Labor Day

I was due on Tuesday, October 4^th, but I really was hoping I would not go into labor until the week after that because I wanted my 12 weeks of FMLA coverage to allow me to be off until after New Years. I told everyone at work that I planned to keep working until I was in labor, even if I was at work when it happened. I wanted my desk to be cleared off and everything to be taken care of before I left. The baby did not quiet cooperate with my plan however, and when I woke up on October 6^th I knew she was coming soon. I told Willy before we left that morning to get ready; it was all going to happen fast. I went to work that day and worked really hard trying to get as much finished as I could. I was sending out emails all day with instructions on different projects I had been working and leaving notes all over my desk about things that needed to be completed still. I didn’t tell anyone what was going on until right before I left for the day. I told my friend Stephanie as I was leaving that I was pretty sure I was in the beginning stages of labor and would probably have the baby soon. She said “I knew it! You were acting funny today!” hahaha

When I got home from work, I called Aunt Brenda to let her know what was happening. She told me to eat a good dinner and get to bed early so I could rest as much as possible before it all really got started. A group of our friends get together every week for dinner at each other’s houses (rotating houses every week), so we headed out to Beaumont for dinner at the Odenbaugh’s. It was funny that on the way there, my boss sent me a text to see if I wanted to go out for lunch the next day since it would probably be the last time until I came back from maternity leave. I told her that I was actually in labor and had been all day! She was pretty surprised. Haha We got there a little late and everyone said they thought we weren’t coming because maybe I was in labor. They all got excited when I told them I was pretty sure I was. We enjoyed dinner and hung out for awhile, but I started getting really uncomfortable and we decided to leave a little early just in case. We got home and I decided I needed to get the house all clean, I knew it wasn’t going to be long before we had a full house and I wanted everything to be ready. Aunt Brenda called a little later that evening to check on me and told me I needed to stop cleaning and get to bed! I finally listened and we got in bed by about 10:30 PM.

I woke up at about 1:30 AM because the contractions started to get going. I told Willy but let him go back to sleep because I figured it would be a long day for him too. I went out to the couch and got on the computer to email my boss to let her know I for sure wouldn’t be at work that day, and sent a few other emails to some coworkers and friends in between the contractions, which were pretty mild at this point. Around 4:30 I woke Willy up because the contractions were starting to get stronger. I don’t really know what time everything happened after this point, but at some time that morning Aunt Brenda, her assistant Jodi arrived, then a little later on mom, and my sister Alison came. On Aunt Brenda’s instructions, Willy and I did a lot of walking up and down the street, usually stopping so I could lean on him during contractions. Eventually it was time to start pushing so I got in the birth tub which was set up where the kitchen table normally was. I know, it’s not very common to have a baby in the kitchen, especially not when it’s planned that way, but that’s what worked for us. Willy got in the water with me so I could lean against him, mom was fanning me and pouring water on me occasionally to help me keep cool, and Aunt Brenda and Jodi were monitoring me and the baby the whole time. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Alison was sending out updates to the family via text and taking pictures for us. Definitely not pictures I’ll be sharing with the world, but I guess they’re good to have. I think I was in the water pushing for a few hours, but it went by pretty fast for me because I just got into a ‘zone’ and was only concentrating on getting her out.

Thankfully I didn’t realize how scary it was at the time, but as Aunt Bren had been monitoring me and the baby, she stopped being able to hear her heart beat anymore. She told me if she wasn’t out on the next push I would have to get out of the water. The baby did not get out on that push, so they all helped me out of the water and onto the floor in front of the couch. It all happened pretty fast after that, and I really didn’t even know what was going on, but all of a sudden Aunt Bren told me to move my legs and then she handed me my baby! To be continued…