Okay so I
did have my birth story all finished and then accidentally deleted it. Woops!
So I will try to retype it as quickly and efficiently as possible though the details that I had typed
while actually in labor won't be there. Boo!
Around 2am I awoke with a decently strong contraction. I was pretty sure this couldn't be "it" so tried to get back to sleep. After several more contractions that kept waking me up I decided that maybe I'd wake Steven up. He is hard to wake! After finally saying, "I'm having a contraction!" he roused pretty quickly. He rubbed my back through another one or two more before we decided to get up and time them.
They were anywhere from 2 minutes apart (rarely) to 15 minutes apart (also rarely) but averaged out at about every 8 minutes and very manageable so I was still having a hard time thinking this was "it."
But then they got decidedly more intense even though they were still fairly infrequent. It took me a few painful ones before I remembered to RELAX and then that made all the difference and I started being comfortable again.
Instead of clenching up and saying to myself, "Ow ow ow ow ow oooooow" I completely let everything go and said, "Don't fight it! Don't fight it! Don't fight it!" This is when I began to really feel all the progress that my body was making and that was pretty amazing! I was getting excited. :) It wasn't as painful as it was productive and that was encouraging. I swayed through them while standing or sat Indian style on the couch and "hmmmmed" through them.
Between contractions I blogged (you might have noticed that... I had been planning that little diddy about my due date for about a week now so I had to do it while Will was still
not here yet!), played Webkinz, took a shower (one of my in-labor traditions with all three now! haha) and chatted with Steven.
We had a good laugh over the fact that I have consistently told people upon being asked my Due Date, "The one day he will NOT be born is December 16th because that is his due date!" Steven also- as a joke- printed out a really cute picture of
John Krasinski for me as a "get me through labor" picture. Inside joke I guess, but it was really funny to us at the time...
By 5am the contractions were every 5 minutes and we decided that maybe it was safe to call Debbie, our midwife. I was still a little insecure about having her make the trip up (about 1.5 hours) here because I was afraid this would all fizzle out and be nothing. But we had no idea how slow or fast this all was going to go so figured it'd be safer to call than not. Her response? "I'm getting into my car
right now!" haha!
At 6 the girls got up and had breakfast. We got Claire ready for church since some friends agreed to come and take her to church along with them. They arrived to pick her up around the same time Debbie arrived!
I was feeling really silly at this point because the contractions seemed so manageable and maybe even spacing out a bit? I couldn't be sure but I was beginning to feel like maybe I wasn't
really in labor. (This was obviously a reoccurring fear!) So I wanted Debbie to check me.... I was 7-8 CM and 100% effaced!
Once Claire got on her way with our church friend and the house was settling a bit with Debbie getting everything into place I got into the birth tub. (About 7:30 I think?)
Boy did that feel incredible! I was afraid that it felt so good that my labor would stop completely. My contractions did space out quite a bit at first, but when they came, they were
serious business. The pool relaxed me so much that the contractions immediately became much more powerful it seemed. Debbie said that was a pretty common response with the birth tub.
Steven hugged me through the contractions which I really liked a lot. I remember at one point that he was releasing his tight grip around me just a few seconds before my contraction was over and I said, "Don't let go yet!" It was so reassuring to have a strong grip around my shoulders and I could just bury my head into him until it was over. Emily joined us much of the time as well which was very sweet. She was a perfect big sister and watched over us carefully.
From there on out things moved fairly quickly. The contractions got extremely intense, powerful, and overwhelming, but God is faithful and good and got us all through it! There were a couple of moments just before the baby was born that surprised me and when I didn't think I could handle it, but then before I knew it... Will was here!
Very soon after he was born they helped me climb into bed and strongly encouraged me to nurse him since it was the best thing for both of us at this point for a myriad of reasons. I was thinking- no way is this baby interested in nursing right away. Yeah- I was so wrong. Just about 30 minutes after the moment he was born he latched on like a champ and he did NOT want to let go. He nursed for such a long time right away and was fairly alert the entire time. I was amazed at how good he is at this already! I think he'll be a very good eater! haha
After a good while of nursing Will etc- I got a shower which made me feel like a new woman. Shortly after getting settled back in bed with Will, the midwife and her assistant finished cleaning up and got ready to leave and went over all the post partum info with me before heading out. That was about the time Claire was returned to us and got to meet her new little brother! They have been so precious together so far and I'm hoping these next few days will prove a fairly smooth transition for the girls. I can already tell Emily will do great! She's a pro at this big sister thing, but Claire may have a bit more trouble though she was pretty tickled the first time she got to meet him.
Okay well enough chatter, now for pictures!
Looking oh so lovely in the middle of the night. lol I had just taken a shower- thus the wet hair.
Not long after getting into the birth pool.
Steven helping me through contractions.
Big sister Emily helped too!
JUST BORN! This is his very first picture. :D :D :D Hello, Will!
I kept saying, "We have a baby! We have a baby!" lol I was in a bit of shock I think.
Emily checks him out. I kept saying I couldn't believe he finally came out. I'm still reeling... I really had no idea that today would be it though I did pray
really hard last night as I was falling asleep that it would that night! God answers prayers!
First diaper. :) Cute little Kissaluvs!
First outfit. hee!
My daddy loves me!
Possibly my favorite picture of Will so far.
With his big sisters!
Claire is very curious about him and keeps saying, "Baby! Baby! Baby!"
My girls and my boy!
I think they like him. :)
