It took me awhile to type this all out, I had to try and remember every detail! 
Kristin (chiro_kristin on here) was at Lily's birth and I am so grateful! So Kristin, if you want to add anything please do! I want to remember as specifically as possible too so if anything is out of order please let me know that too.
On Saturday afternoon at about 12:45 I began having contractions that were slightly uncomfortable and crampy feeling, unlike the regular Braxton hicks contractions that I was used to having. I told Rob that I “felt different” and he said he noticed that I was acting different. I want to add that earlier in the day I was very surprised to see him doing yard work (other than mowing) without my having asked him to…he said he felt like something was up before I even told him and that he better get stuff done. After over an hour of the contrax (even though they were irregular I had over 5 in an hour), at about 2:10 I called my midwife to tell her, because I knew she was out of town at a reunion and I wanted to get her opinion. I told her they weren’t uncomfortable and I could talk through them fine, but I had tried standing, sitting, lying down and they were still coming. She asked me if I thought this was it, I said “I don’t know…this isn’t a good time!” (She was 3 ½ hrs away, other MW out of state on vacation, AND my dear friend Jane that I really wanted to be at the birth was also in another state). She suggested that I take a bath for half an hour and see if that stopped or slowed them and we would go from there. Rob and the kids had planned on seeing a movie (Madagascar) at 2:30 so Rob came in to tell me he shouldn’t leave me alone. I begged him to go, the kids were so looking forward to it and he asked if I thought this was the real thing. I started to cry and said “no, it CAN’T be! Wantina is far away and Jane can’t be here, no!” He said “I know, but I’m not asking how you want it to be, what’s your gut feeling?” I couldn’t admit that I thought this might be it, I felt so torn because I didn’t want to be wrong either way. If Wantina came and it wasn’t the real thing I would feel bad. But what if she didn’t come and it was?
Finally Rob agreed to go to the movie with the kids if I promised to text him every ½ hour to let him know how I was. W called back just as I got out of the tub and I told her that I had 4 more contrax but they were the same- no more intense or anything. She asked if I wanted her assistant to come check me and then call her to tell her if she needed to come. I said yes, that would be awesome, I just wanted to know. She said Deanna would be there in a little over an hour. Rob and the kids got home after 4 and Deanna got there soon after. I was *so* glad to see her! She’s a warm, wonderful Christian woman (like my midwives) and we chatted a bit and then she examined me. She had a hard time finding my cervix b/c it was so high up and said I was just 1 ½ cm dilated. I can’t remember if she mentioned if I was effaced at all or not, but she thought that because I had been so active (out gardening, doing laundry and other housework) in conjunction with being a little tense about NOT wanting to be in labor that those things might be stimulating my uterus and causing the contractions. She spoke to Wantina and updated her, and W said that it could be just prelabor or it could turn around later that evening. W then talked to me and told me to call her if they got more intense or closer together, and that she was leaving to head home right then. We chatted a bit more with Deanna and talked about the birth and how perfect love casts out all fear and to not be afraid. She asked Rob to say a prayer over all of us then and she left to head home. I felt so relieved to hear it probably was not labor, she said that when it happened I would just *know.* I just wanted to hold out until at least Monday! She left Grace with instructions to watch over me and be sure I took it really easy and let everyone pamper me. I told her we were going to a cookout and I was looking forward to relaxing and enjoying some good food.
By the time Deanna left it was after 5 and I sat in the living room and tried to just relax. Before we left Jane called to see how I was doing (Rob had been keeping she and Ernie updated on what was going on). I told her about Deanna’s visit and that I was probably just doing too much and had strict instructions to just take it easy and that we were headed over to Charlie and Kristin’s. We were supposed to get to C&K ‘s at 6 but because I was trying to take it easy and talking on the phone to Jane, Rob had to get everything together so we didn’t end up leaving until 6:20 or so and arriving at their house around 6:30. I was having more contrax in the van on the way over but I kept thinking they would stop. When we got there we told them what was going on so far and Kristin and I talked in the kitchen while Charlie showed Rob and the kids the backyard. Kristin got me a piña colada smoothie which I took about 2 sips of (it was so good!) and we moved out on to the deck. I put my feet up and tried to listen to the conversation but the contrax kept coming and were getting more intense. I asked for Charlie’s watch and said I should time these and said to Kristin that maybe she should get Wantina’s number (W is her midwife too) and call her. Kristin went in to get the number and another contrax came and I had to get down on my hands and knees. Rob knelt down beside me and tried to gage where I was in the contrax by asking me if I was in the middle or at the end and all I could do was shake my head at him because I just couldn’t answer. He then tried to put his hand on my belly and I told him “don’t touch me!” (Sorry, sweetie!) He told me to focus on my breathing and that if it was going to happen it was going to happen and everything would be fine even though I didn’t think I was ready. After that one I got up and went inside. When I came in the house Kristin stopped looking for the number as another one hit in the kitchen and I kicked off my flip flops (for some reason!) and had to get down on my hands and knees again. I remember saying at that point “oh, God. Oh, God. I feel pressure! I feel pressure!” Kristin said to me “if you feel pressure, do you want to go home?” I said yes, stood up and put my flip flops on and pointed to the kitchen table and said “my sunglasses!” I can’t believe I was worried about my sunglasses! I also remember saying “what about the kids?” and Rob said don’t worry, we’ll take care of everything.
Once outside another one hit in the driveway so I went down on my hands and knees again. I made it to the van and Kristin asked if I wanted her to come too. “Yes!” Rob asked where I wanted to be in the van and I couldn’t imagine sitting up so I climbed into the middle on my knees and propped my arms up on the seat, gripping the seatbelt buckles. Eric was beside me in his carseat and kept asking “Mommy, you ok? What’s the matter?” I told him I was fine, it was ok. Grace kept saying over and over “it’s ok, it’s ok” until I said “Grace, please stop talking!” The car ride home, no more than 10 min., seemed like ages. It was like one long contrax and I never got a break. Rob asked me on the way if I thought this was it. “YES!” I finally admitted. I was breathing through my mouth and my mouth was getting so dry. Rob called some friends from church on the way home who live in the same subdivision as C&K and asked them to please meet us at home to pick up Eric. We got home at about 7:15 after spending only 30 min or so at Charlie and Kristin’s. Once home I got just inside the gate of the backyard and had to get on my hands and knees again. Rob unlocked the door and I went straight to the living room (the longest walk- I knew that once I got down again was where I was going to have the baby which is how I made it so far).
Rob’s friend came and took Eric and Kristin was there and I told her where Wantina’s number was and she called her. Wantina said she was out the door and on her way (she was back at home by this time, which was an hour away). Kristin and Grace went upstairs to get my birth supplies and Rob asked me if he should start filling up the birth pool (which we had just set up that morning!) I said no, no, there’s no time! Rob got the labor and birth cd that we had burned and asked me if that was ok to put on. Yes, I said. I asked for some Recharge with a straw to sip and was able to drink a little. I said I needed some Chux pads and they got them and spread them under and around me. I felt bulging at that point and my water broke, soaking my shorts. I told Rob and Kristin that it broke and I needed my shorts off. They pulled my shorts down to my knees and I said something like “take it all” meaning my underwear too, b/c I didn’t want to lift my knees twice! At that point Kristin called Wantina and told her my water broke and Wantina could hear by the sounds I was making that she wasn’t going to make it in time! I was aware that at some point Kristin closed the living room curtains. I was also aware that the windows were open and I was making a little noise but I really didn’t care if anyone heard.
Grace was sitting in a chair in the living room quietly observing. Kristin stayed on the phone with W and was keeping her updated as to what was happening. I felt bulging and said something like “it’s coming” and reached down but didn’t feel anything. Rob, who was beside me on my right also felt too. A few seconds later I reached down and felt the incredibly smooth and slippery head and Rob moved back behind my hip and felt her crowning and was right there to catch her. Once the head was out the rest of her body followed immediately and Rob scooped her up and handed her to me. I think Kristin told W when the head was out, and then when the body was out and W was giving instructions for what to do. I remember Rob saying “it’s a girl!” (we were pretty sure she was a boy!) and I was surprised, not only that “he” was a “she” but that he thought to notice her gender! She was gorgeous and perfect and healthy, and so slippery and *clean*! She started crying right away and Rob and Kristin helped me pull my shirt up and hold her to my breast. She wasn’t interested in nursing right away, but loudly protested about being born into the world! W gave Kristin instructions for what to do if I birthed the placenta before she got there, but it turned out that I didn’t birth it until after W arrived. As we were waiting for W after our baby was born we were in utter and total shock! I absolutely could not believe what had just happened! We wondered what time she had actually been born, we narrowed it down between 7:25 and 7:30 and decided that we would pick 7:27, as Rob quipped “she came in low and fast!” That was about 12 minutes after we arrived home! W arrived about 40 min after our daughter was born (she lives over an hour away and went 80-85 to get here!) but the time really flew by as we were trying to process it all. Rob told me that the song that was playing as Lily was born, one of my absolute all time favorites, was Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton.
I couldn’t believe how well it all went and praise God for calmness for all who were there (us, Grace, Kristin), Wantina on the phone, and His perfect love which casts out ALL fear! Grace was a wonderful help, getting me drink refills and admiring her baby sister. We realized we would have to choose a name soon…we had kinda narrowed down boy names but hadn’t given much thought to girl names. We were so glad to see Wantina (and her baby son James) and she got out her supplies for Rob to cut the cord. I birthed the placenta and then took an herb bath and had a snack. Wantina examined our daughter and weighed and measured her (7 lbs 14 ozs and 19 ½ in long). Then baby girl got in the bath with me for about 15 minutes and we settled onto the couch to nurse. At about 9 or so Rob called our friends and they brought Eric home. He met and held his baby sister and then Rob put him to bed. Wantina spread out a chux pad on the ottoman and examined my placenta there. It was so cool to see it- so amazing! Wantina also checked my bleeding and uterus, and examined me and said I only had a little “road rash,” 2 tiny tears at the top and bottom. I felt so good! So normal! Absolutely NO soreness at all, it’s incredible! She and Kristin stayed until almost 10 and it was just an amazing, wondrous time! None of the people we thought were going to be at the birth (both midwives and Jane) were there, but it really worked out wonderfully and I can see God’s hand in it all! I noticed as Wantina and James were leaving that she was barefoot- she really had literally run out the door!
Later that evening, Rob asked me what I thought about naming our daughter Lily Jane. He said that a couple of times through the week and just Saturday morning he had prayed about what to name our baby and that after she was born the name Lily came to him. And choosing Jane for her middle name seemed absolutely perfect, so on Sunday morning we decided that her name is Lily Jane.
On Sunday evening, we had Charlie and Kristin to *our* house and we resumed our cookout! It was delicious and at 7:27 pm we made a toast to sweet Lily with the bottles of sparkling grape juice that I had on hand to celebrate with the midwives after her birth.
Kristin (chiro_kristin on here) was at Lily's birth and I am so grateful! So Kristin, if you want to add anything please do! I want to remember as specifically as possible too so if anything is out of order please let me know that too. On Saturday afternoon at about 12:45 I began having contractions that were slightly uncomfortable and crampy feeling, unlike the regular Braxton hicks contractions that I was used to having. I told Rob that I “felt different” and he said he noticed that I was acting different. I want to add that earlier in the day I was very surprised to see him doing yard work (other than mowing) without my having asked him to…he said he felt like something was up before I even told him and that he better get stuff done. After over an hour of the contrax (even though they were irregular I had over 5 in an hour), at about 2:10 I called my midwife to tell her, because I knew she was out of town at a reunion and I wanted to get her opinion. I told her they weren’t uncomfortable and I could talk through them fine, but I had tried standing, sitting, lying down and they were still coming. She asked me if I thought this was it, I said “I don’t know…this isn’t a good time!” (She was 3 ½ hrs away, other MW out of state on vacation, AND my dear friend Jane that I really wanted to be at the birth was also in another state). She suggested that I take a bath for half an hour and see if that stopped or slowed them and we would go from there. Rob and the kids had planned on seeing a movie (Madagascar) at 2:30 so Rob came in to tell me he shouldn’t leave me alone. I begged him to go, the kids were so looking forward to it and he asked if I thought this was the real thing. I started to cry and said “no, it CAN’T be! Wantina is far away and Jane can’t be here, no!” He said “I know, but I’m not asking how you want it to be, what’s your gut feeling?” I couldn’t admit that I thought this might be it, I felt so torn because I didn’t want to be wrong either way. If Wantina came and it wasn’t the real thing I would feel bad. But what if she didn’t come and it was?
Finally Rob agreed to go to the movie with the kids if I promised to text him every ½ hour to let him know how I was. W called back just as I got out of the tub and I told her that I had 4 more contrax but they were the same- no more intense or anything. She asked if I wanted her assistant to come check me and then call her to tell her if she needed to come. I said yes, that would be awesome, I just wanted to know. She said Deanna would be there in a little over an hour. Rob and the kids got home after 4 and Deanna got there soon after. I was *so* glad to see her! She’s a warm, wonderful Christian woman (like my midwives) and we chatted a bit and then she examined me. She had a hard time finding my cervix b/c it was so high up and said I was just 1 ½ cm dilated. I can’t remember if she mentioned if I was effaced at all or not, but she thought that because I had been so active (out gardening, doing laundry and other housework) in conjunction with being a little tense about NOT wanting to be in labor that those things might be stimulating my uterus and causing the contractions. She spoke to Wantina and updated her, and W said that it could be just prelabor or it could turn around later that evening. W then talked to me and told me to call her if they got more intense or closer together, and that she was leaving to head home right then. We chatted a bit more with Deanna and talked about the birth and how perfect love casts out all fear and to not be afraid. She asked Rob to say a prayer over all of us then and she left to head home. I felt so relieved to hear it probably was not labor, she said that when it happened I would just *know.* I just wanted to hold out until at least Monday! She left Grace with instructions to watch over me and be sure I took it really easy and let everyone pamper me. I told her we were going to a cookout and I was looking forward to relaxing and enjoying some good food.
By the time Deanna left it was after 5 and I sat in the living room and tried to just relax. Before we left Jane called to see how I was doing (Rob had been keeping she and Ernie updated on what was going on). I told her about Deanna’s visit and that I was probably just doing too much and had strict instructions to just take it easy and that we were headed over to Charlie and Kristin’s. We were supposed to get to C&K ‘s at 6 but because I was trying to take it easy and talking on the phone to Jane, Rob had to get everything together so we didn’t end up leaving until 6:20 or so and arriving at their house around 6:30. I was having more contrax in the van on the way over but I kept thinking they would stop. When we got there we told them what was going on so far and Kristin and I talked in the kitchen while Charlie showed Rob and the kids the backyard. Kristin got me a piña colada smoothie which I took about 2 sips of (it was so good!) and we moved out on to the deck. I put my feet up and tried to listen to the conversation but the contrax kept coming and were getting more intense. I asked for Charlie’s watch and said I should time these and said to Kristin that maybe she should get Wantina’s number (W is her midwife too) and call her. Kristin went in to get the number and another contrax came and I had to get down on my hands and knees. Rob knelt down beside me and tried to gage where I was in the contrax by asking me if I was in the middle or at the end and all I could do was shake my head at him because I just couldn’t answer. He then tried to put his hand on my belly and I told him “don’t touch me!” (Sorry, sweetie!) He told me to focus on my breathing and that if it was going to happen it was going to happen and everything would be fine even though I didn’t think I was ready. After that one I got up and went inside. When I came in the house Kristin stopped looking for the number as another one hit in the kitchen and I kicked off my flip flops (for some reason!) and had to get down on my hands and knees again. I remember saying at that point “oh, God. Oh, God. I feel pressure! I feel pressure!” Kristin said to me “if you feel pressure, do you want to go home?” I said yes, stood up and put my flip flops on and pointed to the kitchen table and said “my sunglasses!” I can’t believe I was worried about my sunglasses! I also remember saying “what about the kids?” and Rob said don’t worry, we’ll take care of everything.
Once outside another one hit in the driveway so I went down on my hands and knees again. I made it to the van and Kristin asked if I wanted her to come too. “Yes!” Rob asked where I wanted to be in the van and I couldn’t imagine sitting up so I climbed into the middle on my knees and propped my arms up on the seat, gripping the seatbelt buckles. Eric was beside me in his carseat and kept asking “Mommy, you ok? What’s the matter?” I told him I was fine, it was ok. Grace kept saying over and over “it’s ok, it’s ok” until I said “Grace, please stop talking!” The car ride home, no more than 10 min., seemed like ages. It was like one long contrax and I never got a break. Rob asked me on the way if I thought this was it. “YES!” I finally admitted. I was breathing through my mouth and my mouth was getting so dry. Rob called some friends from church on the way home who live in the same subdivision as C&K and asked them to please meet us at home to pick up Eric. We got home at about 7:15 after spending only 30 min or so at Charlie and Kristin’s. Once home I got just inside the gate of the backyard and had to get on my hands and knees again. Rob unlocked the door and I went straight to the living room (the longest walk- I knew that once I got down again was where I was going to have the baby which is how I made it so far).
Rob’s friend came and took Eric and Kristin was there and I told her where Wantina’s number was and she called her. Wantina said she was out the door and on her way (she was back at home by this time, which was an hour away). Kristin and Grace went upstairs to get my birth supplies and Rob asked me if he should start filling up the birth pool (which we had just set up that morning!) I said no, no, there’s no time! Rob got the labor and birth cd that we had burned and asked me if that was ok to put on. Yes, I said. I asked for some Recharge with a straw to sip and was able to drink a little. I said I needed some Chux pads and they got them and spread them under and around me. I felt bulging at that point and my water broke, soaking my shorts. I told Rob and Kristin that it broke and I needed my shorts off. They pulled my shorts down to my knees and I said something like “take it all” meaning my underwear too, b/c I didn’t want to lift my knees twice! At that point Kristin called Wantina and told her my water broke and Wantina could hear by the sounds I was making that she wasn’t going to make it in time! I was aware that at some point Kristin closed the living room curtains. I was also aware that the windows were open and I was making a little noise but I really didn’t care if anyone heard.
Grace was sitting in a chair in the living room quietly observing. Kristin stayed on the phone with W and was keeping her updated as to what was happening. I felt bulging and said something like “it’s coming” and reached down but didn’t feel anything. Rob, who was beside me on my right also felt too. A few seconds later I reached down and felt the incredibly smooth and slippery head and Rob moved back behind my hip and felt her crowning and was right there to catch her. Once the head was out the rest of her body followed immediately and Rob scooped her up and handed her to me. I think Kristin told W when the head was out, and then when the body was out and W was giving instructions for what to do. I remember Rob saying “it’s a girl!” (we were pretty sure she was a boy!) and I was surprised, not only that “he” was a “she” but that he thought to notice her gender! She was gorgeous and perfect and healthy, and so slippery and *clean*! She started crying right away and Rob and Kristin helped me pull my shirt up and hold her to my breast. She wasn’t interested in nursing right away, but loudly protested about being born into the world! W gave Kristin instructions for what to do if I birthed the placenta before she got there, but it turned out that I didn’t birth it until after W arrived. As we were waiting for W after our baby was born we were in utter and total shock! I absolutely could not believe what had just happened! We wondered what time she had actually been born, we narrowed it down between 7:25 and 7:30 and decided that we would pick 7:27, as Rob quipped “she came in low and fast!” That was about 12 minutes after we arrived home! W arrived about 40 min after our daughter was born (she lives over an hour away and went 80-85 to get here!) but the time really flew by as we were trying to process it all. Rob told me that the song that was playing as Lily was born, one of my absolute all time favorites, was Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton.
I couldn’t believe how well it all went and praise God for calmness for all who were there (us, Grace, Kristin), Wantina on the phone, and His perfect love which casts out ALL fear! Grace was a wonderful help, getting me drink refills and admiring her baby sister. We realized we would have to choose a name soon…we had kinda narrowed down boy names but hadn’t given much thought to girl names. We were so glad to see Wantina (and her baby son James) and she got out her supplies for Rob to cut the cord. I birthed the placenta and then took an herb bath and had a snack. Wantina examined our daughter and weighed and measured her (7 lbs 14 ozs and 19 ½ in long). Then baby girl got in the bath with me for about 15 minutes and we settled onto the couch to nurse. At about 9 or so Rob called our friends and they brought Eric home. He met and held his baby sister and then Rob put him to bed. Wantina spread out a chux pad on the ottoman and examined my placenta there. It was so cool to see it- so amazing! Wantina also checked my bleeding and uterus, and examined me and said I only had a little “road rash,” 2 tiny tears at the top and bottom. I felt so good! So normal! Absolutely NO soreness at all, it’s incredible! She and Kristin stayed until almost 10 and it was just an amazing, wondrous time! None of the people we thought were going to be at the birth (both midwives and Jane) were there, but it really worked out wonderfully and I can see God’s hand in it all! I noticed as Wantina and James were leaving that she was barefoot- she really had literally run out the door!
Later that evening, Rob asked me what I thought about naming our daughter Lily Jane. He said that a couple of times through the week and just Saturday morning he had prayed about what to name our baby and that after she was born the name Lily came to him. And choosing Jane for her middle name seemed absolutely perfect, so on Sunday morning we decided that her name is Lily Jane.
On Sunday evening, we had Charlie and Kristin to *our* house and we resumed our cookout! It was delicious and at 7:27 pm we made a toast to sweet Lily with the bottles of sparkling grape juice that I had on hand to celebrate with the midwives after her birth.
, she had the most comfortable of all her pregnancies.
What a PERFECT birth. Congratulations!
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