The Birth of Bradley Alan

He is here! The day I thought would never come finally came! It has been a whirlwind week and we've been adjusting to life with two boys with help of the best kind - Grandmas. Not sure what we would do without them to spoil us. Grandma Anna took Steven home with her on Friday and (after some tears on my part when Steven left) Nathan and I enjoyed some special bonding time with our new son. I started this post over the weekend, hoping to use this Steven free time to get Bradley's birth story written while it was fresh in my mind. Still didn't happen though, and here I am...Thursday night...Bradley is 9 days old and I am still working on this.
I had been meaning to update the blog in recent weeks with how things have been going, but just never found the motivation. Now I just get to report on the happy stuff!

So here goes...

On Friday the 5th, I went to bed and was having contractions on and off. Around 1 in the morning they started to get consistently 10-15 min. apart and I was too nervous to stay in bed. I got up and started timing them. Soon enough they were 6-7 minutes apart and getting consistently longer. I had Nathan timing them for a while. The whole time I was thinking that the baby coming might be a possibility, but I just had this feeling it wasn't quite time. Even though the contractions were consistent, they were really mild. Nothing like what I'd had with Steven at that point. I ended up calling my midwife, Constance, around 3 to see what she thought. She told me to try taking a bath - either it would speed things up or things would begin to dissipate. I followed her instructions and by 4 am was back in bed with no contractions.

Constance followed up with me later the next morning to see if there had been any more contractions to speak of once I'd gotten up the next day. I'd been having contractions here and there in the morning, but nothing much. She thought there was a good chance I might go into labor that evening and have a baby before the weekend was out. Based on that, and based on how far away mine and Nathan's parents live she decided to not go up to Seattle for the day as she'd planned. I was relieved. Saturday night Nathan and I went walking downtown with Steven, I finished a mug I had started at a pottery painting studio and we walked and walked. I was expecting I'd be in labor by bedtime and have a baby by Sunday morning.

Nathan and I went to bed and the next morning I woke up to nothing having happened. Not a single contraction. I was disappointed, but at the same time thankful for the rest I'd gotten since the night before that I hadn't slept at all. Since baby hadn't come I was determined to keep baby in until Monday night. Monday was my birthday and as much as some mothers may want to share their special day I am not one of them. Call me selfish, but I like to have a day about me (and think they should have day about them too!).

Monday came and I decided to treat it like any other day, even thought it was my birthday. I figured that since I couldn't eat cake it wasn't worth celebrating (how silly right?). I went to a friend's house in the morning, Nathan was home in the afternoon with me and we ran some errands to Home Depot (for new flowers for the planters) and Costco (where I had my oh so exciting birthday dinner - Caesar salad), and we had our small group at our house that night. Everyone left the house around 9pm and I thought to myself, "Okay, now I can go into labor because surely baby will come after my birthday." Went to bed and woke up around 2 with some pretty uncomfortable contractions. I was really having to work through them and they were coming around 3-4 minutes apart. Just when I was beginning to think, "this is it!", they slowed down and then nothing. I was so frustrated. How do you go from intense to nothing?? Ugh.

I woke up in a very sour mood on Tuesday morning. Sure I was not even to my due date, but I wanted this baby here now! I was tired of eating eggs for breakfast, tired of cheese, I was tired of being huge, I wanted my baby here! I complained to Nathan, I complained to my mom and mom-in-law, I complained over email and text to a couple of my friends...sigh. I decided that I needed to stop whining about it and just focus on the day in front of me and what I could do with it.

I started to make a list and to clean and get some things done around the house. I was surprised at how fast I was accomplishing things that morning. I began having some contractions mid-morning, but nothing worth timing, and because I'd been cleaning and going up and down the stairs I just figured it was related to that and not really labor. Steven woke up from his nap and started to "help" me clean. He is so cute about helping me now! He was being particularly fussy about everything though, so I gave him a snack to see if that would help. It didn't do much. I was noticing contractions a bit more, but still didn't think much of them, and didn't have much time to think of them since Steven was up and needing constant attention it seemed. I texted Nathan about them just the same and he was going to call me at lunch time to see how I was doing.

Since Steven was fussy, and I was cleaning anyway, I figured it was time to break out the vacuum. If there is one thing that Steven loves more than anything it is the vacuum cleaner. If we are in a store and pass by one he gets all excited about it. I know what chore will be his when he is older (hmm...maybe I should see if he has fondness for toilet brushes??). He was excited at first, but almost immediately started crying. This confused and frustrated me to no end, but since I'd started I was going to finish, fit or no fit.

As had been the case all morning, my cleaning was frequently interrupted by trips to the bathroom - hey, it happens at the end of pregnancy. Made my potty break and got back to vacuuming. All of a sudden I felt a little gush like I'd wet my pants. It startled me somewhat so I went to the bathroom again thinking my bladder wasn't as empty as I'd thought after the last trip. I went back to vacuuming again. Another gush, only this one lasted longer. I went to the bathroom again. This time there was a teeny bit of mucous. Not anything super abnormal (as this is another common thing at the end of pregnancy), but still. This was around 11:45-12ish.

I called Nathan and told him I thought my water may have broken, but I wasn't sure. He decided to come home since I'd been having those contractions anyway. I told him I was going to call the midwife to get her thoughts on it. I paged the midwife and at this point Steven was in hysterics. I began to think that this might be the real deal and he could sense it because he was standing at my side trying to climb into my lap and be held (not particularly easy when one is sitting on the toilet) and was crying and crying (making it difficult to leave Constance a message as well). Because I may had to wait another 10-15 min. for a phone call back decided to finish vacuuming. I finished and immediately ended up in the bathroom because at that point the gushing was getting more constant. At this point I was starting to have some contractions again, but they weren't very close together or very uncomfortable so I didn't start timing them yet.

I called my parents and let them know that I thought my water had broken and that my mom should hit the road asap. I called my mother in law to tell her to come too to be with Steven. Then I called my two friends who were on call to be with Steven until my in-laws arrived and said I would need one of them to come - Katie ended up heading our way with her little Eve in tow. Nathan got home around 12:15 and we fed Steven lunch and he played with him for a little while as I began to finish getting some things together. We heard from Constance around 12:30 and she said that it definitely sounded like my water had broken and that it was up to us how long we waited to come in as I wasn't having that intense of contractions yet. Katie wasn't going to be able to get to our house until about 1:15, so I told her I'd touch base with her within the hour. My contractions were getting to be around 6-7 minutes apart. I knew we wouldn't be staying home much longer once Katie arrived.

Steven was ready for his nap around 1 and so we got him ready to put down. I was getting teary and emotional at this point 'cause I knew the next time I saw him he was going to be a big brother. I decided to take advantage of a somewhat happy boy and we snapped these pictures right before he went down for his nap.

He has no clue what's about to happen

Loving Mommy's kisses

Once he was down I began to get some things together in my bathroom. I all of a sudden decided that I detested the nail polish I was wearing (I had just painted it the day before) and was determined to get it off. I started to remove my nail polish while bouncing on my exercise ball. Katie arrived and came up and chatted with me. We both found it funny that I was being so particular about something as silly as nail polish on my finger nails. It felt like nothing was really going on until a contraction would come, and then i would pause and breathe through it a bit, but for the most part I was chatty and happy. My contractions were about 4-5 minutes apart at that point.

Around 1:30 my mom arrived and I got a couple more things together and they decided it was time for us to leave (my contractions were now about 3-4 min. apart, but I wasn't feeling to worried about them yet). I didn't want to end up in the transition point of my labor while in the car so I agreed we should probably go...right after I print of this one thing, and oh, Nathan, would you get me some cheese please??? They weren't too happy with me.

We finally left for the Birth House around 1:50pm. I had a couple of contractions in the car on the way, but they weren't that difficult to manage and I was very relaxed the whole way there. I got a little weepy the closer we got to the center as I knew we'd be meeting our little one soon and soon our only boy would be a big brother.

Shortly after 2pm we pulled into the parking lot and I distinctly remember smelling french fries from Big Tom's drive-in across the street...and how badly I wanted some! Constance greeted us as we walked in the door and showed us into our birthing room. It is so beautiful. Not quite the same color green as I have on my bedroom walls at home, but I felt like I was walking into the same peaceful environment as if I had stayed home. She had already begun to fill up the large birth tub and I was so anxious to get in 'cause I knew it would bring quick relief (even though the contractions weren't too intolerable yet). I right away went to the bathroom and put my swim top on so I'd be able to get in the tub.



This room felt like home




The amazing tub

Pausing for a contraction

While in the bathroom I met Lucy, our birth assistant. Not the ideal way to meet someone for the first time, when you're sitting on the toilet, but at the same time it did not feel awkward in the least. She took a first round of vitals while I labored on the toilet. The contractions began to become more intense at that point and so I moved to the tub. It felt amazing. I almost felt like it completely erased the pain of the next few contractions. I definitely had to breathe through them, but they were very manageable. My mom commented that I didn't even look like I was in labor, rather like I was advertising a spa. Thanks, Mom. Nathan, Mom and I chatted between my contractions, talking about the room, noting differences to when I was in labor with Steven and talking about the good food I'd be eating soon. Soon my contractions were coming every 2  minutes like clockwork. Even with the spacing of them being so close together, I was still managing them well, even with their increasing intensity. When I would begin to have a contraction, I would lay back and Nathan would rub my shoulders. He and my mom kept cool washcloths on my forehead and neck. Nathan would lean in close and tell me what a great job I was doing with almost every contraction. He was so encouraging throughout.



Nathan helping me through a contraction

During this time Lucy and Constance were busy setting up the room and getting things ready for the actual birth. They were so quiet and accommodating the whole time. I hardly noticed them until I needed them and then they were there. Lucy came to do my vitals again and it seemed like my contractions slowed down a bit. Still every bit as intense, but not as close together. Later my mom said that this is when she knew things were really going to get going. I was getting the calm before the storm. While Lucy checked my vitals I specifically remember one contraction that was super intense and I could feel the baby rotating into a better position as they came farther down into my pelvis. Lucy could tell too as she had to move her hand to follow the baby's heartbeat to hear it. Once that movement happened, things became really intense. With each contraction I wanted to curl up in a ball, but that was counter-productive. I knew I needed to stay relaxed and open in order for the baby to come.  I was vocalizing quite a bit, and was probably very whiny about everything in between contractions (my mom and Nathan would have to say otherwise, I don't remember). The pain was so low in my pelvic area that I didn't feel like there was a comfortable position to try and work through the contractions. I ended up on my knees, with my arms propped on the side of the tub trying to stay up during the contractions. I felt like the contractions were getting away from me. I desperately wanted someone to put counter pressure on my back, but was hesitant to ask Nathan at first because he had said he wasn't too keen on getting in the water with me. Bless him, the midwife suggested it, he saw the look of pleading I gave him at her suggestion and immediately changed into his shorts and climbed into the tub. He sat behind me on the back of the tub (so he wasn't actually in the water all that much) and he worked magic on my back for the next few contractions.

After a short while, I wasn't sure I wanted to be in the tub anymore. Between contractions (which weren't that far apart), the whole team worked on getting me dried off and out of the tub and moved to the toilet, which is where I felt I needed to be for the time being. Getting there was a process and the contractions in that process were miserable. I sat backwards on the toilet, propping myself up on the tank during contractions - sitting this way also enabled Nathan to continue with the counter-pressure on my back. I really began to get loud at this point and felt like crying with each contraction. I started to feel "pushy" but wasn't sure, and didn't know what to do about it.

My mom told Constance and Lucy that I was feeling pushy and they suggested I move to the bed. I was getting really tired, and the idea of laying down sounded very appealing so I agreed. It was so difficult to get in the bed. I felt like any slight off balance movement would bring on a contraction and my legs felt so weak that I was afraid I was just going to topple over. Finally I was in the bed on my side. Again with the contractions I wanted to curl up in a ball, but I resisted that urge and moaned through the contraction as I tried desperately to keep myself open.

Constance asked what I was feeling, and I told her I wasn't sure. I told her I was definitely feeling pressure, but I didn't know if that meant I was ready to push or not. I wanted to push, almost desperate to start pushing. I finally asked if she could check me to see if I was ready to push. At this time I was laying on my left side. Lucy came over and held my bent right leg in her arms so Constance could check me. She said that I was completely clear and that she could feel baby's head "right there". I wanted baby OUT. She said I could start pushing at anytime. With the next contraction I began to bear down, but definitely wasn't giving it everything. I think I was still trying to figure out exactly what I was doing. After a few contractions like this, and not feeling like I was accomplishing anything, Constance suggested I might find the pushing to be more productive if I was on my hands and knees. I slowly rolled over onto my knees and tried to prop myself up on pillows and the headboard. Nathan stayed by my side, encouraging me.

With the next couple of contractions the pushing definitely felt more productive. However, the contractions were extremely intense and I didn't feel like I was getting a break between them. All of a sudden the pushing became quite painful. I thought maybe I was crowning already. Constance said she wanted to check me again. She said the baby had brought a lip of cervix down with the last contraction, and in order for me to keep pushing she would need to hold it out of the way or I would have to try to keep from pushing for a few contractions until it had moved on its own. I attempted to not push, but the urge was too great, probably because gravity was controlling much of things by that point, and so she held the cervix out of the way. This was incredibly painful and I began to shriek and shake and cry. At this point Nathan lost it. He hadn't eaten anything yet that day (smart hubby) and that combined with seeing me in so much pain made him physically ill. He got off the bed and sat on a chair with his head between his knees trying not to pass out. My mom transitioned quickly to the place he'd been. I was hardly aware that this was going on, but did notice that all of a sudden Nathan had moved. When I asked where he'd gone my mom told me he wasn't feeling well and to just lean on her if I needed. The contractions were coming so quickly and the cervix was still causing issues that I didn't give much thought to where Nathan was after that. I buried my head in my mom's shoulder and focused on the job still to be done. The pain was so intense, and at one point I just cried and said, "Mommy" into my mom's shoulder.

Constance told me that the lip was gone and after that the pushing felt better, temporarily. Right away I began to feel the baby crown. It hurt miserably. Constance told me to reach down and feel the baby's head, to encourage me to continue to push. I felt the baby's head and for an instant this fear ran through me, this thought that just maybe this is where the baby would be forever, that the baby wasn't ever truly going to come out. My mom kept telling me, "your baby is right there, you are doing it, the baby is almost here!". At one point I said, "I want this baby OUT!". My mom just kept reassuring me that it wouldnt' be much longer. I began to push with all my might with each contraction. I wanted that baby out so desperately.



Leaning on Mom - at this point the baby's head was almost out



Finally, I felt the baby's head come out all the way, felt the little face as it entered the world and the baby was out. When I asked later Constance said from the time the lip was completely out of the way until the baby was born was 7 minutes - pretty crazy! I asked what it was and Nathan said, "It's a boy!". I reached beneath me and picked my baby up and brought him up to my chest. I was in awe. I couldn't believe he was here, that I had made it through. Bradley Alan came into the world on August 9th, 2011 at 3:56 pm. Now all I wanted was to cuddle my boy. I was oblivious to the people around me for a few moments as I just gazed at my precious new bundle.

Testing his lungs



So perfect

Mommy's first kisses

Bradley was a bit grey at first, and had the midwives slightly concerned with his coloring. He also took a little bit to get his lungs working and give us a good cry - but it finally came and we were thrilled when it did. He was covered in lots of vernix. I began rubbing it into his skin with the blanket they gave me. We still had not cut the cord (we waited for it to stop pulsing) and I knew I needed to be in a different position (I was still kneeling on the bed) in order for this to happen.

I got re-situated in a more comfortable position and Nathan cut the cord. After I had delivered the placenta, Constance got busy repairing the 2nd degree tear Bradley gave me. He played copy cat to his older brother and came out with his hand by his head. I put him to the breast right away to try nursing and he latched quickly and began to eat really well. We spent a good half hour with him, ate a small snack (cheese for me, again, and Nathan was brought juice since he just looked that bad from his getting sick).Constance got busy weighing him and getting him measured. He weighted 8 lbs 13 oz, was 21" long, and had a 14.5" head. Nathan and I both guessed wrong on the weight - I guessed 8 lbs, Nathan guessed 7lbs 13 oz. - we had been anticipating a much smaller bundle!


So proud



With our new little boy

He's a big one!



Taking a rest

We had been texting different family and friends about the arrival of Bradley throughout this time. (My mom had gone back to our house shortly after the birth to come back with the rest of the family when we were ready for them to meet Bradley). Katie, who had been with Steven earlier, stopped by with french fries and shakes to curb our hunger. Best after baby snack ever!

I got up to use the bathroom for the first time and get somewhat presentable for the arrival of our visitors. It was slow moving, but I made it. I didn't realize how weak I was and had to sit up on the bed for a good 5 minutes before I could even stand to keep from passing out.

Shortly after I was done cleaning up, the grandparents arrived with Steven in tow to meet his new brother. He was very tired after not napping well, and had to be convinced to sit by me on the bed (a milkshake does a really great job convincing him). He was somewhat interested in the new baby, but mostly wanted to stay with one "Papa" or the other. I think it was a little overwhelming to him. The family all piled into the room and we were busy taking pictures for a good 45 minutes. At some point in there, another mommy friend, Kirsten, brought by the thing I wanted to eat most after baby was born - donuts. Yum! I was very happy.



Our little family - Steven is a bit curious about his new brother



YUM!

Soon the family went home to get Steven to bed and get dinner prepped for our homecoming (my request - pizza!). We went over the last few things with Constance and Lucy - vitals, paperwork to make Bradley's arrival official for the state, and Nathan's instructions on making sure baby and I were okay for the first 24 hours at home. This was a little overwhelming for him, feeling responsible for both of us all night long, but home we were going! We were at The Birth House for a total of about 6 hours. Seems like such a short amount of time compared to when we stayed at the hospital, but we wouldn't have it any other way now. We were ready to go home. Once we were home that night I ate some pizza downstairs with the family and then I went to bed. Hard to believe that just that morning I'd been complaining about baby not being here, and that night as my head hit my pillow, my new baby was snoozing besides me.

I have a list of people to thank for being a part and making this wonderful experience happen the way it did. Constance was the most encouraging care provider I could have asked for. She gave me the strict diet plan I needed in order to not risk out of her care and gave me the encouragement to stick with it when it was getting tough. Shannon, again you impressed us so much with your childbirth class. We both questioned whether we would walk away with much more knowledge than we'd gained the first time we took your class - we were blown away! Thank you for your encouragement and insight along the way as we ventured into our first out of hospital birth and the world of GD. My mom - you kept me grounded not only during the labor & delivery, but throughout the last weeks of pregnancy when I was tempted to give up, or was beyond frustrated with things. I love you! To my wonderful hubby - you again proved what a perfect match you are for me. Thank you for being so sensitive to my needs and not only supporting me so well through the strict diet changes (which had an effect on your diet too), but through out the labor and delivery. You are a wonderful husband, and a wonderful father to our boys and I thank God for you every day. Finally, I thank God for answered prayer. I prayed that I would not have to have a birth full of interventions and transferred care and He answered and He is faithful! Bradley came when Bradley was ready and he came without a bit of help from anyone.

Since our arrival home it has been, like I said at the start, a whirlwind. Time has been going so much faster with baby #2 and I am trying desperately to capture as many mental (and digital) memories as possible. Bradley is such a good, easy going baby. We haven't had any problems with nursing and he is sleeping really great at night.

Steven is adjusting slowly to life with a little brother. Granted, after his weekend away with Grandma he came home to having a fever and a case of roseola, so he would probably be fussy regardless. I know he finds it hard, sharing Mommy & Daddy, but that he will end up loving it in the end.

Now to bed I must go. I feel like I could have put so many more pictures in this post, or told more details, but my mommy brain cannot handle any more details. All that matters now is loving my two beautiful boys and getting life back to "normal" - whatever that may be.