Three Years Ago

Three years ago I was 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant, a full 8 days past when I delivered Anne and I thought I would be pregnant forever! I truly thought this baby would never come out.

(Only 37.5 weeks along in this picture)

Adding to the stress was the fact that if this baby wasn't born within 36 hours our midwife was going on vacation and we'd have a stranger deliver our baby or maybe even no one at all!

Right around 9 am I emailed some people at our church and asked them to pray that the baby would be born soon. John had just taken Anne to an all day playdate and I had ever intention of enjoying my very last day of freedom before I was the mother of 2 children. I planned to watch a little TV, clean up, go to my chiropractor appointment and maybe grocery shop. My chiropractor appointment was at 10:30 but for the life of me I couldn't get off the couch.

9:30 ish came and I knew if I didn't get up I wouldn't get in a shower. I reasoned with myself that it was worth not showering to lay on the couch another 15 or 20 minutes. At 10 am, knowing I couldn't really put off getting up any longer, I headed upstairs. I made it to my bed where I promptly laid down again. Fifteen minutes passed and I still couldn't get up. I was just so tired...and now starting to feel...off. It was about 10:15 and I called John and said I was feeling off and I thought he should come home. He asked if I could wait 30 minutes to see if anything happened and as I thought about it, I flashed to a mental image of me, alone in the hallway, in full labor. I told John that it would be better if he came home now just in case. Within 15 minutes I was in full blown labor, though I didn't know it. I called the midwife, and while it was ringing I unlocked the front door and locked up the dog. All the walking made my contractions feel better so I doubted if I was in real labor. I told the midwife all this and she decided it didn't matter if I was in labor or not, she would come immediately. She left her house within 5 minutes of talking to me and drove the hour and 10 minutes it took to get to my house.

After I got off the phone with her, I went into the computer room and got on hands and knees, rocking on the birth ball during what where, absolutely no doubt now, full blown contractions. They were so painful and intense there were a few I thought I might pass out from and then there were at least one or two that I was sure I had left my body and was watching myself from above. During the contractions I felt like I had to go to the bathroom and realizing I couldn't worry about that, I went into the bathroom and got on the toilet to labor. That's where my doula found me when she came at about 11 am. John arrived home about 20 minutes later and the second he walked in the door he knew I was ready to have this baby!

Sometime after getting on the toilet, I started pushing. It was the most amazing thing ever. I never had the urge to push with Anne, despite birthing naturally. With Jamie, I didn't have an urge either...I just PUSHED! There was no conscious thought to do it, my body just took over and did it. The doula and John asked if I was pushing-and during labor I have an odd habit of saying no to everything-so I told them no. One or two pushes later (while still on the toilet, mind you) I told them the baby was crowning. The convinced me to get off the toilet and onto a birth stool. I did. One or two pushes later I felt Jamie crown all the way, and worried because this was the part that hurt the most with Anne. I didn't need to worry because scarcely one push later and his head was out. Almost no pain at all. After his head was out I had to actually push hard to get his body out. It slid out easily but with Anne (and later Libby) they both slid out on their own basically after their heads were born. With Jamie I had to push! He was out, tumbling head of heels into John's waiting arms. Despite the midwife leaving right away, she missed the birth by a full 20 minutes or so. As Jamie tumbled safely into his daddy's arms, I saw immediately he was a boy and told John so. My baby was here!!

He went into my arms immediately and did not cry. I was worried, hoping he was okay and breathing but I saw his eyes shifting back and forth and knew he was fine. Milliseconds later he cried!

That was 3 years ago and now I have a fun loving, sweet hearted, funny, rough and tumble boy on my hands! Happy birthday Jamie!! You are my sweet little guy and I am so thrilled to have you in my life! I love you Buddy!!