OH MY GOSH WHEN

*The week after Easter*

I had told everyone at work that although I felt fine last week,  I would be sad if I came to work on Monday (the 5th).  I even took my rolling therapy tote out of the back of my car Friday, hoping I wouldn't have to put it back in Monday morning.  Easter came and went and I thought to myself, "Well, guess I have to go to work this week."  Secretly worrying I was going to go to 42 weeks and really NOT wanting to go to an OB/GYN's office for a nonstress test, which is routine once you hit 42 weeks.  I knew nothing was wrong with me or my baby, there is just a reason I have had two babies under the care of a midwife and only one in the medical setting with a doctor.  Monday would have been 41 weeks.  I woke up Sunday night having contractions every 4-6 minutes but made myself stay in bed and try to sleep and let Adam get as much sleep too.  I texted Shea, my midwife, and I remember her replying, "Looks like we are going to meet your precious baby today!"😭😭😭

When Adam's alarm went off,  I told him he didn't have to go to work today! LOL  He was like, "Really?"  I said, "Yes, I've been having contractions all night and they are getting closer together."  So we told the kids they didn't have to go to school and I stayed in bed with worship music in my headphones.  They had gotten sidewalk chalk and rock painting kits for Easter so they worked on those.

                                                          

Then about 10:00 that morning, they slowed way down!  So we went to get lunch and Newk's and kinda wondered why we had everyone stay home!!  Shea told me to just enjoy this time as a family and rest, so we watched Kitchen Nightmares and Price is Right.  We were ALL disappointed but Izabella REALLY didn't understand.  "I thought the baby was coming today!?"  I know, baby, I did too.  The contractions had all but stopped by that evening and Adam took Anderson to Ninja class and Izabella to her softball game.  I got a great night's sleep and then we sent the kids to school the next day (Tuesday, the 6th).  Adam and I hung out but were both antsy because we didn't want to be off work without a baby 💔 I know Adam was really wondering what was going on but Shea reminded me that third babies' labor can start and stop several times before it actually turns into active labor.  I also knew my body was doing something because I was also having more bloody show, which is indicative of the cervix dilating.  When the kids came home from school, I did some curb walking while Anderson rode his bike in case positioning was an issue in why the baby was not coming on down.  The angle and pressure it puts on your pelvis can help shift things around.  Then we made more sidewalk chalk artwork on the sidewalk.  He decided to make Hollywood stars for each member of our family, including the baby :)

41 weeks 1 day pregnant

Hurting, disappointed, and assuming I'd be going to Shea's office for my 1:00 appointment tomorrow.  An appointment we didn't think I'd make.  One we hoped would actually be a 24 hour home visit for our baby💔

My mom also came by unexpectedly, which irritated me quite a bit (sign of early labor, looking back LOL)- she must have a sixth sense because we joked that she had also done that the day before Anderson was born and really made me mad!  😂

I put the kids the bed and noticed my contractions were a lot stronger than they were the day before, but tried to ignore them (that is a strategy for handling early labor, but also I didn't want to start timing them and get my hopes up again).

Adam had a 55 day streak going on his Garmin for getting 10,000 steps each day, so he went for his nightly walk around 8.  The contractions were getting pretty strong so I texted him asking him to hurry.  He got back around 9:30 and I texted Shea.  She asked if she should come and I told her I would try to watch a show with Adam and see if I could distract myself.  The rest is history...

Brittany, our birth photographer, got here first because she came from west Little Rock, then Shea and Kim, the midwives got here shortly after.  

This was taken right as Brittany got here.  We were talking and joking between contractions.  Then the next minute was this:

She checked the baby's heart rate every 15 minutes.  I remember feeling the baby move a lot throughout my labor, and at one point even had the hiccups!

For the most part, Shea and Kim left Adam and I alone in the bedroom while I worked through the contractions.  Leaving the birthing mother undisturbed is so important and I appreciated this so much.  I just needed to let my body do what it needed to do without interruption.

SO thankful for this picture.  Adam was telling me I could do this, and that I was doing a great job. 💓 I cried some because I couldn't believe I was finally going to meet this baby and also because things were getting INTENSE.

I had a smart phone this time (didn't have one when Izabella was born!) and had a playlist I had put together that helped a lot at first. 

TJ thought he was a part of the birth team LOL

Things escalated VERY quickly.  Luckily Brittany and Shea stepped in a few times to give Adam a break!  No one could push on my back hard enough during contractions

I started feeling the urge to push so I made it very slowly to the tub.  I had to stop twice from our bed t the tub because of contractions.  It seemed like the longest walk ever because they were one on top of another at that point.

I knew I wanted the kids there for the birth, so we decided Shea could go wake them up.  I still couldn't believe this was happening.  I kept expecting the contractions to stop again and for this to be a false alarm.

Another picture I am so thankful Brittany captured.  Something happens during transition and the most intense part of labor and the mother goes "inside herself" and some people call it an out of body experience.  I just lost all awareness of who was around me- I don't even remember Adam being next to me like this, and was upset he wasn't with me until he told me he was right there!  LOL  I remember seeing the kids' feet in the bathroom so I knew they were there in the room.  Everything else was a blur except I could feel every single thing my body and my baby were doing.  My body started pushing and I didn't know how much longer I could handle it.  Except I pushed just twice and my baby was out!  HUGEST RELIEF EVER!!!  I kept saying over and over, "That was so hard!" and "Is the baby okay?"  S/he was so quiet and alert and didn't cry for quite a while, even though they were breathing and everything was perfect💓

To be continued :)