a story

Well... where to begin.  Only fitting to start the evening before really....

Aaron and I went to my ultrasound appointment (which was scheduled to due babies lateness) at 5:30 p.m.... the ultrasound went great - my amniotic fluids were spot on and baby scored an 8 of 8 on all things scored (I can't remember all of them).  Sigh!  We were both relieved that everything seemed to be so comfortable for baby in there and that just must be why he needed to camp out for 10 or more days.  After the ultrasound Aaron and I decided to get a bite to eat and even maybe see a movie (Isabelle was with my mom in RI....wow a night on the town for us!).  We tried a mexican place close to the hospital, which turned out to be pretty good for mexican in NH, and both ordered burritos.  I thought to myself...I hope I don't have this baby tomorrow...It will be one stinky birth (sign # 1).  After dinner we decided we were both way to full to see the movie and that tomorrow would be a better night anyways (sign # 2).  By the time we got home I was exhausted and Aaron decided to do a little work before bed... we abandoned our nightly ritual of cleaning up just in case the baby decided to come (sign #3).

SO yes...we ignored all the signs... and you know what happens next.  At about 3:30 a.m. I got up to go potty for the zillionth time and right then and there (on the potty) my water broke!  I really couldn't believe it, I just imagined I would start with contractions and the water would break after but nope...I was wrong!  I yelled to Aaron to get my glasses and that I thought my water had broke...I have never seen him get out of bed so quick!  We promptly called the midwife to let her know my water broke but I hadn't had a contraction yet and she said..."go back to bed"...hmph...not what I wanted to hear.  We tried to go back to sleep but we were both so anxious that we were both up and moving about ten minutes later.  Soon enough my contractions started...and then the fun started.  It was all pretty much text book after that.  The contractions started out 10 minutes apart and were only lasting about 30 seconds...but it didn't take long for them to come faster and last longer.

rosti - swiss potato pancakes Aaron made for us while I was in early labor

At about 7:30 things started to get intense.  We called Cindy (our midwife) back and told her that things seemed to be moving along.  I was still unsure how long labour would take but we decided that it would be best if she started to get her things together to come (she lives about 45 minutes away).  At this point we were still pretty relaxed about it...expecting things to go for another few hours.  But things shortly started to get really really intense.  I ended up finding myself in the bathroom (our very very tiny bathroom) and the most comfortable position I could get in was on my knees and my elbows on the tub.

I could tell things were moving faster than expected and started to do anything I could to not push.  Which if you've done this before you know where I am...baby's head was moving down and all I wanted to do was push...and my midwife wasn't there yet - better yet I heard her call Aaron for our address (in my brain: WHAT THE _______...insert all horrible profanities here).  So I focused and let my body do what it was doing but I did everything I could to not "push" it along.  At the same time Aaron knew where things were going and quickly pulled up a website on delivering babies and started pacing from the window to see if the midwife was here, back to the bedroom to read the webpage, and then back to me - trying to convince me to slow down my breath, telling me I was doing a great job, and replacing a cold towel on my neck for every contraction.  We were both at the point where we were really getting worried that we were going to do this alone (of course none of this was discussed it was just thick in the air).

At 9:00 Cindy arrived - thank goodness.  Just in the nick of time...I couldn't hold out much longer.  I heard her come in and say "oh I hear pushing noises" and she ran back to her car to get her things.  By the time she got set up I was pushing.  And at 9:25 little Owen was born, right there in the bathroom, with Aaron crammed on one side and Cindy in the doorway.  When his head came out his umbilical cord was wrapped tightly around his neck twice, which Cindy was able to loosen in between the head and body coming out...but left him slightly limp and blue upon delivery.  As soon as he came out he was swooped up to my chest where I gave him a few pats before he choked out his very first cough and cry.  I rolled back on my butt and just stared in amazement - it all felt so surreal.

moments after arrival

Soon after the placenta was delivered and I was cleaned up and carried by Aaron and Cindy to my bed.  I lay there, in my bed, holding my new baby in such a fog of baby love.  He was so alert...within a few minutes he was already nudging around looking for a bite to eat.  For the next hour Aaron and I just soaked up the moment, made the necessary phone calls, and swooned.  Cindy wrote up her report and cleaned up in the other room.  When Cindy came back into the bedroom she checked the baby - weight, measurements, and general appearance and health of baby.  Soon after she was going over our "afterbirth care instruction sheet" and as soon as she was done with that she gave me a big hug and kiss and left.

back in bed...only 6 hours later

baby getting checked out

getting weighed 

(note Sid in the background...he doesn't miss a beat)

and there we were... at home with our new baby....

So things happened a little different than I thought they would...a bit faster than I anticipated, Isabelle wasn't there, I didn't get that water birth I had wanted, and I didn't gaze out to the lake with each contraction to find utter relaxation (hah)... it just happened exactly the way it was supposed to.

Thank you all so much again for your warm thoughts - we felt all of them.

xoxo,

Caitlyn, Aaron, Isabelle & Owen