I slept in on Thursday morning and woke up next to my husband and four year old. Hubby didn't have to work that day and we were all feeling very relaxed and hopeful because we were 2 days past our EDD and we were all ready to meet baby Deacon.
I had been having braxton hicks contractions for days, so we didn't really pay much attention when I started having them while we were out at the park. They became closer together so we started timing them. 5 minutes apart, but painless. We went about our day: playground, Starbucks, out to lunch with my father in law... After lunch I decided I wanted to drive up to a little donut shop about a half hour from our house. These donuts are worth the drive! We stopped by our house to get the stroller for DS and while we were there, the contractions really picked up. They came harder, faster, and I had to pause and breathe through them. 2 minutes apart. Hubby and I looked at each other and grinned "I think we're going to have a baby today!" I said.
I still wanted to go get donuts. This is when Hubby said I went into denial about being in labor. "Hun, your contractions are 2 minutes apart. Let's head to the hospital".
"They aren't that intense. I want a donut. And coconut La Croix."
Hubby ended up convincing me that driving a half hour away from the hospital was a bad idea, but agreed to take me to the grocery store to get my snacks.
So, here we are at the grocery store, contractions 1 minute apart and very intense. I have to pause and lean on the cart and breathe through each one. DS is riding in the cart and smiling at me. Hubby is beside himself.
"Honey - COME ON! We need to go to the hospital...like, now!".
"Is La Croix in the water aisle or the soda aisle?"
"You seriously want to keep shopping? You need this stuff and are going to bring it to the hospital??"
It is just after 4pm.
We check out, load the groceries in the car, call grandpa to meet us at the hospital and take DS home, and start driving. Contractions continue at 1 minute apart, but I am smiling and relaxed and looking forward to meeting our baby very soon.
We arrive at the hospital. We pull out the birth plan and hand it to the nurse, who reads it carefully (yay!). They insisted on fetal monitoring but had a wireless version so I could move around with the monitor on my belly. The checked me (w/ sterile gloves, just as my birth plan requested!) and I was only 5cm. They left us in the room to labor in peace.
I walked around the room, breathing easily through the contractions as they continued at about a minute apart. I leaned on Hubby and hugged him through a few. Around 5:45pm the nurse checked me again - 8cm.
I crawled up onto the hospital bed which was in an upright position (like a chair) and kneeled on it backwards so I was hugging the back of the bed. I was still wearing my clothes - tank top and cotton skirt. My midwife came in and started rubbing my back which felt amazing. I started making low growling noises through the contractions and I could feel baby's head sliding down. My water broke. My body started pushing almost on its own and I felt like I was ripping. As the baby was crowning, I felt this intense burning and I remember saying "Just pull him out! Get him out!". The midwife was very reassuring, and calmly said "He is just stretching you". It seemed like he was crowning forever. Time was a blur. Hubby said I pushed for 15-20 minutes before baby was born.
My hubby caught our sweet baby. He was completely purple. The cord was wrapped twice tightly around his neck. I didn't hear him cry, but I heard hubby say "I've got him honey. I've got him" and I knew he was okay. The midwife unwrapped the cord from around his neck and his color finally changed into a healthy pink. He cried. I cried. Hubby cuddled him and held him while I turned around and sat in the bed and then he handed him to me. Deacon Rainn. He was perfect.
I asked my husband to take off my bra for me and Deacon latched on immediately and started nursing. My midwife let me know that I didn't have a single tear. I was overwhelmed with happiness.
We delayed cord cutting until it stopped pulsating. We waited several hours before weighing him. We sat skin to skin staring at each other for hours and it was a lovely birth experience.
He's absolutely precious! 
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