a fairly young mom, and I didn't wanna wait forever. But also, there's finances and responsibility and all that stuff. So we had numerous big conversations where I would be, like, in tears in the kitchen, and I was like, I'm ready.

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

You know, I really wanna do Yeah.

Connor:

Numerous but like every they were spread out like every six months or so. Yeah.

Carrie:

We didn't talk about it all the time. No. Yeah. We kinda had a rule around that. It was like, we'll have a couple big talks.

Carrie:

We won't just constantly be talking about when we're gonna have kids, when we're gonna have kids.

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

Yeah. But we did. We had big talks about it and you knew how I felt. And you were

Connor:

Yeah. Because I think the plan was we were gonna we were gonna, like, pause the conversation until your birthday in August. I think I think until your 20 birthday. Yeah. And then

Carrie:

Oh, that's interesting. Yeah.

Connor:

Remember that? And then and then I think, like, it would have been when did I finish shooting the first time? Like, June?

Carrie:

Was like late May, early June.

Connor:

It was like late Yeah, it was late May.

Carrie:

Yes.

Connor:

And the conversation came up again. And we had like a big conversation in the kitchen and you were being really honest. You're like, I really want a baby. And there were some tears.

Carrie:

Yes.

Connor:

And and it was just interesting because I was like, okay, we were gonna not talk about this until August. Mhmm. And it came up a little earlier. We were like, oh jeez.

Carrie:

Why is this coming up? That happens for us a lot. I feel like God will bring things up

Connor:

To you?

Carrie:

Very abruptly. Yeah. It's like, oh, we're doing

Connor:

Bring it to you first and then I get

Carrie:

You get real good.

Connor:

Clued in later.

Carrie:

Months later. But what I was gonna say is Mhmm. I thought it was interesting that the whole time with our marriage, you just didn't feel ready, which it is a theme. I think we've mentioned that usually God tells me something first and then you catch up when it's time.

Connor:

She's smarter.

Carrie:

No. But we'll just more spiritually sound. No. That's not what I'm saying.

Connor:

A little bit. I'm saying you're not saying it. I'm saying it.

Carrie:

That's fine. But I just I think that I am more of a forward thinker and I'm seeing forward maybe too much, maybe to a fault. And I think you are day by day. You're very present. And so it kind of freaks you out, I think, sometimes to think too much into the future.

Carrie:

And so what I'm saying, I think the Lord is saying eventually we're gonna do this. You're like, we'll get there. But I can't

Connor:

think about

Carrie:

that yet.

Connor:

So this was So we had that conversation.

Carrie:

Yes. But you were feeling the nudges is what I was wanted to

Connor:

talk about. Like, what the nudges?

Carrie:

I thought that was cool.

Connor:

So obviously, you were just ready to go.

Carrie:

And praying that you would be as well. Yeah.

Connor:

Yeah. And I wanna like, what were the first nudges? I was shooting a project

Carrie:

Mhmm.

Connor:

And I mean, that was like one of the first pieces. It was

Carrie:

April and May 2024. Yeah. When you were in Charleston. We were in Charleston and I had a vision. I'll share this.

Carrie:

I had like this vision. I had a vision. Yeah. When we were there, I was ready. You were not.

Carrie:

But I had this very particular vision of me holding,

Connor:

A little boy.

Carrie:

A little a little boy in that was a newborn ish Uh-huh. In Charleston. And I was like, well, that's interesting. You're like, I was

Connor:

walking on Daniel Island.

Carrie:

I was walking on Daniel Island and I was I was seeing the beautiful houses and there were there was like a preschool group walking across the street and I just had this this particular picture of me walking right there with a newborn on my chest, like in my That's

Connor:

actually crazy.

Carrie:

Yeah. In a wrap. And I thought it was interesting because I was like, he's rapping. You were rapping in a month, and I didn't know if you were gonna be on the next season. I didn't know if something else was gonna bring us there.

Carrie:

But I had that Yeah.

Connor:

We've never been to Charleston.

Carrie:

And I think I shared Yeah. That with We'd never been to Charleston. And I was like, well, that's really interesting. And I I felt like there was something there. The same day I had that vision this is worth sharing because I did confirm it was the same day.

Carrie:

Yeah. My friend and we'll get to the end of the story later. Mhmm. But my friend texted me and while I was in Charleston and you were on set, I was at a coffee shop and she said, just had a dream you were pregnant. Anything you wanna tell me?

Carrie:

Mhmm. And I screenshotted it. It was May 21. I screenshotted it. So I was like, that's weird.

Carrie:

Yeah. Because I had that vision the same day. And it was just something to consider. I did not know at the time that God was sort of nudging your heart Yeah. Pretty quickly.

Connor:

Well, yeah. So I think while I was on set, the help me out too because you you remember better than I do. The things the things I remember was I was on set and we were like in between takes and the the showrunner and the creator of the show just walks up. He's like, so Connor, man, you have any kids yet? And I was like, no, I don't.

Connor:

And he's like, oh, well, how long have you married? And I said two years because I think it was two years.

Carrie:

You're like, coming up on two years.

Connor:

And he was just like, oh, man, let me just tell you, it's the best thing ever. You should definitely have kids. Oh, it's the best. And then one of the camera ops heard us and he was like, you guys talking about kids? Oh, man.

Connor:

Kids are the best. It's just the best thing. You guys should just have kids. I I was like, what?

Carrie:

That, I was stoked because you you I knew that way it had stirred you a little bit because you told that. You were like Yeah. I gotta say like they were all talking on set and like they were all kinda sharing these things about kids and it felt like an interesting environment for everybody to be Yeah. Family

Connor:

It was just not expecting that.

Carrie:

It's just not really the culture to of of the film industry and the whatever to be I don't know. Just like being like, kids are amazing. It's like it's usually the opposite.

Connor:

It's usually the opposite.

Carrie:

So when you called and told me that, I thought that was interesting. I'm like, okay. He has a nudge about this. And then the same time you went to a friend's memorial within the next few weeks. And you ran into another friend that was telling you he'd had a baby and it was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Carrie:

You told me that. Yeah. Yeah. Then

Connor:

Another actor friend.

Carrie:

And you were like, this is weird. Because I so specifically remember you telling me. You're like, this is weird. There's I feel like God's almost nudging me. I don't feel ready, just so you know, but I feel like God's nudging me that I don't know.

Connor:

And I think What's happening? Think industry people telling me that was really specific for me because so much of my worries about starting a family had to do with work and provision and money.

Carrie:

That's true.

Connor:

And, oh, I don't know if I want to start because I don't know if I'm going be able to earn enough and blah, blah, blah. And then to have these successful people who are ahead of me in years, but also ahead of me in like a career Yeah. And experience were all like, no, it's the best thing ever. You should definitely do it. And it just kind of encouraged me.

Carrie:

I think it gave you then

Connor:

To be honest.

Carrie:

You a nudge. So then fast forward to we you wrap your oh, sorry.

Connor:

Yeah. Yeah. We wrap that show.

Carrie:

Mhmm.

Connor:

And we come home.

Carrie:

Yeah.

Connor:

And I remember the, you know, the the talk came up again Yeah. Where we're talking about having a family.

Carrie:

And we're talking about your nudges.

Connor:

You're like, I I do feel like was like, you know what, Carrie? I'll make a deal with you. I was like, when I book my next project, we will just immediately start trying. And we kinda shook on that.

Carrie:

We did.

Connor:

And then and then like two days later, I've been praying about it and I was like, okay, I feel convicted. I feel like God was like, really? You need to, like, wait for another

Carrie:

Yeah. Like, I just bless you

Connor:

so much. Sign. Like, I just bless you so much. And I had this conviction of like, okay, I just, know, I think I need to, like, take the the the leap of faith.

Carrie:

Yeah.

Connor:

And I don't think I need to, like, wait for God to do another miracle for me to trust him.

Carrie:

But there were a lot but I will say just for for I don't know. I think a lot of couples have these same conversations of when is the right time? Is there a right time? Yeah. And it it did still feel like jumping off a cliff when we start trying.

Carrie:

It was like a little reckless.

Connor:

We were poor. And we still are. Look at that. No, I'm just kidding.

Carrie:

But we it it just it felt it wasn't like a moment where it's like, we're so ready. We're so peaceful. We're doing this. It felt like, I think we are. And then we just kind of

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

So which I've had friends say similar things. That's why I say that.

Connor:

And also let me clarify, when I say like we were I was working on a show, I guess start on a couple episodes of something.

Carrie:

Yeah. We

Connor:

weren't In no like, we were in no way shape or form set financially.

Carrie:

And paid our bills for one.

Connor:

It paid our bills for like two months. Yeah. But it was Very grateful. No. But I don't want it to seem like Yeah.

Connor:

Now that we're rolling

Carrie:

Slipstar. In it Connor Allen's Yeah.

Connor:

Now that we're rolling in it, we're gonna take the leap of faith. No. It was very much like

Carrie:

It was

Connor:

We were in the same place as we were.

Carrie:

We were we yes. We were very much living, you know, yeah. Kind of paycheck to Paycheck to paycheck. Yes.

Connor:

Very excited at the end the month if everything was paid.

Carrie:

Yes. Just so stoked. Yeah. So yeah. It was kind of a leap of faith.

Carrie:

And I think when we but immediately when we started trying, we both felt a lot of peace. And I don't know if you remember that. But like, went to dinner with my parents that first, nobody obviously knew we were trying, we kept it a secret. But I remember that first month, we were both like, oh, this feels really right. This feels obedient.

Carrie:

I don't know when it's gonna happen. But the issue was, I had that peace for about one month and then when you find out you're not pregnant

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

As a girl

Connor:

Little psycho. If I may.

Carrie:

The the peace goes out the window pretty fast. And then all of a sudden it's like

Connor:

Guys, they go crazy.

Carrie:

Yeah. Just kidding. Well, kinda. I mean, I did I did. I will say like I feel like feel I've struggled with with girls on other episodes.

Carrie:

The the urge to when you don't share with people because we were the only ones that knew. And so there was a lot of me trying to ask him questions. Like that was really productive. Like being like, oh, you know, what do you what do you think? And so then I switched then I went to Reddit.

Carrie:

And I'm trying to Reddit everything.

Connor:

The thermometer and the and the strips and Yeah. The

Carrie:

The ovulation strips. I'm convinced I don't even ovulate. This is what I'm

Connor:

I was like, I'm pretty sure Yes. Everything's fine.

Carrie:

Yeah. So it took us it took us four months. Four months. Happened on

Connor:

yeah. Month four. Yeah.

Carrie:

Which looking back

Connor:

I think we were surprised.

Carrie:

Is not a lot of time.

Connor:

It's not a lot of time, but we also thought I was like, we're young, we're healthy.

Carrie:

We'll get pregnant right away.

Connor:

Praise the Lord. Mhmm. But yeah, I was like, it'll happen on

Carrie:

the Well, also first everybody told us that, which isn't a bad thing, but a lot of people spoke that over us. Even when we were trying, they didn't know. And they're like, oh my gosh, you guys are so healthy. You'll get pregnant right away. Wasn't really helpful.

Connor:

I feel like there's also like some like middle school youth group mentality where I was like, if you sneeze too close to someone, like, they're gonna get pregnant immediately. Like, if if you're too close in the dance

Carrie:

floor I think we were actually that that was the hardest thing for me, was taking tests every month knowing that we were doing everything we could and being like, I'm not? Like, really? It almost felt impossible. I was like, how could it not be? I know.

Carrie:

It's crazy because you just yeah. You're so there's so much of fear of that, I feel like, in culture and then you're like, oh, this actually takes God, of course. And also, like, it takes I think it's like Maybe. 30% chance each time or something like that. If you do everything perfectly, I don't know.

Carrie:

There's some kind of Just

Connor:

throw out some stats. Whatever. No one's

Carrie:

gonna be Throwing out stats. Come on. Yeah. Don't don't Google me. Don't don't check it.

Carrie:

But I think that that that time was kinda hard specifically for me. But you did a good job of being there for me with all of it.

Connor:

Thanks, dude.

Carrie:

Yeah. You did. I just the girl does go a little bit crazy.

Connor:

That's okay.

Carrie:

Yeah. But it was part of it. And and I do think I mean, God taught us a lot in that in that time. And I think, to be honest, it it gave you time for your heart to be prepared. I mean, looking back just so it's clear, it was exactly the right time.

Carrie:

We're so grateful. Yeah. It it was and also four months is not that long. It felt like What

Connor:

do feel like you took away from, like, the four months of trying?

Carrie:

Well, I learned I had to rely on God. There was no other option. So I went from the anxiety of looking at Reddit, and then not sharing with anyone and the fear and anxiety of not nobody else knowing I couldn't talk to anybody about it. And then I learned the importance of community and the importance of sharing with a few. We chose not to share with our families because we wanted it to be a Yeah.

Carrie:

Fun Yeah. So I was like, okay. Who are some friends that have something that was important to me was finding girls that, had already had children and had successful experiences just so I wasn't getting, more anxiety from you. I didn't it wasn't super helpful to talk to girls that were in the same phase of Mhmm. You're also trying.

Carrie:

I actually wanted to talk to girls that are on the other side of it. That's I've heard girls say both ways on that. But, but yeah, it just taught me to rely on God. And honestly, by month three and then month four, when we we did conceive, Archie, I think I really had correct me if I'm wrong. Don't wanna like sugarcoat it.

Carrie:

I think I had gotten to a more peaceful place by the last month because the first three were really rough and that that last

Connor:

we month it started getting got to a point where you were like, hey, let's let's stop looking at the calendar. Didn't take my temperature. I didn't take ovulation We're like

Carrie:

I'm like, let's feel it out. Like, let's just Yeah. And and that was and I'm not trying to say like, let it all go and then it'll happen.

Connor:

Because that's annoying advice. That's not that's not advice. That's just Yeah.

Carrie:

I'm just saying

Connor:

for us.

Carrie:

That's what happened for us. I got to the place where I was like, know when I'm ovulating, still we were still, you know, being smart, but I I wasn't, taking tests and doing all that. It was just too much

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

For my heart. So anyway, the okay. But how I found out I was pregnant is kind of fun.

Connor:

Yeah?

Carrie:

Yeah. I think so. So I had this So in my four months later, I had it in my head, which I think you remember, that I was like, I don't want to take a test until I'm very late because the fur I'd only taken one pregnancy test ever because I always just waited until I could tell

Connor:

it because we had a scare

Carrie:

early on. Yes. We had yeah. And I I didn't want to take one and risk because they say it can be no and you're still pregnant. Yeah.

Carrie:

If you take it too early. So I I just need

Connor:

the disappointment. The took first time

Carrie:

and I was like, oh, I don't know. I just don't really wanna I don't know. I was I was just like, I don't wanna deal with that disappointment, I guess. So I'm just not going to. I'll just wait till my period starts and that's all I know.

Carrie:

Unless I'm really late and then I'll take one. So I think I was maybe two to three days late at this point and I'm never late. So I had this inkling. I was hungry. I was snacking.

Connor:

Yeah. How that how did that day start? I feel like

Carrie:

Saturday, we went to breakfast with my parents' patties. And I got And you

Connor:

just like one of pancakes. Yeah.

Carrie:

That was weird.

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

And I and we'd gone to dinner at Sven and Dimitri's the night before. We had our Sabbath dinner.

Connor:

And I feel like you

Carrie:

And I had weird little Sharpie cramps.

Connor:

You you had Sharpie cramps, but you were also like craving weird things.

Carrie:

I think I was.

Connor:

Like, a

Carrie:

few. I'm not offended by that.

Connor:

Didn't you like didn't you like just make macaroni and cheese that day or something and like eat Doritos?

Carrie:

Yes. And I also had we we were working weddings at the time, and I was getting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at Starbucks. And when I don't I am a three meals a day person.

Connor:

Yes.

Carrie:

We I don't mess

Connor:

with She doesn't snack. It was very sus.

Carrie:

I was like, oh, I don't know. My my tummy's a little unsettled. I think I need to yeah. That was weird. Looking back, that was kinda obvious.

Carrie:

So I was I cut and I was very on high alert. It Like, wasn't like I was like, oh, am I pregnant? I'm like, I think I am. I think I I think I am.

Connor:

I'm remember like looking at you and not saying anything and being like, dude, you're snacking kinda weird.

Carrie:

I know. But then I didn't wanna take a test. It's Saturday. I'm a few days late. I get pancakes and breakfast with my parents and we're driving home and you were like, let's take a test.

Connor:

And you didn't want to.

Carrie:

And I said, no. No. No. No. I wanna wait till tomorrow.

Carrie:

It's best to take it first thing in the dumb. This is the thing. Best to get first thing in the morning. That's when it's the

Connor:

highest Yeah. You're like, it's 10AM. I couldn't possibly take it down.

Carrie:

No way. It wouldn't be positive even if I was. And you're like, let's just

Connor:

I was like, dude, I'm not sitting here waiting another day.

Carrie:

Another day?

Connor:

No way.

Carrie:

So he

Connor:

made the test

Carrie:

and I made you go in. I didn't even go in. I'm pretty sure.

Connor:

Where did we go to CVS. Where did we go? Which one did go? The one over by Yeah. Yeah.

Connor:

Hollywood Way.

Carrie:

And you got me a test, came home, took it. Took it wrong. Took it wrong.

Connor:

Okay, folks.

Carrie:

This is embarrassing.

Connor:

I wanna really don't really wanna

Carrie:

share this, but actually, it's pretty funny.

Connor:

Okay. We're already here. This is so embarrassing.

Carrie:

I'm even a natural blonde. This is not a blonde moment. This is just Yeah. What kind of is? Okay.

Connor:

Well, so like, you you you guys know. You're a lot of people aren't here moms, but you get a pregnancy test.

Carrie:

Mhmm.

Connor:

And then it says to pee on the strip. Yeah. A certain temperature. Then it says to, like, angle it.

Carrie:

Sure.

Connor:

And I guess the theory is that, like, you angle it so that, like, drips into the test. Mhmm. You Angle decipher that as angle it away. And so she basically just peed it right off.

Carrie:

Yes. And then I came out disappointed. I was like, it's invalid.

Connor:

It's invalid. Like, there wasn't enough

Carrie:

Yeah. Urine to sample. It said it didn't work. So there's something wrong with the test and I'll try again tomorrow. And you're like, well, how did you take it?

Carrie:

And I was trying to explain to you. And I was like, well, I'll it this way. I don't think that's right.

Connor:

I was like, feel like you're supposed to angle it the other way.

Carrie:

Yeah. So I think you maybe said, well, you could try to, like, turn it upside down. And I'm like, no. That's not gonna be like no. There's no way.

Carrie:

Like, I'm not gonna trust that Just throw it away. I'll do it.

Connor:

So I, like, snuck into the bathroom and took the test. And I just I just, like, tilted it upright. And my theory, was like, well, maybe, like, it'll just if there's some on the stick, it'll just run down. It just needs time to get down there. I just got the thing and I flipped it upside down and then I just leaned it up against like a lamp on our counter.

Carrie:

Yeah. Which is so Yes. So that's Rose, we should probably

Connor:

We need to disinfect our counter.

Carrie:

Just get us

Connor:

And we haven't cleaned it since.

Carrie:

Yeah. Haven't ever cleaned it since. But yeah, you did that. I had no idea. So we are on

Connor:

the I forgot about it.

Carrie:

It's a Saturday.

Connor:

We're watching Friday Night Lights.

Carrie:

We're watching Friday Night Lights as you should on Sabbath Saturdays, having pancakes, watching Friday Night Lights. I pull out a coloring book. I'm coloring.

Connor:

We're hanging out.

Carrie:

We're hanging out. And anyway, it's so funny that I'm sorry. The things you do before you have a baby. I'm like, what? I'm just like watching Friday Lights coloring.

Connor:

Oh. Thank you. Riggins. I miss Tim Riggins.

Carrie:

Oh my gosh. Bring it back. So I'm sitting we had watched Friday Night Lights and then I go and decide to color in my like fall coloring book or whatever. And you went into the bathroom. Did you remember?

Carrie:

Like, did you go in to check or you just

Connor:

I I just had to go pee. And I go in and as I'm walking in, I just saw it sitting there and I was like, oh, yeah. And I looked and it said positive.

Carrie:

Like two lines.

Connor:

And I was like, oh. And so then I I just came out and I was like, scary. And I showed it to you.

Carrie:

We were in shock. It reminded me of the moment that you proposed. Would you say?

Connor:

It's like out of body experience.

Carrie:

Complete out of body experience.

Connor:

We keep talking about that. But like all these major life experiences that we have, like getting engaged, getting married, having a kid, all

Carrie:

It's of like

Connor:

you're like watching yourself out of body.

Carrie:

Yes.

Connor:

It's really hard to like be present.

Carrie:

I I I think it's very hard to be present and you can kind of beat yourself up for it. We felt that way when yeah. We had him all these different times. And I I think it might just be you kind of said yesterday, you feel like it might just be almost like our bodies just protecting themselves.

Connor:

It's like too it's too I don't know. It's like almost it's like a defensive mechanism or something.

Carrie:

Just It's zone too out, get through it. So it was such an exciting moment and we hugged and we were just kinda kept staring at it, you kidding? I think maybe I took a second one.

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

Yeah. I think I did. One more. Yeah. Because I'm like, well, I don't know about that.

Carrie:

It said invalid. Whatever. So then immediately that popped up positive. Then we were hugging and we took a cute little picture that I put on our Instagram years and months later. And then so we're like, well, we're not tell but We decided we needed it because we felt so out of body, we're like, we can't tell people quite yet.

Carrie:

Yeah. We need to just like have this be us.

Connor:

Yeah. And so was fun. It was like it was special. It was just ours.

Carrie:

We had a

Connor:

whole Nobody else knew.

Carrie:

Nobody else knew.

Connor:

And we just decided let's let it be ours for like a couple days.

Carrie:

Yes. So we were like, well, what do you do when you find out you're pregnant? You're not gonna tell anybody.

Connor:

Go to the gym. Else we didn't have anything else to do.

Carrie:

We literally did this.

Connor:

We're like, might as well go get a workout.

Carrie:

Might as well get a workout. Don't feel sick yet. This is great. So we go to the gym this is crazy.

Connor:

Oh, yeah. Tell them about Laura.

Carrie:

So I'm on the treadmill walking

Connor:

By the way, I am jazzed right now. I've had three coffees.

Carrie:

I was just gonna say this is hitting me hard.

Connor:

I'm fired up right now.

Carrie:

Went from zero to a 100, guys. I think by the end of this, listen to it on point five speed.

Connor:

It'll be so fast. Woo hoo.

Carrie:

Okay. I'm on the treadmill. Yeah. You are working out. And I get a call from your friend Ben's mom who I've never met.

Carrie:

We've texted a little bit. She's like, you know

Connor:

So sweet.

Carrie:

The sweetest woman. And and I see she's calling me, but I'm working out. So I was like, okay. I'll like I'll just I'll call her back later or text her or something. And then And see Connor across the gym

Connor:

Yeah. She texted me.

Carrie:

And you're like, holding up your phone.

Connor:

Yeah. I was like, did you see this, by the way? Like, Laura said she was trying to get ahold of you.

Carrie:

Yes. And I was like, that's so weird. And you said, you're like, your mom

Connor:

will have I was like, little you might wanna call her back. She's like a little prophetic.

Carrie:

So I'm thinking, okay. So I called Which

Connor:

is so sweet. It's just like, it's my friend's mom

Carrie:

Yes.

Connor:

In Minnesota. Minnesota. And she's No. And but she's always praying for us from afar and She's just like

Carrie:

one of those spiritual moms, I guess, in our So in our she calls me again, I've never even met her in person at this point. And she says, Carrie. Like, I just wanted to tell you I was outside last night. I think it was a harvest moon maybe. She's like, was praying over Ben and and his life.

Carrie:

And then I started praying over you and Connor and God just gave me this picture of you and Connor and I knew I supposed to pray for you. And so I just want you to know I'm praying over your baby, over your sweet baby. God is so excited about your baby. And I literally was my jaw was dropped and you I think you'd followed me out to the hallway because you knew. You

Connor:

sensed I knew something was going on.

Carrie:

And I said, she knows I'm pregnant. And you're like, what? You're like, are you gonna tell her? And I was like

Connor:

Is that the first person we tell you I for our was like,

Carrie:

I can't tell her. I would have loved you honestly. That was like, that'd just be like too weird maybe when you told my mom

Connor:

or whatever.

Carrie:

And so I just literally was like, oh my gosh. Thank you for the prayers. And later, we obviously told her that I was pregnant and she was the first person. But the reason that was so incredible was one, God, the story itself speaks for itself.

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

But two, I think, you know, my mom had had two miscarriages before me. My aunt my mom's identical twin. My aunt had had a miscarriage all before they had babies. And so I think that fear was naturally ingrained in me that that was gonna be potentially the start of my story. And there was something I remember walking out the gym and telling you that just gave me peace that I can be excited about this baby because she said God's excited about this baby.

Connor:

Yeah. That's funny. You never you never

Carrie:

Had a lot of fear.

Connor:

You never once had like a fear Mhmm. About I

Carrie:

had peace

Connor:

a pregnancy.

Carrie:

Life and life abundant over the womb.

Connor:

Which is such a blessing.

Carrie:

And which is a huge blessing. And I'm sure if it was was a lot of people And and it's not to say that I I didn't have any fear that that could happen. I just had peace. I was like, okay, God, you have this child regardless. This is your will is gonna be done here.

Carrie:

Yeah. And, their life is yours. And just I don't know. I had like a real peace after that. And then we walked through pregnancy together, but we did.

Carrie:

We told our families like a week later. So we had the first week complete out of body.

Connor:

Yeah. Then we we told our families, it timed out that we told them was it on our two year anniversary?

Carrie:

Yeah. Was October 1. Yeah.

Connor:

We told them Which is really sweet.

Carrie:

That was really that was really sweet.

Connor:

And we did like the we had like little, you know, little onesies or whatever like,

Carrie:

you're grandpa. Expecting and all the all the cute little the cute little onesies and stuff. Everybody was so excited. We FaceTime And went to see my parents and

Connor:

It was really fun.

Carrie:

And we had our anniversary dinner that night. We talked about names and

Connor:

Where did we go?

Carrie:

We went to Lucky's in Malibu.

Connor:

Oh, bougie.

Carrie:

It was awesome.

Connor:

Yeah. You're right. You're right. And we sat up there in Malibu. What's it?

Connor:

The village market or whatever they

Carrie:

call it? The village market in Malibu.

Connor:

Yeah. And

Carrie:

we talked about names and

Connor:

Had a steak.

Carrie:

Had a steak.

Connor:

Like, because what else are gonna do?

Carrie:

And that was the first day I felt because I I ate steak

Connor:

That's right.

Carrie:

And bread. And I was like, I'm kinda not feeling

Connor:

into so good. It. Yeah.

Carrie:

Which is crazy for me.

Connor:

So I think I eat your steak too. Yeah.

Carrie:

Thank you. I think I was like a butter bread

Connor:

and turkey hard for Yeah. You yeah. You have like four Shirley Timbals and

Carrie:

that's And you're like, I'll I got it from here. I'll take your fillet. But we did that and then and then we walked through pregnancy together and that was you were incredible.

Connor:

Pretty fun.

Carrie:

It was it was really fun. Was awesome.

Connor:

You were

Carrie:

I had get pregnant with you. Thanks, honey.

Connor:

You're welcome.

Carrie:

We were just looking at pictures this morning and I was like,

Connor:

oh I'm my gonna be pulling out my phone during the rest of this episode just because

Carrie:

A fun fact about Connor.

Connor:

It helps me visually.

Carrie:

Connor doesn't have much of a memory.

Connor:

She does remember Probably got hit in the head when I was a kid more

Carrie:

than Probably more than once. And so you literally

Connor:

I rely on pictures and my wife to remember

Carrie:

And I have good memories, so it's helpful. But first trimester us

Connor:

First was trimester.

Carrie:

I had I didn't have horrible morning sickness. I was on the couch all day, very nauseous, threw up a few times.

Connor:

Not a few weeks though that were tough.

Carrie:

That were pretty rough. And we were serving at our church on Tuesday nights and they're so kind and they give everybody dinners.

Connor:

It was Mediterranean.

Carrie:

And you were gagging. King. I was gagging.

Connor:

But also, we hadn't told friends or anyone.

Carrie:

No. Nobody knew.

Connor:

Like, maybe we had told a couple friends, but not like our wider No.

Carrie:

Outer group. Church people? It was was smaller. Smaller core group. And I'm just gagging everybody with Mediterranean

Connor:

aren't you eating? Yeah.

Carrie:

Because I'm a foodie. So everybody's like, why are you not eating dinner? Oh, it it was so gross and so awful. But that was my thing of the day because I wasn't well, I was doing a little bit of work at the time and not a ton. So most of my days, would just sit on the couch all day and while you'd work, I would just be home sitting on the couch like I feel like I had the flu because, you know, basically you do.

Carrie:

And and Alpha was like my one thing that

Connor:

it was like I can get off the couch, I'm

Carrie:

gonna wash my hair one time a week and I'm gonna go. Because first trimester was a little was a little rough.

Connor:

A little rocky.

Carrie:

It was a

Connor:

little rocky. Second trimester though, you were breezing.

Carrie:

Second trimester, I became a sourdough girl. I was a little trad wifey.

Connor:

Yeah. Carrie became a trad wife for like a couple months.

Carrie:

A couple months there.

Connor:

Where like, it was sundresses and sourdough. Which is really awesome. It was a fun it was a fun little season, I guess.

Carrie:

Also we didn't know our whole pregnancy. We we didn't know the gender.

Connor:

We didn't.

Carrie:

That was an interesting level of preparation because

Connor:

You know what we didn't tell them?

Carrie:

What?

Connor:

About how long until we went to the to the doctor.

Carrie:

Oh, that's so true. Oh, you guys. We this was where my anxiety crept in. This is where first trimester anxiety crept in.

Connor:

This is where all my feelings crept in.

Carrie:

Well that was like a rough few weeks at the start. That's it. That is important to note.

Connor:

Okay.

Carrie:

And then we'll get to the story.

Connor:

Let's say that. Yeah.

Carrie:

So we well, you explain.

Connor:

Basically trying to remember. Basically, we had crappy health insurance.

Carrie:

We didn't realize how crappy until I needed

Connor:

to pay. And we didn't realize how crappy until we were like, okay. Like this current, what do they call it? HMO? No.

Connor:

Like a like a medical

Carrie:

Group?

Connor:

Group. Yeah. Like the medical group that they assigned us was like super weird and it was like OB out in the middle of nowhere and it was like in like a weird shopping mall. And they were full. And they wouldn't take

Carrie:

you. Sorry. We had an HMO. It was not good.

Connor:

It was just tough.

Carrie:

You fixed it.

Connor:

I fixed it. Definitely up all working out. We could change. Yeah. It's just one of those things that like, you don't know until you do it.

Connor:

Yes. And it was like, okay,

Carrie:

so Well, we thought we had a great O. B. We thought we had everything

Connor:

set before. Then it's like, okay, like, there's, you know, certain doctors have admitting privileges at certain hospitals. And we know we wanted to go to this hospital, but they only had certain OBs they could Which OB

Carrie:

and they were all full.

Connor:

I didn't I'll be honest. I didn't know anything.

Carrie:

No, but you were so good.

Connor:

I had to call some people.

Carrie:

So many people while

Connor:

I I was on called my stepdad. I called my mom and all of my friends. An insurance guy and I was like, I don't understand any of this.

Carrie:

But you figured it out.

Connor:

So for all you guys out there that don't understand health insurance, it's okay.

Carrie:

Give me a call.

Connor:

You will one day. And then you go through it and then you figure it out.

Carrie:

It's true. And then you figure it out.

Connor:

And it's all convoluted and stupid. It is. I like it.

Carrie:

But you know what? We ended up God answered every prayer.

Connor:

It honestly It was

Carrie:

the It was the OB. Amazing. It was the insurance.

Connor:

Everything got a great doctor.

Carrie:

Everything worked out perfectly and as it should. But it was a stressful few weeks of trusting God there.

Connor:

And so all that being said, because we had to like switch that stuff up. You didn't go in for our first or we didn't go in for our first doctor's appointment until thirteen weeks.

Carrie:

Thirteen weeks.

Connor:

You guys we didn't have like a heartbeat scan or any of that

Carrie:

know, like, there's a heartbeat scan or a heartbeat like a they call it like a confirmation appointment of like, you're definitely pregnant. Yeah. That exists. And now they kind of some people don't do that. So I don't know.

Carrie:

Some people go in five or six weeks, some people don't. But it's always nine or ten or eleven weeks. I was thirteen weeks. I was like, are you kidding me? So that took a lot

Connor:

of because we had switched doctors and they were like, well, is when we

Carrie:

can Which see honestly, the thing is it was Whatever. Whatever. But we, you know, it was it was gonna be what it was. It wasn't, you know, gonna change anything. But it just would have been nice to get in there and and no.

Carrie:

But so we went at thirteen weeks.

Connor:

It was fine.

Carrie:

And it was totally fine. And then right after that, we went to Disney World with my family. And it was immediately thirteen weeks, maybe twelve weeks was when I boom, felt better. And I was so glad because we went to Disney World and we went to Thanksgiving at your mom's house. Mhmm.

Carrie:

So that was just like a whole that was like our first travel.

Connor:

Yeah. You were thriving.

Carrie:

Yeah. I was thriving at the time. And then and then second trimester came and that was honestly so much fun. It was lovely. The only thing I didn't love about second trimester was flying.

Carrie:

I flew one more time and it was just like Yeah.

Connor:

Flew through the beginning of third.

Carrie:

It was like beginning of third. That was like '27 ish That

Connor:

was yeah. I think it was like the first week of third trimester.

Carrie:

Yeah. Think it was.

Connor:

It was

Carrie:

right on there. And like, I had the compression socks on and I wasn't even like that.

Connor:

That made you anxious?

Carrie:

It made me very anxious.

Connor:

You were you were a little

Carrie:

bit I was a little anxious flying. Okay. Then we were in Ohio for my baby shower. I wasn't sleeping. I don't know if you remember that.

Carrie:

The sleeping with pregnancy is weird. You'll go through phases where you're like sawn logs, like sleeping great as common.

Connor:

Yeah. And I'll just for any men listening

Carrie:

It's probably

Connor:

all your sleep's not great either, you know? Cause there's a giant pregnancy pillow.

Carrie:

Yeah. There is.

Connor:

There's a third person in the bed and she might be sawing logs. Most of sawing logs.

Carrie:

I think so. Right? I really hope. I really hope.

Connor:

It's so funny. You snored so loud in pregnancy. Crazy. But you don't snore. Did I?

Connor:

I swear the day after you delivered, snoring was gone.

Carrie:

That see, that's crazy to me. But I believe it

Connor:

because I'm not really a snorer.

Carrie:

He does. Oh my gosh. So I was a little anxious traveling, so we decided no more traveling. Yeah. That was my last trip.

Carrie:

And, just on the plane, I was in the middle seat. I couldn't get up. My my body my legs were swollen. It was just not great. But other than that, I really will say we had a smooth ride.

Carrie:

We were very blessed. We didn't have scares. We didn't have anything like that. So we got to we had to go to anatomy scan. Everything was great there.

Carrie:

The anatomy scan is is a big one. I think getting through that is

Connor:

I was really nervous for that.

Carrie:

Yeah. I I think

Connor:

I don't know if people really talk about that, but I just feel like the there's like a level of anxiety just kind of leading up to that.

Carrie:

I almost feel like you protect your heart a little bit till the anatomy scan. I did. I feel like I there was was some level of I couldn't I couldn't fully be ready to like do the nursery and stuff till after the twenty week.

Connor:

Yeah. That's For better

Carrie:

or for worse. That was that was I think after the twenty week, we started building the crib and we started like, okay, this baby is

Connor:

Yeah. That was tough. And it's hard because people give you the advice to like, really look forward to the anatomy scan and like, it's so amazing. You finally get to see them for the first time and all that kind of stuff. But it does there's like a level of, you know?

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

We also we yeah. We've walked through with people that

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

That haven't had great anatomy scans and it's just it's just a double edged sword. It's hard. Yeah. So there's real fear there of like, you just never know. Mhmm.

Carrie:

So we were blessed and it was good. And and then the third trimester try to think like third trimester highlights, honestly. We had baby showers that were amazing.

Connor:

You had a giant tummy.

Carrie:

I had a giant Super cute. Tummy. And we did

Connor:

A lot of sundresses.

Carrie:

A lot of sundresses. And we set up the nursery. Well, you did. I mean, I really did absolutely yeah.

Connor:

That's when I went on my hiking trip.

Carrie:

Oh, you did?

Connor:

That was really good

Carrie:

for me. Yeah. I sent him out with the guys at church. It was like, go now. Blah, will

Connor:

you Yeah. The the pastor of of our church is like obsessed with backpacking and mountaineering. And so he started the ministry where he takes small groups of guys out and for like a three day hiking trip. And it's like a ministry thing. And it's like really deep, conversation and kind of bonding with guys.

Connor:

And it was amazing. And I my friend Matt went with me. It was just four of us. Yeah. And I actually went on two trips.

Carrie:

I actually went twice

Connor:

before guess the I needed to get out. But it was just really good because it gave me You

Carrie:

were snoring.

Connor:

Yeah. It gave me a break. No, it just it was really good for me to get alone just with some guys and like the phones were off and we were out like in the wilderness and we're just backpacking and give me a lot of time with my thoughts and with God and just to have like honest conversation with guys and kind of try to like have some intentionality, like preparing my heart.

Carrie:

Yeah. And a lot of them were dads, which was cool.

Connor:

A lot of them were. And that was just really cool. Like I had some other dads kind of pouring into it and I could kind of open up about how I was feeling or like my fears and Mhmm. That so that was really good for me.

Carrie:

Yeah.

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

Then I think the growth scan we went at this kind of beginning of the birth story. Yeah. So good pregnancy. I don't have a lot to report. I talk about another episode.

Carrie:

There was some lightning crotch happening. Other than that, it was fine. It was good. And then around thirty thirty six weeks, thirty five weeks, thirty six, I have my gross scan. I had to go back after the anatomy scan because they thought potentially I had not a hole in my placenta.

Carrie:

What do they think I had? Something that I didn't end up having?

Connor:

No. It was like the attachment point wasn't

Carrie:

It wasn't in the center. It was on the edge or something.

Connor:

Yeah. And it ended up being fine.

Carrie:

When we went back honestly, that was yeah. Was nothing. When we went back, she was like, why are you here? I'm like, well, because the placenta like, your placenta's perfectly normal. I was like, oh, okay.

Carrie:

But that's why we went back.

Connor:

But it's cool because we got more information. Was great.

Carrie:

It was totally fine. We got to again. See the And the third

Connor:

And also thing to remind them that that's something because we would we didn't find out the gender. And that is a little nerve wracking. It is. Time you go in for these scans, you're like, just we a don't know. Please don't We tell

Carrie:

don't know.

Connor:

We don't know. Keep telling him so many times.

Carrie:

Yeah. And I mean, would have been fine. But like, it was fun to know. So went to that and they told us they were like, oh, this baby is low. Like there's a reason you have lightning crotch.

Carrie:

This child is this child's coming.

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

And I was like, oh, so we left and she even said we went to our OB the same day. And our OB was like, she was leaving when I hit 39. And she said, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be delivering your baby. Yeah. She was leaving on vacation.

Carrie:

Not leaving leaving. But we it was a bummer again because of our

Connor:

Just Whatever.

Carrie:

She wasn't gonna be It was totally fine. But she was like, I think I'm gonna deliver this baby. So we had in our house.

Connor:

We were ready to go.

Carrie:

We were so ready. And I don't know if it's talked about a lot, but the last few weeks before you have your child

Connor:

Crazy.

Carrie:

Is the it's like pregnancy kind of flies in my opinion. First trimester slow, second and third fast. Fast. And then the final month, the

Connor:

There's longest thing of your like a look. You can tell like our friends just had a baby like two weeks ago. And when you see a couple who are about to have a baby and they're within like that three to four week stretch, there's like this thousand yard stare in their eyes. I'm like, hey, guy, like, how are you? He's like, great.

Connor:

Yeah. Looking forward to it. Ready?

Carrie:

Did you don't know?

Connor:

Also, Great your to do this and there's just like this crazy look in their eye of like, oh crap, we're up next.

Carrie:

I think it's It's such a a weird weird feeling. Next. Like it's changing

Connor:

My life's about to change. I have no idea how to like what's There's about to nothing you

Carrie:

There's nothing you can do. And so people will just soak it up or sleep. You're like, we're not sleeping. I'm snoring. You're awake from my snoring and the pillow in your face.

Carrie:

Like, can you do that? So there's really nothing to do except for, I guess, just like enjoy each other's company. But those final weeks, we went to Outback with my family, I think like week thirty seven. And I was so convinced that the baby was coming.

Connor:

We were like, is it.

Carrie:

And I was like, this is it.

Connor:

We kinda like said our we're like, is the yeah. We were like, guys, let's enjoy one last dinner because this is it.

Carrie:

Was like, am gonna I go into labor right here?

Connor:

And then we had like 10 more dinners. Yeah. Alright. Pause. I gotta change a camera thing.

Carrie:

Oh, okay. Cool. Okay. Okay. Hey.

Connor:

We're back.

Carrie:

So I'm just remembering when we got to that appointment, the gross scan and then the OB told us that we were gonna she thought that the baby would come when she was there. The babe he wasn't moving that day. And so we had to go to the labor and delivery unit. I wasn't worried at all because I knew that was when he was always nappy and just kinda sleepy.

Connor:

Yeah. You kind

Carrie:

of had it figured. Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't stressful, but we did get to go to the hospital first. She's like, just walk across the street and go just for peace of mind.

Connor:

Yeah. Because we actually weren't able to get a to schedule a tour of the hospital because they were like booked.

Carrie:

Booked or whatever.

Connor:

Yeah. Which is funny because when we went there, was a ghost town.

Carrie:

It was a total ghost town there guys.

Connor:

Scam.

Carrie:

Just kidding. Yeah. But we we got to go. The nurses were so kind and they just kind of, know, put the thing on and make sure we

Connor:

can Monitor you for like an hour.

Carrie:

Monitor. Again, another place where it'd be like, don't have the gender. We don't have the gender. Please don't tell us the gender. Yeah.

Carrie:

That was funny. But but she did tell me then that the reason I was gonna say this is she was like, do you feel that? Like, you're having contractions. Remember?

Connor:

Oh, yeah.

Carrie:

That's why we thought because and I like,

Connor:

are you Braxton Let's go.

Carrie:

Yeah. And I don't really understand. I guess they were Braxton Hicks, but she was just saying, you keep having contractions, whatever. And I started having Braxton Hicks like crazy that week. So I had a ton of Braxton Hicks from thirty seven weeks.

Carrie:

I ended up going into labor Thirty nine. Last part of thirty nine, almost forty weeks. So just for reference for the ladies out there, it was like three weeks of Braxton Hicks. It would be really intense at night and then ease up during the day. And then I just have some random bounce with it.

Connor:

Yeah. So I I just wanna say something because maybe if anybody's pregnant and, you know, expecting

Carrie:

Probably.

Connor:

But I feel like they always say, like, if you're not feeling the baby kick or if you're not feeling like something's great, just go to the hospital. And I feel like every time they told us, we're like,

Carrie:

like They're gonna think it's

Connor:

They're they're gonna be so annoyed.

Carrie:

They're gonna think we're anxious or the people that cried wolf or we're gonna be a pain in the butt. Honestly

Connor:

They they couldn't have been more nice.

Carrie:

They also thanked us.

Connor:

They're like, thank you for coming in. Like, this is what you should do. This is

Carrie:

you did the right thing. And also, he didn't move for like a good twenty or thirty minutes. Yeah. He was, you know, heartbeat was great.

Connor:

Everything was good.

Carrie:

But it was it was worth going. And Yeah. And then we felt really good because we're like, okay. Well, we just saw that he's moving around. He woke up.

Carrie:

Everything was good.

Connor:

Yeah. So it's like if you're ever feeling like something's not right, just go in. It's not a big deal.

Carrie:

Just go in. Peace of mind is nice. I don't

Connor:

think they charge you either.

Carrie:

I don't think so either. I think it was part of the No?

Connor:

I think it's like part of the Yeah. Yeah.

Carrie:

I think it's yeah. So we did that and then and then I think the birth story begins because

Connor:

Let's let's let's go to the last OB appointment. Yes. Let's start there.

Carrie:

Well, the last OB appointment well, I guess it was before that.

Connor:

It was that day?

Carrie:

Well, it was it was before that day. It was the morning of that day. I remember. Yeah. So

Connor:

Duh duh duh.

Carrie:

So we gone to dinner. I think we went to Britton Matt's for dinner the night before and we did.

Connor:

Probably. Where else would we go?

Carrie:

What else would we be doing? Eating vacas with them. But so we were at their house, came home.

Connor:

Golly, this coffee stain's crazy.

Carrie:

It's totally fine. And then at like 3AM it was like a actually a lot of little costumes. It's 3AM

Connor:

Your shirt's ruined.

Carrie:

And I I wake up and I was like, Connor, my water broke. Like I just thought it broke.

Connor:

Yeah. It was

Carrie:

It was a

Connor:

Yeah. It was like 2AM?

Carrie:

3AM.

Connor:

3AM?

Carrie:

Yeah. And and I I ran to the bathroom and like

Connor:

And I was like, this is game time ready.

Carrie:

Father the bride style.

Connor:

I, for some reason in my mind, you only go into labor at 2AM. Like, was just like, that's the movies. It's gonna be at like the, you know

Carrie:

Least opportune time.

Connor:

Yeah. Super late at night and you're rush there.

Carrie:

That's just

Connor:

how it goes. So I was I was mentally prepared.

Carrie:

Yes. So I thought my

Connor:

whole life broke. Bags packed, I think.

Carrie:

Bags were packed pretty well. Yes.

Connor:

Yeah. Almost. Somewhat. We love Yeah.

Carrie:

We'll get back. Somewhat. And we're like, we should go. You I I debated though because it stopped. What I thought was my water breaking stopped.

Carrie:

And so I was kinda like, should I? And then we both were like, let's not risk it. At this point, I'm 39 in four days.

Connor:

I think I talked to and I was like, we need to go.

Carrie:

You did. You said we need to go. Because was like, we can just go back to sleep and see if anything can So we go, we drive. It's the middle of the night, so you have to go to the ER, go through that way. And we get there and this sweet security man

Connor:

Oh my gosh. So we yeah. Like at our hospital and apparently, we did it wrong. Like they were like Did we? Next time.

Connor:

Yeah. They were like, just go to the front door even though it's locked. If you show them your belly, they'll let you in.

Carrie:

That's true. But they did tell us to go to the ER. They did it right. So a hack.

Connor:

At our hospital, they're like, to the ER if it's after hours. So we go to the ER. We're in a rush. We think she's in labor.

Carrie:

It's 3AM. No. I wasn't having just

Connor:

They couldn't care less

Carrie:

Well, to the security guy cared.

Connor:

The security

Carrie:

guy was so kind. He was like, stand right here. I'll get someone for you. He calls. He's like, there's a girl that thinks her water broke.

Carrie:

And you can tell he's like

Connor:

He's like, we're gonna get you we're gonna get a wheelchair. Yeah. And then we sat there in the lobby for like thirty minutes and the intake people like didn't care.

Carrie:

Didn't give a crap.

Connor:

And he like starts he looking at me. He's like, yeah. Did they are they coming? And I was like, they said they are. And he was like, hold on.

Connor:

And he goes up to the intake people. He was like, hey, she needs she needs a wheelchair. Just go the security guy was like advocating for us. He was like he was like, guys, I'm I'm gonna get you out of here.

Carrie:

He was like, this young lady's water broke. Somebody get her a wheelchair. He was grossed out. He was like, I don't wanna deal with that.

Connor:

Yeah. Probably. Thankfully, was He was very sweet.

Carrie:

Yeah. He was so

Connor:

He was is this your first? Oh my god. Like, was really fired up for sweet.

Carrie:

Everybody else did not care. Finally, a wheelchair comes. They take us up. And long story short, they test everything. And I was I was

Connor:

You're wrong. I was wrong. I it was mine. Yeah.

Carrie:

It was not. But I was gonna say I was dilated more. I was. A little bit more.

Connor:

One centimeter.

Carrie:

Three. No. No. Was later. That was later, dude.

Carrie:

Spoilers. Okay.

Connor:

World of

Carrie:

story. I was still one. That's what it was. I was still one. I'd been one for like a week and 50% effaced.

Carrie:

These terms, guys.

Connor:

Not to brag.

Carrie:

Not to brag. It's a mom podcast.

Connor:

Podcast. Well, don't brag, but we're 50% effaced.

Carrie:

We go

Connor:

Also something that you don't know what it means until you're Yeah. What the heck is that? Can I also say something else that sounds gross, but like, you just don't know until you don't know? I remember like, one of my buddies, who they were also pregnant. He was like, so she she dilated yet?

Connor:

And I was like, well, we don't know. And he was like, can't you just check? And I was like, hey, dude, I don't think that's how it works. But you just don't know until

Carrie:

you know.

Connor:

I was like, bro,

Carrie:

that's not it. Like it's actually past that.

Connor:

Yeah. He's like, oh.

Carrie:

It's actually

Connor:

All the things that we just did was not Yeah.

Carrie:

Anyway TMI. TMI. TMI. So we're back.

Connor:

I'm gonna pull up some photos. Keep going. Keep ripping.

Carrie:

They tell us to leave. By the time we get, you know, discharged from the hospital, it's like 5AM. And they're like, yeah, you're not there yet, but probably soon, but you're not in labor at all. Like, false alarm, water didn't break.

Connor:

So naturally, we went to Chick fil A.

Carrie:

Chick fil A for that 6AM nuggie

Connor:

biscuit. Quick little nuggie hitter.

Carrie:

Those little biscuit things.

Connor:

The chicken minis.

Carrie:

Yes. The chicken minis. They're so good.

Connor:

So got a snack there. And

Carrie:

and we

Connor:

We had breakfast.

Carrie:

We had breakfast, and we came home. We took a long nap.

Connor:

Can I say something that's kinda cute that is realized?

Carrie:

What?

Connor:

If any of you people listened to our first segment

Carrie:

Part one.

Connor:

Part one.

Carrie:

Love story.

Connor:

Of our love story. Okay. So that Chick fil A, that's the intersection where I did the U-turn to go back when you said you're like, do wanna meet my parents?

Carrie:

Oh, honey. That's the beginning of our little love story. And then it took us back to

Connor:

Shout out to

Carrie:

Chick fil A.

Connor:

So if Chick fil A wants to sponsor us

Carrie:

Feel free.

Connor:

Head us up.

Carrie:

So Yeah. Let's put those nuggets.

Connor:

Just have like nuggets like on the wall behind us.

Carrie:

Exactly. Lifetime's fly. Yeah. I don't know. So we had breakfast there.

Carrie:

We went home and took a long nap. And then you and I, we knew I I had an OB appointment that day.

Connor:

You had an OB appointment at 3PM.

Carrie:

And before that, we're like, we're loading the car. We're gonna do this right. Just in We load the car. We go to the OB appointment and she says, again, different OB, substitute OB because my OB was gone at this point. You were

Connor:

four centimeters. Three?

Carrie:

Three.

Connor:

It was like a four. Oh,

Carrie:

really? I think so. Oh, okay. So I was three. Well, I've been one twelve hours earlier.

Carrie:

So I'm

Connor:

like, And I remember the doctor, she was like, oh, you went in this morning. Okay. Well, I'll check you, but I'm sure it's the same.

Carrie:

And then

Connor:

she was like, oh.

Carrie:

Three.

Connor:

You're at three now.

Carrie:

She's like, I wanna say 80% of face or something.

Connor:

And yeah. Within like Something. You know Closer. Five hours.

Carrie:

Yes. So she says that and so we tell our friends, Britney and Matt.

Connor:

And she was like she was like, yeah. I mean, like, this could be happening soon.

Carrie:

It could be. She's like, I think I'll see you this weekend for sure.

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

Because she was on

Connor:

And that was on a Friday?

Carrie:

That was on well, he he was

Connor:

What day of the week was

Carrie:

he warm? I I could not tell you.

Connor:

Oh god.

Carrie:

Thursday, maybe. Sounds right. Thursday World Day weekend. Yeah. Okay.

Carrie:

So she tells us this. We leave.

Connor:

I'm look at the calendar.

Carrie:

We then stop by my parents' house to tell them everybody's waiting. Everybody's expecting my cousins are there. And we're like, oh, it could be any minute. We come home and Brittany and Matt had texted us, our friends, and they were like, hey, can we pray over you guys? We feel like they were going out of town or something.

Connor:

2020. It was Wednesday.

Carrie:

It was a Wednesday. Okay. So this was this would have been Tuesday. And they're like, we just feel like it's gonna happen soon. Can we come pray for you guys before it gets all crazy?

Carrie:

So they come over and

Connor:

Oh, yeah.

Carrie:

They pray over us and they have their hands on my belly. You all three do. Mhmm. And I literally had my first contraction.

Connor:

She was like, oh.

Carrie:

And I was like I didn't even say a word. I just, like, felt it tense up. And then Brittany looked

Connor:

at me. Yeah.

Carrie:

And then afterwards, she's like, was that a contraction? I was like, yes. And it hurt. It was the first one that hurt. And so I they left.

Connor:

Also, just to be real, when you're like waiting for the baby to come, I feel like we were both like, it's never gonna happen.

Carrie:

Yeah. Obviously, we're gonna be the one couple that the baby never

Connor:

Yeah. I was just like, yeah. Guess It's there forever. It's never gonna come out.

Carrie:

Suki says that in Gilmore Girls where she's like, I'm gonna be the first woman that the babe they're never coming. The baby's never coming.

Connor:

That's how I felt. Was like, don't know, man.

Carrie:

A real thing. Come out. I'm like, I'm gonna be the girl that the baby never So when it actually started happening, Britney and Matt left, we're sitting on the couch. I have the yoga ball and Yeah.

Connor:

You're doing like you're

Carrie:

And I was trying to The OB had told me to pump to induce, but I didn't even get there. You're setting up the pump and I start timing. So I like, think Remember that? Yeah. And so you're figuring out

Connor:

This is at, 5PM. So, like, two hours Yeah. This is two hours after the OBI appointment.

Carrie:

Maybe 6PM. I start timing it, which I recommend doing. My my cousin Janelle said that, and I I really like that. Do the lapse thing on your phone so you hit it every time. And so you can see how long and the space in between.

Carrie:

So I tried doing that. Yeah. And within this is like silly, but I had this thing in my head. So guys, like, compared to how I left the hospital, this is so stupid, but I had it in my head. I wanted like fresh hair.

Carrie:

So I was like, I gotta blow out my hair and take a shower. So dumb. It's okay. Okay. But I it was important to me.

Carrie:

So I was like, you know what? I should get in the shower now because I think this is this might be actually happening. Because there's always a risk of false labor and it stops. Mhmm. I get in the shower.

Carrie:

Thank goodness I took a shower because by the time I

Connor:

was out of the shower ratchet.

Carrie:

No. Just kidding. By the time I got out of the shower, I've keeled over and they were one minute maybe two minutes apart at that point. So we're like, okay, we're going tonight, I think. We're calling my parents.

Carrie:

Like, I think it might be happening, but we didn't wanna go too soon. And it was still a little while apart and it wasn't bad contractions yet. So we thought we'd go for a walk and then go to the hospital. It's dark out now. Let's take a last walk together and then we'll go.

Carrie:

Well, by the time we get to

Connor:

the car You're like, no way.

Carrie:

It's one minute apart.

Connor:

We're like, we're just going.

Carrie:

We're going. So we go. It's 9PM ish when we get to the hospital.

Connor:

It's 09:30.

Carrie:

We do the little knocking at the door, front door thing. We learned our lesson. And that's the nice thing about going a few times. This is our third time the company by then. We knew our way around.

Carrie:

And we knock. They let us in. And, when I got when I got up there remember Kim, our first nurse?

Connor:

She was so sweet.

Carrie:

She was amazing. And, and they checked. And immediately, she said I was four or five. I think I was four and then six the next time they checked. So, yeah, it was happening.

Carrie:

And they kept me. And There's

Connor:

all there was also that mo there's like that thirty minute window. They're like, okay, we're gonna check and everything and we're gonna see if we admit you. And we were just like, oh. And when they do,

Carrie:

it's a weird feeling.

Connor:

They were like, you're we're gonna admit you. And you're like, yeah, we won the lottery. Yeah. We're we're in.

Carrie:

We're in. But also it's a weird feeling. I had the feeling of that means we're not leaving here until we have our child. Yeah. That felt crazy to me.

Connor:

Crazy.

Carrie:

So Kim was wonderful. I got the epidural when I was I immediately asked for it. Like like they said, do you want epidural? Was like, yes. They said, when do you when do you want it?

Connor:

Now please.

Carrie:

Us know. And I was like, now, please. Because our friend's name

Connor:

is physiologist. When do we want it? Well,

Carrie:

our friend John's an anesthesiologist and he told me, he's like, if you want it, just just get it. Just get it if you're, you know, because because you never know. Can, you know, go quickly. So I thought that was good advice. So I just said yes.

Carrie:

Well, by the time I got it, I was six or seven.

Connor:

I think you were seven.

Carrie:

Yeah. And so I I mean You

Connor:

you had done a little bit of labor, dude. Yeah. Mhmm. You needed some work.

Carrie:

It was it honestly wasn't I didn't have a crazy horrible I didn't have back labor. It was fine. It was just like, oh, I was ready.

Connor:

So thank you. You kind of have a high pain tolerance.

Carrie:

I have a fairly high pain tolerance.

Connor:

You have a fairly

Carrie:

high pain tolerance. When they were about to do it, I mean, it's just the burning was getting so intense Yeah. That I knew I I so I've labored, yeah, all the way to seven centimeters. Was like, let's do this thing. Yeah.

Carrie:

So they do. But I don't know if it's every hospital, but they didn't let you stay in for the epidural.

Connor:

Yeah. I think I've heard most people, the husband stays in, but our specific hospital, they were just like, no, we have to have a sterile environment. You can't be in here.

Carrie:

Yeah. So Kim was

Connor:

Maybe I was just annoying. They were like,

Carrie:

we Get need to this guy out of here. So Kim held my hand and she walked me through it and she helped me breathe through it and I got my epidural and I mean, seriously, like, it pain

Connor:

I walked in and she was like, what's up? You were doing so good.

Carrie:

I went from not doing great to like, oh.

Connor:

Were like, what's up, dude?

Carrie:

Do this thing. And it was great. So I had the epidural. I did get the I got the itchies.

Connor:

You get the itchies and the shakes.

Carrie:

And the shakes. Which I know thankfully, my mom had warned me about both of those, so I wasn't scared. But it is a little weird to have the shakes. That's just kind of a strange thing.

Connor:

I think they gave you a little Benadryl later on to

Carrie:

help They gave me Benadryl for the itchies, which was great, but it knocked me out cold.

Connor:

It was good to help help you get some sleep.

Carrie:

But I did get some sleep.

Connor:

And And they brought us like our little

Carrie:

Mom and dad cups?

Connor:

Like the like the the giant plastic cups like straight out of the nineties. Yeah. And that are like pink or gray or whatever. Mhmm. And they wrote like mom and dad on them.

Carrie:

That's okay. And then we watched It was

Connor:

important these little bendy straws.

Carrie:

Yes.

Connor:

And we had our big jugs of water.

Carrie:

So cute. And you pulled up your your bed next to mine for a little bit before they told you you couldn't do it anymore. Yeah. The one nurse was like, please, by all means. And then the other one was like, you can't do that.

Connor:

You can definitely not do that.

Carrie:

You can definitely not do that. It's not safe. So dang it. Anyway. So So we watched Friends.

Connor:

Yeah. We we pull we wanted to watch the Friends episodes where Rachel's in the hospital giving

Carrie:

Rachel's literally waiting to give birth for like

Connor:

so many months. My god.

Carrie:

Oh my god. Such a good episode. We laughed so much. It's funny how much of that humor is is a certain level of funny, but once you actually are experiencing it Yeah. It's it's like 10 times funnier.

Carrie:

So we loved it. We watched

Connor:

that together. Watched friends and then we started kinda falling asleep.

Carrie:

And we my parents came in late night.

Connor:

Your parents came in around midnight. Yeah.

Carrie:

They on take us. My my sweet parents, they sat at the hospital all night.

Connor:

They were fired up. They were so excited.

Carrie:

If you know my parents, they're ready for a party. Like wherever it is.

Connor:

They're like, this is a fun event.

Carrie:

Sleep, we don't need it. Like, we're the grandparents of

Connor:

that friendship.

Carrie:

Yeah. No. They definitely don't need sleep. So they they sat up basically all night. They went

Connor:

like in the waiting room all night.

Carrie:

So precious and and waited. By the way, they live like five minutes away. So they could've gone home. Yeah.

Connor:

They could've gone home 10 times.

Carrie:

But they just thought it was fun.

Connor:

They there it.

Carrie:

I was so happy. And it

Connor:

was They made it fun.

Carrie:

It actually was nice to know they were there. I think that was Mhmm. That made me feel good. And then and then I got some sleep. And then the funny thing is they gave me Benadryl for my itchies, which was great because I was literally like giving myself a rash with how or like breaking skin and how much I was scratching, which is gross.

Carrie:

But they woke me up and like, Carrie, and it's like, whatever, 9AM. Like, it's about time to start pushing. It's about that time. And you

Connor:

were like, can I go back to sleep?

Carrie:

Can we wait? I'm kinda napping. So that thanks by the time we actually started pushing, I was waking up and I was like

Connor:

You were like, I'm kinda still asleep.

Carrie:

Do I have to? And then you read I had you read right before we started pushing or maybe we're still waiting. My siblings came in and then you you read

Connor:

Man, I just I'm just, like, having flashbacks now. I just remember, like, during at at night after we watched TV, I was all the lights, we put all the lights out and you were asleep. And I just remember sitting or like laying on my little

Carrie:

Sofa thing.

Connor:

Fake sofa thing, staring at the monitor. And I just remember watching your contractions on the monitor.

Carrie:

And I was not feeling that.

Connor:

And I just like sat there for hours. You had

Carrie:

a really sweet thing. Do remember that?

Connor:

Just kind of I did. Yeah. I wrote a little journal entry.

Carrie:

Yeah. Did

Connor:

I send it to

Carrie:

You shared it with me. Yeah, I cried. You read it Yeah. To me in the

Connor:

I need to go look that up.

Carrie:

It was after we had him, but yeah.

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

That's really sweet. It's a very I'm curious how we'll feel with the second. With the first, it is just a really sentimental moment to know

Connor:

your like your life's life's about to to

Carrie:

Yeah. And honestly, was a little bit when they said it was time to push, There was a little bit of grief that it was kinda when it hit me that's

Connor:

like This is it.

Carrie:

This is just gonna be the two of us for another

Connor:

few minutes. We're like, we're basically in tears just like, you and me, kid. Like, it like, this is

Carrie:

We're about to have a child.

Connor:

Mean This is the last moment. This is like the last moment of it just being the two of us.

Carrie:

Yeah. And it it is something to grieve. I mean, I

Connor:

It's wild.

Carrie:

It it's so much better when you add a third. Yeah. But it it is a really significant moment in marriage to know is changing. But you were incredible and and like helped me so much and I just felt

Connor:

Yeah. Was definitely the hero that day. You were

Carrie:

so incredible, Connor. You were though.

Connor:

Come on.

Carrie:

No. But you were

Connor:

When you push a child off of you. Yeah, I'm a hero.

Carrie:

That's not what I mean.

Connor:

I I was supportive so

Carrie:

No, but you were so loving and made me feel. I mean, this is kind of like a vulnerable time.

Connor:

Mhmm.

Carrie:

But you read over us John 15, The Vine of the Branches. You read that and we prayed together.

Connor:

14 or 15?

Carrie:

15.

Connor:

15.

Carrie:

Yeah. And then and they told me it was time to push. And I pushed for a while.

Connor:

What was her name?

Carrie:

Esther? Esther.

Connor:

Esther.

Carrie:

Yeah. We

Connor:

we wanted to, like, play our little Christian music playlist, like worship.

Carrie:

Worship labor playlist. Yeah.

Connor:

And yeah, worship labor. And it was just really sweet because our our your second nurse. She was like, oh, are you guys Christians? I am too. I love your music.

Carrie:

I literally

Connor:

That was really cool. Just felt really comfortable.

Carrie:

It just felt like we were in a room full of, like, we're all praising, we're all worshiping, we're all

Connor:

It was also it was a beautiful day.

Carrie:

It was gorgeous.

Connor:

We had, like, windows in our room. Beautiful like, windows. You could see right into, like, basically, like, into Disney Studios. Yeah.

Carrie:

That was so cool.

Connor:

Really pretty.

Carrie:

Yeah. I pushed, I think, from like 9AM to noon. So it was a really beautiful morning. Great time. Three hours of pushing.

Carrie:

Three and a half hours. Yes.

Connor:

Yeah. You're poor. I my the one thing I maybe should have done more is update people.

Carrie:

Well, you're little bit

Connor:

because I was like, hey, we're gonna push and I texted everyone. And then I didn't reach back out for three hours. And they're like, what's going on? Three and

Carrie:

a half hours. So yeah, probably four hours. But yeah.

Connor:

What else happened?

Carrie:

Oh gosh. I mean, yeah, there's not much to say about the but I pushed and The baby came out. Actually, happened. But I will say when he right before he was born again, we didn't know if it was a boy or girl. But the song Reckless Love was playing.

Connor:

It was like the last song that played before he came out and it the the line, before I spoke a word, you were singing over me. And I was like

Carrie:

That

Connor:

It got me.

Carrie:

Got us.

Connor:

It got me.

Carrie:

That I that is ingrained in my mind. That that lyric, every time I hear that, I'm gonna think about Archie's little.

Connor:

You were singing over me. Yeah.

Carrie:

That's so beautiful. God was just

Connor:

so That was really cool.

Carrie:

Yeah. And and then he was born and he I mean, it was a pretty smooth It took forever, but it was like a pretty smooth delivery. And when he came out, you know, they put they put the baby like so low on the mom that I'm just seeing just the top of his head forever while Well, everybody's like, oh, forever. And so I didn't know it was just a very out of body experience and then you can't see your baby. I don't know why I always pictured that and be able

Connor:

to see They they put in there and I was just like staring at them. They're like, are you you gonna check and see what it is? Yeah. And I was like, oh, I'm allowed? You know what I mean?

Connor:

I was like, can I

Carrie:

touch it? I'm allowed to touch my child. And when you said

Connor:

It's a boy.

Carrie:

It's a boy, you were I I will never forget your eyes. You were so happy. Not that you wouldn't have me as a girl, but you were so happy. You're like, it's a boy. Because we really thought it was.

Carrie:

Thought he was a boy the whole time. And you I think you really wanted a boy first. I did. You did. Yeah.

Carrie:

And I was pretty neutral, to be honest. In fact, I started wanting a boy toward the end because it just felt I don't know. It just felt and like

Connor:

That's so cool.

Carrie:

And it was just to see you just I don't wanna say get what you what you wanted, but just kinda what you felt like, you were just so excited. Yeah. And it was really, really cool to see. And I was so excited too. And and that's just I don't know.

Carrie:

There's there's nothing like meeting your first child for the first time. It's

Connor:

completely What a crazy out of body experience. Complete crazy.

Carrie:

We cried and we

Connor:

Just like crazy. Just like overwhelming emotion. Overwhelm.

Carrie:

I was gonna say, I didn't cry like a lot of my friends cry like, this is my child and the love for you that I have.

Connor:

We were just like, what just happened? It

Carrie:

was shock. Yeah. I was three and a half hours pushing. I also lost a lot of blood. I did not know that.

Carrie:

Yeah. And so I did not have to have a blood transfusion. I almost had to have one.

Connor:

Mhmm.

Carrie:

So think I I just also just was feeling probably.

Connor:

I broken a fever during out. That was that was kind of scary.

Carrie:

That's true. I broke a fever during labor. And and so there were a couple of like, I kind of blacked all that out, there was a lot of like, you know

Connor:

Ice packs on you.

Carrie:

Ice packs and all the things and whatever. And so it was a tougher labor. And that's what was interesting was afterwards. But but, yeah, meeting Archie was it was just like hearing his little cry and

Connor:

And immediately because we hadn't 100%. We had two names.

Carrie:

Oh, yeah. You're right.

Connor:

And we hadn't 100% decided, like, were leaning towards Arch. And then he came out and I was like, it's a boy. And they're like, what's his name? And you said Archie. Archie Connor.

Carrie:

Know why I did that? Because I did it because Connor and I are not decisive people. And I knew if I said in that moment

Connor:

You're like, I

Carrie:

we don't know yet.

Connor:

It would've been three weeks.

Carrie:

It would've been three weeks. And so I was like, his name is Archie. And I just remember saying

Connor:

And I'm so glad you did. Yeah. And I was like, really? Okay.

Carrie:

Because he's Archie.

Connor:

Yeah.

Carrie:

And everybody's like, Archie.

Connor:

Archie boy.

Carrie:

Archie Connor Alexander. Archie a. He's so cute. And it was just

Connor:

Let's finish this podcast. Let me go get him.

Carrie:

Yeah, I know.

Connor:

Let's go get him from your

Carrie:

mom. Know. From his grandma's house. So yeah, that that whole day, the whole time in the hospital, it was yeah. I did I I had afterward because I'd lost so much blood.

Carrie:

That was a scary moment for you, I think, just because they wanted me to go to the bathroom and so they tried to walk me in and then I, basically passed out a few times and you're holding your newborn thing.

Connor:

I was just like, oh god, what's happening? Like, what?

Carrie:

Yeah. Yeah. That was Honestly, yeah. I knew I was okay. I was actually more scared for you because I knew you were standing there with our child

Connor:

Sounds like this is my worst fear. New fear unlocked.

Carrie:

Fear And yeah. And then eventually, we went down to the postpartum unit. And those first few days are just

Connor:

Just wild.

Carrie:

They're they're crazy.

Connor:

Never been more tired of my life.

Carrie:

Nobody told us, but I guess we googled it because I guess the second night

Connor:

Crazy.

Carrie:

Was the night that your child realizes They did. Their And they just The first

Connor:

night you're like, oh, we have a perfect child.

Carrie:

Obviously.

Connor:

Obviously, we created the perfect human and

Carrie:

This is everybody else sleep

Connor:

all night. Everyone else, they just don't know how to do this like we do. And then the second night, it's like, dude.

Carrie:

That kid did not sleep.

Connor:

So much like he doesn't sleep. We this is now our third night in the hospital

Carrie:

right now. Because we had the three a. M. Night. Yeah.

Carrie:

Then we were

Connor:

in there at then they wanted to then

Carrie:

we had this is the third night in the hospital.

Connor:

And then every doc or every nurse comes in, no offense. No offense to anybody. They have a job at night.

Carrie:

Tell the story.

Connor:

And we appreciate it. But they just flick the lights on.

Carrie:

Yes. Exactly. Labs. Sticking Yeah. The lab

Connor:

like they're used to being on the night shift. And so it's like, they're like, oh, it's 10AM for me. Yeah. Like, good morning. And you're like, oh my god.

Connor:

Exactly. They're

Carrie:

on the

Connor:

night shift. Soon as the baby falls asleep, now the baby's awake.

Carrie:

Yes. But yeah. He he was bad.

Connor:

The technicians, man.

Carrie:

The technicians. But that was

Connor:

Okay. Shout out. We appreciate you guys.

Carrie:

We do. We appreciate what you do. But that was interesting him being up all night. And Connor was I mean, I was tired but there's a mom adrenaline that every girl will understand or does understand. But the dads have an adrenaline but it's different.

Carrie:

And you, I've never seen Connor that tired to the point where I had to get up and go to bathroom in the middle of the night. Also, Archie did not wanna sleep in the bassinet that night, so I was holding him all night. And I was so scared. I did not fall asleep because I was obviously terrified that would drop him. So I was just up all night holding him and I had to go to the bathroom and you were out cold.

Carrie:

I have this video of Connor. I'm like, Connor. Connor.

Connor:

It was like I was Connor. I was on. Like, I was locked in on adrenaline going, but then when I fell asleep, I turned into like a pillar of concrete.

Carrie:

Which is so funny because you're not even a heavy sleeper. Like, that's not really your personality.

Connor:

No. It was like Gone. I was gone.

Carrie:

So I have this amazing video of me saying Connor 45,000 times and Connor just nothing. So I had to get up with, you know, all the stitches, everything.

Connor:

Like this

Carrie:

child and be like, Connor. And I handed over. I was like, you have to hold him while I pee. And I hand him over and I just look and Connor's just like, busy asleep again. And I was like, I'm scared.

Carrie:

And so and you were fine. Everything was fine. Yeah. But I was I did not trust because he kept falling asleep talking to me before he holding it.

Connor:

Sound this is gonna, like, get defects caught on

Carrie:

us. Oh, stop. You were fine. But I literally lined the he was, like, laying on the futon thing and then I lined it with pillows because I'm like, if he rolls our little burrito off of his arm, we gotta go on to, like That's so rude. The pillow.

Carrie:

Everything is fine. Connor stepped up. He stayed awake. But, yeah, that was our that was our experience. And and, yeah, there's nothing like the just postpartum unit is wild and you You

Connor:

get through it. It's fine.

Carrie:

Oh, yeah.

Connor:

It's just it's like a rite of passage. It's like

Carrie:

Absolutely is.

Connor:

The nurses and the technicians are gonna come in. They're gonna flick the lights on. You're gonna be tired. The baby's gonna scream. They're gonna, like, leave you in a room and you're like, am I allowed to use these diapers?

Connor:

Like,

Carrie:

Yeah. Yeah.

Connor:

It's just so weird.

Carrie:

Tell you.

Connor:

But it's like a it's a rite of passage.

Carrie:

It absolutely is.

Connor:

You figure it out.

Carrie:

We got good coffee the next day.

Connor:

You'll get rest later.

Carrie:

Coffees and family was there and friends were there.

Connor:

Had little we had a little pizza party, dude.

Carrie:

We had a pizza party that night. I I knew beforehand that I was one of those people that wanted people around. It's very dependent on but I was like, I want you to come to the hospital. Like, I wanted your mom to come. I wanted your sister.

Carrie:

I wanted my family. I wanted Brittany and Matt if they wanted to stop by.

Connor:

Yeah. They came.

Carrie:

I thought it was so fun. And they came. Yeah.

Connor:

It was.

Carrie:

All our friends

Connor:

came here. Like, you wanna get your rest, but also there's sometimes it's like, I'm awake anyway. Just come hang.

Carrie:

I'm awake anyway. This is literally once in a lifetime thing having your first child. And that was just And really then when we got home, then it was more our time. But I loved our hospital pizza party.

Connor:

Oh, yeah.

Carrie:

And just holding him and soaking him up and having our little photo shoot with him. It was Yeah.

Connor:

A little photo shoot.

Carrie:

Was great. But yeah, that's

Connor:

That's so fun.

Carrie:

That's

Connor:

really fun. Then we left the hospital. Think maybe our last story for this segment is

Carrie:

This is good. This is

Connor:

good way to end. Okay. So it's time to leave.

Carrie:

Set the scene, baby.

Connor:

And so I go down early. I packed I take all of our bags. I I, you know, clean up the room and I go pack our car. And then my mom was with you.

Carrie:

Right? Yeah. My parents are waiting at the house. Your mom and sister are with us.

Connor:

Yes. And so They're yeah. My mom and sister yeah. So they were gonna wheel you down the wheelchair and then I was I pulled the car around to the front Yeah. To pick you up at

Carrie:

the corner hospital. Connor this car seat locked in. Like, you'd practiced.

Connor:

You were strolling in our I was, like, doing, like, you know, quick resets and, like, doing all the stuff.

Carrie:

Was absolutely

Connor:

was down. In. I was, like, you know, super

Carrie:

He's locked in on the like, I can move it this fast. Yeah. Am in practicing. Practicing.

Connor:

Yes. So we pull up and it's this beautiful moment. Waiting out front of the hospital.

Carrie:

You're wheeling me out randomly.

Connor:

Randomly on the radio. This song that we had that I had playing a lot on like our first couple of dates just came on. Lockingbird. Yeah. And it just starts playing and I was like, oh my gosh, what a beautiful moment.

Connor:

She My angel holding our angel. We're both tearing up. And then we're like, here we go. Like, time to start And the rest of our then we sat in front of that hospital, blocking traffic for forty five minutes because we could not figure out how to adjust the car seat.

Carrie:

Guys, he's in my

Connor:

I could not figure it out. We had the manual. YouTube. Have people on the phone.

Carrie:

I'm sitting in the back seat holding Archie just laughing. And your mom said to me, she was like, see, this is the attitude the the wife needs.

Connor:

But there's like this hidden button that once you figure out where it is on the Nuna, there is a hidden button where then you can adjust the straps and get more like

Carrie:

But you wouldn't know and you can't find it on YouTube and we texted every parent we knew. And was it your sister that figured it out? I've never seen you more days because you're exhausted. So you're

Connor:

like, I don't know. Haven't slept in three days and I'm trying Really, like

Carrie:

Even the security guy walks by. He's like, y'all need help with that?

Connor:

I was like, yeah.

Carrie:

We do. We kinda do. Forty five minutes later, we stroll out of there and we're like, now we're gonna start the rest

Connor:

of was just it was so funny.

Carrie:

Bring our boy home. Yeah. It was a good it was a good day. It was honestly, I'd say overall, a really a really good birth story. I don't have

Connor:

Would do it again.

Carrie:

Would would do it again. Will do it again. And, yeah, I don't I I feel really I feel really grateful. I think there's like a lot of things that went smoothly and

Connor:

We had a great time.

Carrie:

Such a good boy.

Connor:

Yeah. It's fun to revisit that.

Carrie:

It is. Let's go pick him up.

Connor:

Go get him.

Carrie:

Yeah. Guys, thanks for listening. Thanks for hope this I hope this is I don't know. People like more stories. That's ours.

Connor:

That's ours.

Carrie:

I hope our next one's even chiller. Yeah. Yeah. But it's a good one. Alright.

Carrie:

Thanks for being on, babe. Yeah. I won't see you for a while on here. So thanks for I don't know.

Connor:

See. I'll do what I can.

Carrie:

We'll we'll see.

Connor:

Alright. I'll

Carrie:

get you back in the morning.

Connor:

Love you. Goodbye, Avila. Bye.