The whole event started the night before when Mommy started to feel some contractions after undergoing a second bout of acupuncture to help start the labor. Needless to say, the second time worked. The contractions were serious. We decided that it would be a really good idea to try to catch up on some rest and go to bed. Daddy thought that the baby would be born in the middle of the night, but in the morning, we we both ready to go ahead and meet some of our friends for breakfast as planned.
Tahlia woke around 6:30. This was a good time for her to wake up since we needed to meet our friends around 7:30. I rushed to her room to hastily help her out of bed and placed her on the potty. I ran back into our bedroom to find Mommy sitting on the bed with a far away look in her eye. I'd seen this look before. It was a look I recall vividly from two years and one month prior.
"Are you tired?"
"No. Why?"
"I think you're in labor."
"I don't know. Hurry, we have to get ready to go to breakfast."
I helped Tahlia off of the potty and heard the phone ring. Mommy answered and let our friends know that the plans were still on. I proceeded to dress Tahlia.
I ran back into the room to find Mommy on all fours at the head of the bed.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah. Just a big one."
"Should we call Kristen?" Kristen is our doula. She drove us to the hospital last time. We wanted to have our money's worth this time.
"I'm fine. We have to hurry to get to breakfast."
I ran back to Tahlia to put her shoes on. When I return to the bedroom, Mommy is at the foot of the bed on all fours.
"Are you Ok?"
"Yeah. Just a big one."
"You're in labor. I'm calling Kristen."
"No, we'll be fine."
"Do you know Angela and Curt's number? I'm going to have to cancel with them."
"I think we can make it."
"I'm calling Kristen."
I called Kristen and put Mommy on the phone. After about five minutes and two contractions, Mommy handed me the phone.
"Hey Kristen."
"Is she in labor?"
"I don't know but she has that look in her eye."
"Good bye."
And she hung up.
I told Mommy that we were going to the hospital. She wanted to know about our breakfast plans. Because I don't have Angela and Curt's number, I ran downstairs to find the number of the breakfast place where we are supposed to meet.
"Blue Grass Grill and Bakery."
"Hi. I'm wondering if you could let a couple of your patrons know that my wife is in labor and we're not going to be able to meet them? She has dark hair. He is a really tall guy with short blond hair."
"Hey man, congratulations. I'll let them know."
We rushed down to the car. Mommy had packed bags for herself and Tahlia. We called the people who were going to watch Suki as we began heading off to the hospital. We called the friend who was going to take care of Tahlia. We called the hospital. We called the Doctor. She had two contractions on the way to the hospital. Evidently, having contractions in an upright seated position is not comfortable.
When we pulled into the hospital, Mommy got out and started heading for an entrance. About two steps away from the car, she had a contraction that made her go to all fours. At this moment, the doctor called. I answered and let him know the situation. His response: "Well, everything sounds good." I really wasn't sure what part of my wife being on all fours in front of the hospital entrance sounded good, but I hung up. When Mommy was able to stand again, she continued her pilgrimage towards the entrance, only to find it was locked. Just as she reached the door, Peggy, the woman who was going to watch Tahlia, pulled in behind me. Tahlia was really excited to go and spend time with Esme, so we quickly put her in Esme's car seat. Mommy gave Peggy a hug and started to waddle over towards the second entrance. I quickly parked the car and rushed to obstetrics. Mommy made it all the way there by herself. Yes, that is right, by herself. When she entered the door and asked two people where she needed to go to arrive in obstetrics, they just pointed. No help. Just pointing.
When I arrived, Mommy was on a bed with a nurse named Bonnie. Bonnie is a sadist. When Mommy would have a contraction, she wanted to roll over and just hold onto the railing. It took Bonnie fifteen minutes and three pricks to do an IV. During the first prick, she made Mommy hold her arm out to the side, still, while Mommy had a contraction stating that, "If you did the first one with out pain medication, you can keep your arm still." Bonnie is a sadist. Thankfully, Bonnie wasn't the nurse who saw us through everything. Kristen was.
Shortly after the IV was in, Kristen, our doula arrived. So did Kristen our new nurse. And the contractions continued. Mommy believes that they were more intense than with Tahlia. They definitely happened faster. Mommy is definitely amazing when it comes to going through labor.
At 9:53am the nurse measured her cervix and found her to be eight centimeters. We decided it would be a good idea to draw a bath. At 9:55am, Mommy realized that she was going to push and there was nothing she could do about it. The nurse measured again and found her to be at 10 centimeters and called for the doctor. When he didn't appear immediately, she called again.
During Mommy's first push, she grabbed the base of my scalp and compressed my four fingers on my right hand. For the second push, I was able to have her only squeeze two fingers and hold the railing on the bed.
During the second push, he was born at exactly 10:00am.
We called our friend who was taking care of Tahlia, and Tahlia arrived around 12:00pm to meet her little brother Asher. It was love at first sight.
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