After waiting patiently and nervously for so many weeks we finally got to February 16. My mom had picked the day early in January as a good day to have a baby. We made it through all of Aliza's local speaking contest and the colander was empty from there on to the end of the month. After each day telling my body not today, then well I guess today would be okay and finally on the 16th saying this would be ok today it started happening. I know people say babies come when they want but for whatever reason the last 4 have worked very nicely into days and times that were blissfully open and not too hard on any of the other family members. Thus at about noon I started feeling uncomfortable. I would stretch and breathe, my midwife had reminded me it's just about breathing. While overly simply it's the truth. Merle was not a happy camper so I sat with him and he took a nap on my lap. When he woke up I had a hard contraction. I called Greg and told him it was probably time to come when he got the kids from school. I was still uncomfortable but ok. I gathered up some clothes and got wrote some instructions for how to care for Merle. The kids came home Greg watched me for a while and grudgingly decided we could go. I had another hard contraction and slowly made my way to the car.
I had great fear of some drama car birth or being stuck in traffic. I don't like to make a scene and wanted neither. Greg stopped at the shop to talk to John about work to be done. Had another hard contraction and honked the horn for him to come. We proceeded to the freeway behind slow law abiding traffic. We made it half way there with no contractions. Greg was not impressed stating we were way to early. I was disgusted but we drove on. WE got to the hospital about 5:45 I did a parking lot small lap willing my body to get going again. It was cold so I needed to go in. He finished his phone calls and joined me. We donned our covid masks and took the elevator upstairs. The midwife met us and we got the last available room. We walked the long hall to the room, I'm not sure why there is always a marathon hallway but there has been for most of my births.
In the room they hooked up the monitor, that I loathe. I don't like being touched or laying down. Labor standing up is so much more comfortable and smart. Using gravity as a tool instead of a foe is important. So I stood and visited with the nurse. The midwife watched for a while and set up her table of stuff. Greg read a book. The midwife was asked to go deliver another baby, Greg told them she had about 20 minutes. I had one other hard contraction and seriously wondered if we were in fact going to deliver that day or not. True to form in about 15 minutes things just felt different. I wanted to sit so we moved to the birth stool and it got real.
I will say I'm a definite outlier. 14 kids, all natural, over 40. Yes definitely an odd duck. The nurses were surprised and commented I was a text book case of how to have a baby, and one of the best they had seen handle labor.
I will insert here I have always silently prayed that it would not hurt. That some how it will go fast and we can just skip to the end. That doesn't happen but I will say this time was the closest to painless I have ever had. I truly count the Lord's hand as a shield and gift making it so manageable.
I began to push and she didn't come. Pushed again still no baby. That's really odd for me I'm usually done at that point. I pushed again and her head was delivered then two more to get the rest of her. I found out later the cord was presenting first so the midwife moved that, then found the cord on her neck as well so that had to be moved. All in all it went well. Holding her and feeling her was amazing. There is nothing that quite compares to delivering a new life. She was born at 7:19p.m. we had checked in around 6.
Like all my babies she was very bruised. They thankfully come fast. She was so content and slept over 8 hours. Unfortunately because she was in the 90% of babies size wise at her age- 8 lbs 1 oz at 38 weeks, the nurses felt it important to blood sugar test her every 1.5 hours all night long. I slept 0 hours. That was frustrating knowing I needed some rest before going home. Thankfully we were able to finally leave the fishbowl hospital by noon. Greg drove us home, he usually leaves ASAP and someone else comes to get me.
Babies sweet angel eyes before they fully rest on earth. It is not a light thing that these precious spirits squish into frail helpless bodies relying on the mercy, care, and love of those around them.
At home there was so much excitement and desire to check her out. I spent the first week mostly just guarding her.
Of course we have some great colds going on right now. She's sneezed on, licked, loved, and cried over. There are a lot of tears bringing home a new baby. Yes that is a shell shocked mom. Long long days of not sleeping. Thankfully she has given me 3-4 hours in a stretch the last few nights.
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