MIA LUCENE
6-11-12 (big brother Nate's 7th birthday!)
8 lbs 2oz, 21 inches
Miss Mia. Your birth story.
Mommy's version.
Mommy went to bed around midnite after a late night Sunday meeting with her fellow midwives. Not a twinge. No gut feeling. Nothing. Just exhaustion and looking forward to the first day of summer (no school!) for the kids and Nate's birthday the next day. I awoke around 4am with some patterned contractions about every 6 minutes. The reality is that I was pry awake every hour to pee and roll over like a cow, but 4am is when I felt the contractions. I was a little frustrated by this knowing that it was Nate's birthday. The one day we were trying to avoid for your arrival. I don't really contract until it's time to have a baby. So, I rolled over and awoke your dad saying, "It's coming today." His response was one with a little annoyance also saying , "Really?" Of course everyone and their brother offers to help with the big kids when it's time for birth, but who wants to call anyone in the middle of the night! I decided to call Gramma Char to come but not to rush. I figured even if things did fizzle out she could come and spend the day with Nate for his birthday. With Gramma Char kind-of on the way, I decided to shower and get some things around. Well, the water broke on the bathroom floor around 4:25a. This set your father into a panic about needing to be at the hospital. I, on the other hand, decided to go in to some form of denial that you were really coming as the contractions seemed to shorten a bit with the water leaking. I showered and then called my midwife and she told me she'd meet us at the hospital. That was two votes for going to the hospital sooner rather than later. After a brief yet intense discussion on the urgency of the situation all based on the 4 minute stay in Labor & Delivery when your big sister Tessa was born, I was able to convince your father to give me 10 minutes to "figure this out." (I'm a midwife. Not sure what I was figuring out. It was that denial thing.) Of course I didn't want to be at the hospital "forever" and your dad just merely wanted to be at the hospital and not delivering a baby with his only training having been with a loaf of bread 7 years ago (Yes. I showed Troy how to deliver a baby when I was pregnant with Nate in the event that the one midwife I did not like was on call when I was in labor). Troy even offered that I didn't have to go into the building and that we could wait in the parking lot...at the hospital though. He pointed to the clock and said, "Fine. You have 10 minutes." In those 10 minutes I continued to have contractions. Your father packed up the van, started it, called my mother and told her to put a step on it and plucked the big sibs out of bed. At the 11th minute, I walked out the door and got in the van. Nate and Tessa were SOOO excited. I was breathing through contractions as they asked 10 thousand gazillion questions and sang along to a Strawberry Shortcake DVD (Can hear it now....Straw-b-b-b-berrry. Strawberry Shortcake!).
Elaine was the midwife on call and she must've remembered Tessa's arrival too because she was waiting in the LOBBY for us! Of course she planned to greet us at the drop off circle, but I stubbornly made your father park in the lot and planned to stroll in like a normal person. One can seem rather normal when not having a contraction. It was so nice to have everyone I knew there to take care of us. We got to the hospital just after 5am. We got the presidential suite (not really) and Kari was our nurse (she's awesome!). I was having terrible splitting back pain. Elaine checked and I was 7 centimeters dilated. Elaine was also suspicious that you were posterior (that means you were facing up rather than looking down towards my rear...it also usually means much more back pain). Everyone said, "wow, that's great." I thought, "That's it." I mean, your sister nearly fell out. Some more back splitting contractions got me completely dilated...finally. I have to admit that I had to work to get you out. I wasn't convinced that you were gonna come out and needed some encouragement from the nurses, midwives and your dad that in fact your head was coming out. I pushed 3 times and was surprised to have them plop you, a surprisingly chubby little girl, onto my chest at 6:15am! 2 intense hours. Mommy cannot complain and can only hope that you will have similar ease when you have children!
As per our usual, but of course not as planned (because despite how it always seems to look we DID have a plan!) we rushed to the hospital with children in tow. Big Sibs Nate and Tessa were given snacks from the patient nourishment room and entertained by the staff nurses in waiting room until Gramma Char arrived. Gramma Char arrived about 5 minutes before the birth. Apparently enough time to take some pictures...of the Tessa in the bathroom? Weird.
Proud Dad. Careful you'll hurt her poor lil eyes with the reflection from that grin!
Nate spotted his mound of loot on the way out of the house that morning. So, the excitement of a new sibling wore off a little quickly and he wanted to get home to check out his presents.
