I was never one of those girls that knew she wanted to be a mommy someday, as a little girl I did not like to play house, or with dolls, and always said I would never have babies.
& now here I am siting in my living room writing this while my 2week old sleeps quietly cuddled on my lap, my 2 year old is happily eating cheerio’s in her highchair, my 10 year old is drawing in her sketch pad, while my first born is on her laptop pinteresting.
I think back to what a silly girl I was to think I didn’t want babies- because I sit here now- the happiest I have ever been, our home as well as my heart is so full of laughter, joy & love. For me, these kiddos are what life is all about & this little guy completes our family – I am so grateful everyday for all 4 of these unique little spirits!
This pregnancy was different from all my other ones, not in a bad or good way- just different. but as always by the time that due date got closer & closer I was definetly ready to meet the little guy. I had never made it to any of my due dates with the girls, so I had fully expected to be pretty early with this one as well.
But as the days came and went & I was still pregnant I started to think well everything else has been different this time maybe I will just go past the due date this time.
It was the early morning of June 26th (3days before my due date & also now 1 of 4 of the happiest days of my life) around 5:30am and I woke up with my stomach a little tight and knotted. I ignored the feeling, not wanting to get my hopes up & just kept going back to sleep, since I had just went to bed around 4am. I kept waking up uncomfortable, but kept on ignoring it trying to sleep, eventually I began considering this might actually be the start to labor, and started paying closer attention.
Paul woke up around 7:30am and had planned on leaving to run errands – I told him maybe he should stay home and sent a text to my mom that I was having contractions. I had my 40week appointment scheduled for later that day with my midwife, so I got up and took a shower thinking if this was just braxton hicks I would get ready for the day anyway.
Contractions continued for awhile but were no where near consistent or painful. & then totally stopped around 11am. 🙁 I was bummed.
We got the girls all ready around 3:00pm to go to my appointment in Tacoma – I told everyone to put our hospital bags in the car – ya know just in case!
My midwife told me at my last appointment we would do a membrane sweep to get things going, as I was trying to avoid a Friday or Saturday labor/delivery since Paul had weddings every Saturday and he had not missed a birth yet!
I got to my appointment and my midwife came in talked with me a bit and went to do the sweep, and stopped and said “well there is nothing to sweep” and I was dilated to a 6 – and that she didn’t feel comfortable sending me home but since I wasn’t in active labor or even having contractions that the midwifery birth center wouldn’t admit me. I told her I could go get some dinner and walk the waterfront and see if anything starts happening.
This was my first non-hospital birth so the process was all new to me- I had my girls all at Good Sam, the first came quick- we were supposed to have her at TG, but didn’t make it there and had to stop at good sam- then my next two were induced & not a fun experience-
So I wanted to switch it up this time since it was my last, the other 3 were with no pain meds, so I already knew that wouldn’t be too big of a problem
(even though i started doubting myself on that toward the end of the pregnancy haha)- but was a little nervous not knowing what to expect.
We grabbed some dinner and guess what contractions were back! We went down to the waterfront to walk around and time my contractions.
They started out at about 6minutes apart, my midwife said to come in when they were about 5minutes apart- so I walked around a bit, and then they jumped from 6min apart to 2minutes or less & were getting a little uncomfortable!
So we got back to the car and headed over to the birth center.
We got there around 7ish, and I was dilated to a 7 now – contractions were uncomfortable at this point but not terribly painful – it was in my back earlier but not so much at this point thankfully.
My midwife came in and broke my water- and things started to get real pretty quickly after that – I was starting to feel quite a bit of pressure and the my pain level was getting up to a 6 or 7 so I asked when they were going to check me again.
I climbed on the bed and she checked me and I was at a 9, the next contraction came- & I remember thinking I can’t be only a 9- I have to push- & I couldn’t help it and told them I had to push. They looked and said oh okay! I see your babies head-
2 more solid pushes & Kieran Remy was born at 9:35pm on June 26th 2018 with a knotted umbilical cord , 8.1lbs & 22inches, 3 days before his due date, as well as 3days before his dad’s birthday, exactly 33 years and 11months after me, & 2.5years & 2days after his sister Luxton.
We all have been anxiously awaiting his arrival, and are happily welcoming him into our tribe!
He completes our family, and we are already so in love with him!!
The birth center experience was awesome, & I highly recommend it if your the non-epidural type 😉
Thanks so much to Paul & Paycee for capturing the day for me <3
(Luxton thinks he is “sooooooo cute”)
