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Erin turns one tomorrow at 9:38 p.m. Well, at least I think that is the official time. Maybe Chris knows? See, I was in what many call “labor land” and many details of her birth are fuzzy.

Brief recap… I attended our homeschool groups fall pumpkin day at a local farm (Harvest Hollow). We took a very bumpy hay ride around the corn fields and ponds on Thursday. Friday morning I woke up with my usual “may this be it ot not” contractions. I didn’t get much sleep, so I asked Chris to stay home so I could rest. I fully expected Chris to go in for a half, since false labor had worken me up for weeks. Around 11:30 I thought it wise to take a trip to a pharmacy to pick up last minute supplies. I stopped at Big Lots and ate a huge chocolate bar all by myself, and it was heavenly. I returned home feeling tired and achey.

So fast forward to 5:15ish. I had taken a beautiful bath in candle light and envisioned the birth and was having contractions but nothing that seemed urgent or regular for the last fotry-five minutes. I asked Chris to call my midwife and she arrived around 6. By this time labor was in full swing but I refused to accept it due to the many false starts I had experienced since September. My midwife checked me and I was around a 4, so it was up to me whether she stayed or left. I told her it was o.k. to leave. I was chatting and laughing between contractions and felt fine. She thought it wise ro at least set up her equipment. (smart woman!)

By 7:30 I was beginning to need to concentrate and really focus during contractions. I did get a break in between them, but they were closer together and much stronger. I remember asking to get in the shower, which while it felt good, it wasn’t quite the relief I was hoping for, so I ran a bath. Still, the bath wasn’t quite right either. The water felt good, but it didn’t cover my belly and if anything, it intensified my contractions. My midwife showed me how to moan and roar through the contractions. I remember saying “come out baby, please come out” several times as well as “I can’t do this”. Thankfully my midwife gently but firmly told me I was doing it and recommended I get out of the tub. 

Now, sometime between my taking a shower and before getting in the tub, the girls came into the bathroom and I kissed them goodnight. I am not sure what they were thinking or if they really understood that I was having a baby that night. The girls were very sweet and Chris helped keep them entertained while I was in labor.

As I stood to get out of the tub I could feel the baby moving down. I stepped out and sat on the toilet thinking I needed to go to the bathroom but what I wa really feeling was the pressure of a baby descending. I think I said something about the baby coming. My midwife told me to get off the toilet and try the birth stool but as I went to get up, my water broke and the baby started coming out. The birth stool felt awkward and weird and as I tried to sit, the babies head was coming out, which made sitting awful. I said “something wrong”, which looking back nothing was wrong but sitting on a stool with something coming out of you, sure feels wrong.

So, Chris and my midwife supported me as I stood and pushed my baby out. I don’t remember holding my baby, but I know I was. The baby came so fast, infact, I don’t think I really pushed, she just came out.

The next thing I knew I was being helped to my bed, an umbilical cord between my legs and a wet baby in my arms. *laughs* I wish I could have seen that.

As I lay on the bed, I was in awe- maybe shock is a better word. I kept saying “I did it” over and over. It took several minutes before I could see my babe, really see who had been living inside of me for nine months and I just assumed I would look down and see boy parts, I just knew I was having a boy. Well, no boy parts to be seen, we had a girl. I looked at Chris and asked if we could change the name we had chosen to Erin and our Erin Carly was there as beautiful as anything.

Erin’s year on this earth has transformed our whole family.

Roughly a year later, we returned to Harvest Hollow to pick out our pumpkins.

Frist Birthday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on October 18th, 2008 by karen
Filed under: Uncategorized