how it all went down

since april 1, i had the pleasure of contractions every 8-10 minutes. it became such a thing of the day that i wasn't giving it much thought. and i certainly wasn't going to be getting my hopes up like i had on that thursday. that stupid april fool's day thursday. but on monday morning, i just felt lousy. same timing of contractions, but they were radiating down my legs and giving me more discomfort than what i was used to. i spent some time in the bathroom on and off (joy) and decided it best to get out of the house and keep my mind off of another false alarm.

i went to visit with my girlfriend sarah at her work, as her birthday had been the day before, and i wanted to brighten her day with some flowers. even as i was driving there, having consistent contractions, relatively intense, i just kept my focus on the birthing affirmations cd that was playing throughout the truck. i visited with her for about an hour.

back at home, roughly 2:30 pm, i got into the tub to see if i could relieve some of my discomfort. noticing that my contractions persisted and even got to 6 minutes apart, i decided to get out - change positions - and see what happens. i sat at the edge of the bed, on my birth ball, painting my nails. there was nothing on the tv that could keep my attention, but i knew the nail painting, i would have to focus. ha. (that reads as ridiculous to me now, but at the time, it made perfect sense. the mind of a pregnant lady is not sane, i tell you!) i would get up right before a contraction came on, stand in the door way and rock back and forth. after it seemed i could only paint two nails and then get up, i decided to really keep track and write down the times. after 45 minutes, realizing they were 2-4 minutes apart at times, i called ben. "are you working late?" "you might want to head home..." i didn't want to get his hopes up anymore than mine. he was near birchwood when i called him a second time. "where are you now?" then the last time i phoned, a little more urgent, "you really need to get me to the birth center." i had phoned the midwives after my first phone call with ben. they wanted me to come in before they closed at 5, just in case to get checked. we didn't quite get there in time, but i think they were anticipating that i would be staying since they had me go right upstairs into the room we had picked out. i should back up and say i had my last contraction at the house at 5:24. (i know this 'cause i yelled to ben, "what does the clock say?!") the birth center is roughly 10-15 minutes away depending on the traffic, so we likely got there at a quarter to six.

i peeled off my jacket (how are the hot flashes during labor?!) and proceeded to have 3 contractions pretty close together, close enough that midwife #1 was not able to finish all her questions and exam in one sitting. at my next contraction, i got up to the doorway and realized my water was releasing. she asked me if it was running down my leg and i said, "no, i don't think so." but then a second later it was. and even more, then even more. and then my focus was on my slippers. "ben, get my uggs off!" haha. the things that stand out. so after that contraction, she checked to see how dilated i was. "woah, you're 7-8 cm." she recommended i get in the tub during transition. i bellied up to the jacuzzi and had one contraction that was definitely the most intense of all - and i really didn't like being in the water. it was too high and a too warm. but my next contraction came pretty close and with this one, i was pushing. it still amazes me that the body just KNOWS what to do! i heard ben's voice, and the commotion of the midwives running back into the room "is she pushing?!" ben, "uhhh, i think so." midwife #2 said that if i didn't want to birth in the water, then i needed to get out now. i got to the bed just in time for another contraction and with that, we were underway!

i had 2 pushing contractions that got her head well into sight. her heart rate dropped once she was there and they directed me into my side to continue with the rest of her delivery. another one brought her head to the good ol' ring of fire position and from there, i didn't have a contraction for another minute or minute and a half or so - which is forever when you're in such a compromising position, let me tell you! the next contraction that came however, was the ticket. my eyes were closed, my chin was down, my arm was about to pull the headboard off the wall, but i remember them saying to ben "if you want to catch your daughter, you better get down here." all so calm about it. (he was at my side holding a leg.) i pushed for about 30 seconds and she finally slipped out into benji's hands at 6:48 pm, where he then placed her on my chest. relief. reward. love. the first words out of my mouth might have been "i deserved that."

we may have been at the birth center for an hour before her arrival, but between her and i, we had been working at that for d-a-y-s. we stayed until 10:30 when we were ok'd to head home. dylan june was an eater from the first half-hour, she's got that sweet baby smell and is competing with her brother in the sleepiness category.

and speaking of jack... i need to figure out how to upload videos. jack holding his sister for the first time was pretty dang cute!